If there’s one thing God hates so much, it’s pride.
So many great men have fallen down the ladder of success due to this. Pride is a disease that slowly eats one up without knowing.
Take Satan for example, He was once called Lucifer, one of the highest ranking angels then in God’s kingdom but then, pride set in.
Isaiah 14 vs 13; For thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north”
Going to verse 15, we see what God did to him. “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit ”.
When pride sets in, God is moved to bring such a person down so as to make such person realize that he or she is actually nothing.
James 4 vs 6 says; But he giveth more Grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grave unto the humble.
This shows us the extent to which God detests pride. People who are proud are hard to deal with. They feel above everyone and feel they are way too big to be corrected. They feel they know everything and therefore need not to learn from anyone, not even God.
Everyone has the tendency to be proud especially when something big happens in our life, like a major achievement or something. That proud instinct kicks and when such happens, that’s the Devil knocking on the doors of our heart.
The Bible says, resist the devil and he will flee. So as he keeps knocking, you keep resisting him but how do you resist him?
James 4 vs 7 says; “ Submit yourself therefore to the Lord. Resist the devil and he will flee from you”.
God has given us a code there to fighting off pride.
To fight off pride, we must submit ourselves unto God, place your self, your ego, your will under him. Tell him to lead the easy while you follow.
Seeing this, God gives us the Grace needed to resist the devil until he flees.
Pride is a matter of the heart. Always place your heart on a constant check. Only God knows the true intents of our hearts. Always ask him to look into your heart and if there be any wicked thoughts there, ask him to purge you of it.
Never allow pride to set in. No matter how big and influential you might be, always be humble.
Remember Nebuchadnezzar?
No matter how high you think you are, God is always capable of humbling you.
At times it looks like God doesn’t answer us and leaves us to our own fate when we need His answer most. I once felt that way as well.
I went for a program in a place far away from home. I was to minister in songs and yes I did minister.
It was awesome. The spirits of many were lifted and the barriers in people’s heart were broken down. Many were totally broken and completely surrendered to God.
It was an evening program and the weather was looking bright and normal.
After the singing and praising, it was time for the word to be preached. There was so much being said to us. God was expressly speaking to us through the Pastor.
Closing prayers were about to be concluded when the weather suddenly changed and it began to rain heavily.
We ignored it thinking that it will soon stop. We finished the prayers and did other needed things but the heavy rain continued.
Those whose houses were close and or umbrellas with them left for home while I and a few persons were stuck.
“Pray and command the rain to stop,” one of them said to me. I just stared at the person and didn’t say anything. I had to pray because I had done something similar before and the night was already catching up with us. I did everything I could think of, but the rain didn’t stop.
At this point, we had to get our things inside a waterproof material and began to journey home under the rain since there was no transport close by.
We all felt bad and bitter. But we learnt later that God used the rain to save many of us who might have been victims from kidnappers that operated that evening.
When we knew about it, we thanked the Lord – fully understanding this scripture;
Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
I learnt a vital lesson from this experience; that no matter how inconvenient the circumstances you find yourself in might be, God is using it to work out His will!
You might not see it – and you don’t need to, for we walk by faith and not by sight. Thus, all you have to do is keep believing that everything you’re going through – the heavy downpour, the tempestuous storm, will eventually work out God’s glorious plan in your life!
The story of Samson’s miraculous conception is one that will forever be known in Christian history. It is a story that reminds us of how a barren old woman with a withering womb gave birth to one of the most powerful Jewish leaders in history.
However, there is more to the story of Samson’s conception than many realize – this more is what I intend to reveal through this lesson.
Firstly, let us study the background of the text. Israel is in a state of turmoil, confusion and oppression. She has abandoned her Creator and has gone back to her evil ways. The nation is void of light as well as life, and there is no one to deliver them.
Israel is left to the wishes of her enemies – the Philistines. They oppress and torment them until they begin to cry to God for help once again.
Somehow, I find a connection between the state of Israel in the text and the state of Nigeria presently.
We are in a state of turmoil and confusion. We are in a season of weeping and Groaning. Oppression has become the norm. Banditry has become the order of the day. The destiny of the nation has been hijacked by the men in power. There is no light – both physically and in the context of development and wealth.
We are in dire need of a saviour, just like Israel was in need of a saviour. Israel was in need of someone who would stand up for their rights and ensure a better future for them.
Who would this person be?
