Author: Pastor Rufus Ajiboye

When a person repents, he can start developing his prayer life. We must know that God does not turn away from us even when we do not pray. God is very patient and He wants us to understand that without prayer we are spiritually weak and unable to enter the things He has prepared for us. Effective prayer is the thing that opens a way for us and allows God to walk ahead of us. God waits until we come to full realization of it. He is good to His children, but His goodness must lead us to repentance. Many people do not understand it. Sometimes we do things that go against God’s orders and at the same time we feel like it is alright.

The Bible says, that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. What shall I do when I feel my prayer doesn´t work well. Shall I read a book about upsurge and healing, or listen to a sermon about liberation from curse, maybe I should blame devil and demons for all failures of my praying life. It´s them who set obstacles for me. Quite often people blame devil for all failures in their life. When I listen to the sermons constantly focusing on satan and demons I ask myself, whom are we preaching and whom are we glorifying? Read gospels to see what Jesus said to the demon. He said: “leave him” then continued his way. It´s not a satan fault that you don´t practise praying.

Knowledge is an understanding of theory of what we have to do and why. In order to make something as your habit you need to understand the theoretical aspects of such necessity. How is it connected to our praying life? Let me explain that. We acquire knowledge by reading the Bible, Word of God. We know why we have to pray, then we can make a habit of praying, just because we know what we have to do. We should pray without ceasing – I know this and so I do why. Let me elaborate on it. Awareness of what I gain or lose by having a particular habit helps us to develop that habit.

“ … for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Prayer unites us with our Heavenly Father, helps to know the depth of the His heart, His love and His plans for our life.

Do you remember Daniel? He was a man of God, similarly to David, one, whose attitude to prayer and fellowship with God was very serious. In Daniel 6:10 we read:

«When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem) and he bowed down on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before».

«Thanks God, I already have such habit». I am glad about you. The other might say «I´ve already tried, but failed to do so”. I am glad about you too.

I pray today, so that this Word helps you to overcome your weakness and instability solving this issue.

First of all, I want to stress out the fact, that prayer is love relationships with God. Why do I mention that and why it´s so important when you try to make prayer as your habit. We already discussed it, that prayer is not learning of different methods about how convince God to do our will. Lack of necessity to pray is one of few reasons why believers pray just a little.

God desires for us to realize that the church that prayer also wins; it is united church which cannot be overcome by the gates of hell. Praying church is a growing church that experiences God’s power and miracles. God promised that He has established His church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. May God help every one of us to give prayer the central place in our lives; may God’s order be established in our lives. I am not talking about redundant, fruitless imitation of prayer; I am talking about the prayer that touches heaven, releases God’s power which was seen in the life of Jesus.

What are we going to do with the truth we have heard – the truth about importance and crucial nature of prayer? We must change! First, we need to ask God to help us to pray constantly. Second, we may ask other people you consider being strong in prayer to pray for you and help you put your prayer life in order. There is no shame in asking someone to pray for you.

I remember a period in my life when I had lost a desire to pray; it seemed boring and my prayer seemed lifeless. And for some reason I wasn’t able to change it.

One of the important habits that we need to develop is to pray daily. Prayer must become habitual. God desires to teach us how to forsake bad habits and to develop good ones.

Some people have a habit of wasting time. They may know that they need to pray, what they need to pray about, what prayer does etc, but they still don’t pray because they seem to lack the time, since they waste their time on wrong, unfruitful things – TV, computer, telephone conversations and so on. We must make an effort and find the time to pray.

«Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son» (John, 14:12-13).

When Jesus Himself says ‘most assuredly’, it means He wants us to pay attention. These two verses are connected. Jesus says that we can do the works that Jesus did and even more, if we pray. Jesus tried to tell His disciples that He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth and that He will represent them in heaven, because He will be sitting with Him on the heavenly throne. Jesus told His disciples that they should ask in His name and that He would do what they ask so that His Father would be glorified.

You may ask why people act the way they act? Why don’t people sometimes understand very elementary things? Why do people hear the truth, but do not change? There are invisible things that keep people in bondage. There are strongholds that cannot be destroyed by teaching, sermons, instructions and lectures. They are spiritual things. What happens when the church prays? These strongholds collapse and some real changes take place. We cannot afford not to pray and try to admonish other people; usually people listen to us, say that they understand, but do the same thing all over again.