Why Pray?
Do you sometimes feel that getting answers to prayer is complicated? Have you given up on the idea of prayer due to unanswered prayer? Do you feel that God is so far way busy with lots of things that he does not care about your world?
These a lot that could be said on this subject of prayer and I am only touching the tip of the ice burg here today. But I hope it will provoke you to research this for yourself and develop a lifestyle and a daily habit of prayer.
So here are just a few pointers to help you on your way to a lifestyle of prayer
The image of God we hold affects the way we pray. So you have a negative image of God it needs to Change from negative to positive. Many have a schoolmaster image of God
God welcomes us, Is loving and warm Luke 15.20 prodigal son
Father is full of compassion towards us.
Matthew 21.22, Mark 11.22, John 14.13-14, John 16.24- Ephesians 2.5-7
YOUR JOB- YOU ARE A PRIEST 1 Peter 2:5 (TLB) 5 And now you have become living building-stones for God’s use in building his house. What’s more, you are his holy priests; so come to him—you who are acceptable to him because of Jesus Christ and offer to God those things that please him.
God purpose you to become a king and priests.
Revelation 1:5-7 New King James Version (NKJV) 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen
these are the 2 highest functions available to a human being. What has this got to do with getting prayers answered? Priests offer sacrifice, King’s rule and reign over sin and death and all that it means
- What type of sacrifices— Prayer and praise.
- How ruling & reigning—- over sin /circumstances- victory in Christ
It is only when we learn to serve as priests we ask Father anything in Jesus name. because WHEN WE OPERATE AS A PRIESTS WE UNDERSTAND WHAT Gods will is then we pray anything according to his will and he hears us. We can not rule as king unless we serve as priests. Our example is Jesus who is a great high priest and his whole life was offering prayers and petitions, and this is what Father God expects of his priests
Do you want a victorious life and answers to prayer? then we learn first to minister as priests. How is this relevant to answered prayer? God has appointed every believer as a priest as there are a connection and relationship there. It is our job to pray and it is Father’s job to answer those prayers. and we can never pray too much, we will never bother him too much, or weary him. As priests, it’s our job to pray. Your prayer life is the measure of your relationship with Father God.
JESUS CHRIST OUR HIGH PRIEST We need to approach Father God in the right way. Again, Jesus is our example of what a priest is. Hebrews 5 shows why God heard his Son Jesus because of his reverent submission. That is the point I want to make.
Hebrews 5:7-8 Tree of Life Version (TLV) 7 In the days of His life on earth, Yeshua offered up both prayers and petitions with loud crying and tears, to the One able to save Him from death; and He was heard because of His reverence. Though He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered
How is this submission expressed? Matthew 26.39. Jesus desired God will, Reverent submission is expressed in renouncing our own will and embracing the will of God. Jesus gave us a pattern of prayer, we call it the Lord’s prayer he said, ” thy kingdom come, thy WILL be done”. So when we pray we need to ask ourselves,” Am I praying for this thing because I want it or is it because God wants it”. IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO God in answering prayer. We need to ask ourselves, “is this Gods will”?
As long as we are trying to force our will through, we are not thinking about the will of God. And in embracing the will of God, we need to understand, we need to get out of the way.
3 things
- God loves you more than you love yourself
- God understands you, better than you understand yourself
- God only wants the best for you. The Bible tells us that the will of God is best for you, which is good, acceptable and perfect.
Prayer is not a way to get what WE want, rather, prayer is an instrument for Gods will to be done
Ephesians 3.20 Now to Him who is able to do far beyond all that we ask or imagine, by means of His power that works in us- ruling & reigning is ours when we exercise the priestly ministry. Submitting our will. Praying without ceasing. When we do this, we will automatically rule with Christ, We are seated in heavenly places in Christ, above the circumstances the victory is ours, beyond what we can ask or think!!
Do you want Gods best? Or will you settle for less
Are you ready to live as a kingdom of priests and to rule and reign?
Amen, Let’s pray
Loving Father God help us to understand my role on this earth and to understand that there is a far more wonderful thing to discover in this Christian life than I can ever imagine. Together with all your people, you have called us all here, to be a Kingdom of Priests and to rule and reign with you like kings. Help each one to live in this realm by offering the sacrifice of praise and prayer to your honor and glory – Amen
Hope. Faith. Love. 