In Judges 13, the narrator takes a detour from describing the general state of Israel to telling us about a family – a family that consisted of the old, frail voice of the father and the loving voice of the wife but no cries and excited screams of children. It wasn’t because their children were asleep, it was because they had no children.
The narrator says they were barren. Manoah’s wife was barren and was incapable of having a child. That was what everyone called her – barren.
However, a twist occurs in the plot. An angel appears to her and tells her that her barren womb will soon become an incubator for Israel’s future judge.
The significance of the woman’s encounter with the angel is that though she was called barren, her ‘barren’ womb became the incubator of what would save Israel.
Dear Nigerian, American, Ghanaian, whatever your country may be, you are the incubator of the seed that will deliver your nation.
It doesn’t matter the label men might have placed on you – poor, broke, wretched, useless etc. The Bible tells us that we are born of an incorruptible seed, this seed of Christ in you if allowed to nurture can blossom into a light for the world.
Have they called you foolish? The Bible says God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.
Have they called you ‘nothing’ – the Bible tells us God creates big things from nothing.
It does not matter the label they’ve given to you, God has chosen you to be the source of hope and light to this generation.
As Manoah’s wife’s womb seemed incapable of producing something valuable, you might have been described as incapable of being the light your nation needs. Do not despair! Barren women still give birth and good things still come from Nazareth!
How can I be so sure of this? God’s Word says so. In the days of Manoah, there was no Bible, so God had to use angels. But God has made his word available to us to make us realize that we are useful.
But what puzzles me further about our text is not that Manoah’s wife gets a revelation of the potential seed in her womb, but that she also gets specific instructions on how to nurture her seed and ensure it thrives {Judges 13:3-5}
Proverbs 4:4 “Take my words to heart. Follow my instructions and you will live.”
Proverbs 4:13 “Carry out my instructions; don’t forsake them. Guard them, for they will lead you to a fulfilled life.”
Be aware that we are in the midst of a society that is against Christianity and all it has to offer. We are under a government that is similar to that of Herod who sought to kill the light of the world.
In times like this, we must be careful to hear what God is saying, because it’s only in the instruction of God that can be protected.
Joseph was able to save and nurture his baby into maturity by the instruction of the angel.
In order for the dream that you’re pregnant with to become a reality, you must be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Him alone can lead you to the place of safety.
It is in the instructions of God to us that we discover the uniqueness of our calling. Even as the Manoahs were banned from feeding Samson with ‘forbidden food’, there are things the peculiarity of our calling prohibits.
Thus, like Manoah, we must continually ask God ‘for instructions about this’ dream that He has given to us.
Conclusively, there is no nation so dark that God cannot light up. There’s no race so low that God cannot lift. But He works with men. And that’s why He had chosen to use you for your nation.
You carry in you the seed for national exploits. Discover it and harness it.
Some time ago, I was burdened under the load of guilt and condemnation. I felt horrible at myself. I felt that I had failed God and that God had rejected me.
This thought severely harmed my spirituality and dwindled my devotion to God. I continued to live in this false sense of condemnation until one day I discovered in the scripture that I had been wrong all along.
I came across Isaiah 41 and felt as if God was speaking directly to me as I read it. It opened my eyes to the fact that I had been deceived by Satan all along. His weapon against me was to make me too sinful to do good, not too guilty to do good.
But, ever since God opened my eyes and instilled in me the Gospel of Grace, I’ve been living and thriving in the awareness of God’s Love for me.
Have you been living under the same condemnation I endured years ago? This sermon is for you.
Isaiah 41:9: I have called you back from the ends of the earth so you can serve me. For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.
God has chosen you and He will not throw you away. No matter your mistakes; or your shortcomings, He will never discard you.
God is not like an intolerant employer that fires his staffers for any little mistake made. Unlike the employer, God did not call you because He needed a special favour from you.
There’s nothing you’re doing for God that God cannot do for Himself. He has thousands of angels in heaven waiting for the word of His command.
God called you because He wants to bless and perfect you. He called you out of absolute love for you.
The employer asks for a certificate before employing, but all God asks from us is simple faith in Him. The employer accepts a staff based on qualifications, God accepts us because of the finished works of Jesus.
Before He chose you, He knew who you were. He knew you were capable of evil before He chose you. Despite all of your sinister tendencies, He chose you to do His will and be His vessel.
