Central Thought: A prayerful Christian has power with God.
Hymn: What a friend we have in Jesus
Text: Ephesians 6:18, Luke 6:12, Mark 1:35, Philemon 4:6-7
Introduction:
In nature, it is normal for a child to talk with and intimately communicate with his/her parent. Every individual came into this world as a child; and no child is an island. Similarly, it is needful that every child of God talks with and intimately communicates with his/her heavenly Father, Creator and God. So prayer is the act of communicating with God.
God is the one who takes the initiative in communications between Himself and His creatures. So the basic nature of the prayer is a response to God’s initiative. Prayer is very important in the life of any Christian, as the individual cannot live a successful Christian life without it. There is also the saying that, “a prayerful Christian is a powerful Christian”. And conversely a prayer-less Christian is a powerless Christian. The Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest and Mediator, started His earthly ministry in prayer and ended it in prayer. The patriarchs of old had power with God through a prayerful living. Abraham prayed for Sodom (Genesis 18:12-33). Jacob had power with God through prayer (Genesis 32:24-29). Others were Moses (Exodus 15:24-25), Joshua, Elijah (1 Kings 18:37-38), to mention but a few. By whatever yardstick we measure prayer life, its passionate intensity, its boldness, its penetration into prophetic mysteries, Daniel’s was an outstanding life of prayer. Also Hannah’s childlike prayer for personal needs as indicated in the phrase: “Sorely troubled… pouring out my soul before the LORD… speaking out my great anxiety and vexation…” (1 Samuel 1:15, 16); tells of a God who cares for the poor and the downtrodden. The Lord Jesus taught His disciples that “men ought always to pray and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). Apostle Paul, following after the Lord also emphasized the need for the believer to be alert to this duty or call, praying in everything, to enjoy the inner divine strength. Apostle James declared “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available or is dynamic in its working”; James 5:16b Amplified.
Lesson Objectives:
- To know who is a praying Christian
- To appreciate why a Christian should live a prayerful life
- To know some areas of focus in prayer
- To know how to cultivate the attitude of praying always
Question 1.) Who is a praying Christian?
From scriptures, it is clear that prayer is the response to God’s initiative of communicating with the man He has placed on the earth. With some of the patriarchs of old, God spoke directly and the urge to pray was born. “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? (Genesis 18:17). The medium of communication may have been different. To Abraham it was the spoken word, to Daniel the written. But the same God spoke with the same purpose in mind: call His servants to pray. Like Daniel, we are given the written Word and the quickening Holy Spirit. The praying Christian is that individual who appreciates the essence of the entire scriptures, and knows where the “heart” of scripture lay: in the revelation of God’s character, of His purposes and attitudes to His people. This individual sees God as real, totally reliable, the great and terrible God, whose majesty fills the universe, who teaches His people respect by His mighty acts and His terrible judgements, the God “who keepeth covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments”. “They that do know their God, shall be strong and do exploits”. Through his/her knowledge, understanding and acquaintance with God, the praying Christian is one who is in constant communication with the Almighty, on every occasion and in every season. The praying Christian can’t do without being in the presence of God or without reading the word of God.
Question 2.) Why should a Christian live a prayerful life?
A child that does not respond to his father’s communication can be taken as irresponsible, and not living. Since God is the father of the Christian and has spoken to us in these last days by His Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) Hebrews 1:1-3), who has said men should pray always day and night or constantly (Luke 18:1-7). We are commanded in scriptures to live in constant and steadfast communication with our Father and God (Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:17). In addition, the Christian as God’s workmanship, is a co-laborer with God (2 Corinthians 6:1), serving as a watchman through prayers (Isaiah 62:6, 7, Jeremiah 1:10). Being a pilgrim in this world, the Christian has an enemy, who engages him/her in a spiritual battle/warfare. This enemy has already been defeated by our Captain and Lord, so the Christian needs to steadfastly resist him, using the weapons of our warfare (2 Corinthians 10:4,5), putting on the whole amour of God (Ephesians 6:11,12). The Christian should live a prayerful life in order to be able to stand up successfully against the strategies and deceits of the devil. Thus he/she will be able to overcome the trials and temptation that come across his/her way (Luke 22:40, 46; James 5:13). The need for the individual Christian, to function effectively as a member in the Body of Christ and occupy his/her proper place also calls for prayerful living (Acts 6:1-4, Colossians 4:2-4). For the body of Christ as a unit, yet having many parts, and all the parts (though many) form only ONE body (1Corinthians 12:12-27). The Christian, like Epaphras (Colossians 4:12) should therefore labor feverently in prayers, that he/she may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. The Lord Jesus did this also (Luke 22:41-45). The Christian needs to live prayerfully with the word of God, seeking to comprehend and appropriate the written promises of the Heavenly Father. Our contemporary situation (the pressures and demands of life) calls for a prayerful living on the part of individual Christians.
Question 3.) What areas should a praying Christian focus on?
God can communicate several areas of focus to the individual Christian, by the help of the Holy Spirit. His/her relationship with God is further polished as the individual beholds God’s character and glory while praying. Some of these areas of focus are worth emphasizing.
