PRAYER (Part 2)
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24 RSV)
Prayer is one of the greatest privileges that the High and Lofty God has bestowed upon mortal men. Sadly, only a few people avail themselves of this privilege.
Many praying believers today are not prevailing in prayers because they are mostly praying amiss. The Scripture warns that we won’t receive answers to our prayers when we pray amiss (Jam. 4:3).
Many believers are praying and not receiving answers to their prayers and becoming frustrated because they are praying according to human wisdom, traditions, and beliefs, not according to the Scriptures (Matt. 22:29).
Therefore, it is crucial to know the truths that the Scripture teaches about prayer so that we may pray correctly, according to the Scriptures, and receive answers to our prayers.
In the first part of this piece, we contrast the truths in God’s Word with common assumptions about prayers.
First, the Believer’s Spiritual Power or Authority is not proportional to his Prayer Life:
Contrary to the general notion in our churches that prayer is a source of spiritual power or authority for the believers, the Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit is the only source of the believers’ power and that the believers’ authority only proceeds from their spiritual union or identity with Christ.
Therefore, praying long, loud, or repeatedly does not generate, produce or give rise to more spiritual power and authority in Christ.
Your spiritual power or authority in Christ does not fluctuate with your prayer life. It is constant! (Acts 1:8, Lk. 24:49, Eph. 2:4-6).
Second, the Efficacy of Prayer is not determined by its Volume, Loudness, Duration, Frequency, Location, Repetition, or Gesticulation:
The Scripture teaches that the efficacy of our prayer is primarily affected by our motives, spiritual understanding, yielding to God’s perfect will, and our faith and obedience to God.
Sadly, many believers today erroneously believe that praying at a particular hour of the day, at a specific sacred or holy place, or repeating the same words in prayers and praying at the top of their voice with vigorous gestures guarantee quick answers to their prayers (John 14:13-14, 1 John 5:15, Jam. 4:3). That is a mistaken belief!
Third, the Power of Prayer is not relatively proportional to the Population of People Praying:
Contrary to the notion or belief that the power or efficacy of prayer increases with the number, size, or population of people praying on the same issue at the same time or place, the Scripture does not exalt or magnify a corporate or joint prayer above that of the individual believer.
The Scripture teaches that “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (Jam. 5:16b NLT).
Let us now examine more scriptural truths about prayer.
Fourth, the Ultimate Purpose of Prayer is Fellowship with God:
It is a carnal mindset to make your prayers all about yourself—what you desire, want, or need. The primary purpose of prayer is fellowship, communion, or intimacy with God.
In the Garden of Eden, where and when there was no need or lack to ask God to supply or meet, and where and when there was no devil, sickness, or evil to pray against, yet the first man was in constant communion with God (Gen. 2:19, 3:8).
That reveals that the primary purpose of prayer transcends receiving something from God. The primary purpose of prayer is fellowship with God—beholding His glory and relishing His love and presence.
Fifth, Prayer is not Wrestling with God:
There is no reluctance or unwillingness on God’s side to answer the prayers of His children. We are the ones that are slow to receive from God because of our unbelief and ignorance of the things that have been freely given to us in Christ (Matt. 7:11, Rom. 8:32).
Sadly, due to wrong teachings and beliefs about prayer, many believers today consider prayer a means of wrestling with God or prevailing upon God to bless, heal, or deliver them.
The carnal mindset of seeing prayer as grappling and wrestling with God presupposes that God is reluctant to answer the prayers of His children or that God is very callous and insensitive to the plights and problems of His children.
Consequently, like the ungodly judge mentioned in Luke 18, God needs to be bothered, begged, persuaded, or motivated with vain repetitions, plenty of words, or prolonged fasting before He could be moved to hear, consider, answer or respond positively to His children’s cries.
What a slander and terrible picture of a Loving God!
What a travesty and mockery of the fatherhood of God!
Contrary to our carnal prayer mindset, the Scriptures portray God as a Loving Father whose love for His children is infinite, absolute, perfect, unconditional, everlasting, and sacrificial.
Was it not when we were ungodly that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins?
If God, therefore, freely gave us the greatest gift when we were sinners and far away from Him, why then will He delay or refuse to provide us with any good thing now that we are His children and in His Kingdom?
That is unthinkable!
Paul queries, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32 NKJV).
Sixth, Praise is an Integral Part of Prayer:
It is often said in our churches today, “If prayer fails, try praise.” This notion or belief presupposes that praise is entirely different from prayer and also more powerful than prayer.
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That is a fallacy!
It is unscriptural to separate praise, worship, or thanksgiving from prayer, for praise is an inherent or integral part of prayer (Psa. 100:1-5).
When the early Disciples of Christ asked the Lord to teach them how to pray, He taught them to start their prayer with praise, worship, or adoration and to also end their prayer with the same.
Matthew 6:9-13 – NKJV
9 “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
In obedience to the Lord’s teaching on prayer, the early disciples always included praise, worship, adoration, and thanksgiving in their prayers (Acts 4:24, Eph. 1:15-16, Phil. 1:3-4, Col. 1:3, 1 Thess. 1:2).
Therefore, if we separate praise from our prayer today, we are either ignorant of the Lord’s teaching on prayer or disobedient to the Lord’s teaching on prayer.
Seventh, God has answered all our prayers in and through Jesus Christ:
There is no lack for believers in Christ, for believers are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. As a born-again believer, you now have unlimited access to all that God has through Christ.
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Everything that you need or will ever need has been richly and freely given to you in and through Christ.
The Scripture amply states this truth.
Romans 8:16-17 – NKJV
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
1 Corinthians 3:21-23 – NKJV
21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours:
22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come–all are yours.
23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
Ephesians 1:3 – NKJV
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
2 Peter 1:3 – RSV
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.
Therefore, it is simply ignorance or unbelief to seek to impress, propel or compel God to bless you or do anything for you through your prayers. In His love, God has anticipated all your needs and has already made abundant provisions for them to be fully met in Christ.
You cannot pressure God or motivate God to do anything for you through your prayers. God has already moved in love and in your favor through Jesus Christ to make all things available freely and abundantly to you.
Beloved, quit seeking to use your prayer and fasting to compel, motivate or pressurize God to give you anything or to do anything for you.
God has already granted you all things in Christ and done all things for you through Christ. Therefore, simply ask in faith and receive with thanksgiving your inheritance in Christ.
Mark 11:22-24 – NKJV
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.
23 “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
24 “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
It is time to change your mindset towards prayer and begin to see your time of prayer as not a time to wrestle with God for blessing but as a time for intimate fellowship or communion with your loving Heavenly Father to behold His glory and relish His love and presence.
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for opening my eyes to understand the truths about prayer. Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me to begin to see my time of prayer as a time for intimate fellowship and communion with my loving Heavenly Father to enjoy, experience, and relish His love and presence in Jesus’ name. Amen.