Jack Hayford:
Prayer Is Invading the Impossible
Foundation for
Power Prayer
In the years that I’ve led Bible studies (usually
about prayer), I was on the watch for a good book that
gives the foundation to power prayer…prayer that
works. I had reviewed a number of offerings, but they all
had some quality to them I just couldn’t
endorse…usually a dose of personal ego.
When we talk about the power of prayer, the power is the
Lord’s …not ours. We have a definite
role to play in prayer, but our role is hardly the size of
a flea compared to God’s role. So…no
ego…can’t go there!
When Jack Hayford’s, book Prayer is Invading
the Impossible,
came out, I was hopeful. Hayford is one of the
cleanest-hearted people I’ve ever heard preach.
Foundation: Clean and
Solid
This book had the content I usually cover…in Jack
Hayford’s wonderfully clear and encouraging
style. As I read chapter after chapter I go more and
more excited about this terrific book, no
arrogance…an answer to my prayer! I was on the
edge of my seat until I’d read through to the last
page. Glory! This was it.
Too Good to
Miss
As soon as we could get a case of Prayer is Invading
the Impossible,
my two Bible study groups dug in. We covered a
chapter a week with assignments. In my jubilation
over the content and spirit of the book, I had failed to
consider the reading level. Some of the Bible study
participants were speaking English as a second language and
did best with a simple vocabulary….a fact I totally
forgot.
By the second week into the study, these women were
carrying pocket dictionaries with their Bibles and copies
of Prayer Is Invading
the Impossible. “We don’t want to
miss one thing that Pastor Jack is trying to say.
It’s all too good to miss for the lack of
understanding one word. So, we bought
dictionaries.”
I can’t thing of a better endorsement for
Prayer
Is Invading the Impossible than this little account.
Power from the
Beginning
There we were, green as grass, and simple in our renderings
of prayer, but we had no doubt that our prayers were
invading the impossible.
During this time one of our members received a call that
her young grandson had drowned. He had been at the
bottom of the pool for an unknown amount to time.
Medics had revived him (in a sense) and flew him to a
hospital specializing in drowning victims. Medical
personnel were offering little hope. The little boy
lay motionless in a coma-like state.
My friend went along into the child’s hospital room,
put her face in his and said, “Eric, this is Grandma
Lucy. Now listen carefully. This is
important. I want you to tell Jesus that your mama
needs you. Ask Jesus to send you back to us.”
That’s all she said…Grandma Lucy. Sounds
a bit like Jesus saying “Lazarus, come forth”.
No long sermons, just authority.
Prayer Invades the
Impossible
Sometime in the early hours of morning, while the family
slept in the hall, a nurse found little Eric sitting
wide-eyed in the bed. He gave no response to the
nurse. “Was he deaf? Was he
mute?” His aunt was aroused by the commotion
and entered the hospital room. Eric responded,
“Tia, I’m hungry”
…..rather like Jairus’ daughter who awoke from
death. Jesus said, “Feed her.” Eric was
back…intact….and ready to eat.
I can’t help but wonder how the story would have
played out if Grandma Lucy had not been reading Prayer Is
Invading the Impossible with her pocket dictionary near
by. But, we who were a part of that study KNEW that
the authority of Heaven had prevailed and prayer had,
indeed, invaded the impossible.
The book was empowering back then. It is still
empowering today. A must read! Be sure that
prayer is invading your impossible situations.
More Resources
Dutch
Sheets: Intercessory Prayer
Authority over the
Thief