Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life
This morning we take what I believe will be an extended pause from our Proverbs series, because I am led to teach on a topic that has been on my heart for quite some time. I have been praying about when to actually start it and I believe I have the release to do so now. The Today’s Word (www.todaysword.org) website has about 14 years worth of messages and different series’ on it and about a year ago one of my Pastor friends called me to ask if I had anything on the site about a particular topic. To my surprise, I did not. After all the years of teaching I was amazed that I had not addressed this topic, especially since it is so critical to success in Christian living. Concerning this topic In Dr. Myles Munroe said, “The President of the United States does it, the Prime Minister of Israel does it, the Chairman of Palestine does it, and the Queen of England does it. Jews do it, Muslims do it, Hindus do it, Buddhists do it, pagans do it, heathens do it, Christians do it, everyone does it. Few are sure it works, and even less believe it is necessary.” What are we talking about? The answer is Prayer!
I am extremely excited about this series. We are all supposed to pray, but it has been my experience that not all believers do, because many have questions about how, when, if, what, and etc. I am convinced that the key to Jesus’ success was His prayer life and the key to our success in life can/should be our prayer life. Think about it… the King of Glory, the Lord who sits on the Circle of the Earth, gives us access to Him through prayer. If you had access to President Barak Obama, wouldn’t you use it? If you had a relationship with Donald Trump, wouldn’t you call him? Well, we have access to the only true and living God, and the sad reality is that most of us never use it. I believe the Lord wants us to change that fact. For the next few weeks I will be teaching on “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.”
Today I am just giving you the introduction to the series; and by way of introduction, let me share with you a poem about prayer that I memorized 15 years ago. This poem helps remind me of the importance of prayer. I don’t know who wrote it, but it’s aptly entitled, “The Difference.”
I got up one morning,
And I rushed right into the day,
I had so much to accomplish,
That I did not have time to pray.
As the day went on,
Heavier came each task,
I said, “Lord, why don’t you help me?”
He said, “Child, you didn’t ask.”
Hour upon hour,
The day toiled on gray and bleak,
I said, “Lord, why don’t you help me?”
He said, “Son, you didn’t seek.”
Finally, I tried to come into God’s presence,
I used all my keys at the lock,
I said, “Lord, why don’t you let me in?’
He said, “Child, you didn’t knock.”
So I got up this morning,
And I paused before entering the day,
Because I had so much to accomplish,
That I HAD to take time to PRAY!
The Difference!
So what does this mean to you today? It means the Father wants you to prepare your heart to re-energize your prayer life. Prayer can make all the difference in your life. If your prayer life has been lacking or maybe even borderline nonexistent, get ready for an inner-revival!
Closing Confession: Father, my heart is open to You. I am Your sheep and I have a blood-bought covenant right to hear from You daily. I yearn to commune with You in prayer and I declare that I will. I make a faith confession that my prayer life is flourishing, because I make the time to spend time with You daily. You lead me and I follow. You speak to me and I listen. I speak to You and we commune one with another. I am never hopeless, because I am never helpless. You are with me every second of every day of every year of my life. My prayer life opens the door to Your best for me today and everyday. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Jesus is Our Example
(John 5:19 NLT) So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” In John chapter five, after healing a man on the Sabbath, Jesus explained how He did it by saying; “The Son can do nothing by Himself. He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” What did Jesus mean when He said He saw the Father do it? What He meant was that He was being led of the Father. Jesus spent much time in prayer every morning and throughout the day. It was like He was receiving His marching orders from the Father. After having prayed, and after receiving the will of the Father for the day, Jesus set out to DO what he SAW, to PERFORM what He RECEIVED. In this passage Jesus went on to say, “For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He is doing. In fact, the Father will show Him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished” (John 5:19,20). Jesus was led of the Father to do all He did. Jesus acknowledged that He was not the manufacturer of what He was doing, but rather simply the distribution center. Said another way, He was not coming up with His daily divine appointments. The Father was orchestrating Jesus’ agenda and He was simply cooperating with the Father’s will.
Later on in the same passage Jesus said, “I can do nothing on My own.” Isn’t that amazing to you? It is to me. Here we have Jesus, the King of Glory Himself, saying that He could do nothing on His own. What did He mean by that? He meant that He was not on the earth to perform His own will. He came as a human, and as a human He had to seek the Father just like we do. He did not have an advantage over us, because if He did then He would not be a true example. We could never replicate what He did if He came as God, but since He came as a man, then we have every opportunity to walk as He walked and to do as He did. Jesus went on to say, “I judge as God tells Me. Therefore, My judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the One who sent Me, not My own will. If I were to testify on My own behalf, My testimony would not be valid” (John 5:30,31). Once again, Jesus was driving home the fact that He was NOT performing His own will. Jesus walked the earth as a man, and as a man He sought guidance from the Father to do all that He did, and since the Father was leading Him, then it is obvious to see why everything He put His hands to do was blessed!
