WHAT IS PRAYER?
Prayer is communication with God, just like we communicate with our friends.
Math 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Prayer should not be repetitive. God is our friend. When we talk to our earthly friends we don't keep repeating ourselves, lest they think we are mad. In fact, no one will be willing to listen to a sentence more than four times because it is boring. Being repetitive in prayer means that you don't trust that God is really listening. You must know that the minute you start talking, God is already listening. The unbelieving are repetitive because they are doubtful whether or not God is listening. Repetitiveness is actually a religious thing done to try to impress God with long, repetitive, meaningless words and it is also a sign of doubts.
Most of the religions in the world today teach their followers to recite prayers over and over; they even have prayer books where they recite their prayers from. Maybe that is why people think that prayer is a set of words that have to be repeated, but this is just a lie from the devil who is the father of all lies.
A born again Christian should pray from the heart not from a book. Pray through the help of the Holy Spirit and not by reciting memorized prayers. That means that if you pray through the Holy Spirit, then your prayers are renewed daily, and so your prayers are different on daily basis. This principle is the same to your prayer items, they should be different because they are directed by the Holy Spirit. When you pray through the power of the Holy Spirit you pray the will of the Father and not you own will because you are directed on what to pray for, how to pray and when to pray. It is obvious that such prayers must be answered because they are in line the will of God.
Just as when we are communicate with a friend, we should be confident that God is listening attentively. We should also be sincere and right to the point because God already knows our problems and our weaknesses. There is nothing we can really hide from God because before Him, we are totally bare.
Prayer is humbling before the Sovereign God
Luke 18:10-14
10. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess.
13. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
The moment you reach a point of repenting your sins before God shows that you are humbling before God and not having a 'holier that thou' attitude like the Pharisee had. The bible says that our own righteousness are like filthy rags before God. We are only justified by believing in God, confessing to Him and looking on him to forgive and cleansing us by the blood of Jesus.
The very action of humbling before God , casting all our cares upon Him and trusting Him to take care of them as He has promised in His word provokes God into action in relation to our requests. His grace is sufficient in every situation.
Prayer is using the authority given to us by God
Mathew 16:18-19
18. And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19. And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
We should be fully convinced of the fact that the gates of hell shall not prevail so long we know Christ with the revelation that Simon Peter had; “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”. We have been given the authority to bring down the works of evil in every area of our lives. The only thing we are supposed to do is to USE that authority by releasing our faith in prayer.
Take a review of your life and list down those things that are not going the way God would like them to go. You will be surprised to realize how you have been putting the keys away instead of using them to open closed doors of blessings and to close undesirable doors that the devil has opened in your life.
Prayer is seeking God consistently
Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour
Daniel 6:1 0. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime
If God is our friend then we would certainly want to communicate with Him often. Are you treating God as a stranger or as a friend. Abraham treated God as a friend and that is why God uses to tell Him what He is about to do because their relationship was very consistent and strong.
It is about time we made our relationship with God strong and consistent by forming a habit of talking with Him continually. Peter and John were in the habit of going to the temple to pray at the ninth hour daily and that is why their lives were victorious and full of signs and wonders. Daniel was never short of revelations from God because he was in the habit of praying consistently; he used to pray three times a day even when under a death threat from the king of that day.
Put up a daily prayer schedule and remain faithful to it. Prayer should be a lifestyle and we should be disciplined towards a prayerful lifestyle.
Prayer is seeking God without ceasing
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Of course we can't be on our knees continually, but we should have a heart attitude of praying, giving thanks and rejoicing continually. Effective and powerful prayer is a proper attitude expressed throughout the day with silent prayers and communication with God. When in agreement with the Holy spirit we will of course pray continually since we are following His leading. You can be doing something else like cooking, washing, walking, but inside of your heart, you are praying. It is possible and very powerful, but also needs discipline. Discipline yourself to listen to the Holy Spirit and to pray continually.
I have personally experienced that the times that I am very prayerfully, I even pray while sleeping such that when I wake up I actually remember the prayer that I prayed when I was asleep. It is usually the prayer of the heart (subconscious mind ) to God. Continued prayer nourish and strengthens our spiritual bodies.
