PRAYERFUL LIFE IS A POWERFUL CHRISTIAN LIFE
Dr. Mrs.Persis Bandari (Belleville , NJ)
Prayer is mankind’s most vital link with Almighty God. It is, entering into His very presence with our requests, petitions and thanksgiving. When we pray, God not only listens but also speaks to our spirit and answers to our requests in His own time, according to His divine and gracious will. Prayer is communicating with our creator. It is an intimate fellowship on a “one-to-one basis” with God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer life is the essence of a true Christian life. Prayer is a strong weapon in a real Christian life. It is good to start each day with prayer. As our heavenly father is eager to listen to us 24 hrs a day, we can pray to Him in all situations.
Lot of times we work so hard physically that we begin to sweat. Isn't that true? But, have you ever broken into a sweat while praying? Do you think prayer was easy for Jonah in the belly of that great fish? Jonah 2:1-10. Was it easy for Elijah, faced with death and defeat at the hands of the wicked Queen Jezebel and her 450 prophets of Baal? 1 Kings 18Chp. Or was prayer easy for King Hezekiah when Jerusalem was surrounded by Assyrian King Sennacherib's mighty army? 2 Kings, 19th chapter.
Most of all how can we forget our Lord JESUS Prayer in garden of Gethsemane His anguished and earnest prayer Luke 22:44 “And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Our savior did this prayer to redeem us. Today if we don’t rise up and understand the importance of prayer then we are still as those sleeping disciples who did not understand why Jesus was in agony. Dear friend as you read this article may our God give you a vision and enlightenment about the importance of prayer.
Prayer is successful when our prayer attitudes are right. Often the attitudes we adopt when we pray become roadblocks to our success. God says, "Call on me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know" (Jer. 33:3). It's in the name, the authority, the Person of the Lord Jesus that we come to the Father in prayer. And It's the Holy Spirit who helps us to pray (Rom. 8:26).
The apostles never asked Jesus to teach them to preach or teach, but they did say, Lord, teach us to pray Luke 11:1, even though for many years they had prayed.
We have many examples throughout the bible and in history, how God answered prayers and did mighty works.( Daniel, Jabez, David, Joshua, Moses, Samson, Paul, Peter and many ,more…) Has prayer become a part of our life or are we doing prayer just as a ritual? Prayer changes lives! And prayer Works!
“Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask.” Billy Graham.,
Mainly prayer is classified into 4 types.
1. Personal prayer.
2. Family prayer.
3.Congregational prayer.
4. Intercessory Prayer.Personal Prayer is further divided into the following:
a) Silent prayer.
b) Secret Prayer.
c) Fasting Prayer.a). Silent prayer : - God can hear silent prayer (not spoken), prayers offered from the heart (1Sam1: 13). This is the silent prayer of Hannah. Hannah rejoiced in the Lord. Those who have experienced innumerable sorrowful situations can fully appreciate and understand life’s deepest happiness when they get their silent prayers answered. Hannah poured out her heart before God and found refuge in Him, as David in (Psalms 62) Eliezer gives us a very clear Scriptural example of silent praying: Gen 24:45 (NIV) "Before I finished praying in my heart..."
We learn to pray as Jesus taught us in Matt 6:5.8. Silently we pour our spirit in front of the throne of grace. Our prayers are definitely answered if offered in faith. Mark 11:24-25 (NIV) "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it, and it will be yours
b) Secret prayer: - Jesus put considerable emphasis on Private Prayer (Matt 6:6). When you pray enter into your own room, shut the door and pray to your unseen Father and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When we draw aside to a quiet place to pray, we shut the door to block out our busy world. As we open our hearts to the father, we receive the light of His wisdom. Our lord often went to be alone with His heavenly father for strength and guidance (Luke 6:12-13). Christian character grows in the secret place of prayer. One secret of effective prayer is prayer in secret.
c) Fasting prayer : - Fasting prayer symbolizes urgency. Fasting is a tool to help us change our hearts before God. Fasting assists in offering ourselves up to God (Rom. 12:1-2). Going to church, fasting, reading the Bible—are the tools which assist in giving to God what He truly wants—our hearts.