In John chapter 14 Jesus said, “The words I speak are not My own, but My Father who lives in Me does His work through Me” (John 14:11). How do you think Jesus received the words of the Father? The answer is simple; Jesus received the will of God daily in prayer. We will learn more about this in this series and we will also learn how to replicate what Jesus did in our own lives.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully man. One of the reasons He came as a man was so that we could emulate what we see in His life.
2. As a man Jesus needed to pray for guidance. If Jesus attempted to do things without hearing from the Father it would be no different than us when we get outside of His will.
3. Jesus could not to ANYTHING on His own. If Jesus saw a clear need to spend time in prayer, then how do you think you can ever succeed in life without it? Jesus counted on the Father daily and so must you. Receive your marching orders for today in prayer.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this revelation. I am learning how much Jesus relied on His prayer life and it is humbling to me. I realize I have been selling myself short by not cultivating and developing my prayer life fully. That stops today! I declare, by faith, that I will learn how to pray, I will develop in prayer, and I will pray daily. I want to hear from You. I know that without You I can do nothing. Just like Jesus needed to hear from You, I need to hear from You; and I will, from now on, in prayer. My ears are anointed to hear, my eyes are anointed to see, and my heart is anointed to understand all that You desire to share with me in prayer. I am open to hear from You Father. Speak Lord, Your child is listening. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Jesus is Our Example (Part 2)
(Mark 1:35 NIrV) It was very early in the morning and still dark. Jesus got up and left the house. He went to a place where he could be alone. There he prayed.
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Yesterday I taught about Jesus and how He should be our example when it comes to prayer. Let’s continue to flow in that same vein this today.
In Mark chapter one we see the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus was baptized and immediately after His baptism He was “led” of the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of satan. Now, how was He led? Did the Holy Spirit physically take Jesus by the hand? Of course not. This was an inner leading. The Father was leading Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, through the internal relationship they had. This leading is part of our prayer life. While Jesus was in the desert we know that He fasted for 40 days. Prayer always accompanies biblical fasting. After having fasted, prayed, and successfully resisted the temptations of satan in the wilderness, Jesus came out of the desert ready to start His earthly ministry. He immediately preached the Gospel of Kingdom of God, called His first disciples, drove out demons, and healed many who were sick.
The way Mark records this, it seems like this could have happened all in the same day. Whether it did or not is not significant, but what Mark records next is. Mark says, “It was very early in the morning and still dark. Jesus got up and left the house. He went to a place where he could be alone. There he prayed.” Jesus’ time with the Father in the wilderness obviously prepared Him for His first experiences in ministry. But Jesus was not going to face a new day without hearing from the Father. He spent time with the Father early in the morning. Simon (later known as Peter), and his friends, went looking for Jesus. When they found him they called out, “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus was not concerned about that; He was more focused on hearing from the Father in prayer than hearing from people. After receiving His marching orders for the day, Jesus said, “Let’s go somewhere else. I want to go to the nearby towns. I must preach there also. That is why I have come.” Jesus was completely clear about what He needed to do that day, because He had spent time with the Father, early in the morning, in prayer. We will learn in the series that He also prayed throughout the day. But the point is that Jesus did not assume that anything/everything that would happen over the course of the day would somehow magically be ‘the will of God.’ No, Jesus actively sought to receive the will of God in prayer and then sought to perform what He received! There is so much more I want to say about this, but I will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Jesus spent time alone with the Father. Praying with or around others is fine, Jesus did this too, but there is nothing like giving the Father your undivided attention. Make time to give the Father quality time in prayer.
2. Jesus prayed early in the morning. If you are like me, then once your day starts rolling it’s hard to slow down. Taking the time early in the morning to pray helps you keep your priorities in order and it will also help you properly order your day.
3. Jesus did not assume that everything that happened would be God’s will. Far too many believers accept everything as ‘the will of God’ without ever spending time with the Father to find out what His will actually is. If you hear from the Father in prayer, you won’t ever question His will, because you will know it.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this teaching. I am preparing my heart, mind, and soul to develop in the area of prayer. Jesus made time to pray and so will I. Jesus actually spent alone time with You and He made sure it was quality time. I declare, by faith, that I will do the same. I learn from the example Jesus left for me. I will get up and pray early in the morning. Instead of allowing my day to order my prayer, I will allow my prayer to order my day. In prayer I am going to tell the day what kind of day it is going to be. I am Your sheep, I hear Your voice, and the voice of a stranger I shall not follow. You speak to me, You tell me Your will for my life, and I walk out that will BY FAITH, with the utmost confidence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Jesus is Our Example (Part 3)
(Luke 5:16 NIV) But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” In Luke chapter 5 Jesus was on the move again, making a difference everywhere He went. As Jesus came into one of the towns Luke records that a man with leprosy approached Him. Luke was a physician so he had no problem identifying leprosy. This leprous man was in a bad situation. Leprosy is not common today; so let me tell you a little about the illness.
