Today by and large the western church is powerless. She has retained a form of godliness, but have denied the power thereof (2 Tim 2) confining herself to an external facade with no substance mainly because she does not know the true gospel nor does she understand spiritual warfare. Even though we live in an invisible zone of warfare, in which our minds, our bodies, our families are all under constant attack, most people don't acknowledge this and choose to live a life of illusion and fantasy. And sooner or later they hit a wall called calamity and the results are fatal.

The good news is we don't have to be swept away by fate or unforeseen circumstances victimizing our lives. We don't have to live ignorant of the traps in life. Not only will GOD reveal to you the traps  but also will equip you with highly effective weapons that can be wielded to destroy every fiery dart that comes against your life. Apostle Paul puts it this way in 2 Timothy 10:4 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through GOD to the pulling down of strongholds." So first of all there is a warfare that we have to daily battle and secondly we have GOD given weapons to pull down and destroy every attack that rises against you. Please note that it is one thing to possess a weapon, but it is another thing to know how to use it. Majority of christians do not know how to use their GOD given weapons even though they possess it. In other words if you are not trained as to how to use the weapon, the weapon is of no use. Here with the help of the Holy Spirit I will make an attempt to shed some light on the weapon of prayer so that we can effectively engage it in the daily battle of life.

The weapon of prayer is a must have in the arsenal of every believer. Most people pray when they have an emergency as if GOD is obligated to snatch them out of trouble. Since the average christian allows every distraction to keep him or her out of the prayer closet, the power of GOD is never manifested in their lives.  Thus the believer is never able to become an effective witness of the faith that he professes. In order to come out from this kind of mediocre spiritual state, one would need to know the answer to five questions that are listed below.

a) What is prayer?

b) Why to pray?

c) How to pray?

d) How much to pray?

e) When to pray?

f) Rewards associated with prayer

a) WHAT IS PRAYER?

i) Prayer is the language of the children of God. He who is begotten of God speaks this language. Simply put, prayer is communing with GOD. It is a time to be still and know that there is a GOD, all powerful, all righteous, all loving, all sufficient. The best prayers start when you just sit still and know that GOD is all in all.  Prayer is a time for meditation and listening to GOD. The talking part of prayer should only arise as a spontaneous outcome of your listening to GOD.

Prayer is not something that you limit to religious sanctuaries, instead it should be offered up to GOD at all times as you commune with Him. Pray while in the car, in the kitchen, in the office or whereever you are. Pray on a continual basis as GOD will drop HIS wisdom and words into your spirit that is unique for your situation which inturn contains the power to change your life around and take you to higher dimension.

ii) Secondly, prayer is the key that activates GOD. GOD is moved by prayer. Jesus put it this way in  Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.' But you need to ask, doesn't happen automatically. GOD will not do certain things in the world or in your life until it is activated by prayer. Apostle James says "ye have not, because ye ask not". (James 4:2)

Jesus elaborates on the need of prayer to activate GOD in Luke 10:2 "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest." This makes it very clear that for lot of things to come to pass, it depends on prayer. You will have to pray down the power and mercy and blessing of GOD. It doesn't happen automatically. So we see that GOD is activated by prayer. HE moves when His saints pray and lift up their petitions unto Him. Philippians 4:6 reads "be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto GOD". Adam Clarke says "God alone can help you; he is disposed to do it, but you must ask by prayer and supplication; without this he has not promised to help you." What a wonderful key we have in our possession, the key called prayer which activates GOD on our behalf. Glory to GOD.

iii) Finally, prayer is a vital part of the spiritual lifeline of a christian, so important that GOD sent HIS Spirit to help us pray. The Bible says one of our chief weaknesses is that we do not know what we ought to pray for. Half the time, we spent time praying for our selfish and short-sighted needs , when in reality only GOD knows what is it that you really need and what is it that will make a difference and impact your life for the better. There are needs in your life that our mind or intellect can't comprehend and therefore GOD sends His Spirit to help us pray things that are according to GOD's heart and will. We read in Romans 9:26 "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 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 the spirit of prayer comes upon you, you will feel a sweet burden and overwhelming of the sweet Spirit of GOD, and the Spirit will continue to deepen upon you and you will stop praying from your intellect but instead through a steady flow of communion with GOD. The prayer may manifest in plain human language or through divinely inspired language which the Scriptures cite as tongues.