So don’t ever feel unqualified to work for God. Don’t ever feel like you have to do anything to qualify for God’s calling. Because even when you knew nothing about Him, He chose you to serve Him and work for His Kingdom.
You’ve been searching for who will carry the ‘mantle’ of the exiting fathers and lead the next generation of Christians into Kingdom service, God is saying, look no more, ‘I choose you!’
Isaiah 49:15 “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for a child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!
God, like a nursing mother, never abandons His children. God still loves you as much as He did when He died for you, no matter what mistakes you’ve made in the past. Why, then, live in guilt when you can live in His Love?
Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”
My son had a sprinting contest to participate in. It was a marathon sprint and every team consisted of father/guardian and son.
My son was visibly tense and afraid that he would lose. But when I reiterated to him that I would be running in the race with him, he suddenly became bold.
Similarly, God wants us to be bold in whatever task we want to do. Whether it is an exam to write, a topic to study, whatever the case may be, God wants you to do it with boldness and confidence that He’s with you, moving your hands to act excellently and influencing your mind to think in a godly manner.
Do not be afraid of anything. God has promised to strengthen you in the face of difficulty and tough trials.
Sometimes, God allows us to go through these trials not to punish us, but to bring us to a point where we rely only on His strength.
He will strengthen your body. He will strengthen your mind. He will strengthen your spirit.
I pray for you this morning that you receive the strength of God into your being. That every burden of guilt and shame be removed from you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Are you going through any challenge that needs prayer? We’d love to pray with you and trust the Lord of Graceto help you. Send your prayers to nwododivine82@gmail.com 😊
We frequently make the mistake of attempting to improve our society without first improving ourselves.
Most of the time, we put forth our best effort to please others while overlooking the importance of improving ourselves. Many people live and act solely to meet the demands of others. However, this is risky because it can cause a loss of self-awareness and vision.
IMPROVE YOUR SENSE OF WORTH
“But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows” – Luke 12:7.
Isn’t it lovely that in the preceding passage, Jesus revealed to us how much God values us more than even the animals he created? God loves you so much that he came and died for us in order for us to be saved, live, and bask in his glory. Have you ever considered how highly God regards you? He knows that without you, establishing his Kingdom on Earth will be impossible, and he even knows the number of hairs on your head. Isn’t that fantastic? Never think of yourself as a disappointment or a failure. Things may not go as planned, but remember everything works together for those who love the Lord.
So, how do you develop values that will transform your life?
Self Evaluation
‘An unexamined life is not worth living,’ said Aristotle. To live at the pinnacle of our faith, we must cultivate a culture of evaluating and accessing our paths. It holds you accountable to yourself. It is only through self-evaluation that one can identify the Christian values that are lacking in his life and resolve to cultivate them.
2.Renew your mind with the Word of God
God desires that you meditate on the scriptures day and night because when you meditate on them, you will begin to exhibit Godly values that will result in a Christ-like lifestyle. The revelation from God’s word that you have pondered is what gives you godly value.
“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” Psalm 119:9.
Until believers make the word of God their priority, godly values and character will be absent amongst us. The book of James describes God’s word as a mirror which we behold in order to know who God has made us to be. When a lying Christian reads God’s word diligently, He sees that as a Saint, he isn’t supposed to lie and he adopts the value of honesty and truthfulness. When a homosexual reads God’s word and sees that homosexuality is immoral, he renounces it and adopts God’s principles of holiness.
God’s word renews our mind and our thinking. When our thinking is renewed, our actions will be renewed. And when we continue living with these renewed actions, they become habits and eventually morph into a part of our being – our character.
The word Fasting in Greek is nesteia which means to suspend the craving for food.
It equally means to deny yourself of all forms of bodily nourishment.
Furthermore, it entails avoiding all forms of distraction and focusing your mind and body on spiritual thoughts and concepts. Joel 2:12-13
The Advantages of Fasting
Fasting has both spiritual and physical benefits. It is important that we understand the spiritual benefits of fasting in order to avoid doing it in ignorance.
1. Fasting strengthens prayer:
The goal of fasting is to draw you closer to God. Its purpose is to add vitality to prayer.
It does this by first conditioning the heart to pray effectively, and proceeding to condition our prayers to be aligned with God’s will.
The fast in itself is not responsible for this, it is the activities done during the fast that does this.
During a fast, the heart is fixed on the revelation of God, this revelation gives us the faith and insight required to have effectual prayer.