We see in Esther 4:16. God honors Esther’s prayer immediately. We also need to approach God with confidence that our prayers will be answered and our goal achieved. Nehemiah intercedes to God (Neh1: 4) in fasting prayer, a spiritual preparation is needed to see the results of the fasting prayer (Nehemiah 9:1,Neh 12:27) Jesus did mention how fasting prayer should be done (Matt 6:16-18) Even Jesus did fast (Matt 4:2). Jesus mentioned by prayer and fasting disciples could have rebuked the demon (Matt17:18-20).
Isaiah 58th chapter clearly speaks, Lord challenges’ fasting loosens the bonds of wickedness. Scriptures on fasting (1Ki 21:9, Neh 9:1, Ps 35:13,Isa 58:3, Jer 36:6, Joe 2:12, Mk 2:18, Ac 14:23)
2. Family Prayer :- Family prayer provides wonderful faith-sharing opportunities. A life focused by prayer is a life that will be tuned in to God's love and challenge. One of the real challenges that we too often find in our contemporary, busy lives is finding time to be together as a family. Try to develop the habit of praying together in the home. As parents we need to teach children how they can talk to their heavenly father, home is the best place to learn to grow in the word of God. Family is founded on divine creation (Gen 1; 27). 3 essentials for a Christian family (Deut 6:5-9) Role of children (Prov 1:8) Role of parents (Eph 6:4), these few verses show us how God builds the family. Hence we need to worship Him and pray to Him as a family together. As Joshua says in (Joshua 24:15) “But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord” There is a saying that “A family that prays together will stay together” is it not true?
3. Congregational Prayer :- Congregational prayer is an assembly of people coming together in one accord and unity to the throne of grace. Congregational prayer is important for the church. God stands in the congregation of the mighty (Ps 82:1). After Jesus’ ascension the first congregation gathered in the upper room (Acts 1:13-14) the disciples all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication (Acts 1:14). Prayer held a place of prominence and importance in the church’s worship assemblies. ”Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men...Therefore I desire that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." (I Timothy 2:1-8). Before sending Barnabas and Saul to take the gospel to the world they prayed, knowing that without God’s help, guidance, and strength, their efforts would be futile (Acts 13:1-3). To encourage one another and find strength in God they prayed together (Acts 20:36; 21:3-5). Congregational prayer plays a vital role in building the church. God honors the commitment of believers they have in Him through prayers. Jesus told in Luke 18:1 men always ought to pray, and not to lose heart.
Are you a prayer partner at the church, if not talk to the pastor organize a church prayer you will see the difference, how God works by prayers of His saints. Paul always prayed for deliverance, strength, wisdom, and open doors. Yet, he asked the saints to pray for the same things, knowing the power of the combined prayers of holy men and women, "Brethren, pray for us." (1Thessalonians 5:25).
4. Intercessory Prayer: - Intercessory prayer is not the same prayer, which is done for others regularly, and also Intercession is not just praying for someone else's needs. It is praying that God would step in and act for the good of some specific person(s) or entity. God will act when you trust in Him; It is casting our weakness before God's strength, and (at its best) having a bit of God's passion burn in us.
"I commend intercessory prayer, because it opens man's soul, gives a healthy play to his sympathies, constrains him to feel that he is not everybody, and that this wide world and this great universe were not after all made that he might be its petty lord, that everything might bend to his will, and all creatures crouch at his feet." (Charles Spurgeon).
The Bible has many cases of people standing up for others before God. The most striking example is that of Abraham (Gen18thchap). He took the initiative to step forward before God on behalf of his neighbors in Sodom and its area). Moses (Exodus 32:11-14) also stepped in when God was angry, “standing in the gap” in the most literal sense offering his own life for that of his nation. (Thankfully, God didn't take him up on the offer.) It was part of the role of a prophet not just to speak what God speaks, but to speak with God for the people of Israel. A fine example is the exchange between the prophet Habakkuk (Hab 1:4-11) and God, where the prophet asks for God to act against injustice, but God replies about a coming doom. Prophet Isaiah prayed with King Hezekiah to save the nation from defeat and destruction by the hands of Assyria, and lord heard the prayer and sent the angel out and killed one hundred eighty-five thousand Assyrian armies (Isaiah chapters.36-39) there are many more intercessors in the bible.
