INTRODUCTION
The truth is, if you really know what you lose for not being prayerful, you will cry out for God to strengthen your prayer altar. It’s as though heaven is handicapped to do anything for man except in response to prayer.
When the devil captures your wealth, he has not captured you. When he captures your relationships he has not captured you. When he captures your anointing, he has not captured you. When he captures your marriage he has not captured you.
But if he captures your prayer life, then he has actually captured you.
Why must you wait till the devil captures everything you have before you start praying?
Now the good thing about prayer is that if your prayer altar is intact, then you can keep the devil far from the things around you.
- Prayer is both curative and preventive.
You don’t know what you’re missing for being prayerless. One of the greatest treasures we have in God is prayer. So child of God pray…
- Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen.”
He is able to do both the ones you ask and the ones you imagined. O yes He is able
He is able to do that as long as His power is at work in you. Through prayer, you generate His power and at the same time, engage it to work.
Stop being prayerless
- Job 21:15-16 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’
Did you see that question? I want to answer that question briefly with some points.
Is there really profit in praying?
Do we have anything to gain when we pray as children of God Or are we just talking?
Yes, there are, see a few of them below.
The by-products of Prayer
- When we pray our strength is renewed.
Read Isaiah 40:28-31 and notice the argument here: God is great and He is our Creator; we are small, weak, and frail. When we wait upon God in prayer He exchanges our weakness for His strength.
How reasonable and logical this is! But the question is: do you believe this? The word ‘wait’ can have at least three meanings:
First, it means to stop, as a father says to his child, ‘Wait here!’;
Second, it means to be in an attitude of expectation, as we might go to somewhere to meet a friend;
Third, the Hebrew word means ‘to bind together by twisting’. If we will stop in the hectic rush of life and wait before God in expectancy, we shall become entwined in His purposes and experience.
- When we pray our every need is supplied.
Read Matthew 7:7-11. Notice that these verses recorded something that Jesus said and can be summed up in the words, “Ask, and it will be given to you.”
What is your need? – is it personal, a family or financial need? Does it have to do with property or investments, or some relationship? Read Matthew 7:7-11 again, and see how ready and willing the Lord is to hear and answer your prayer- but before He can answer, you must pray.
- Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [8]For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. [9]Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10]Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? [11]If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Just imagine such a promise…
How foolish we are to live like paupers, with such a promise in our hands! Look up James 4:2 and read it…
You see you’ve not really asked, and the ones you’re asking, you’re not serious. The ones you’re serious your motive is biased. My dear, God has said it and He will do it. Ask properly
- When we pray our inward joy is increased.
- John 16:23-24 “And in that day you will ask, Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. [24]Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Here are Jesus’ words, and He tells us that when we present our requests to our Heavenly Father, in His Name, we shall receive the answer to our prayers, with the additional benefit of fullness of joy (John 2:7).
Do you know this supernatural joy that is unaffected by tests and trials? The key to living in the fullness of joy is being in constant prayer. Jesus said, so that your joy may be full… It means that it’s possible to live with and run through life with half-filled joy
It means that joy has levels. It means that having the jar of your joy filled is your responsibility and not God’s.
The key is ask…Not complain, not cry, not run around, not seeking for prophecy.
- But simply ask…
I pray for you, as you start praying, may the areas the enemy has tampered with your joy be filled.
Your joy shall be full. Your joy won’t reduce again.
It won’t be full today and reduce tomorrow.
May the Lord cause you to start living in constant fullness of joy
Shout a believing Amen
- When we pray our supply of grace is guaranteed.
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. [8]Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me (talking about prayer). [9]And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10]Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Please get this, it was When he pleaded with the Lord in prayer that he heard God saying, my grace is sufficient…
You see your problem is that you’ve not really heard God because you’ve chosen to do every other thing except to pray.
God has something to say but you’re not ready to hear.There is something God is saying concerning that situation, and until you hear His own opinion you will continue to do your own thing
From that passage, we read of the Apostle Paul’s very trying physical affliction which he described as “a thorn in my flesh”.
Although we are not told what it was, but the bible says he prayed three times that God would remove it; his prayers were urgent and persistent, and God answered his prayer- but not in the way he expected.
God said, “My grace is sufficient for you”- after which Paul gave the most wonderful testimony in verses 9-10.
This day I prophesy, fresh grace is coming on you
A new jar of grace is being opened over your head in the name of Jesus
As you locate your altar, may you access grace
Grace for financial freedom
Grace for marital freedom
Grace for all round deliverance
Grace for stability in the place of Prayer
Grace for constant hunger
Grace for stability in your health
Your grace level shall not go down again because you will locate your altar and stay there
And the Lord says, I am the God of all flesh, is there anything too hard for me to do?
God can’t tell you He will answer you and still won’t answer you… Did you get that?
- When we pray our hearts and minds are stabilized.
- Philippians 4:6-7, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; [7]and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Meditate on These Things
I like the way the living bible rendered it…
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.
7 If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.
Verse 7 says, if you do this… Do what? Pray!!!
The prayers you pray have ways of stabilizing your heart and mind in the midst of the storm
A depressive mind is a sign of prayerlessness
A confused mind is a sign of prayerlessness
A fearful heart is a sign of prayerlessness
Indecisive heart is a sign of prayerlessness
Double mind is a sign of prayerlessness
A corrupt mind is a sign of prayerlessness
If your heart/mind is represented above… Then run back to your prayer altar…
Prayers fortifies your heart and mind
Jesus having prayed was in the boat so while others were panicking because of the present storm, he was busy sleeping…Sleeping there speaks of calmness and stability of the mind
Physically there were reasons to panic but man of prayer wasn’t seeing that, he saw beyond the physical eyes.
Prayer brings you to the point where the promises of God will make sense to you.
“You don’t live by sight you live by faith”. That word is only possible for someone that prays…
The important word ‘and’ at the beginning of verse 7 links the two verses; and while verse 7 tells us of God’s peace, verse 6 speaks of the condition that must be met if we are to experience it.
It is that ”in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving” we are to make our requests known to Him. If we pray, God says our heart and our mind will be fortified (Isaiah 26:3).
If only you can pray, I tell you amidst that storm, God will give you peace and you will overcome
I speak peace into your mind. You shall not have a feeble mind again, as you pray your mind will be brought to a perfect peace in the name of Jesus.
- When we pray our request for wisdom is answered.
Read James 1:5.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
What a promise this is! and is there anything we need more each day than divine wisdom?
We have to make decisions relating to our employment, to the matter of engagement or marriage, spending money, buying a house, selling a car… How easy it is to do the wrong thing! But if we come to God in our need and make our requests known to Him, He will give us wisdom and will guide and guard us.
Wisdom is the principal thing. The bible says wisdom is profitable to direct. So without wisdom, it is very easy to miss the right way
- When we pray our fellowship with God is maintained and deepened.
Read James 4:8.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
This short sentence means that as we, with all our heart and mind, in humility and in sincerity, approach God to worship Him and make our requests, He actually begins to approach us- we feel His presence near us- see what David said about this (Psalm 73:28).
It is amazing to think that we who are so weak, sinful and needy can come near to God, but how much more amazing it is that He, who is so great and loving, wants to come near to us! This is fellowship at the highest level.
PRAYER FOCUS
- Lord, I bow my heart before You and give You honor and praise. Oh God, strengthen my prayer life.
- Help me O Lord to pray more without ceasing.
- O Lord fix my prayer altar from every spiritual damage the enemy has caused.
- Rekindle your fire of prayer in my inner man.
- O Lord stir your fresh hunger of prayer in my life.