Habit is a compilation of knowledge, skills and willingness III
Welcome, dear friends, to „Daily Word for Spiritual Edification”! I pray that everything in your life would go according to the will of God.
We are still talking about prayer. If we want to have fruitful prayer life, then prayer must become a habit. In order for that to happen we must gain some skills in the area of prayer. Skill means how we do something. When you know what you need to do and why you need to do it, the next step is HOW to do it. If you don’t know how, this activity can’t become a habit. But you won’t be able to learn how, unless you actually start doing it. I won’t know how to pray, unless I start praying. I am sure we already know very much about prayer. You can put to practice this knowledge that you have. Thus you obtain skills. Skills are developed by putting knowledge to practice.
There is another way to learn how to pray; it is by attending different prayer gatherings. You know, the statistics show that prayer meetings are the least attended church meetings. People rather go to those meetings where there is prayer for healing or prophesy, or casting out demons; by other words, where they are ministered to. Very few people come to the meetings where they are asked to pray.
How can we obtain the skill of prayer? We must start praying! We must get together with the people that know how to pray in order to gain some experience.
Let’s say, I want to learn to drive; in that case I must learn about driving, but I also must start driving, putting the knowledge to practice. I must get behind the wheel and that is the only way to learn driving. There is no other way. Besides, I must spend some time with a person that is able to teach me and share his experience.
There are people that know how to pray, – learn from them, draw from their experience. Skill comes through practice.
When you have knowledge + skills + desire, you can develop a habit. Let’s talk about the desire. Desire is something that comes from person’s will. Desire is what so many are lacking. Where do I get it? So often we say, «I know what I need to do, but I just don’t want to. I don’t have the desire to do it or to take part in it». It does not apply to prayer alone. But when you don’t have the desire to pray, it is a sign of serious spiritual illness.
The desire to pray is demonstration of spiritual health, a sign of one’s love towards God and close relationships with Him.
When Saul (later called Paul) met Jesus and got saved, Jesus came to Ananias and told him to go see Saul. And the first thing He said to Ananias was: «…for behold, he (Saul) is praying». Having met God, Saul developed a strong desire to pray. If you don’t have any desire to pray it is a sign of spiritual illness, and it must alarm you.
Prophet Samuel believed that the lack of desire to pray is a sin.
«Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you» (1 Samuel, 12:23).
Many people do not understand it, and consequently they do not see any breakthroughs in their life. If you understand that not praying is the same as sinning and nonetheless you sin, then, first, you need to repent and, second, start praying regularly. Without prayer nobody can enter the Kingdom of God and become a child of God. The understanding that the lack of prayer in your life is sin might help you to rise up and overcome your sin. Prayer is what helps one to become a victor on a daily basis.
God bless you!
Till tomorrow!
Pastor Rufus Ajiboye
