Unified Prayer

 

Praying together for a common cause evokes spiritual power, which puts thousands to flight (Deuteronomy 32:30). We do not have to band together in one room at any certain time, but if we will all commit to pray without ceasing as the Spirit leads us, we will see God move in a mighty way (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It pleases God to allow His Spirit to move within and through His Saints.

God teaches our soul to pray for the persecution, nominal faith and lack of spiritual power of the church worldwide. He burdens our soul for the situation in world governments. He grieves our soul with sorrow over the condition of the poor and needy (Mark 14:7). When we pray a unified prayer, directed by God's Holy Spirit, Jesus prays right along with us and God grants our requests (Matthew 18:20).

Knowing the mind of the Spirit and searching our heart, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God interceding for us (Romans 8:27, 34). The steadfast love of our Almighty God never ceases (Lamentations 3:22). He waits upon us to make our requests known to Him in prayer (Philippians 4:6-7). He grants us anything we need by His glorious heavenly riches, as long as it is according to His will (Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:19).

Prayer:

Father God, Your mercies are new every single morning. Great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23). We know that You listen to the cries of the destitute and You will not ignore our needs (Psalm 102:17). Remind us to pray with a discerning mind and a grateful heart (Colossians 4:2). We know that there are certain spiritual strongholds of darkness that we will not be delivered from except through prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29). Teach us how to pray, unified by Your Spirit (Matthew 6:9-13).

Thought for the Day:

The early church constantly joined together in unified prayer.

- Acts 1:14

Unity in Prayer

By repenting of our sinful lifestyle, we are made children of God. We are set free from the law of sin and death by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2). We exchange our old nature for a new nature in Christ, which is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). God disciplines us for our good, in order that we can share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:10).  We know that when Christ does appear, we will be exactly like Him, because we shall see Him in all of His glory (1 John 3:2).

Growing in our union with Christ starts each new day in a time of aloneness with God. Night owls do this before they go to bed, and morning doves pray when they wake up. We keep God company twenty-four hours a day! We enter a realm of oneness with His Spirit and pray according to His will. We thank Him for His daily provision of our needs and appreciate Him for who He is. Then we share our apprehensions and questions with Him. We feel His presence in our spirit; and sit quietly, listening for His still, small voice in answer to our prayers (Philippians 4:6; 1 Kings 19:11-13).

Once we make our requests known to God, we release all anxiety. Discarding all doubt and fear, the peace of God, which transcends human reasoning, protects our soul and spirit in Christ (Philippians 4:6-7). As we live in a place of communion with God during every waking moment, we have so much assurance of His love for us that we are able to rejoice regardless of the circumstance surrounding us (Romans 8:28). Giving God thanks for everything that happens to us - the good, the bad and the ugly, we know this is His will and He always works all things out for our ultimate good (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17; Romans 8:28).

Carrying on throughout the rest of our day, we continue to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:18). There is a penchant in humanity to take things to the extreme, however. Many in our society will make desperate attempts to gain more intimacy with God to the point of neglecting their duties to family and society. They will cloister their self from life and spend their time in their prayer closet, reading God’s Word and listening to sermons. In an attempt at holiness, they desert all aspiration to give or to receive with anyone other than God.

Yet, in doing this they prevent God from using them to reach the lost and dying world around us. A balance of devotion and obedience is what God calls for from His Saints, until the day that He returns to claim His Bride for His own. Then He will take us home to be with Him for eternity. Our position in Christ allows us to see life from God’s perspective and to choose our words and actions according to the will of God. In this way, we are always moving toward perfection, which is the prize of the high calling of God (Matthew 5:48; Philippians 3:14).

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You were God, yet you spent hours communing with our Father while you lived on this earth (Luke 6:12). You taught the disciples how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13) using the formula of:

1.) Praising Your majesty

2.) Anticipating of Your coming Kingdom
3.) Requesting our needs to be met
4.) Repenting of our sins
5.) Forgiving those who sin against us.