Leprosy is an infectious disease that attacks the skin and central nervous system. People with leprosy often do not have the sensation of pain to identify cuts or bruises; hence they frequently injure themselves without knowing. Leprosy also causes multiple legions on the skin that cause a terrible smell. Lepers, for obvious reasons, were social outcasts. Lepers were considered unclean and since there was no cure, they were condemned to live the rest of their lives in leper colonies. Beyond the obvious physical damage, the treatment of lepers could easily cause psychological harm. They died a slow physical, mental, and social death. It is easy to understand then why a man with leprosy came and bowed down to Jesus. He heard of the miracle worker and he came for a breakthrough; Jesus represented his only glimmer of hope.
With his face to the ground the leper said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” His statement exposes the fact that he had already resolved within his heart that Jesus was bigger than his problem. He did not ask Jesus if He could, but his inferiority complex wondered if He would. The text then reveals a facet of Jesus that comforts my soul. Mark’s account of this miracle says that Jesus was “filled with compassion.” We don’t serve a distant or despondent Lord. Our Savior genuinely cares for us. Jesus was not just motivated to heal because He could, but rather because He knew that He should. I believe Jesus looked passed the outward appearance and saw someone hurting more on the inside than the outside. So before Jesus performed the miracle He did the unthinkable, He reached out and touched the leper. Jesus did what no clean person had since the day the disease had befallen him. Jesus gave the man what he so eagerly longed for – a human touch. Jesus loved him enough to meet him where He was, and He loved him too much to leave him there. Jesus said, “I am willing, Be clean!”
After this miracle Luke records that “The power of the Lord was present for him (Jesus) to heal the sick.” Basically, Luke moved on to what Jesus did next. But sandwiched between miracles is one short verse that tells us a great deal about how Jesus did what He did. In verse 16 Luke says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Another translation of this verse reads, “As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.”
So what does this mean to you today? It means prayer was the key to Jesus’ success. No one questions the remarkable nature of Jesus’ life. What Jesus did for the leper only pales in comparison to what He performed in other miracles. But since Jesus never did anything He did not first see the Father do and He never said anything He did not first hear the Father say, then it is obvious that Jesus saw Himself touching that leper while He was praying to the Father. Jesus always knew what to say and do, because He made the time to spend quality time alone with the Father in prayer.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You once again for sending Jesus to die in my stead. He paid a price He did not owe for a debt I could not pay. I will never cease to give You praise for Jesus. Not only is Jesus my Savior and Lord, but He is also my example. I see how He lived, how He was led of You in all things, and I seek to live that way daily. Lead me as You led Him. Speak to my inner man as You spoke to His. Manifest Your glory in my life as You did through His. I want the world to see Jesus through me daily. Use me as a conduit through which You flow today and every day. I make time to spend time with You and as I do, You lead me in the way that I should go. I am a Spirit-led, blood bought, twice born, BELIEVER! Use me for Your glory Father. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Lord, Teach Us To Pray
(Luke 11:1 NLT) Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As He finished, one of His disciples came to Him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Yesterday we learned about Jesus’ experiences as documented in Luke chapter 5. Today we will fast forward to chapter 11. By this time Jesus had done much teaching, casted out countless demons, healed people from of all sorts of diseases, fed a crowd with a little boy’s two-piece fish dinner, and even raised a young man from the dead in the middle of his funeral procession. And you should know by now that He also consistently prayed along the way.
As we open Luke chapter 11 we find Jesus once again praying. He was off by Himself, away from the disciples, alone with the Father, communing with Him and receiving guidance for His life and ministry. When Jesus came back from His time of prayer one of the disciples asked Him an interesting question. Now remember, these guys had been with Jesus for a long time by this point. The disciples had a front row seat for every miracle. They participated in the miracle of the fish and loaves. They were there when Jesus stopped the funeral procession to raise the young man right out of his casket. I don’t know about you, but if it were me, I probably would have asked Him to teach me how to do what He was doing. In my best Brooklyn accent, I would have had to say, “Yo Jesus, hook a brother up! Teach me how to multiply two sardines and five biscuits like that.” Or, after the incident at the funeral procession, I probably would have at least asked, “Man, how did you do that?” But these questions were no doubt floating in the disciples’ minds. The desire to know how Jesus was doing what He did was unquestionably burning in their hearts.
