Guest Post by Jane Glenchur
He should have spent the rest of his life in prison as a convicted murderer. Instead, he spread the news about God’s mercy and grace.
His army was greatly outnumbered by the enemy’s vast army. They should have been defeated. Instead, they celebrated God’s victory.
She dreamed of her upcoming marriage only to be surprised by an unplanned pregnancy. Her fiancé and family could have condemned her. Instead, they celebrated her son’s birth.
Paul, Gideon and Mary had something in common. The odds were against them, but God’s odds were for them. They are for you as well.
Are you facing impossible odds today? Too many bills and not enough finances? A prodigal child that has disappeared from your life? A broken relationship that looks like it will never be restored?
I saw God beat impossible odds when my high school-aged daughter was about to fly out on a mission trip to Thailand. Sadly, two of the girls in her group were denied boarding passes because their passports would expire less than six months after returning home. One of the moms asked me to pray for a miracle—that the airline would permit them to fly anyway. Impossible, I thought, but the tears in her eyes compelled me to pray with her. I watched as her daughter approached the ticket counter and engaged an agent in conversation. Then a supervisor took over. What was impossible one minute became possible the next. Boarding passes were issued and the girls ran to the gate just in time to make the flight before the doors to the aircraft closed.
As a medical student on call for neurology, I was awakened in the wee hours of the morning to see a new admission: a comatose young man had suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. His mother stood next to his bed praying Scriptures over him. After much testing, the prognosis was hopeless. He would forever be in a vegetative coma, unresponsive to any and all stimuli. Against all odds, his mother and I prayed for his healing. Many prayers and months later he left the hospital walking and talking!
Praying for unbelieving loved ones can be particularly stressful, especially when we don’t see any change year after year. Often my prayer for my mother was simply, “Lord, don’t let her die unsaved.” It took 39 years before she finally accepted Jesus, five months before moving to heaven.
Whatever the need, whatever the odds, it pays to persevere in prayer.
We are assured that with man these things are impossible, but with God all things are possible. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He does not change (Matthew 19:26, Malachi 3:6). Instead of feeling hopeless, meditate on God’s promises and be hope-filled.
When the odds seem against you, God is for you.
Prayers need not be complicated. Mary’s prayer, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” was simple (Luke 1:38).
Simple prayers can produce powerful results.
Living With Eternal Intentionality®
“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)
How would you answer one or all of the questions Jane asks? Are you facing impossible odds today? Too many bills and not enough finances? A prodigal child that has disappeared from your life? A broken relationship that looks like it will never be restored?
When have you seen God show up for you when the odds seemed against you?
Jane Glenchur is the author of Simple Prayers, Powerful Results: A Six-Week Bible Study on Discovering God’s Wisdom and Will (Warner Press) and Seven Secrets to Power Praying: How to Access God’s Wisdom and Miracles Every Day (Chosen Books). After eight years of practicing dermatology, the Lord called her to be a stay-at-home mom—her best job ever! Prayer is Jane’s passion. She is an intercessor, speaker and Bible study teacher. She has been a team leader on five mission trips to Brazil with her two children. She currently serves on the board of trustees of GIFT Ministries.
*These stories are excerpts from my six-week Bible study Simple Prayers, Powerful Results: A Six-Week Bible Study on Discovering God’s Wisdom and Will (Warner Press, 2024).
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