Yes, yes, yes! If we really, truly had a clear picture of the importance God places on His children's prayers, we would repent & get on our faces praying our little hearts out! Within my simple faith I believe every prayer has Gods power backing it up, just waiting to manifest the answer. Whether it is a prayer for salvation, healing, deliverance, protection, matters not, God wants to answer it. Then what has happened to the power of prayer within His church (the lives of believers?)
For many, our prayer life started as children, possibly with the Lords Prayer or some simple prayer suited to our child like faith. But for many Christians our prayer life has not progressed or has even regressed to the point we no longer pray at all. Certainly we pray when in dire straights, PANIC PRAYERS. We definitely matured in our years, changed in our looks & in all likelihood our attitudes but has our prayer life matured accordingly?
Prayer for a Christian is an absolute necessity! How can we have a relationship with anyone (let alone God) without communicating with them. God is our Heavenly Father, the one who continually tells us to call out to Him (communicate with Him) Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me, & I will answer you, and show you great & mighty things, which you do not know." If there is one single scripture that should encourage you to prayer this is it.
Unanswered prayers has turned many of us from our former committed prayer life. There are multitudes of reasons why our prayers do not get answered & for sure I will not cover them all but I will touch on some. Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. I like to say it in this fashion; you can pray until the cows come home & I hope you are in a really big barn when you pray because when they hit the roof they are coming back down to earth NOT TO THE THRONE ROOM OF GRACE! Our willful knowing sins, cut us off from the power of God, so we do not see our prayers manifest!
Other times the most powerful distraction of today "THE BUSYNESS OF LIFE" keeps us from praying which once again shuts off any manifestation from materializing. There is a Christian cliche NO PRAYER, NO POWER! I want to take it one step further, for a believer to not pray is flat out SIN.
Everything within the Christians life is tied to prayer ex. the prayer of salvation. It is not up to the preacher, evangelist, friend to pray this prayer for you, God wants to hear the words from your mouth, hopefully initiated from your heart. Again I go back to Romans 10:9 comes to mind "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
What should we be praying for? That list is endless (a Christians life should never be boring) for your government (all levels,) Why? 1st Timothy 2:1 "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men (people,) 1st Timothy 2:2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
Our politicians have a heavy load to carry. Many a person has found the frustrations of being in power to be way more than they expected & not in a positive sense. Firstly you have to analyze or possibly clean up whatever the past government had done. Then there is the absolute truth, POWER CORRUPTS, because suddenly what you say or do has the power to change things you could only complain about before.
We should be praying for our marriages, our children, our spouses, praying to God that we could fulfill what He has called us to do, to be all He has called us to be. Whatever our needs or the needs of others who come across our path. Yes even for miracles, healing, deliverance, protection & ultimately eternal life (salvation.)
Mark 10:15 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." We need a simple child like faith that our heavenly Father not only hears but acts upon our prayer petitions.
In Revelations 5:18 we read and the golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Are those bowls going up to glory empty because of our lack of prayer, possibly. I have had the privilege of knowing saints of God who started every day with two hours of prayer, crying out for God to move in peoples lives, believers & non believers (salvation.) If they said I will pray for you it was not just a one time prayer if they remembered, but on a daily basis.
1 Chronicles 7:14 is not just an old testament prayer but for believers today "If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves (we cant do it on our own, that is pride) and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin & heal their land.
Larry Lea did a teaching a number of years ago in regards to Jesus words to His disciples, CAN YOU NOT TARRY ONE HOUR! He challenged believers to spend one hour in prayer, initially focusing on the Lords prayer. What it did was help train you to keep or retain your focus on prayer, and it starts one second at a time.
Do not think the adversary is going to just allow you to pray, he will put thoughts in your head to distract you from doing what God would have you to do, PRAY! Whether it is your busy day ahead or condemnation that would say, your prayers don't matter anyway. Remember he is the father of lies, YOUR PRAYERS MATTER & he knows it. And your prayers do damage to his plans, to his kingdom (the kingdom of darkness.)
Prayer is one of the key essentials of our Christian walk & this spiritual warfare I have been writing on! Let me know your thoughts on this simple food for thought.
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
No comments:
Post a Comment