Put yourself in the shoes of the disciples for a minute. You have learned this week a little about Jesus’ prayer life. Imagine yourself there. You are a disciple of Christ and you have watched this man do the impossible day after day, week after week, and it always seemed to come after He had spent time with the Father in prayer. If you were there I believe you may have come to the same conclusion they did and that was that prayer was obviously the secret to Jesus’ success. They had never asked Jesus to teach them how to actually DO anything else. I don’t believe this question came haphazardly. This question was birthed out of careful consideration. Prayer was the one thing they wanted to know how to do, because they believed that is was the key to Jesus’ ministry. Well, guess what? They were right!
So what does this mean to you today? It means that we should learn from the disciples. The people that spent the most time with Jesus during His 3 ½ years of ministry only asked Him to teach them how to do one thing. That one thing was prayer. They believed that if they learned how to pray like Jesus prayed, that they could actually live like He lived and do what He did. They were right and we should learn from their desire to learn how to pray. Great learners know how to ask great questions, in order to get the information they need. The disciples asked the right question. Will you? If you want to grow in your prayer life you can ask just like they did. You have not, because you ask not. Look up to the Father this morning and say, “Lord, teach me to pray.”
Closing Confession: Father, I believe prayer was the key to Jesus’ success. The only thing the disciples ever asked Jesus to teach them to do was how to pray. I come to You with the same desire. As I pray and study You lead, guide, and direct me in the area of prayer. Day-by-day I grow in prayer and in communion with You. You teach me to pray. You help me to cultivate my relationship with You. I make time to spend time with You and You ensure it is quality time. I thank You in advance for helping me to perfect my prayer life. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Getting Ready for Prayer
(Luke 18:1 NIV) Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” I trust you enjoyed your extended weekend. I surely did and I am excited about getting back to this series. The Father blessed me to teach a 10-week series on prayer in Iraq and I have been looking over my notes from that series in preparation for this one. A good portion of the Iraq series was based on “Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer,” by Dr. Myles Munroe. I will quote Dr. Munroe from time to time in this series.
Dr. Munroe said, “Almost everyone claims to do it, but most don’t understand it. Even those that claim to practice it religiously are often confused about how it works. What I am talking about is PRAYER. And most believers don’t have a working understanding of it. They know they are supposed to do it, but they don’t understand how. So they just do what they have heard, whether it works or not, and because of this lack of understanding, many have become frustrated!” You will never maximize what you do not understand! I believe the Father has led me to teach this series, at this time, so that we can collectively gain a better understanding of prayer.
On average prayer meetings at church receive the weakest participation of all ministries. When I was the Pastor of the Gospel service in Iraq we averaged 330 people on Sunday morning, but only about 10-15 at noon on Monday’s for prayer. That’s only about 5% and I am sad to say that those numbers are average for most churches. I believe it is because most have not had a good experience with Prayer. The human spirit hates failure and disappointments. I personally don’t like to lose at anything. When you pray and you believe you are not getting results you equate it to a failure. It’s like putting money into a vending machine that doesn’t give you what you paid for. You might stand in front of it and kick it, shake it, hit it, and even share a few choice words with it, but before long you simply leave, frustrated and upset; determined to NEVER use it again. This is how many believers feel about prayer. They have put many prayer coins in their prayer closet and they have far too few satisfying answers to show for it. In this series we will seek to change that.
I am convinced that prayer DOES work, because it has worked for my countless times and it continues to work for me on a regular basis. Jesus taught that we should always pray and not give up. We should never get so frustrated that we throw in the towel on our prayers or that we give up with the practice altogether.
Dr. Munroe said, “Prayer is the vehicle by which we are meant to commune with the invisible God. It is the medium through which our spirit is intended to affect and be affected by the will and purpose of the Divine Creator.” Our spirit yearns to spend time with the Father in prayer. Let’s learn more about prayer, together, so that we can satisfy our spirit and find rest for every weary sector of our soul.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that you must prepare yourself to grow in the area of prayer. If you have been frustrated and hurt in the past, by what you consider to be unanswered prayers, allow the Father to heal your heart so that you can open it fully to learn more about the practice that can change your life forever!
Closing Confession: Father, I am open to You. My past failures will not keep me from future successes. I come to You with an open heart, a yearning Spirit, and a hunger that will only be satisfied when I can routinely spend time with You in prayer. Prayer shall be the vehicle through which my relationship with You is revitalized forever. As I learn how to commune with You in prayer You take the time to commune with me as well and the results will be amazing! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Understanding Prayer
(Gen 1:26 NIV) Then God (Elohim, the Creator God) said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” To understand prayer we must understand God Himself and the system He setup that governs the earth. Here are two key points about prayer:
1. Prayer is a result of God’s established authority structure between heaven and earth, as well as a product of His Faithfulness to His Word! The Bible likens our God to a king and His system to a kingdom. When kings have children they are called princes and princesses. For a prince to become a king one of two things needs to happen. Either the king dies and the prince inherits the kingdom (getting promoted to king), or the king places the prince over a foreign land. In the latter arrangement the father-king is still the overall king of the entire kingdom, but the son-king gets to exercise his authority over the land he was given rulership of. It’s obvious that our God (our King) cannot die, so we can liken what He did with Adam and Eve in the garden to the second scenario. Adam and Eve were to exercise rule and dominion over the earth, while Jehovah was still the overall King of everything. We will talk more about this later on in this series. But for today I will just tell you that if you fast-forward to the New Testament you find out that you and I have been given access to the Kingdom of God through Jesus’ finished work on the cross, and once we are in God’s Kingdom we are His children, not His slaves or servants (Gal 4:17). As God’s children we are heirs and a joint heirs with Jesus the Christ (Romans 8:17). Like Adam and Eve, we are to exercise rule and authority in the earth. The Father rules from heaven and we are to rule down here (Ps 115:16).