Now, the prayer of our Great high priest in heaven is wonderfully comprehensive. It is drawn from His own life, and it takes in every sorrow and every pang that ever tore a human heart, because He himself has suffered temptation..
Lord Jesus Himself is the prime example of an intercessor. He intercedes in prayer that God bless and protects His followers. At the cross, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Indeed, His whole life, His whole reason for being born, was to be a living intercession, a giving of His life to span the rift caused by our rebellion against God. Stephen's last words were an intercession on behalf of those who were killing him. Paul prayed constantly for the struggling young church, for character, behavior, witness, and wisdom. It is Paul's regular prayer for the church and its people that sets the usual pattern for our own intercessory prayers. And Epaphras was the 'prayer wrestler' for the church in Colossae.
We need to feel safe in committing our case into the hands of such a intercessor, for He knows the precise mercy for which to ask. And when He asks for it, He knows how to word it so that the mercy will surely come at the right time. Finally God's Word commands us to pray (Luke 18:1; Acts 6:4; Mark14:38; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; I Timothy 2:1,2).
Unanswered prayers:- God in many ways answers prayers, but some times the prayers are not answered for reasons such as Rebellion against hearing God's Word. Prov 1:24, 25, 28 Zech 7:11-13,
Selfishness. Prov 21:13,Matt 18:30-35. Because of our iniquities God will not hear our prayers (Isa 59:2),Peter instructed husbands to care for their wives, "so that nothing will hinder your prayers" (IPeter 3:7 NIV). Apparently even angry or uncaring words spoken in the privacy of our homes affect our prayer life.
Not asking in God’s will I John 5:14-15 God will only answer those prayers that are in “His” will. When we ask anything that is in His will, we can have assurance that those “petitions” are granted to us. Sometimes due to lack of faith. We do not get answers immediately And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Not God's Timing - God can answer Yes, No or Wait Often God has a different lesson for us to learn from unanswered prayer . . . or He may be wanting to teach us to persist in prayer. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: (Ecclesiastes 3:1)."For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 )
We must also keep in mind that our requests are not always pure. We may ask out of selfish motives (James 4:1-3). Furthermore, we do not always know what to pray for (Romans 8:26-27). However, in light of all the qualifications, that God does want us to trust Him to take care of us through prayer. His response is "no" just as much as it is "yes." And God's "yes" and "no" are both motivated by His love and wisdom! Paul prayed three times that God would remove his "thorn in the flesh" and God refused to remove it, but gave Paul grace to handle it, and the insight to see that God's power is best displayed in human weakness (2 Cor. 12:1-10) Prayer is the highest exercise of man’s spiritual nature. First of all, we need to have a certain time to meet with God personally each and everyday. David chose the mornings. "In the morning, O Lord you hear my voice, in the morning I lay my request before you and wait in expectation". (Psalm 5:3). David’s tie with God each morning drew him into God’s heart. God honored this relationship with David by marking him as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).
We need to make prayer a habit. When praying, we want to seek the will of God, not change it. “We have courage in God’s presence, because we are sure that He hears us if we ask Him for anything that is according to His will.” (1 John 5: 14).
The Adoration, Confession, Supplication, Thanksgiving are parts of prayer.
Dear Reader Are you personally ready to pray? Did you pray today? Do you come to God with clean hands and a pure heart? Is confession a part of your prayers? Are you a prayer warrior? Be a part of a prayer group in church, or with your close friends or pray with your family. Prayer works!! Prayer changes things!!!! God's Word commands us to "Pray continually" (I Thes 5:17). We can be in prayer throughout the day, expressing and demonstrating our devotion to God as we go about our daily tasks.
Hope this article made you to realize how important prayer is in a Christian life, so start praying
******** Power of Prayer A man dreamed, while traveling,that he came to a little church. On the roof was a devil fast asleep. He went along farther and came to a log cabin which was surrounded by devils all wide awake. He asked one of them what it meant. Said the devil, "I will tell you. The fact is that the whole church is asleep, and one devil can take care of all the people; but here are a man and a woman who commune with God in prayer, and they have more power than the whole church." The case studies made recently in various areas in South India prove that the change of religion did not bring any fortune to the entered the Church in masses they might have done so on a voluntary basis.