WHY TO PRAY?

i) One of the primary reasons we need to pray is because of our moral vulnerability to weakness. As Jesus states in Matt 26:41 your spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak. HE says your spirit is wanting to obey the things of GOD, however you flesh wants to go the opposite direction, your flesh is weak. We need to pray because prayer is the only fuel that can fill up your spirit with enough power to beat the cravings of the flesh. Apostle Paul exhorted Timothy in 2Ti 4:5 "But watch thou in all things" - It is possible to be overtaken in a fault, to neglect one’s duty, and to lose one’s soul. Watching unto prayer prevents all these evils.(clarke) Even Apostle Peter points out the great temptations and lusts of the world around us and he therefore exhorts in 1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. Prayer as we saw earlier, maintains the life flow between you and GOD. It helps you to keep your mind stayed on GOD and cotinually lean on Him for strength. And as you draw near to Him like that, He will draw near to you and arm you with sufficient strength and grace to overcome the daily battles of life. Glory be to GOD!

ii) Another reason we ought to pray is because prayer is very essential to maintain the level of deliverance that you received when you were saved. If you don't spend much time in prayer, you will slide back into the vomit from your past.  You wonder why you fall back to the same tempations over and over again. It is simply because you haven't spend much time in prayer.

You see, satan is waiting to make suggestions to your mind based on your past sinful activities where he will remind you of its pleasure but won't show you the pain. We read in Genesis 3:9-11 in the garden of Eden, where GOD asked Adam "where are you?" Adam replied 'I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself.' And GOD said 'WHO TOLD YOU' that you were naked? In other words GOD was asking Adam, "Adam, who were you talking to? If you don't commune with GOD through prayer, satan will end up talking to you. We all know the story of Adam and Eve who talked to the devil and ended in misery.

So pray at all times knowing your weakness to fall away from obeying the word of GOD. Pray at all times so that you may step in alignment with GOD's Word and not enter into temptation. Realize that it is GOD's Word alone that is truth and every other path leads to death. Pray that GOD may give you the ability to walk according to His Word and His will, for you in yourselves cannot produce a walk pleasing to GOD. 

c) HOW TO PRAY?

i) With a righteous heart

First things first. Know that GOD will not hear your prayer if you live a life of compromise harboring sin in your life. If you know you are sinning, but you do not care, nor confess and forsake it, and keep on ignoring the warnings of God's Word, then be assured that GOD will not hear your prayer. As we read in John 9:31 - "Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth." Else where in Proverbs 15:29 we find "The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous." The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them (Ps 145:18-19).  The LORD heard every prayer of our Lord Jesus (John 11:42), for He always did those things that pleased Him (John 8:29).

ii) In Faith

As we read in James 1:6 who ever comes to the LORD for anything, must ask in faith or with confidence believing that GOD is able and that He has all they need and is ever ready to impart to his creatures whatever they require. This faith or confidence in GOD doesn't come overnight. One has to walk closely with GOD shunning all unholiness from their lives inorder to get to a prayer life that draws to GOD in confidence and boldness. That is why James says in 1:8 that a double minded man will not receive anything from the Lord. A double minded person is one who has not made up his mind, he or she has two souls, one for the world and one for GOD. He or she wishes to secure both worlds; which the Bible declares as not feasible. The world as bible defines it is everything that is in rebellion against the truths of GOD. So when you attempt to worship God, and yet retain the love for what HE has prohibited, you fall in the category of double minded individuals. As a result of this compromised lifestyle, you will never have a confident state of mind to approach GOD, always doubting whether GOD will hear your prayers or not. To such people, the warning is that they will not receive anything of the Lord.

iii) In the name of Jesus

Begin and end your prayer in the name of Jesus. The world lets you pray anything you want, but they won't let you preach or pray in Jesus name. Because the name of Jesus has dynamite in it. The name will raise the dead, heal the sick, cast out devils. Jesus said it this way in John 16:23 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

Once we got the basics right, here is a general structure that also cover the attitude and agenda that one need to maintain during prayer as we see in 1 Tim 2:1-3 - Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made. Here we will further look at the wide categories of our communication with God.

i. Supplications are special requests offered up to GOD. Another definition for supplication is "He who, in the most humble and servile manner, entreats and begs any thing from another.”

ii. Prayers include all communication with the LORD

iii. Intercessions refer to the requests we make on behalf of others. As we pray, there should be time when the needs of other find a place in our prayer.

iv. Giving of thanks is an outcome of answered prayers and GOD's handiwork in our daily lives. A christian will ooze with gratitude as he observes the love of GOD toward him even in the minutest of details.

