After watching on television the terrible devastation in Indonesia from the earthquake followed by a tsunami, apart from praying for the people, which is extremely important, I did some research on earthquakes.
Did you know that there are an estimated 1.3 million earthquakes annually, with the majority being very minor?
However, since 1990, there has been at least one earthquake per year of 8 or higher magnitude, 17 major earthquakes 7-7.9 magnitude, 134 strong and 1319 moderate earthquakes per year.
So, what can we do when an earthquake strikes? If we are where the earthquake is, we can offer to help in some way unless we ourselves are victims.
Regardless of where we are, one thing we can always do is to pray. Yesterday, I watched the Prime Minister Scott Morrison pray for the Indonesian people and their government, the drought victims and the Indigenous people in our wonderful nation of Australia, and for rain.
There is great power in prayer. Those of us who have followed Jesus Christ have seen the power of answered prayer.
Our Lord Jesus Christ has set a great example for us. When he walked the earth, he rose early in the morning, went up to a mountainside and spent time alone praying to his father, God.
This prepared Jesus for the events of each day during which he often healed sick people, welcomed sinners, fed multitudes and on three recorded occasions, raised the dead. Wonderful Jesus continues his example for us, as after His resurrection and ascension to heaven he is now seated at God’s right hand and constantly makes intercession – (put simply), prays for us.
When disciples asked Jesus how to pray, he gave them the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be honoured. May your kingdom come. May what you want to happen be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us. Keep us from sinning when we are tempted. Save us from the evil one.” (Matt 6:9-13).
You don’t have to be a Christian to pray to God. Anyone can pray this prayer.
We all have one life to live and we don’t know for how long we will be here. However, God our Father has a book in which the date of our birth and date of our death is already recorded. Why not seek God today, He is not far from each one of us.
