Importance of Prayer

(Revelation 5:12) “Saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb...”

Our day should always start with prayer as we have much thanksgiving to announce. We live by faith, but our sight implores us to cry out that our God is merciful, gracious and holy. The angels do not pray but they do constantly worship and praise God in adoration for the work of Calvary and cry out, “Holy holy is the lamb!” We will also one day no longer need to pray, but will forever cry out reminding all in the ages to come of the work of Calvary. How our blessed redeemer lost His life so that we could go free. To think that we may be found worthy enough to praise our God just like the angels do and cry out “worthy is the Lamb,” is mind propelling. The reward for all those who endure to the end is so great that Paul again tells us, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

If only we could take truth like this and tattoo it deep into our heart and minds so that when doubt and various trials rear their heads, just a quick drop of our cranium would remind us of our great hope. Jesus is coming again, He is coming to rule on the earth, He is coming to fetch his church, He will separate the goats from the sheep, He has defeated the enemy but will sentence Him to eternal damnation, and He comes with rewards and He will hand them out to all who remain faithful to Him.

Prayers help us to relieve our burdens, to excite our hope and it increases our faith. When the last thing you feel like doing is praying, that is when you need even the more to find the resolve by grace to cry out in prayer. Why? When there is resistance to your prayer life it means that something is either hindering your will to pray or there is war in the heavenlies where fallen angels opposing all those who belong to Jesus and try and cause interference between God and His children. Is he not the tempter, does he not go around like a roaring lion seeking to devour, are we not told that our warfare is not carnal but spiritual and if we could see into the spiritual realm we would be flabbergasted. There is a train of thought that tells us that Satan is already bound and the reason some Christians hold to this truth is the gospel would not have free access if he wasn’t already chained. I do not hold to that opinion, I believe the apostle teaching clearly tells us to be on guard and many times though their schooling which in fact was written after the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour. After his complete victory! We are told to put on the whole armour of God, and after having done all to stand, not to run but to stand. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

It is prayer that fuels us to find the will to stand and to follow righteousness over sin; we may not always fly the banner of victory above our heads, but we must understand the theory to equip us so that our banners may at times soar.

Let me use an illustration to demonstrate how I believe we need to battle on in prayer even if it feels like our pleas are bouncing off a concrete wall.

Daniel a man loved of God can teach us a valuable lesson, he prayed for 21 days before his pray was answered, not heard but answered. “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.” So we see Daniel prayed and for 21 days there was war in the heavens and eventually God’s angels’ fought through the opposition’s lines to bring Daniel the revelation. So as his prayer went out, it was heard and God sent a messenger to convey His message to Daniel, along the way they encountered the enemy and a battle took place and eventually with Michael’s help they were able to advance and reach their final destination. There are many differing outlooks on spiritual war in and around us in the unseen worlds. I believe that it is as real as me typing on this keyboard. It is a dominion that is spiritual and therefore only spiritual beings live and abides there. They will and do influence our lives, but we have a King who has defeated our enemy, therefore we stand as victors all because of Him. We must never flippantly speak as ignoramuses and want to take on the devil face to face. Even Michael the arch angel did not take on the devil in his own strength but rebuked him in the name of Jesus; “yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”

Never use bravado lingo to belittle the devil, if it wasn’t for our Saviour he would squash us like a bug.

Always remember why we are able to stand; praise the name of Jesus for he alone is worthy of all our praise and adoration. ALL HAIL KING JESUS!

Sin in our lives will be the other hindrance that will keep us from praying; but by pleading with our God in prayer even though you may have sin in your life, prayer will always expose it and help you confess it before your heavenly Father. And remember our heavenly Father is for us and not against us, once we have sincerely confessed our sin He is quick to forgive us. (Nehemiah 9:17) “...But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.”

So never say because I have sinned I cannot pray, that is a lie and trickery of the devil, because of your sin you now need even the more to pray.

May God Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth and all created beings both celestial and terrestrial help us find grace to cry out in prayer to Him?

Signing off

Tyrone