Prayer requires the right attitude and the right agenda.Your attitude while praying should be as Apostle Paul exhorts us in colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Being watchful meaning to stay awake and keep alert. As NT Wright points out this passage may suggest a threefold rhythm: intercession, watching for answers to prayer, and thanksgiving when answers appear.  An attitude of humility, dependence in GOD, confidence and a clean heart for all matters with a kingdom agenda at heart. Let us look at each of these aspects in detail.

a) Humility: It involves realizing and acknowledging your weakness and sin nature in front of a holy GOD. Realizing that you deserve nothing good, but yet GOD is just and merciful and abounding in grace toward you. When you enter with this attitude, result is pure worship and prayer toward GOD. That is why the Psalmist sings in 51:7 - "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." 

b) Dependence: Prayer is the language of dependence on GOD. Whoever draws near to GOD in prayer must do so with that attitude.

c) Confidence: GOD requires us to be confident in our prayers being assured that HE will answer us when we draw near to Him. When unbelief is present in your heart, GOD will not move in your midst. That is why we need to do everything to set aside the heart of unbelief and replace it with confidence. But how do we build confidence in our mind about GOD's love for us. We read in 1 John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

d) Without wrath and doubting

Before proceeding in prayer, evaluate your heart and make sure that you have forgiven every offender and not harbor any bitterness in your heart. “Having no vindictive feeling against any person; harboring no unforgiving spirit, while they are imploring pardon for their own offences.” (Clarke)

AGENDA

In addition to your attitude, you also need to monitor your agenda. Your agenda while praying should not just be about you but about GOD's kingdom above all. Most of the people don't enter the prayer time looking for JESUS instead the prayer time is devoted to begging for their selfish needs and wants. If you would get out of the selfish mindset and be oriented toward the kingdom mindset, GOD will take care of your needs and wants supernaturally. As Christians, we need to pray for the sleeping world and pray that GOD may open doors for us to preach the Word of GOD into the hearts, minds and lives of individuals and communities.

Here are a few examples of men who prayed with a kingdom mindset. To start with Apostle Paul who was a man whose prayer and life were expressions of the love  and plan of GOD to reach out to a lost world through the gospel of Christ. As we see in Col 4, where Apostle Paul praying for wisdom and open doors to proclaim the gospel to the world. Agur in Proverbs 30:7 did not use prayer to satisfy his vain ambitions and selfish needs. Instead he sought the glory of God, the truth, and the spiritual good of his soul.. Another example is Moses where he chose reproach with God's people over sinful pleasures of the world (Heb 11:24-26). In all these cases the spiritual good of the spirit man and GOD's purposes are given preference over the desires of our carnal flesh. And this should be our goal as well while we pray, to put priority on spiritual things than carnal desires. Pray with fervency from a sense of want, continue in earnest prayer and remind yourself and give thanks to GOD for the manifold blessings and protection HE has already poured out in your life.

Let us look at the above prayer concept through the example of King Solomon. We read in 2 Chronicles 1 that In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you."  "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can rule this great people of Thine?Ó And God said to Solomon, Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth, or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge, that you may rule My people, over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed, nor those who will come after you."  The Bible says in Kings that Solomon asked for wisdom and understanding to govern the kingdom with godliness and did not ask for any of his personal needs such as good health, riches or long life. God was well pleased with that prayer that HE not only gave Solomon wisdom but also everything good thing in life as well.

When the disciples asked Jesus 'Lord teach us how to pray', HE replied ' this is how you pray. And all our prayer life need to be structured and organized around these priorities that JESUS set when HE taught the disciples how to pray.

Our Father. First of all we need to realize that GOD is our Father. He is the creator and the owner of all things. HE is the source from which all good things originate.

Who art in Heaven. And HE resides in Heaven. Heaven  is our home and earth is just a temporary dwelling on the way to our real home which is heaven.

Hallowed be thy name. GOD's name represents who HE is. Greaty to be revered is HIS name and we pay honor to HIS name by wanting HIS name to be honored and kept holy at all times.

