THE POWER OF PRAYER
(First part)
Memory verse: (JAMES 5: 16-18) “ The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit ”
Prayer is the greatest weapon God gave to believers. The scripture teaches that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. We don’t see much accomplished by the church just because we don’t pray earnestly. When righteous men pray miracles happen. When righteous men pray hearts of men are touched by God‘s power. When righteous men pray, Heaven is summoned to act on earth in the affairs of men. When we pray, God’s power begins to affect the things that happen in our churches, families, Governments etc.
If you are going to see things change in your life, family, then begin to pray earnestly. There are men and women who walked on this face of the earth and discovered this secret weapon and used it properly and mighty things were accomplished. They discovered the key that opens the gates of heaven. They found a way to access the presence of God. Doors were opened to them into the secrets of the living God. Barren women like Hannah could never accept what her situation dictated. Doctors confirmed she could not have children, all people confirmed the same thing, but Hannah knew of a God in heaven who could do what was impossible and she knew the method of how to get results from Him, she engaged in an intense prayer and an answer came. Remember Jacob who had struggled for about sixty years to make a sound living but to no avail until one night he wrestled with God through the night. That night he determined not to let God go until he blessed him and change his condition. That night marked a new beginning for this patriarch, his name was changed, he himself was transformed, and the door to his destiny flung open and from that day hell could not stop him.
Only eternity can give the whole details of the mighty men and women of prayer like Moses, Joshua, Daniel, David, Samuel, Isaiah, Elijah, Ezekiel, John the Baptist, Our Lord Jesus, the apostles who accomplished great feats by the power of prayer etc. The church of today is guilty of the greatest sin of prayerlessness. If all we see around in the world is what Satan is doing not God, then its evident the church has given up our heavenward calling of prayer.
Tomorrow we will learn about ‘Prayer brings Revival’
(Second part)
Memory verse: (Acts1:14, Acts2:1-3) " These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them "
Prayer is one of the keys God gave us by which we can access heaven and cause God’s fire of revival to be poured down upon men. God promised to pour out His Spirit upon the earth. This promise only waits for the church to rise up and pray like the apostles did and we will see a mighty move of God in our generation. Jesus promised the apostle that just in few days He would send them the promise of the father. When He ascended to heaven, they went to the upper room for prayer. Prayer is the way we wait for God’s promises. Many sit idly assuming to see what God promised. While others only keep going up and down telling people how God has given them wonderful promises. Yes its good to have promises from God and the Bible is full of promises for all those who love God. The problem is not having the promises but what we do with the promises. The apostles went and engaged in intense intercessory prayer for days. They prayed until the answer came. Heaven opened and the promise of the Father came, the promised Holy Spirit came upon them and from that day they began to shake their generation with God’s Spirit. Thousands upon thousands were swept into the kingdom of God, the sick were healed, the blind saw, demoniacs were delivered, churches were planted, the gospel preached and these men turned their generation upside down. The price for revival has not changed since, it's still fervent, earnest intercessory prayer that will bring revival to our generation. It's not that our generation is the most wicked but it’s because the church is the weakest in the business of intercessory prayer. Heaven is ready to send revival, so let's get on our knees and touch heaven and our generation will be changed. Heaven has not stopped to pour out the fire of revival; Only heaven lack men and women who are hungry and thirsty for God. When thirst for God die, the fire dies. When hunger leaves the church, God’s glory leaves.
Tomorrow we will learn about: ‘ Prayer gives us a victorious living ’
(Third part)
Memory verse: (LUKE22:40) " When He came to the place, He said to them: Pray that you may not enter into temptation "
One of the greatest things the disciples ever asked Jesus was to teach them to pray (Lk11:1) And sure enough He did not turn down their request. Church leaders have the responsibility of teaching the disciples of Jesus how to pray. Spiritual leaders should model a prayerful life like Jesus did before His disciples. We lead by example like Jesus. His followers saw him praying and they learnt from him to pray. Even when He went to heaven they prayed like him because he had discipled them well. Jesus threw an eye opening statement to his slumbering disciples in the night when he was betrayed: ‘pray that you may not enter into temptation’ (Lk22:40) Temptations are always there but prayer gives victory over them.
Satan keeps throwing wrong stuff at us daily like; wrong ideas, informations, discouragement, confusion, fear, lies, diseases, demonic attacks, etc. He keeps laying traps to make us fall, he keeps digging pits before you. But God has given us a mighty weapon to overcome these schemes of the devil. Scripture says, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual and mighty to pull down strongholds, cast down satanic imaginations (2cor10:3-6) Christian life is spiritual warfare. Overcoming the lust of the flesh, eyes, the world and the lust thereof, overcoming Satan and his demonic hosts, we need to muster the use of this mighty spiritual weapon of prayer. A prayerful believer is a victorious person. Prayer releases God’s power and strength in our lives. Isaiah said those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength (Is40:30-31) The time we spend in God’s presence in prayer, He strengthens us, fills us with the Holy Spirit, enlightens our eyes that we’re able to see all schemes of the devil, anoints us, feeds us with his daily living bread of the word and as we step out every morning into the new day, we come equipped and armed, empowered and ready to trample Satan and his demons under our feet, strong to cast every devil out of our way, firm to refuse every wrong ideas and lies from the pit of hell and we keep flying like eagles daily, joyful, peaceful. Then we can run the race God has set before us and never run dry, never grow weary.
