Pastor James Adeyemi
Colossians 4:2-4
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak”.
Matthew 21:13
“And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves”.
Isaiah 56:7
“Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples”.
How do you proclaim the blessing of God? It is by praying. The place called the mountain in the Christian walk ls the place of prayers. God said our sacrifices will be acceptable at the place of prayers. Every creation of God is created with purpose. It is by this purpose the fulfillment and fruitfulness is achieved. Our values of prayers seem to be dying out. One of those things that we will begin to consider is how do we relight the virtues of and hunger for prayers. A ministry can only be born, built and sustained on the wings of prayers. In most of our churches today, the hour of prayers has become a quarter hour of prayers. We must go back to the strength of our birth which is prayers – the strength of our divine identity. Prayers is what make our lives and ministries relevant. You can never rise above the confession of your lips. The kind of prayers we are talking about is not the God bless me or deal with my enemies prayers.
Arthur W. Pink said “Prayer is not an act, it is an attitude; an attitude of dependency on God”.
Andrew Murray said “some people pray just to pray; others pray just to know God”.
Many of our prayers are just prayers waiting for something good to happen. We pray so we can know God. By prayers, we offer the sacrifice of our heart to God. What we do in prayers is that we may know Him and His righteousness.
BENEFITS OF PRAYERS
1. It affords us the privilege of knowing God beyond what we read in books or what we were taught about God in sermons. Nothing can be as instructive as as God talking to you in the place of prayers.
2. It is the smooth wheel of everything God can do and will do manifest in the realm of the physical.
3. It enables us to grow in faith because it is a necessary nourishment.
4. It proves our calling. It energizes us to move on what we are called to do. Prayers remove stress. If you can pray god will do more.
5. Prayers enable a believer to live righteously. Every man that prays has no business with sin. A man that prays stands solidly without blemish or scandal in life and ministry.
6. Through prayers we are able to know divine directions and divine calling. No trial and error, no gambling. A praying man remains solid, undistracted and focused.
WHO SHOULD PRAY
Three things qualify a man who should pray –
Psalms 24:3-4
“Who shall go up into the hill of Jehovah? Or who shall stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, and has not sworn deceitfully”.
1. He or she who has unflinching commitment with God; no double standard.
2. He or she that does not play or toy with sin. Everyone that must ascend the hills of prayers must be righteous.
3. He or she must be loyal to the ministry of his or her calling.