2. Prayer was born out of God’s arrangement for man’s assignment in the earth. Since the earth was given to man, God respects that arrangement enough to actually work through man when He wants to accomplish things in the earth. God is so committed to this that when He wanted to operate unrestricted in the earth He came as a man Himself (Jesus the Christ). This is why God wakes people up in the middle of the night to pray. It’s not like God does not want you to sleep, and it’s not like there is anything God can’t do, but since He set this system up the way that He did, He chooses to operate through humans in the earth. He wakes us up because He is looking for a human to agree with His will, so that He can perform what He desires to do in the earth with the cooperation of those that He has given the earth-realm to. 18th century theologian John Wesley, after careful prayer and study came to this conclusion and said, “God does nothing except in answer to prayer.” Once again, not that He can’t, because I shutter to think that I can say what God can or can’t do, but from what we can understand from scripture, it looks like He chooses to operate in the earth with the cooperation of man. We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that prayer is God’s idea and since He setup the system of prayer, He expects us to abide by the system He created. When the Father seeks to operate in your life He actively seeks your cooperation. Likewise, when the Father seeks to operate in the earth He actively seeks the cooperation of a human to agree with His plan and purposes. There are other forms of prayer and we will discuss those, but prayer largely entails knowing the will of God and agreeing with that will to come to pass. Some foolishly think they can manipulate God to perform their will by quoting a scripture or adding “In Jesus Name” to the end of a prayer. But you can never manipulate God. Prayer is not about forcing your will, but rather about finding His and agreeing with it.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this teaching. The more I learn about prayer, the more effective I will become in my prayer life. I will spend time with You in prayer and study. My time with You will help me better understand Your character, attributes, and nature. As I understand You better and as I learn to discern Your voice, I will be better positioned to know Your will and to agree with Your will in prayer. As You seek to operate in my life and in the lives of those around me, I declare by faith, that I will cooperate with You daily through the vehicle of prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Understanding Prayer (Part 2)
(Gen 1:26 NIV) Then God (Elohim, the Creator God) said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Please read our text for today. The key words here are: “Let them rule.” This is where God established the relationship with God and man in the earth and He placed man (human kind) in the earth to dominate and rule it. Let’s ‘pull the string’ on this point a little. This teaches us that:
1. God gave man (human kind) the legal right and authority to operate in the earth.
2. Man became the legal steward of the earth domain.
3. Man is a spirit, he possesses a soul, and he lives within a physical body (while he is in the earth). Man’s physical body is his connection to the earth realm.
4. God is so committed to this that when He wanted to operate freely in the earth He submitted Himself to His own law and He came as a man. God, who is a Spirit, came to the earth and lived within a physical body.
5. Both God and satan actively seek the agreement and cooperation of humans to operate in the earth.
6. Spirits external to physical bodies don’t have the legal right to operate in the earth realm. This is why satan and his demons actively seek to possess humans. Many have consciously or subconsciously welcomed evil spirits to possess their bodies. God, on the other hand, freely offers to live inside every human who accepts Jesus as Lord. When we are Born-Again God’s precious Holy Spirit takes up residence in us.
I know this may seem like a lot to digest, but I am attempting to take my time with this. You may be thinking, “What does this have to do with prayer?” Actually, it has a great deal to do with it. When you understand the legal right you have as a human in the earth, coupled with the awesome ability to be influenced by the Holy Spirit Himself (who is living in you as a believer), you can then start to tap into the power of prayer. When you get this revelation you will WANT to pray, because you understand that as much as you need God, He also needs You. The Father is looking for people to pray, in the earth, to agree with His will, so that He can perform what He desires to do in the earth realm. Now, I will never say that God can’t do whatever He wants to do without prayer, but from what we can see in scripture, it sure seems like He chooses to perform His will with the cooperation of humans. This is a major aspect of prayer.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that God is counting on you to pray. We are still laying the foundation, but let me tell you what we know so far about prayer:
1. Prayer is agreeing with God’s plans and purposes, in order for them to be accomplished in the earth.
2. Prayer is earthly license for heavenly interference.
3. Prayer is man exercising his legal authority in the earth to invoke heaven’s influence on the planet.
4. Prayer is the creation getting the Creator involved in any given situation.
Closing Confession: Father, thank You for this revelation. I now see that I have both a right and a responsibility to pray. My right to pray enables me to come boldly before Your throne in order to receive the grace to help in the time of need. My responsibility to pray puts a burden on me to intercede for those situations I am made aware of and the ones I am facing personally. Prayer is both a precious privilege and a serious responsibility. The more I learn about prayer, the more I will pray and the more effective I will with my prayers. This series is being a blessing to me and I am truly re-energizing my prayer life. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Why Pray?
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Let’s close out this week a little different. I normally give you one verse and lots of commentary on it, but today I will share with you several verses and simply make a quick comment on each. The point of these verses is to highlight the fact that we need to pray. Some believe prayer is useless because God is going to do whatever He wants to do anyway.
(Luke 18:1 NIV) Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
- If God did not need man’s cooperation, then why require him to pray? And not just that, but to remain in faith, for the prayer to come to pass, no matter how long it takes – because that is the message of this parable.
(Eph 6:18 NIV) Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
- Why would God ask believers to pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers (we will learn different kinds) and to pray for all the saints (believers), if God was going to do whatever He wanted in the earth without us?
(1st Thes 5:16-18 NIV) Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
- Why is it so important that you pray continually and in all circumstances if everything God is going to do is already predetermined without us?
(Phil 4:6 GWT) Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks.
- Is it possible that when we worry, don’t trust God, and refuse to pray, that we are actually hindering God from moving in our lives?
- Is this why God wants us to pray so much – so that we can agree and release Him to get involved in our situations?
Think about this:
- When God wanted to start a nation, it was Abraham who cooperated with Him.
- When God wanted to rescue the people of Israel from Egypt, it was Moses who cooperated with Him.
- When God wanted to build His house, His temple, it was Solomon who cooperated with Him.
- When God wanted to preserve His people, it was Esther who cooperated with Him.
- When God wanted to start His New Testament church and reach the Jews (first), it was Peter who cooperated with Him.
- When God wanted to reach the Gentiles, it was Paul who cooperated with Him.
Let it be written that when God wanted to make a difference in [fill in your city] He sought the cooperation of [fill in your name] and the impact He made through [fill in your name] was life-changing!
Without God we cannot, but without man He will not. Our God has chosen to operate in the earth through the cooperation of man.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You once again for teaching me about prayer. I now see the importance of prayer on a different level. I have always known that I should pray, but I am now understanding that I must pray. Just like I need You, You need me. I am counting on You, but You are counting on me. I give You my natural and You give me Your super, enabling me to operate in the supernatural daily. I am humbled that You choose to operate through me, and I willingly give myself over to You for Your use. Use me as a conduit through which You reach others, for Your glory today. Through prayer I agree with Your divine purposes and the impact we shall make, together, will be life-changing for me and for all those I come in contact with! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Praying the WILL of God
(Matthew 18:18 KJV) Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” As we enter into the third week of this series I feel like we are still just scratching the surface. While prayer can be so rewarding, it can also be completely frustrating when you feel like your prayers are not producing any results. The Father wants us to pray, but He has not signed up to give us whatever we want, or whatever we come up with. The Father has signed up to give us whatever we ask for that lines up with His will.
Jesus taught that we, as humans, with God-given rights on this planet, would be able to exercise authority by binding (preventing) and loosing (permitting) things to happen and that God Himself would respond to whatever we bind or loose. Jesus said this in Matthew chapters 16 and 18. The traditional King James Version (KJV) of these verses are somewhat confusing. The KJV of Matthew 16:19 reads, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” The KJV of Matthew 18:18 reads, “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” If that is all you read are these verses, without any context, then it sounds like heaven will respond to whatever we say in prayer or otherwise.
Let’s seek understanding. The Amplified translation of Matthew 18:18 says: “Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.” This translation sheds more light on what Jesus was actually teaching. Jesus was not putting pressure on heaven to respond to our will, but rather on us to learn what heaven’s will already is and to pray that! We can’t force God to do something against His will. We are required to learn God’s way of doing things so we can ask for things that line up with His will. Jesus went on to say, “Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them” (see verses 18-20 AMP). In context, when Jesus said that heaven will respond to whatever we ask, He meant when we ask for things that are in line with God’s will.
So what does this mean to you today? Two things:
1. Praying God’s will is the key. You can never force God to do anything, especially not something that is contrary to His will. But when your prayers line up with His will you experience supernatural results.