Tomorrow we will see ‘Prayer helps us discover and fulfill our purpose in life'.
(Fourth part)
Memory verse: (Acts13:1) " As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said: Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them "
Prayer helps us to discover God’s purpose for our lives. Prayerlessness has caused many believers to live wasted lives they were never created to live. Many keep wasting their energy, money and time doing things just because they see other people do them and prosper. Prosperity and success has become the greatest cancer of our generation. People think life is about achieving goals and getting your ends meet, that’s wrong! We should seek first to discover what God created us to do on this earth and then pursue that with all your strength and resources. Others have settled for just seeking a living. Struggle for survival is the lowest form of live people has chosen. God created you to live here on earth for a peculiar assignment. You’re too special, unique and full of God’s resources just to pass through this world like a dream of the night. There’s a whole world of wealth hidden inside of you. There’s a district in my home country Uganda called Karamoja, it has great deposits of gold, but it was discovered recently. The karamajong people are one of the most primitive people; They are poor and walk naked. By their tradition they don’t put on clothes. Imagine poor, primitive people sleeping on top of great wealth. How sad! Jacob’ s course of life just changed one night he wrestled with God after sixty years of fruitless struggles. I spent eleven years as a born again Christian, just a nominal one, prayer less, never new the baptism of the Holy Spirit until on the 08/01/1996 when I went to attend a prayer and fasting campaign for our Nation. On that day and date God touched me and called me. At that time I was pursuing a higher diploma at college. I had a dream of pursuing a master’s degree in civil Engineering. In a prayer meeting God messed up my dreams because he had an eternal and better dream for my life. I am grateful to God because now I am fulfilled and touching nations and my generation for Christ. It’s a great thing to be used by God to touch people for God’s glory. Heaven has something special that will make you significant to your nation and people. Will you stir up your self like an Eagle and destroy some of you comfort to seek the face of God and find out what he has for your life?
Tomorrow we will touch ‘ Prayer brings and keeps God’s glory in the church.
(Fifth part)
Memory verse: (LUKE9:28-36) " Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening "
Prayer attracts God’s glory. Where you find men and women praying according to God’s will, you will find God’s presence, God’s glory. The logic is simple because the scripture teaches that when we draw near to God, He draws near to us (Jam4:8). God is glorious; Where God’s presence is, there His glory is. When we seek Him, He promised we would find him. Jesus went to pray and as he prayed God’s glory was manifested and it could be seen and felt (Lk9:28-36). It was an overwhelming glory. The disciples of Jesus could not stand it, it overpowered them. The Lord Jesus carried an invisible weight of glory during his three years of his earthly ministry. He went some places and upon his appearance demons could scream and cry out before he could say a word. The Apostles carried a mighty weight of glory. Stephen’s appearance changed like that of an angel (Acts 6:15). The early church knew what God’s glory was because these apostles were men of prayer.
Moses spent forty days and nights in God’s presence in mount Sinai and when he returned to the congregation of Israel they saw his face shining and the scripture says Moses face or life changed as God talked with him. God’s glory is conductible and transferable. God’s glory is contagious (Ex34:29). Prayerfulness will make you successful. This is God’s will, that’s why in his plan for the end time church he purposed to fill us with the Holy Spirit, that his presence, his glory. We’ve got to keep our discipline of daily communion with God in prayer for this weight of glory to keep increasing. All men who were prayerful and real God seekers were men who carried God’s weight of glory. It's your turn, God has a package for you, it’s a life full of his power and glory. You don’t need to walk on this world and demons read on your face, ‘Ichabod’ but let hell see God’s presence on you and they will say : "Jesus we know, Paul we know and let your name be the next on this list" . GOD HAS CALLED US TO BE FULL OF HIMSELF SO THAT WE WILL GO FORTH IN THIS WORLD AND IMPACT IT BY HIS GLORY AND POWER FOR HIS GLORY.
Tomorrow we will see: ‘ Prayer transforms our Lives’
(Sixth part)
Memory verse: (Exodus 34:29) " Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him "
Our lives are transformed in God’s presence. The vision for prayer should be great than getting our needs met, battles won, victories achieved, the highest vision of prayer should be in God’s presence. We need God’s presence more than his answers. We need God’s face more than his hands. We should be hungrier for God more than what he can do for us. When we pray the prayers of seeking his face, he promised to find him. It’s his presence that changes us. God’s presence, glory , nature begin to rub on our own, our emotions are touched, our hearts are searched out, our character and attitudes are affected, hard hearts are broken and softened, and like Moses you begin to change unknowingly. What the children of Israel saw about Moses was more than a skin dip experience. What happened to Jesus on the mount of transfiguration was more than what appeared to the eyes. It was an experience that affected the entire person in and out. Men see things from out but God from inside out. God works from inside out. That is what the scripture teaches, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. What men hear comes from the heart and what men see comes from the inside. Laws , regulations , dos and don’ts can’t change us into the kind of people God intends us to become. Scripture says that those who walk with the wise become wise (Pr 13:20). You are like the one you spend time with . When you spend time with God you’ll become Godly, when worldly things take your heart and time then you’ll become worldly. That’s why Scripture teaches us not to sit with with scoffers because you'd become a scoffer too. Many are deceived to think that Christianity is just a set of right things to, yes it's good to do right things, but if that what salvation was about, then God should have sent us a booklet of new law other than what he sent to Israel.
Salvation is about God’ s restoration of his relation with man.
Enjoy your weekend and see you next Monday