Let thy Kingdom come. Our whole faculties need to be revolved around one single agenda and that is kingdom building. While we pray this we are saying LORD I so much want your kingdom to be fully established here on earth. And today just as I prayed, I am going to do everything to let the reality of your kingdom get furthered here on earth.

Let thy will be done. HIS will is the best will for us. HE is ominpresent, omnipotent GOD. HE is the only one who knows the beginning from the end and we pray "GOD not my will but your will be done in my life today."

Here on earth as it is in heaven. We know that here on earth things are not very smooth. Life here is comprised of thorns, thistles and issues. But that was not how GOD had originally created earth and it's beings. Man through sin forfeited HIS share in divine glory and today partakes in a troublesome life. And now heaven is the only place that is filled with the abundant life that GOD had originally intended for us. By sending HIS son Jesus Christ, GOD made a way for all men to be saved and be restored back to heaven and thus we can enter again the state of life that was forfeited at the garden of Eden.

In heaven, there is no sickness, no tears, no fear, no pain. And when we pray this we are saying let the state of heaven be here on earth as well so that your children may not suffer but instead walk the life you had originally intended for them. Thus you are praying GOD's will to be done and HIS will is to get HIS people away from the fear and pain on earth.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others, Most Christians find it easy to pray for their family, friends, and loved ones, but it should not end there. We should also pray for our enemies and for those with whom we have conflict. There should be no hint of unforgiveness in our hearts as we pray.

Now let me ask you some questions. Do you pray more for carnal or spiritual things? When did you last pray for wisdom , or for a heart that fears and honors HIS ways. When did you last pray for a clean heart, or pray to GOD to remove all falsehood and hypcrisy from you?

AUDIENCE

--Pray for the well being and salvation of all men

--Pray for those in authority - 1 Timothy 2

Prayer for all legally constituted authorities is good in itself, because useful to ourselves and to the public at large, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; and this is its highest sanction and its highest character: it is good; it is well pleasing to God. (CLARKE)

d) HOW MUCH TO PRAY?

The answer to the this question can also be found in Matt 26:40 where Jesus says "could you not watch with me one hour?' Jesus lays down a minimum threshold for prayer and that is atleast 1 hour of prayer. Nothing less than an hour in the presence of GOD can give you consistent success in your walk with GOD. Atleast one hour of time spend in the presence of GOD everyday will destroy the lusts of the flesh, and anointing of the Holy Spirit will take over your life. The more time you spend in prayer, the more you reflect the glory of GOD.

But spending one hour in the presence of GOD doesn't mean you spend an hour struggling to find words to pray with. Prayer is not about you babbling some words to fill up some time. Instead it should contain bible reading, meditating, singing songs or anything else that will help you draw closer to GOD. Contrary to popular opinion, prayers don't need to be long inorder for GOD to hear it. There are many who has bought into the error of lengthy prayers thinking that if their prayer (talking) is not long enough, GOD is not satisfied with it. Jesus condemned such ideas in Matt 6:7-8 where we read "In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." It is the content and fervency of prayer that are more important than length. We are able to draw this wisdom from many godly men and women of the Bible. The Bible says in James 5:17 that Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

Adam Clarke describes this well  -"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much - The words δεησις ενεργουμενη signify energetic supplication, or such a prayer as is suggested to the soul and wrought in it by a Divine energy. When God designs to do some particular work in his Church he pours out on his followers the spirit of grace and supplication; and this he does sometimes when he is about to do some especial work for an individual. When such a power of prayer is granted, faith should be immediately called into exercise, that the blessing may be given: the spirit of prayer is the proof that the power of God is present to heal. Long prayers give no particular evidence of Divine inspiration: the following was a maxim among the ancient Jews, שתפלת צדיקים קצדה the prayers of the righteous are short."

Make every effort to spend your prayer time uninterruptedly. Satan hates a saint who spends unbroken fellowship in communion with GOD and inorder to prevent that he will design false emergencies in your life. Because satan knows that your gateway to prosperity is your uninterrupted fellowship with GOD.

e) WHEN TO PRAY?

