21st January
MORNING CONTEMPLATION
TOPIC: THE OMNIPOTENCY OF PRAYER
TEXT: GEN. 32:24-28
''And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day./ And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him./And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me./And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob./And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevaile.''
Prayer conquers God, who delights to be overcome by the prayers of His saints. Whatever God can do, payer can do the same, because it engages God. Therefore, as God is all-powerful, so also prayer is omnipotent, in that it employs the all-powerful God. As Jacob detains the angel, so does prayer detains God. Powerful and mighty prayers are usually done away from the glare of the eyes of men: 'And Jacob was left alone...' In the dark of the night, when deep sleep falls on men; children already with their father and mother in bed; and the enemies of man's souls awake to practice mischief on poor souls, prayer sleeps not but holds fast unto celestial being for a blessing. Prayer wrestles with God all night until the dawning of the day and God was conquered by it. Dear sirs, any one of us can be omnipotent by prayer: for prayer is omnipotent. Whenever God desires to give a man a name amongst men, He brings his heart down with burdens of prayer: He sets His people praying if He intends for them a blessing; woe be a people who cannot find a place, spirit and heart to pray: it is actually a bad omen for the spirit of prayer and supplication to depart from a people, as if God had said to them, 'Get out of my sight!' As Absolom was refused to gaze on his father's face for two years, so it is with any whose heart has no heat and nudge to pray. When God would deny a man an heart after prayer, He has denied him all things. Who has God closest to him as a kneeling man? Who commands host of angels as he who prayer commands? Who lied in green pastures but a praying saint? Who goes beside the still water, but a kneeling christian? He from whose bosom streams not prayer, makes himself weak and the devil's play thing! As snow cannot conciliate with summer; nor rain with harvest time, so power with God and men, cannot agree with prayelessness. Honour would soon be seemly for a fool, if unbended knees would for power. As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so he who refuses to give himself to prayer, would never petch on heaven's border land--restless like a bird. True saint lives on his knees; speaks on his knees; sees on his knees and willing to die on his knees. He who would be knighted, must go on his knees. Sirs, forget power with God if you are a stranger to prayer. He would have none of God's, who is unknown to the act and art of prayer. In Christ kingdom, sight is only for those who know how to kneel before the throne of grace; how blind are those who make no conscience of prayer. Friends, of all men, be afraid of prayerless ministers: they would lead you astray, because they are disconnected from the source of light. Prayer is omnipotent, invincible, forceful and living.
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Ojoje Adeyi
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