2. Fasting helps us access God’s thoughts:
The human mind is constantly a beehive of activities. With thoughts from different sources flooding it frequently, it is difficult to know when God is speaking to us. We silence these thoughts in fasting.
Meditation, which goes along with fasting, enables our heart to receive God’s thoughts seamlessly.
3. Fasting Gives You Access To Power:
The Apostles stayed in Jerusalem, fasted, and were given power. Many people want power but do not want to fast.
Paul had fasted for 14 days just to declare that there would be no loss of life. Jesus spent 40 days fasting before he got into ministry and the Bible tells us that He returned in the fullness of God’s power.
4. Fasting feeds your spirit:
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 33:13.
Your spirit is the center of your being, the Holy Spirit came to tabernacle in your spirit to write God’s law in your heart.
Fasting allows the Holy Spirit to freely express himself in your Spirit. It equally makes you experience his divinity through your soul.
A true fast subdues the desires of our flesh and engulfs our soul with passion for the things of God.
Don’t fast until a crisis happens, Fast because you want to have an intimate relationship with Christ.
We have numerous definitions for prayer. Whatever the case may be, God requires us to be more devoted than at any other time in recent memory. We pray to know the Will of God. We pray to know how to carry out the will of God.
We also pray to surrender ourselves to the desires of the kingdom for us. There are several definitions of prayer. Some see it as petitioning, while others see it as communing with God, and so on.. Prayer is what the Church really needs at this point.
When God’s move begins, it begins with His children’s prayers. This intercession ensures that God’s work is carried out precisely and without interference from the forces of darkness. Why do we have to pray? This is because we can only gain insight and understanding into what God is going to do through prayer.
According to Colossians 2:3, “all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ,” and it is through prayer that these treasures are revealed to us.
THE HEART MATTERS
This is a photograph of possessive
James 4:3 (New International Version)
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Any prayer prayed for the wrong reasons will be rendered ineffective. Prayer is a sacred duty that must be carried out with the purest of intentions. In the Church, selfishness is the slayer of prayer. It causes God to stifle the much-needed answer.
Prayer for the sake of one’s own selfish interests is a waste of time. According to Proverbs 21, God weighs a man’s heart. He weighs His saints’ hearts; He measures the quality of prayer by the quality of the heart rather than the quantity of words.
If a saint’s motives are not pure, he may say thousands of words before God and leave empty-handed; however, another saint may speak only a few words and leave with the Grace he seeks as a result of pure motives.
Proverbs 15:11: “Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord, How much more the hearts of men!”
We deceive ourselves when we believe God is unaware of the true reason for some of our petitions. God sees our hearts; He hears our thoughts as well as our words. Therefore, before we pray, we must examine our hearts and ensure that our motives are pure. In our prayer, there must be no trace of self or carnality.
FOR HIS GLORY
When we pray, whether in public or privately, the only thing that matters is that God receives the glory. In the place of prayer, His glory and will must be at the center of our desires. In the Kingdom, we are only rewarded for actions that bring glory to God.
HIS BATTLE-AXE
The pure saint must see himself as a battle-axe in the master’s hands, or as a pencil in the creator’s hands. When he prays or fasts, he must remember that it is God who is doing the work through him.
Conclusively, ministers, intercessors, and all members of the Body must keep this in mind. We must not allow the spirit of competition to infiltrate our organization. We must be wary of praying for the sake of showing off.
The issue of praying for long hours has always been a trending topic among Christians. Prayer is often likened unto exercise.
There are times all one needs is light warmups, pushups and a few jogs; but there are times a standard athlete must spend quality time training himself and exercising his muscles in the gym.
This is also applicable for prayer.
There are times when all one needs is a light thirty minutes prayer; whereas there are situations that a quality Christian must spend time praying and declaring the Word of The Lord.
Thus, the importance that believers are taught not only how to pray, but also how to persevere in the place of prayer.
The athlete is trained on how to jog round a standard football pitch for more than thirty minutes nonstop; the Saint must also be trained on how to exercise his spirit for hours nonstop!
THE POWER IS IN QUALITY NOT QUANTITY
The essence of this lesson is not to spur you to begin to long duration the purpose and target of your prayer.
That’s the greatest mistake many-a-praying saint makes;it’s also the first step towards losing prayer stamina.