Let us look at some history of prayer as practiced in the Old Testament. Adam Clarke writes "Ancient Jews believed no prayer could be acceptable that was not offered at the temple at Jerusalem; afterward this was extended to the Holy Land; but, when they became dispersed among the nations, they built oratories or places of prayer, principally by rivers and by the seaside; and in these they were obliged to allow that public prayer might be legally offered, but nowhere else. Similarly, they also had  specific times of prayer called the hours of prayer.  The Jewish day comprised 24 hours and was divided into 12 hour periods called night and day, respectively (John 11:9). The first hour of the day began at 6 P.M. and runs 24 hours until the next 6 pm.

Here is a breakdown of the hours

6:00 a.m. - 9.00 a.m. - First Hour

9:00 a.m. - Noon - Third Hour

Noon - 3:00 p.m. - Sixth Hour

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Ninth Hour

6:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. - First Watch

9:00 p.m. - Midnight - Second Watch

Midnight - 3:00 a.m - Third watch

In the new testament, in opposition to the ancient jewish practices, the apostle Paul, by the authority of Christ, commands men to pray everywhere and always. As we see in 1 Timothy 2: 8 I will therefore that men pray every where and else where. Here we see Apostle Paul exhorting us to pray without ceasing thus revealing to us that we no longer are bound to any particular rules for prayer. We are freemen in Christ. However, that doesn't mean we can ignore discipline in our life. I look up to Jesus as an example when setting discipline for my prayer life. And we see that Jesus rose very early. It reads "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." -Mark 1:35

As we saw above, we need to pray at all times, however in order to get into that rythm, we need to set the mode very early in the day. The best time to start your prayer cycle is early in the morning. We also read in Psalms 5 "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." If you are not an early seeker, by the time you get to the prayer closet, the devil would have taken over your whole day or your flesh would have drove you to a place where you never intended it to go.

REWARDS OF PRAYER

a) Transformation

As you walk holy with GOD, there will arise in the heart the desire and prayer for the Spirit of God to eject, crucify, and destroy every tendency of opposition to the Holy Spirit. Think not that thou shalt attain the highest in God, until within thine own soul a heavenly longing to be like Him, Who gave His life for us, possesses thine heart. (Lake)

b) GOD will release supernatural blessings into your life when you start your day early with prayer. Starting your day with prayer shows where your priority lies. We can be assured that GOD listens to us when we seek him early, as we read in  in Psalms 5:3 as well, "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct [my prayer] unto thee, and will look up." Also we read in Mt 6:33 'Seek ye first the kingdom of GOD'. When you wake up early in the morning and desire for GOD's name to be hallowed, HIS kingdom to come and HIS will to be done, it shows that you put GOD and HIS kingdom first in your lives. And the reward of doing that is found in the following verses in Mt 6 that where we see that all blessings of GOD shall be added unto you when you seek HIM with utmost priority.

c) Another principle that is associated with starting your prayer very early in the day is the principle of first fruits. The Bible says 'the first fruits are holy, the whole lump is holy. When you set apart the first for GOD, the rest of the day will be sanctified and blessed by GOD. It is a divine principle that pervades to the area of finances, time, relationships etc. If you honor GOD with the first best of everything in your life, HE will bless the remaining part of it and fill it with protection and joy.

Seek GOD first in the morning and above all else. Make GOD your priority. If you need strength be visiting your prayer closet early. If you need fresh revelation from GOD, visit GOD early. As we read in Isaiah 52:1 'Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength.' Awake early and get in the presence of the LORD so that HE can give you some strength.

In your prayer closet, you will encounter many supernatural things and will begin to experience GOD like never before. But now your enemy satan is terrified at that possibility of you prospering in your life. He will try and do what it takes to distract you and break the fellowship that you gain during the time of prayer with GOD. Because satan very well knows that as you commune with GOD in prayer, your anointing will increase, your fleshly cravings and ungodly desires will die and you will be totally controlled by the Holy Spirit. Make a decision now to not let the enemy have upper hand over you by delineating you from your prayer time.

May GOD's grace abound in you...junu

References:

John G Lake - Complete collection

Adam Clarke Commentary of the whole Bible

David Guzik commentary

LetGodBeTrue.com

arise, watch and pray

What is the secret to the anointing? Is there a way to break free from the enslavements to the flesh? How can I maintain continual fellowship with GOD? If you have asked  any of these questions before, the answer is ready to unfold. Read on as you will discover new facets of a powerful weapon like never before.

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