Prayer more than words

Many Christians in this nation start every year with at least 10 days of prayer and fasting seeking divine direction, preservation and fulfilment of their desires in the rest of the year.
The idea of praying is good but when you listen to some of the prayers in the church closets and corridors you will be shocked to discover that many are untaught in this high calling. Some pray as if they are not related to God. Others pray as if God is their errand boy. There are brothers and sisters who assign more power to the devil in their prayers than to God.  It seems that they do not know that the greatest form of power on earth is not nuclear, political or economic but prayer.
We need to know that prayer enables us to tap into the very power of God Himself. And who can measure the power of God? What can God fail to do if He purposes to do it? Through prayer we can do exploits. Abraham prayed, and he and his wife received a child when they were old, weak and past the child-bearing age. Moses prayed and the Red Sea was parted. He prayed again and water came out of the rock. Joshua prayed and the sun stood still. Hezekiah prayed and 15 more years were added to his life-span. And in the Bible passage quoted above Elijah prayed and it did not rain for three and half years and he prayed again and it rained. Now, you can see how powerful prayer is and how this knowledge should affect your priorities.
But one thing that needs to be made clear when talking about the power of prayer is the requirement of righteousness on the part of the one praying. If you desire to have the right and the privilege of arresting God’s attention every time you pray then seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mat. 6:33). If you give first priority to the claims of God in your life and you choose to walk in God’s righteousness then cases of unanswered prayers should be minimised in your prayer life.
Righteousness or being right and doing right in the sight of God is a prerequisite to the one who will come near to God. Proverbs 15:29 declares, “The Lord is far from the wicked: but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” Dear brethren, understand that answers to prayer come not necessarily because you have observed the duty to pray but because you are living in right relationship with God. A child who pleases his father will have his desires met by the father more than a child who disobeys his father.
When you continue to walk with God humbly and righteously you will reach a place where before you call or while you are still praying God answers. The prophet Isaiah saw in a vision such a time and wrote, “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). The Lord Jesus Christ was approved as one who pleased God in all his ways and the result was that God heard him always and he received speedy answers to his prayers.
It is a waste of time to pray when God is far away from us because of an unconfessed sin. The Bibles says that he who conceals his sin will not prosper (Prov.28:13). The person who should pray freely and confidently before God anytime is the believer living righteously. His prayers are powerful and they yield desired results. However, this person called a righteous man in the opening scripture is not someone who never commits a sin. It is one who got born again and makes effort to avoid, resist and overcome temptations to sin by means of obeying God’s word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. If he falls, he immediately confesses the sin before God and receives forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8,9). Be careful to separate the righteousness of God, which is being in right standing with God through trusting in the salvation work of Christ, from self-righteousness which comes from trusting in one’s good works and efforts.
– For prayer and counsel call 0772889766 or email mairos78@yahoo.co.uk