2. We have a responsibility to bind (prevent) and loose (permit). When things are happening in your life that you don’t like, you must ask yourself the question, “Have I prayed about this?” God is not going to force His will on you. He will gladly operate in your life when You cooperate with Him. But you have the responsibility to permit and prevent things from happening with your prayers. God will back you when you pray in accordance with His will! Powerful things happen when two (or more) believers come together, in agreement, and pray the will of God. Heaven responds when believers on earth make valid requests. Stop accepting everything that happens and get heaven involved in your life today!
Closing Confession: Father, I am learning the importance of prayer. I now see why many of my past prayers were not fulfilled. I will stop simply praying my will and I will bend my will to align with Your will. As my will aligns with You will, then I can pray my will, because it will also be Your will. And when I pray in accordance with Your will, You and the angels in heaven will respond, because it will be what You want to happen in my life. I have a responsibility to bind and loose, to prevent and permit, and I will fulfill my responsibility from now on. No longer will I just accept everything that happens to my family or me. I will actively engage You and heaven to operate in my life daily! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
We are Required to Pray!
(James 4:2,3 NLT) …Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” This message flows in the same vein as the one from yesterday. Let’s start with something Jesus said while He was teaching about prayer: “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (Matthew 6:7,8). A couple of highlights:
1. Don’t pray empty repetitive prayers. Growing up I was taught to pray “canned” prayers where I simply read or repeated a certain prayer over and over again. There is no evidence in scripture that any believer (Jesus or otherwise) ever prayed this way. The Father wants to communicate with us and He was us to communicate with Him. Think of your communication with Him like your communication with anyone else. Would you ever think of walking up to someone you want to have a conversation with and simply read or repeat something over and over again? That ritual may help you say “I did it,” but it will not yield results.
2. Don’t think that because God knows about it you don’t need to pray. If you think that once God knows about your situation that You don’t need to pray, then you will never pray, because God knows everything. He knows what you did and what you are going to do. He knows your thoughts before you think them and your prayers before you pray them. Jesus was fully aware of God’s omniscience, but He still commanded us to pray.
The Father knows what you need before you ask, but you still need to ask. This is where the words of James come in. James teaches us that we don’t have what we want, because we have failed to communicate our desires to the Father in prayer. In the next chapter Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). But what if you don’t ask? You won’t receive. What if you don’t seek? You won’t find. What if you don’t knock? The door will not be opened to you.
Without question, the Father requires us to pray. Yes, He already knows what we need and He already knows what He wants to bless us with, but He is looking for our active participation and agreement in the process.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. The Father expects and requires us to pray. We have not, because we ask not.
2. Prayer should be an open dialogue (transmit and receive) of productive communication, not a vain monologue where we repeat empty words.
3. The Father’s foreknowledge of your situation does not absolve you from your responsibility to pray. His knowledge does not guarantee His action without your petition.
4. The Father is looking for you to welcome His involvement in your life. If the Father simply went around performing His will in our lives without our involvement, then we would be puppets and not free moral agents.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this revelation. Never again will I idly sit by and foolishly expect You to get involved in my situation, just because You know about it. I realize that You know everything. You clearly know what I need before I ask, but You still require me to ask. Therefore, I will. Since I will ask, it will be given to me. Since I am committed to seek, I will find. And Since I will always knock, You will be faithful to open the door in response to my petitions. I won’t give You an excuse for NOT operating in my life due to a lack of prayer. I will pray to You, in the name of Your Son Jesus, in faith, not wavering, without a doubt, in full confidence, and I trust that You will hear me and respond to my prayers of faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Nursing Testimony
(Num 23:19 NLT) God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” I like to teach by precept and example. In this series I will give you lots of principles and precepts about prayer, from the Word. But I also want to give you examples from both Biblical times and my own life. There was a time when I barely prayed, because I did not have an understanding of prayer. My lack of understanding led to a level of intimidation. I heard people talk about prayer and as they characterized their seemingly intimate relationship with the Father I secretly coveted what they had. For me prayer led to more frustration than fruit, because I had been told to pray, but I had never been taught how to do it. Since I love to study the Word, one day I decided to start a study about prayer. The result was a better understanding and a much better prayer life.
10 years ago now, back in 2001, I was a young Chief Warrant Officer Two in the Army and my wife was a Sergeant. As the leader of my family I wanted to hear from God concerning the direction of my wife’s career. My wife wanted to either be a nurse or a physician’s assistant, either in or outside of the military. That gave us four options. I laid out all four options before God. I had recently been putting faith pressure on God to lead me in prayer and I was earnestly praying about this situation. I heard the Lord speak to me – I don’t mean an audible voice, but more like an ‘inner knowing’ – and He told me that my wife would be a nurse in the Army. This was great. Instead of having four options I was immediately down to one. I then knew what to believe God for, because He had spoken to me.
