By Bro Antoine
PRAYER
Pursuing a balanced life, equates to being able to fulfil one’s physical, emo=onal and spiritual needs. Many
people turn to Yoga in order to find spiritual fulfilment.
The Bible says in Acts 2:42, “They (the early church) devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
The early Chris=ans had the following aMributes.
1) They were strongly rooted in the Word of God, so that they could live not by thought, but by the will of
God.
2) They lived in a community, and as iron sharpens iron, they built their inner character to be more Christ
like. Breaking the bread was the basic block.
3) The main theme of prayer was for the Father to keep them united, the only way that people outside
would iden=fy them as the sons and daughters of God.
Prayer demonstrates our rela=on with our Spirit and God.
When we pray,
- We ask God what we need
- We humble ourselves
- We show our dependency on Him
In Luke 11:1, the Bible says, “..Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples”. The disciples came to
Jesus and asked Him to teach them to pray, not to teach them how to heal the sick, or how to cast out
demons, but how to pray in order to be heard. It’s a fundamental in our life. We are not conscience of
what’s happening in the spiritual realm. We only live in what our eyes see.
Without prayer we are nothing and would face defeat upon defeat.
All good things are already provided in Jesus. It’s for us to go and take.
What is prayer?
- Prayer is a COMMAND.
If we are not praying, we are sinning. 1 Samuel 12:23 says, “As for me, far be it from me that I
should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and
right.” We are saved to be labourers, to reconcile.
Prayer is God’s will. In Luke 18:1, we read about the persistent widow. Jesus gave this parable to
effectuate that we ought to always pray and not loose heart. Persevere in prayer, keep watch and
pray.
This is impera=ve order. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are not asked but commanded to pray without
ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God’s will.
In Colossians 4:2-3, we are read that we are to devote ourselves in prayer and be watchful as the
enemy is a roaring lion. - Prayer is a SACRIFICE.
God calls us His Royal Priesthood. As a Priest is always found in the temple, sacrificing, we also
ought to always pray.
When we intercede for the na=on, for the people, we sacrifice. - Prayer is a CONVERSATION.
In Jeremiah 33:2-3, God is speaking to Jeremiah, and introducing Himself.
He then goes on to say, “Call to me and I will answer you”. When we call, He commits to answer.
It’s not a one way dialogue.
There can be 2 reasons why we don’t get an answer.
i) We do not call, hence we do not get an answer.
ii) We do not know how to call. Hence we must learn how to pray.
He goes on to say that, “..and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
Unless we pray, we will not know the hidden secrets. As soon as the Lord opens our Spiritual eyes,
we will be able to see. It’s important for us to know who we are.
Jesus, who is out master, also prayed.
Mark 1:35 says, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was s=ll dark, He (Jesus) departed
and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. We also need to discipline ourself in a
similar way. We need to fight with our flesh. In Mathew 26:41, Jesus tells His disciples, “Watch
and pray that you may not enter into tempta=on. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
What is done in secret, God reveals publicly.
Not praying is like having a life=me =cket, and never travelling. God has already provided us
everything in Christ Jesus. We need to claim what is already given to us according to 2 Peter 1:13,
which says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence.”