Prayer is a way of Peace
Phil 4: 6-7
6. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus
When we pray and we don't have peace, it means that we have not yet cast our cares upon the Lord. This is one way of knowing why your prayer were not answered. When you pray and experience peace it means that you have actually cast your burdens to the Lord and have also acknowledged that you are unable to carry your burdens or cares. So long as we are worrying, we are not trusting God and we don't experience the peace that comes in our hearts when we trust God.
When God searches our hearts and sees trust, He takes away the burdens and we actually feel spiritually light and peaceful, enabling us to soar high and high above all challenges that we may come across. Where Cares and worries occupy in our heart should be an occupation of peace, but not until we cast away the cares and worries in prayer to make space for peace.
Prayer is resting in God
Mathew 11:28-30
28. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto yr souls.
30. for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Hebrews 4:3 For us which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, as I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Human soul is always at war with something, trying to cope with situations and challenges, but in the long run ends up in a mess. When we pray and cast our cares to Him we become carefree and so we are not burdened with sorting out things and running up and down trying to solve our problems. Some Christians say that God helps those who help themselves. This is not true. God helps the helpless and not those who can be able to help themselves because the power of God is manifest in our weakest points. When we cast our cares to Him, then we rest peacefully and wait for Him. We can never receive or listen to God when we are busy because our spirits are not tuned to Him, even when He speaks we don't hear because we are not tuned to Him. To tune up to God, rest and wait for Him. Position yourself to receive.
When patients are at the lounge waiting to be called by the doctor, they wait patiently, they don't pace up and down the room, neither do they leave the room because they might be skipped by other patients. Think about it and relate it to prayer.
Prayer is patiently and hopefully waiting unto God
Romans 5:2-4
2. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience;
4. And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
It is not an easy thing to wait, but remember that God strategically uses some situations to allow you grow spiritually in patience and hence in character. This is the only way we can grow in the fruits of the Spirit. How do we attain patience which is one of the fruit of the holy Spirit? My answer is, by going through situations that require our patience to overcome. Yes that is the only way we can learn patience.
In the midst of trials and tribulations, we have to keep going in our faith in God and not to quit, because
quitters never become winners. We only mature after going through hurdles and are able to climb over mountains and go though barriers. Every mountain we climb translates to a higher glory. Every trial and tribulation we overcome translates to a higher glory.God is gracious to us during hard times and He turns even the hardest times into a blessings because all things work together for good.
Prayer is Unity
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Philippians 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Two are better than one. Personally, I have several people that I usually pray with. I am also part of a fellowship where we pray together. I am also part of a leaders team, and we usually pray together from time to time. When the whole church is gathered, we pray together too.
When believers pray united and in one accord, there is massive power present because of their united faith and agreement. This kind of prayer brings the presence of God by the Holy Spirit in a mighty way. Such prayers are usually explosive and very effective
Unity touches the heart of God and provokes Him into action, and of course the devil is sent packing. To learn more about the advantages of unity, go to six reasons why strife and bitterness should be avoided.
Prayer is standing in the gap for God to change people
Intercessory means praying for others and pleading for mercy on their behalf from God. An intercessor watches and prays for others as led by the Holy Spirit. To see more about intercessory prayers click this link: prayer of faith and intercessory
Prayer is yielding or submitting yourself as God’s temple
1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
We have been united with Christ and are God’s living temple because the Holy Spirit dwells in us and so we are the house of God. The house of God is not the actual physical church we know, but the house of God is the body of Christ, the believers themselves. Therefore we can worship God anywhere and at anytime because we carry with us the presence of God wherever we go.
Prayer is sincerely confessing our sins to God
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
James 5:17 Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months
1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
If God regards iniquity in us, He will not hear us because God is not mocked. We are naked before God and there is no amount of hiding that works where God is involved. The earlier we learn to be open before God and before man the quicker we learn to confess to one another and to confess before God. If we have bitterness and forgiveness, this hinders our prayers. Un-confessed sins also hinders our prayers too.
Effective, passionate, earnest prayer of a man/woman, who has been justified by faith and sanctified by the blood of the Lamb prevails much. Having confidence in prayer and in the power of prayer make all the difference, although one may be imperfect just as Elijah was. We should not let our imperfections and weaknesses discourage us.
Married men are supposed to love their wives and treat them well , knowing that although they have been given authority over them, they are also heirs of the kingdom of God. My husband always wants to make sure that I am comfortable in all ways, because he is a very prayerful man and does not want his prayers hindered because of me.
