The ministry of prayer is the most neglected ministry in the church today. Prayer is our only way to communicate with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
How much time do we spend in prayer each day? Our spiritual growth will be no greater than our prayer life. Prayer moves God on the behalf of man.
Prayer itself is an extraordinary act because most human beings do not pray until trouble strikes them. It seems that prayer is an unnatural act. Yet we find when the rich man went to hell, he then knew how to pray. Is it our personal circumstances that provoke us to pray?
Prayer can change us. “We are changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.” (II Cor. 3:16) When Jesus prayed on the mountain the fashion of his countenance was changed. When the disciples prayed in
Prayer can change the mind of God. When Jonah told
The definition of prayer is “the offering of adoration, confession, supplication and thanksgiving to God.” To pray is to entreat, implore, to beg for, or to crave and hunger for, an earnest and fervent petition to God, to implore, and cry out to.
It seems that our world of pleasures and material prosperity has robbed us of our need to really pray. Yet our greatest need in a time of terror by day and night is to pray. Yet we are like Christ disciples who could not stay awake to pray.
Have you ever wondered why the disciples feel asleep when it was time to pray? I feel that having Christ near them caused them to not be as alert and they could not see the evil that was coming.
We live in a time when we as believers need a great shaking before there can be a great awakening. Prayer is the reviving of the church and the only way to advance the
Not only is staying awake one of our problems but losing hope in God has gripped many a weary solider who has lost a battle. One man prayed so much and saw so little that he gave up.
Prayer is a seed sowing ministry that has to be a work of faith not sight. We are to pray the will of God and
God answers those who are consistent, persistent who continue instant in prayer. Prayer is the ministry of every believer in Christ.
We live in an age of knowing and doing. The greatest heresy of the church is that they are doing something for God. People need to be grounded and rooted in what God and Christ have done for them.
Jesus taught his disciples to pray and showed them examples. A woman and an unjust judge who finally granted her request because she would not leave him alone. A neighbor waking up a friend who did not want to be awaken to borrow some bread. There must be a persistent, continuous, vigilant spirit of prayer that does not quit until God answers.
Remember the fervent earnest prayer of a righteous man avails much. We need to pray the prophecies of God and the promises of God. We are called on to pray day and night. Pray without ceasing. Pray believing.
Now for us to get into that kind of attitude of prayer it appears that there must be un-ease. Woe unto them that are at ease in
Are we awake to the need to pray? I would say yes, but the act and art of true prayer seems to be a difficult work for any of us to perform faithfully. Is there more accomplished by prayer than by the works of man?
When Jeremiah was placed in the pit God spoke to him and said, “
One of the reasons there is no more prayer meetings is that the church looks to man for help instead of God. Prayer is one of the foundations that must be built in a believer’s life. Have we built up a generation of believers that do not pray?
Prayer is a gift of God? It’s a miracle that we pray. Real prayer is the spirit of supplication.
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer.” (Acts
We cannot move people if we have not moved God’s heart in prayer. We cannot change people until we get a hold of God and he changes their hearts.
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the LORD of hosts.” (Zec.4;6) “And I will pour out upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
It is plain to see that prayer is a spirit that comes from God. If you say you are born again and have the Holy Spirit, then you are saying that you have the spirit of prayer.
Jesus lived his life in prayer and now sits in heaven working as an intercessor for those who will believe in him and serve him. The Holy Spirit is also praying for us and through us the perfect will of God. The Holy Spirit makes intersession for us. (Romans 8:26,27)
It is time to pray and I mean pray until something happens to you and you are changed. Prayer is the ministry of every believer. I’ve learned something recently in prayer. I’ve found that the more time I spend praying for others the more God sees to my needs and blesses me in return.
A man saw a vision of a table full of food and people surrounding the table. But no one could bend there arm’s to put the food into their mouths. One man said this is hell and another man said this is heaven. It is selfish to only think about yourself. Heaven is taking what is on the table of God’s promises and feeding it to others instead of yourself.
There needs to be unity in praying for one another. Lately I have heard a knocking on the door of my heart two times.
“Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me.” It is supper time and Jesus is knocking on the door of our hearts to arise and pray.
When
Pray with me this year and let’s set our hearts not to pray just for our selves, but for our country and for others. Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, and knock and the door will be opened.
“Watch you therefore and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:36) Praying will deliver us and keep us ready, and nothing else will.
“If my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their evil way, then I would hear from heaven, and heal their land.” (II Chro:
By Dr. John D Butler
