"...you could say to this mountain, 'Mone from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."
- Matt 17:20b NLT
Overcoming that Activation Energy
Watching Andy Murray become World No. 2 tennis champion yesterday after beating David Ferrer in the finals of the Miami Masters was definitely a source not only of inspiration, but also of reflection. It was not only until last year that Murray's fortunes changed. Prior to then, it did appear he was never going to win a grand slam and couldn't move up the ranks from his then position as World No. 4. But something did change in Murray’s self belief after he lost painfully to Federer at Wimbledon last year. The successes that have followed since then strongly indicate Murray has finally overcome the "activation energy" for his "sporting reaction".
For a chemical reaction to occur, a minimum amount of energy known as the Activation Energy needs to go into the reaction to initiate it. Once the activation energy is overcome, the reaction proceeds effortlessly producing the desired products and releasing extra energy, which could even be greater than the initial energy input. Sometimes, the required activation energy could be so great that the chances the reaction could have occurred in the first place is next to impossible. To overcome this high activation energy, a catalyst is needed. The function of the catalyst is to turn what is otherwise a mountain into a small hill, thereby making it possible for one to push an otherwise heavy load over the hilltop with ease.
In life sometimes, we go round in circles. Certain problems just seem impossible to overcome. No matter what we do, we just can’t get the drum over the hilltop to its final destination. Each time we push up the hill, the drum just rolls down back on us returning us to our starting point.
In situations like this we need a catalyst to move the mountain before us and turn it into a plain. This catalyst is Prayer. Prayer changes things. It is a demonstration of our faith in God. Try it today. Just PUSH- Pray Until Something Happens!
Quick Read: Matthew 17:14-21; Memory Verse: Matthew 17:20; Further Study: Acts 12:1-25;
Prayer: LORD, help me to realise that with you, all things are possible.