The healing of God comes the very moment we let go all these things; bitterness, un-confessed sins, un-forgiveness, hidden sins and unreasonably living with our wives.
Prayer is reminding God of His promises
Mathew 7:7-8
7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Jeremiah 1:12 Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it.
When we are waiting upon God, we should keep talking to Him about what he has promised. Just as God is watching over His word so that He can perform it, we should watch over the Word of God to see God performing it. Persistent prayer shows God of your determination to receive. It shows your resilience and spiritual maturity of being able to patiently wait and watch. Most of the times we miss our blessings narrowly because we quit shortly before the blessings are released. Being expectant that God is surely going to do it, is a virtue that is needed in effective prayer.
Reminding God of His promises is showing God that you are still waiting for an answer and you are not losing hope no matter what. Being persistence on a certain prayer item should not be out of doubt and unbelief, but should be out of faith and persistence. So if you are reminding God of something you had prayed for before and you are still waiting for an answer, keep thanking him as if you have already received it by faith, knowing that God is working on the situation. Let not the period of time that you wait upon God make you loose faith because He who promised is faithful.
Prayer is believing God for an answer
1 John 5:14-15
14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us:
15. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him
John 11:41-43
41. Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42. And I knew that thou hears me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
Jesus prayed with confidence because he knew He was praying the will of His Father and that His Father was looking forward to glorifying Himself by raising Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus died on the cross, each one of us was given access to the throne of grace. We were also given a Name, the Name of Jesus which is above all other names. When we use the Name of Jesus in our prayers, demons must bow to that name, sickness and diseases must bow to that name and even death itself must bow to that name.Hallelujah.
Prayer is talking to your Father
Luke 11:1-4
1. And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3. Give us day by day our daily bread.
4. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
God is a loving, listening Father. The bible says that He is a father to the fatherless and a judge to the widows. The relationship between us and our heavenly father must be very strong and intimate. Anything that a son asks the Father is done without any question, except in situations where the Father sees that what the son is asking might destroy their relationship. God knows us well and He knows how we behave when He blesses us. When God wants to bless us, He will first analyse whether we will be able to handle the blessings responsibly. To whom much is given, also much is required.
Prayer is talking to your Friend, who is God
Luke 11:5-8
5. And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6. For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7. And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8. I say unto you, though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needed.
I am not ashamed to go before God and pour out my heart to Him because He is my friend and between Him and me there is no secret or hiding. Even when I feel that I have failed Him in one way or another, I can still go before Him and cry out my heart to Him for Him to cleanse me. He understands me. He carries my burdens, He consoles me , He lifts me up when I am down. He knows everything about me and that gives me all the confidence. I can go to God at anytime, in every situation, at any place and not feel like I am disturbing Him because He is my friend.
When we obey Jesus by doing the things He commands us, then we become His friends. If then, Jesus is our friend, we spend a lot of time with Him and we do know Him intimately.
Prayer is boldly going before God
Hebrews 4:15-16
15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Your level of closeness to the Lord, will automatically raise your level of boldness when you pray to Him. Confidence and boldness is needed to effectively communicate to God. The bible says that even before we talk He already knows what we want to say, so He is always ready to listen even before we start our prayers. God does not only listen to us but is always willing to answers our requests according to His will which is in His Word. Having confidence means you have faith that God is able to do what you are asking Him to do. Knowing that Jesus is also praying for us should raise our confidence.
Jesus understands very well what we go through daily because He became flesh and dwelt among us. He knows what it means to be tempted, abused, ridiculed,despised, rejected, betrayed more that anyone else does. He understands our infirmities and feelings because he also went through the same and so He is well able to help us go through hard situations in our lives.
Prayer is talking to God in the Holy Spirit
Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
When I got saved, I could not pray for more thirty minutes because at that time I had not yet received the infilling of the Holy Spirit. After asking God to fill me with the Holy Spirit, my prayer life changed because I was no longer praying by my own mind only , but I was also praying through the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, I am able to pray for longer periods as the Holy Spirit leads me. I am also able to pray for things that the Holy Spirit leads me to pray for. For we know not to pray but the Holy Spirit teaches us, even in our weaknesses, we are strengthened.