My wife and I wasted no time in get her paperwork together for the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program (AECP). If selected, the AECP would send my wife to school, pay her tuition, pay her then-current salary as a non-commissioned officer, and commission her as Lieutenant upon graduation. We were Godly-excited about this opportunity. I started telling my friends what we were believing God for and one of them, an Army Medical Services officer, offered to get us a recommendation letter from a retired Chief of the Army Nurse Corps. Isabella and I saw this as the favor of God and we celebrated over getting the letter. However, during that time I was teaching about Lazarus on Today’s Word and one morning I taught about the fact that God often wants “maximum glory” out of our situations. We serve a God who often does things in such a way that His work cannot be confused with man’s. When God does something that is well beyond the norm, we rightly give Him all the glory. After writing Today’s Word I prayed and in prayer the Lord told me NOT to take the letter. I immediately knew why. God wanted all the glory from this situation. I thanked my friend and respectfully declined his offer. He was highly upset, because he had already spoken to the retired General. He then said, “Look, Isabella is a Supply Sergeant. The AECP is a very competitive program. Without this letter she will NOT get selected!” That is exactly what I needed to hear. I knew the testimony would be even greater with his negative report. I did not take the letter and Isabella did get selected, to the glory of God!
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. The Father wants to communicate with you in prayer. Don’t do all the talking!
2. When the Father speaks a Word to you in prayer, it is as much His Word as the written Bible.
3. We serve a God who honors His Word! If He said it (in the Bible or in prayer) He will do it. If He promised it, He will make it good!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for speaking to me in prayer. I am You sheep and I have a blood-bought covenant right to hear Your voice. I declare that my ear is calibrated to hear Your voice and the voice of a stranger I will not follow. When You speak to me in prayer, Your spoken Word becomes as much Your Word in my life as Your written Word. I stand on Your Word and I believe it will come to pass… no matter how long it takes and no matter how much opposition I face. You are not a man that You should lie. When You speak something You always make it good. You honor Your Word and I believe You will honor it in MY life today and every day! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Our God Answers Prayer!
(John 16:23,24 NLT) At that time you won’t need to ask Me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and He will grant your request because you use My name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using My name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Many Christians today are experiencing powerlessness, lack of direction, little victory over sin, poor spiritual progress, a weak witness, unfruitful ministry, poverty, and other similar problems. Is there any connection between underdeveloped, defeated, or directionless lives and confusion over prayer? Dr. Myles Munroe believes a strong connection exists. I agree with him. So how do we start down the road to a fulfilling prayer life? Here are two quick answers:
1. We must be convinced that God is a Prayer-Answering God.
- Prayer was God‘s idea. Prayer is something God instituted! Prayer is not optional in God’s system. Our heavenly Father expects us to pray, because prayers that agree with His kingdom plans and purposes for the earth, release earthly license for heavenly interference.
- We must be convinced of this fact. If you question whether or not prayer is viable, valuable, or necessary, you will not pray; or if you do, your prayer won’t be faith-filled.
- We must deal with our doubts. We will learn later in this series how doubt hinders our prayers.
- If you have been questioning the usefulness of prayer, you must settle this issue in your heart. You have to get to the point where you are fully persuaded that God requires and responds to prayer.
2. We must pray (actually do it) IN FAITH.
- We can learn about prayer, but studying it and doing it are two different things.
- I know more than I do and I am often convicted of this reality. Knowing something does you no good if you are not applying what you know in your life.
- As we go through this series, take time every day to pray. The more you learn about prayer, and the more you actually practice it, the more comfortable you will get in your prayer life and the more you will actually DO it.
- You can read all the books in the library about running, but if you want to be a better runner you have to hit the road and actually run. It’s the same way with prayer. Reading about it is great, but practicing it is better!
In John chapter 16, as Jesus was preparing His disciples for His impending departure and He wanted them to shift their focus and dependency from Him to the Father. The disciples had relied on Jesus for over three years and Jesus wanted them to rely on the one He was relying on; the Father Himself. Speaking of the time when He would be gone Jesus said, “At that time you won’t need to ask Me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and He will grant your request because you use My name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using My name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy” (verses 23 and 24).
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. We are supposed to pray to the Father.
2. When we approach the Father in prayer, it must be in the name of His Son.
3. When we pray and receive it ignites our joy.
I will elaborate on these points tomorrow.
Closing Confession: Father, I am convinced that You are a prayer-answering God. You instituted prayer and I will abide by the system You established. You expect me to pray and in some cases, you even require me to pray. I will no longer hinder You from operating in my life because of a lack of prayer. I will agree with Your Kingdom purposes daily in prayer. I will come to You, in the name of Your Son Jesus, in faith, not wavering, without a doubt in my mind, completely confident, and free of all malice, unforgiveness, bitterness, and strife in my heart. When I come to You this way I always get results. I practice prayer daily and the more I do it the more comfortable I get with it. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!