Thought for the Day:

The Lord draws near to everyone who comes to Him with sincerity and integrity in the motives of their heart. - Psalm 145:18

 

 

Praying in Jesus' Name

Read: Isaiah 43:2

”The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” - Psalm 34:18

Demons tremble at the mention of the name of Jesus (James 2:19). This name is above all names and it has a power that is in no other name (Philippians 2:9). When we conclude our prayer with the words, "in Jesus' name", we are telling God that we are coming to Him with our requests because of the power behind Jesus’ name, especially if we pray together in agreement with other believers (Matthew 18:19-20). We come boldly to the throne of God (Hebrew 4:16) and we ask anything "in Jesus' name" with confidence that we will receive it (John 14:13-14).

After we repent of our sins, we are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and we receive the gift of His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). From this point forward, God spoils His children. We can ask anything in His name and He gives it to us so that our joy will be full (John 16:24). Of course, as with anything worthwhile in life, there are parameters and cautions.

For instance, if we pray covetously to gain this world’s goods, we are praying from our fleshly lusts instead of from our heavenly nature (James 4:3). God feels no compulsion to answer these prayers, whether we pray in Jesus’ name or not. When you pray in Jesus’ name ask for things that will honor and glorify Jesus, not to receive worldly goods. As we seek first the Kingdom of God, then He will take care of all of our needs (Matthew 6:33).

It is not really the words of our prayer that are important, but rather it is the intent with which we pray that matters. So use your own words when you petition God or praise His name. There is no right or wrong way to talk to God. As we pray in Jesus’ name, we are praying in agreement with God’s will.

God is not a genie or an Aladdin’s Lamp to grant all of our prayers with a "Yes". Sometimes, God also answers our prayers with a "No," or a "Wait". He wants our faith to grow and He wants us to love Him more than we want the answer for our prayers. Sometimes, God just wants us to persevere in prayer. In the parable of Luke 18:1-8, Jesus teaches us the importance of persisting in prayer.

God wants us to love Him even if He does not answer our prayers the way we want Him to. He promises to deliver us out of our troubles and make us a testimony for the world to see...just like the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. They refused to worship the king's idol and he tossed them in the furnace to die. Jesus met them there and kept them safe until the King called them out of the furnace again. God will keep us safe too, even in negative circumstances.

If your prayers are not answered, examine your heart, and ask God to show you the truth. Getting right with God leads us back to sweet communion with Him and more answered prayers. All of these areas can keep our prayers from getting answered. Ask yourself:

‎A. Are you asking selfishly?
B. Have you turned away from God or are you walking in disobedience?
C. Are you harboring unforgiveness in your hearts against someone, even yourself or God?
D. Have you allowed discord to creep into your marriage, family, church, workplace, etc? 

Often, Satan blinds us to the fact that God really is answering our prayers. Satan does not want us to see God’s provision in our life. He does not want us to praise God or to give Him any glory. Satan would prefer for us to be mad at God, for our anger to burn against Him and for us to grow cold and fall away from serving Him.

If you take an honest look at your prayers since dedicating your life to God, you will realize that God has resolved each one for you. You may be having continual trials, but that’s because Satan is trying to get you to give up! If you look at these circumstances more closely, God is actually answering every one of your prayers. In this world, we will have tribulation…but be of good cheer, because Jesus already overcame these trials for us and He lives within us (John 16: 32-33).

We can believe in faith that God will deliver us out of every trial and negative circumstance, because He promised that He would ~ not in our timing, but in His own. He will also use our trials to further His Kingdom in the earth and to help us to grow spiritually (Psalm 34:7, 17,19) as we pray in Jesus’ name.

Prayer:

Lord, sometimes You put people in our life to teach us to love them in spite of their idiosyncrasies. Satan will actually use these people to badger us, until they quit bothering us. Help me to remember that these people are actually hurting, and they need You in their life. I may never change them, but they will change me for the better, because You will use them to work Your fruit into my life. I pray for them in Jesus’ name.

Thought for the Day:
When doubts filled our mind, God’s comfort gives us renewed hope and joy (Psalm 94:19).