When we pray in the Holy Spirit, we are then praying according the will of God since God through His Holy Spirit is the one leading us as we pray. That assurance is there when we obey His leading and so we know our prayers will be answered.
When you feel the urge to pray, obey by leaving what you were doing that time and praying immediately. You can pray at anytime and anywhere; you don't need to wait to get to a convenient place in order to pray. That is how the Holy Spirit works.
Prayer is being courageous and fearless
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Fear is the opposite of courage. The bible tells us so many times not to fear, because fear is a man’s greatest enemy. Fear comes from the devil and it is one of his greatest device used to fight against Christians. God has given us a spirit of power , and of love, and of a sound mind and not a spirit of fear. If you find that you are fearful, know that the devil is involved, he is throwing darts of fear to you – you are under attack. Pray to God and have faith in Him, let His Spirit work through you, and submit to His perfect will and fear will never enslave you anymore because the bible says that the fearful will not enter the kingdom of God.
WHY ARE YOUR PRAYERS NOT ANSWERED?
Disobedience, self condemnation, and iniquity
1 John 3:21-22
21. Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked: but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
Proverbs 28:9 He that turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
John.9:31. Now we know that God hears not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he hears
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
Are you guilty conscious? confess and repent for God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9). After repentance you will be confident to go before God because you are freed and cleansed from any condemnation, guilt or sin.
Lack of boldness
John 16:2-24
23. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
We are supposed to initiate the process of our prayers being answered by first asking God. If we don’t ask we will never get anything. It is high time we stopped complaining, sulking, and disregarding ourselves as sons of the Most High, and start asking God. It is our duty to not only ask, but to ask boldly and it the duty of God to answer.
Are you praying within the will of God?
Praying in the Holy Spirit ensures that you pray within the will of God. That is why we need to take our cross everyday and crucify the desires of the flesh so that we pray through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Reading the Word of God and letting yourself soak in the Word, will give you an understanding whether you are really in the will of God or not. The word of God is God himself (John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God).
Are your motives right or wrong?
James 4:2-3
2. Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
1 Timothy 6:6-8
6. But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
What is the motive behind your prayers? Do you want to show off in an ungodly manner that you are rich or strong? Search your heart and analyse your motives. Are you praying for that beautiful car so that you may compete with a colleague at work or with a certain brother in church? Are you asking for a house so that you may compete with your younger brother who have bought a house before you did? Was your prayer motivated by something you saw and lusted after it? what is your the motive? Are you praying out of necessity or luxury? Are you praying out of a a need or a want?
Our motives should be godly, in line with the will and the word of God
Doubt and Unbelief
Mark 11:23. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
James 1:5,6
5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight :)
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Doubts rises when we don’t have enough of God’s Word. When the devil comes tempting us about the authenticity of God’s promises, he tries to cast doubts in our minds concerning what God has really said about the situation facing us in our lives. The devil can only succeed to make us doubt only when we don’t know what God is saying about us. To put away any doubts, feed on the Word of God so that you don’t hinder your own prayers by doubting.
Remember that when you are doubting or not believing God, you will obviously confess doubts and unbelief. The bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue.This means that when we have doubts and unbelief in our hearts, out tongues will also confess it, which will work against our prayers. The bible says that the unbelieving will not inherit the kingdom of God. Refuse to be enslaved by the spirit of unbelief, call it by it’s name and get delivered from it.
An Un- grateful and complaining Spirit
Psalms 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Number 14:27-29
27. How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
28. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
29. Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.
When I do something for my own children, I usually expect them to say thank you and hen they tell me “thank you mum, and God bless you”, I usually feed very nice and it encourages me to do more. I always remind them to always say thank you when somebody does something good for them and so they have formed a habit of appreciating things they get in life.
when we get blessings from God, it is usually a privilege to partake of his blessings, it is not a MUST. We should behave not as spoilt children who instead of thanking their parents, they keep crying for more. We should humbly thank Him first for what He has already given us before we even think of asking for more. Murmuring, complaining and dissatisfaction always provokes God’s anger let alone hinder prayers. Murmuring brings judgement and destruction. Thanksgiving provokes God to do more for us.
Your prayers should be based on the Word of God
Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Jeremiah 1:11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree
Jeremiah 1:12 Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it..