For effective prayer, you must have faith, knowledge of God’s Word as well as a heart aligned with the will of God.
Yet, this post is to train you on how you can engage God with both quality of heart and quantity of time.
1. THE WORSHIPPER
Prayer is a form of worship, thus, in order to pray well and pray long, one must be in the posture of worship before God’s presence.
The essence of spending time singing songs of worship to God cannot be argued.
Many a times, when a Saint desires to pray and goes on his knees, the burdens, pressures and concerns of the day will seem to be laid on his head.
Sometimes, it is like the consequence of the vigorous body exertions surface in the body all of a sudden; other times it could be sleepiness. When this happens, do not try to coerce yourself to pray.
Instead, lift your hands to God and sing songs of worship from your heart.
The Psalmist referred to worship as ‘Magnifying the Lord’, when the Lord is magnified and revealed in the room where your worship is being released, prayer becomes easy.
The more you worship God, the more you become aware of his presence. I once heard someone say, ‘I don’t worship much before praying, because I came to pray not to worship’.
This is the mindset of some saints, and its very wrong. Sometimes, all we actually need to do in God’s presence is not even to pray in loud tongues, but to worship and adore His majesty.
Worship awakens even our spirit and enable it to be able to receive from God. Before you present your requests to God, make sure you attend to His own request – that you worship Him in spirit and in truth.
2. YOU AIN’T GOING ANYWHERE
You must be aware that you’re praying for long. Cast away all thoughts that will make you be in a haste, and be conscious of the fact that you’re going to spend time in God’s presence.
3. PRAY WITH DIRECTION
Do not pray randomly for the sake of covering time. Let your mind be focused on a particular goal.
1 Corinthians 9:26 “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:”
The Saint must be careful not to be like a boxer that only punches the air – exerting energy but making no impact.
His mind and spirit must be on the wall which he intends to crush, the barrier to break and the mountain to move.
4. GO BEYOND YOUR STRENGTH!
When the sprinters in a marathon become tired, they do not stop running entirely – because they know they have a destination that they must reach. Instead, they reduce their speed.
Having set a time target for yourself, you should keep praying until you’re able to reach it. If you do not have a time target, you should keep praying until you’re internally satisfied that you’ve done enough.
When you do this, you’re stretching yourself like the elastic runner, to go beyond your normal size. When you seem to be physically tired, you can rest, and if it’s not convenient for your health, stop the prayers and continue next time; otherwise, keep going.
Reduce the loudness of your voice; reduce your physical exertion, but ensure you’re praying.
5. PRAY-READ THE SCRIPTURES
There’s no greater source of strength than God’s Word.
Daniel 9:2 “During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, was studying the writings of the prophets. I learned from the word of the Lord, as recorded by Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.”
Daniel 9:3 “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting.”
Daniel’s discovery of God’s prophecy about the nation of Israel spurred him to pray. A Saint who gains ground in long term prayer is a Saint who prays with his Bible open.
He constantly checks here and there, to see what God’s Word says about his business, family, kids etc, and the more he discovers it, the more he prays with it.
If you do not know what to pray, pray with God’s Word. Turn Bible verses into prayer points.
Finally;
CONSISTENCY IS KEY! An understanding of this will prevent you from setting unrealistic goals for yourself in prayer. Don’t expect to pray for five straight hours on your first attempt. Begin from an hour and keep advancing at weekly intervals.
1 Peter 2:17 – “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor theemperor“
Believers must come to understand that no matter how much they would love to have Christians as leaders of nations, Unbelievers will still have access to national power.
God is not an unjust judge. He gives equal opportunities to the Christian and to the sinner. There is no possiblity as having a continuous line of Christian presidents ruling a particular nation.
Understanding of this, will enable us to accept the outcome of elections even when they are contrary to what we expected or voted for.
In such a situation as this, where the agenda of those who are at the helm of political affairs in America, we are tempted to fall into despair and apathy.
Yet, the Bible admonishes us to pray for our leaders even in times like this.
It does not specify the type who of leaders we are to pray for. Hence, whether they are good or bad, we are to remember them in our prayers. Praying for the salvation of their souls, the obstruction of their evil policies and guidance to do the right things.
Our primary duty is to pray for our leaders and our country at large.
Jeremiah 29:7 – “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper”
We must not become apathetic towards the issues that concerns our country’s politics and economy. The failure of believers to pray for their countries will lead to its downfall.
