Prayer

“…Men ought always to pray,
and not to faint.” (Luke 18:1)

Prayer is the most important thing that we will ever do. We never fail to prioritize the things in our life that hold the greatest importance. For instance; we set our alarm clocks every morning to allow time for our shower, breakfast and work schedule. Throughout the day we plan for our mealtime even entertainment and shopping. We need to make prayer our number one priority. If you don’t make time to pray you will not find time to prayer.
When we pray we are communicating with the God of all Creation. A lack of communication is the first sign of a dying relationship. Just as plants cannot survive without the nurturing of water and sunlight. Relationships cannot survive without love, affection, and communication. When a husband and wife no longer openly communicate and take the time to talk to one another that marriage will not survive. Love is nurtured through vibrant communication.
Like all living things, whether its plants, animals, even friendships; if neglected it will die. Your relationship with God is no different without an effective, meaningful prayer life your relationship with God will not grow. It’s impossible to know someone unless you spend quality time with that person. Time spent alone with God in the secret closet of prayer and allowing God to speak to us in Prayer and through his word in those quiet times is how we develop our relationship with God. It’s been said, “There is no greater form of worship than prayer.”

Prayer is the method of conception for what God desires to birth in the life of the believer. Everything God does on the earth starts with prayer.
We find in the book of Acts when God purposed to bring the Gospel to the gentiles, Peter was sent to a man named Cornelius. God brought these two men together, through divine persuasion. Acts chapter 10 gives us the entire account of how Cornelius saw in a vision an angel of God. The angel instructed him to send men to a certain City and find a man named Simon Peter. At the same time Peter was given a vision, by God, concerning Cornelius. These two men came together and the Bible says, “as Peter entered into the house of Cornelius, he began to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Acts 10:44 says, “while Peter yet spoke these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.”
The Lord moved mightily in the life of Cornelius and the men there were all astonished because on the gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. The power of God not only touched the lives of Cornelius, Peter, and others in this story, but this event helped pave the way for all gentiles from that time until now to take part in the promises of God. Later in Scripture we read of how God called the Apostle Paul to preach the Gospel to the gentiles (Acts 22:21). But notice, before all of this took place we find both Peter and Cornelius in the same place; the place of Prayer.

At the onset of this great move of God
we find two men in Prayer.
Look at Acts 10:2, Cornelius is described in this verse as, “a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.” Also in Acts 10:30-31, Cornelius said, “four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.” Peter was in prayer as well. Acts 10:9 says, “on the marrow…. Peter went upon the housetop to pray…”
God could use these men because they knew the importance of a consistent prayer life. Peter certainly knew this as well as anyone could. He was, of course, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. The disciples followed Christ and walked with him, they heard his teachings, saw his miracles and witnessed first hand the compassion that the Son of God had on everyone he met. Luke 11:1 says, “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…” They didn’t say, “Lord teach us to preach, or teach us to heal the sick.” They knew that the ministry Jesus had on earth was a direct result of the relationship he had with his father in heaven, and that relationship was sustained through prayer.
They saw the many times Jesus would go to a quite place to prayer …Mark 1:35-36 says, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.”
The correlation between the ascent that Christ gave to prayer and the authority and effectiveness displayed in his life was infallible.
To be more like Christ we must spend time with him in prayer and in the pages of the Bible. Our passion should be to enter into his presence daily; not to change how we feel but to change who we are.

In Conclusion lets look at some of what the Bible says on the subject of prayer:

Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful (or anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.”
Ephesians 6:18 says, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; Knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for everyone that asketh, recieveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh is shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?” If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your father, which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?
1-Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”
Roy Belt 2006

let us keep praying
blessing Charlene

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charlene