These scriptures are evidence enough that we can only expect to get answers for prayers that are in line with the Word of God. Soaking ourselves in the Word of God is soaking ourselves in God and therefore our prayers will be bent on the Word of God since we are full of God. We should read the Word, pray the Word, walk/practise the Word, think the Word, dream the Word and speak the Word. The devil capitalises on the scarcity of the Word of God in us to attack us. Christians should be armed with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, to accomplish the purpose of God in our lives
Negative Confession
Proverbs 18:20-21
20. A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 13:3 He that guards his mouth keeps his life; But he that opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
Confess positive things and good things. There are wicked spirits in the second heavens, who are ready to carry out wicked assignments when summoned by wicked agents; as well as you when you confess things negatively.Do not unknowingly collaborate with the workers of wickedness by confessing negatively. Confess good things about your husband or wife. Confess greatness about your children. confess success to your business instead of failure. Confess growth to the church instead of lack. Confess spiritual strength and anointing to your Pastor instead of shame and dis-honour. Confess peace and prosperity to your country, instead of death, civil wars or economic perils. The list is endless because we talk about so many things before the day ends and therefore we should discipline ourselves to talk good, uplifting, encouraging, exhorting words that minister healing to our listeners. If we are not ministering healing, are we then ministering sicknesses and diseases by the words that we speak? Prayer is whatever we talk among ourselves.
Strife and Bitterness
2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; yet mercy triumphs over judgment. (At the Judgment, will show no mercy to the person who did not show mercy to others. Mercy triumphs over judgment.)
John 8:7. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
Do not condemn other people when you are also doing the same things you are condemning them for. We are saved by grace. if a brother errors, then by love we should bring him back to the faith because condemning and judging him will drift him further from faith. When we show compassion and mercy, then we know that mercy will triumph over judgment. When we show mercy, we will also receive mercy.
Bitterness, strife, and malice are all a recipe of a disastrous life. Learn to forgive and not to hold grudges against others. It is good for your spiritual and physical health. God is unhappy with us when we live in bitterness because it poisons our hearts and even makes us sick. Bitterness and strife are evil seeds planted by the devil in order to derail the blessings of God from us. To read more on strife, clink on Six reasons why strife and bitterness should be avoided.
Un-forgiveness
Mark 11:25-26
25. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if you have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 18:21-22
21. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?
22. Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.
The foundation of our salvation is forgiveness. Christ has forgiven us and accepted us as His own; we belong to Him. Likewise, we MUST also forgive those who hurt us. There is no debate about this because God cannot forgive us if we can’t forgive others. Face that person you are have a grudge with and forgive him/her, no matter has happened between you. The moment you forgiving you will feel a burden lifted off your shoulders and behold the beauty of forgiving just as you did when Jesus forgave you. When you forgive and forget, God will bless you. Jesus told Peter that he must be ready to forgive four hundred and ninety times per day. Of course, nobody can error all those times per day. Sometimes we say that some people are unbearable, but we must be willing to bear with them in love and forgive them every time they trespass against us. When we forgive we show our love towards those we forgive and therefore share the love of Christ with them
We should use the Name of Jesus
Philippians 2:9-11
9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Luke 9:1-2 1. Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
James 5:14 Is any sick among you? 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:
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him
There is only one Name under the sun given to man under which we shall get salvation, and that is the Name of Jesus. When we pray we should pray in the Name of Jesus. When we cast out demons, we should cast them out in the Name of Jesus. There is Power in the Name of Jesus and we should release our faith by using the Name of Jesus to make any challenges before us bow to the kingship of Jesus. Death, sin, addiction, sicknesses, diseases, lack, poverty, depression, rejection, demons, should bow to the Name of Jesus when we command. James 5:14 shows us that God’s divine purpose for our bodies is that we should not be sick, and if we are sick, a prayer of faith should be offered to get healing and forgiveness.
To use the Name of Jesus,we must know Jesus as Lord. We must walk in obedience and we must have an intimate relationship with Jesus. Sometimes God allows hard things to come our way so that we can see the power vested in the Name of Jesus when we call upon it and also to make us grow spiritually. There is power in the name of Jesus for every crisis we will ever face. We need to exercise the authority given to us and command situations in our lives. The name of Jesus is able to bring salvation, deliverance and baptism of the Holy Spirit. Let us use the Name of Jesus to reconcile people to God and to intercede for others before God.
