Welcome to „Daily Word for Spiritual Edification”, dear children of God! I believe that the teaching about prayer will change lives of many people. The truth of this word has affected and changed my life. When God revealed to me the essence of prayer and the importance of spending time with God, it fundamentally changed my whole Christian walk. Today I am more in love with God, I treasure the time I spend with Him.Yesterday we discussed prayer as a „two-way” street – a conversation with God. I must learn not just express my thoughts and needs to God, but also allow Him to speak to me during prayer and do the work in me. There are several more characteristics that describe effective praying.
- Praying is pouring out your heart before God.
When I pray I pour out my soul before God. I will not dwell on it for long, because we mostly know how to do it. We know how to open our hearts. As soon as we find a listening ear and as soon as we find a person we can trust, we open our hearts. We know that God is always ready to hear us out. Besides, God is totally trustworthy. It means that you can boldly come before God with everything that concerns us. That is what we call prayer. And that is why Paul says that we shouldn’t think and worry too much, but always reveal our desires before God in prayer and then His peace will fill our hearts. The pouring out of your hearts does not has to happen only when you have a need. Singing of psalms and praises also is a part of prayer. When you want to thank God for His mercy and the solutions for your problems, it also is a part of prayer.It says in James (5:13-16):
«Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much».
This is a rather short passage that contains so much revelation of prayer. Prayer is our life. Without praying we cannot be spiritually alive.
- Praying is the proof of your need for God.
Is any of you saying that you need God? You can prove it only through your prayer life. A person that enjoys close relationships with God does not worry, even at times of serious problems. Why? Because he knows that there is God Who can help him with any possible problem.Sometimes prayer is born out of a need. And when you turn to God in prayer, you demonstrate that you need Him, because you are not able to manage your life and deal with the situation. So you bow your knees before God, you humble yourself before Him and acknowledge His greatness and authority. You acknowledge that He is Almighty and can do what nobody else can. You admit that God is able to give you what no other person is able to give. And you humble yourself before God; you give Him your needs, thus proving that You love Him and trust Him alone.
“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah, 40:29-31).
May God bless you abundantly!Pastor Rufus Ajiboye