Like Nehemiah prayed constantly for the surviving Jews and about Jerusalem, the praying Christian should focus attention on the state of the church, her growth and welfare (Ephesians 1:17-19). The need for the regular manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit in the church is there today. The Lord Jesus says “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. The church ought to stand in holiness and righteousness, radiating the glory of the LORD. In these last days, the church needs to experience more of the ministries of the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers; we should pray that God will bring these forth.
Another area of focus for the praying Christian is the nation, the leaders and the men/women in positions of authority, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” 1 Timothy 2:1-3. Scripture also says “when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rules, the people mourn” Proverbs 29:2. Our nation is in dire need of the man/woman that will stand daily, plead her case before the God of all nations, who has the heart of the king in His hands. Through prayers (a spiritual encounter) the affairs of the nation (in the physical) could be directed and monitored to conform to the plan of God for the land. We are admonished in Jeremiah 29:7 (Amplified) to “inquire for, require and request the peace and welfare of the city/nation…, and pray to the Lord for it”.
It is also vital that we focus our prayers on the unsaved around us because God “wishes all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). They need to know that there’s only one God and only one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. There’s need to pray that their spiritual eyes, darkened by the enemy, be opened to this divine truth, so as to receive the free gift of eternal life.
In Matthew 9:38, and Luke 10:2, the Lord Jesus says, “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest”. There is need to pray for more soul-winners to go where the sinners are, with the powerful gospel message of salvation.
Every praying Christian should be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, who will communicate other areas of focus to him/her as the occasion demands.
Question 4.) How can a Christian be effective in prayer?
Scripture says”… he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” Hebrews 11:6. The level/degree of trust/confidence of an individual in God is greatly influenced by his/her scope of knowledge, understanding of the person, character and purpose of God.
To be effective in prayer, a Christian must study (and obey) the word of God, which reveals the principles of prayer. The word of God reveals God to man, His mind and intent, together with His perfect will.
For example, the will of God is that we pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ (John 14:13, 14, 15:16, 16:23) not using vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7), but being definite. Also, the Holy Spirit has been given to the church (the body of Christ) and the individual Christian to help him/her pray effectively to God- the Father. Romans 8:26,27 (Amplified) tells us that even when “we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groaning too deep for utterance .. The Spirit intercedes and pleads (before God) on behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will”. It is therefore vital that the Christian be filled with the Holy Spirit to be able to communicate with the Father in an unknown tongue (1 Corinthians 14:2, 14, 15). To be effective the Christian should regularly pray in tongues and pray with understanding. The depth of “praying in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18) is far reaching in the realm of the supernatural, and can involve all manner of prayer and supplication to the advantage of the Christian man/woman. Instances abound in Christian warfare when there is the call to fast and pray (Mark 9:28, 29), to effectively subdue the powers of darkness.
Question 5.) How can a Christian develop the attitude of praying always?
To develop the act of praying always, the Christian should vie thought and time, in obedience, to admonitions received from scriptures to do so. Daniel in his days considered Psalm 55:17, cultivated the attitude, and resolutely prayed morning, noon and evening (Daniel 6:10).
The instruction from our Father-God to the Christian is “pray always, not to faint” (Luke 18:1, Ephesians 6:18). “Without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and “in everything” (Philemon 4:6). This demands determination and discipline, not as it were, being entangled with the affairs of the worldly life (2 Timothy 2:4). The attitude could be developed by participating in prayer meetings, at group or individual levels, in the home, school or work place. The “always” could be twice or thrice daily, or every three hours of the day but the consciousness through the help of the Holy Spirit must be there.
Daily Living Application
The need for each Christian to commune with the God that owns the world and created him/her cannot be overflowed. The act of communication with the Lord GOD Almighty is to the advantage or benefit of each Christian living on planet earth. Believers are encouraged to follow the prayer patterned life of our Lord Jesus Christ, who “long before daylight” would get up, go to a desert place and commune with His Father in Heaven (Mark 1:35). No individual can live a successful Christian life without an effective prayer life. There’s need for each Christian to make a deliberate, conscious effort to establish a good, heartfelt and continual prayer life. Effective praying results in victorious living. The praying Christian has the honor, love and favor of God upon his/her life. God has promised to deliver him/her.
Memory Verse: 1 Peter 4:7
‘But the end of all things is at hand, be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayers”.
Daily Devotional Guide
Monday: How can a Christian be effective in prayer?
Ephesians 6:17-19, Mark 9:28-29, Romans 8:26
Tuesday: Who is a praying Christian?
1 Thessalonians 5:17, Luke 18:1
Wednesday: How can we develop an effective prayer life?
Mark 1:35
Thursday: In what areas can we focus on in our prayers?
1 Timothy 2:1
Friday: Why should a Christian live a prayerful Christian life?
Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Luke 18:1, Isaiah 62:6-7, Jeremiah 1:10
Saturday: What are the benefits for a prayerful Christian?
1 Corinthians 9:25