When we fold our hands and shut our lips towards the affairs of our nation, God will likewise shut Himself out of the affairs of this nation.
God Himself has said it, in the aforementioned text, that if we pray then our nation will prosper, and if our nation prospers, then we will prosper.
Beloved Saints, let us pray for the peace and prosperity of our respective countries.
Let us pray for the wisdom of God upon our leaders. Let us pray for the counsel of the ungodly to be destroyed.
Let us pray that God’s will be done in our nations.
Within the scope of the body of Christ, prayer is the ONLY channel or means of communicating WITH GOD. Prayer is a face of fellowship through which believers can worship God IN TRUTH and IN SPIRIT.
In other words, it is the mode of ‘fellowship with God’ which is done through the name Jesus, else, it’s not consistent with what the Bible calls prayer.
The reasons for prayer varies from person to person, the reasons underlying our prayers, are reflectives of the benefits we intend to receive. However, there are fundamental benefits of praying, which includes:
1. INTIMACY WITH GOD
Our degree of intimacy with God differs because the CAPACITY of our relationship with God is not the same. Intimacy is the platform upon which the church is espoused to Christ (the head of the church).
Intimacy also exists between a husband and his wife, the basic purpose of their marriage is to live together as ONE FLESH. In likewise manner, we’re joined with Christ and our intimacy with him is maintained and explored through prayer.
In marital relationship, sex is not just for satisfaction, it is a language of intimacy which strengthens the oneness of the couple.
In relationship with God, prayer is not a ritualistic exercise, it is a language of intimacy which sustains the oneness of the body of Christ.
Intimacy with God Is primarily concerned with ‘walking with God’ before working for God. It is a facet with emphasis on “the secret place.”
Genesis 5:24: “And Enoch WALKED WITH GOD: and he was not; for God took him.”
The above text is the account of Enoch’s testimony, he’s the facet dimension which depicts the christian journey into the depths of the realities of God.
2. SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Both individual and collective growth is the product of consistent intimacy with God, when every believer is growing, the body of Christ will eventually reach ‘the unity of the faith’.
Growth is a characteristic of believers, it is the evidence that one has not just walked with God, but has TOUCHED realities of God which are encrypted in his spirit.
Growth becomes part of your benefit when you’re GIVEN to many prayers which concerns the matters of the kingdom.
Nobody grows by default, Never! Therefore, it is not enough to ignite intimate relationship with God, you must endeavor to GROW, if not, you’ll remain a new-creature-infant.
Growth is concerned with spiritual maturity. Prayer helps to draw you closer to God, it serves as a mode for approximating to a higher realm. When this happens, it shows you’re actually growing.
Ephesians 4:13: “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto A PERFECT MAN, unto the measure of the stature of THE FULNESS of Christ”
From the above mentioned text, ‘a’ perfect man is used to typify THE BODY of Christ as ‘one perfect personality’ which has attained the fullness of Christ. This is why WE pray for THE BODY, until this benefit is achieved.
3. IT IS A MODE OF WARFARE OPERATION.
Isaiah 9:4-5: “For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.”
From the above scripture, the war scenario is the immediate devastation of the Midianites, which is used to compare the conflict and a sudden conquest that Christ obtained over sin, satan, the world, and death.
As christian soldiers, we know that we are not permitted to wrestle against our fellow human, we are rather approbated to fight against evil forces.
Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against PRINCIPALITIES, against POWERS, against THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS of this world, against SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS in high places.”
The wrestling and the victory over these evil forces, can ONLY be possible through praying, else, we can’t be able to fight those forces. This is one of the outstanding benefits of praying.
Due to the powers that be, whenever you pray, it turns to be a war in the spirit world.
David was a man who uses songs to pray. Those songs are called ‘songs of prayer’ or ‘intercessory songs’. More often than not, he sings prayerfully, that’s why he was not just a singer, but a worshipper THROUGH prayer.
Prayer was actually the life of his songs.
Prayer is the life of ALL believers. This is the emphasis behind what Jesus said in Luke 18:1
“….Men ought ALWAYS to pray, and not to faint
He said, ‘always’.
When something is done always, it will automatically become a lifestyle. When something is your lifestyle, it is already an addiction, there will be no day you won’t do it, there will be no day you will relent in doing it.
Pray more often in your secret place, intensify your prayers and maintain it as your lifestyle.
KOINONIA ART 