What Is Prayer?

Prayer is conversation, communication and fellowship with God borne out of love and with a consciousness of what God has already done in the sacrifice of His son Jesus.

It is important we understand that the effectiveness or efficacy of prayer doesn’t have much to do with it’s length, how often we pray, or the intensity of our shout but rather it is our faith in God and His word that matters (Hebrews 11:6). Importantly effective prayers must be in line with God’s will, plan and purpose for us.

Talking about length of Prayer, Jesus was a bit disappointed that Peter, and the other 2 disciples couldn’t pray with Him for at least an hour(Matthew 26:40). While this doesn’t in anyway mean that God doesn’t have ears for shorter prayers, it might guide minimum time spent in prayer.

And ofcourse we remember Jesus’ story of the widow who wearied a king with repeated request for same thing (Luke 18:5). So praying about one thing over and over may not guarantee it will receive the expected response, but praying without ceasing is an admonition from scripture we don’t want to forget in a hurry (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Below are five guides for effective prayer.

Prayer Guide #1

• Pray and ask in faith.
  Praying in faith means our expectations are based on God’s Word and trust that we will have them. It involves making request to God and speaking to circumstances in order to make them conform to our desires, without doubts in our heart (Mark11: 22-23). A prayer of faith is backed up by actions (works) and also followed with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving here is an affirmation that we believe we’ve received answers to our prayers.

Prayer Guide #2

• Ask according to the will of God.
  I John 5:14-15 gives us the exclusive privilege that God hears us always when we pray according to His will (His written word). It also means He answers us if we pray according to His stipulated pattern. For example James 5:16b talks about an effectual fervent (heartfelt, specific in purpose, filled with zeal (energy) and fervency, continuous) prayer. Isaiah 43:26 says bring forth your strong reasons. Some prayers require a petition, an agreement, a command or an intercession etc.

Prayer Guide #3

• Pray in the name of Jesus. In John 16:23-24 Jesus said ‘whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you’. We can alter circumstances, cast out demons and demand for something due us by the authority we have in the name of Jesus.

Prayer Guide #4

• Pray prophetic prayers.
  This refers to the prayer in which you speak the will (mind) and purpose of God into being by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. An example is Jonah’s prayer to God when he was in the belly of the fish. (Jonah 2:1-4). As the Bible says; you shall decree a thing and it shall be established.

Prayer Guide #5

• Offer praise and thanksgiving.
  We activate the power of God at work in us when we praise God and offer thanksgiving to Him. For example, King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:14-19, Paul and Silas in Acts 16:22-26.

“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”
Ephesians 6:18 NKJV

Summarily, we have a Father who is willing and able to meet all our requests. This is our confidence.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
I John 5:14 NKJV

…….

Thank you so much Ada for your article. Indeed, prayer is a life saving skill every Christian should learn. As you rightly pointed out effective prayers are those prayed in the Spirit and according to the Word offered with thanksgiving and in the name of Jesus.

God bless you Ada.

Friends, a few years ago, someone wrote us on Talk With Grace Obomanu, my online Christian Counseling platform on Facebook asking why God hasn’t answered his prayers. Our response to him is shared here …….Why Hasn’t God Answered Me? Be blessed.

Remember you can now publish on Grace Obomanu Blog (under the Christian Life Saving Skills Category). Simply email your articles to graceobomanu@gmail.com. Together we are making known the Beauty and Benefits of our Belief, thereby giving others the opportunity to believe too. That is what the Father’s Business is all about.

Love Always

Grace Obomanu. 

I don’t really know much about the parts of a ship so I cannot say if the stern of every ship is a resting point. What I can say though is that the stern of ship where Jesus lay, asleep in the midst of a storm, was a place of faith, trust, peace and rest.

You know, as I thought about the uneventful ‘disappearance’ of the poisonous serpents, I realized that actually that is how life problems ‘pass away’ as we move our focus away from life’s troubling issues and rightfully fix them on Jesus and His Word.

May I always be a Vessel of Honor. Fit for Purpose. Preserved and Maintained by the Potter

Certainly rejoicing is an antonym of weeping for where weeping means to moan, howl, cry, etc, rejoicing means great expressions of joy and jubilation

Certainly rejoicing is an antonym of weeping for where weeping means to moan, howl, cry, etc, rejoicing means great expressions of joy and jubilation

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ….they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, after opening their chests, they presented to Him gifts. ……And having been warned (by God) in a dream not to go back to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way
Matthew 2:10-12.

Welcome back!

This is the 6th part of this blogpost series.

We have been looking at the composite parts of the Whole Armour of God as seen in Ephesians 6:11, 13-19;

“Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”  NKJV.

In the preceding parts, we have discussed; the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation,gird your waist with the truth and shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Today, we’ll conclude this session of this series {that is ‘His Armour‘} by looking at the remaining 2 components;  the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit. In subsequent parts, we’ll look at ‘The Warfare‘ and ‘Our Weapons‘.

Take on the Shield of Faith

What does a Soldier need a shield for?……………

A soldier’s shield protects him by deflecting or intercepting missiles thrown at him. The shield is usually held in the hand or mounted on the wrist or forearm. So most shields are positioned in front of a soldier so as to provide good cover.

The dictionary defines ‘faith‘ as;  ‘a complete trust in someone or something‘. The Bible definition of faith as seen in Hebrews 11:1 is however different, it goes beyond trust and confidence and gives tangibility to faith. It tells us faith is a ‘substance‘ and an ‘evidence‘.

The way I understand it, an evidence substantiates a belief or claim. Therefore, the Bible is saying that faith is the physical reality of the Christian belief.

How so?…..

I gave my life to Jesus Christ several years ago, precisely, in 1993, just after graduation from high school. A few weeks ago I remembered some terrible ‘unchristian’ experiences I had in college, the kind of memories that make you sad.  Thank God for the Holy Spirit, He fixed me up, and reminded me those experiences weren’t in vain.  I am thankful for the strength and loss of innocence they’ve brought.

As I did the throwback on my Christian walk, one thing remained clear to me; it’s been a ‘faith-walk’ through and through. Everything I know about God is by faith. Everything I have accessed in God is by faith. Every miracle I’ve experienced in God has been birthed through faith. I got back up from my fallen state, by faith and I have lived victoriously everyday after, by faith.

That’s what faith is. Faith is the substance of our belief. Faith is living. Faith is Evidence! Faith is Seeing! Faith is Now!

I believe I am born again by confessing Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour,….. by faith, and everyday I see a new me manifesting. I believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost,…. by faith, and as I ask the Father to pour His Spirit on me, I open my mouth and find I am actually speaking in other tongues. I believe I have been healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ,….. by faith, and as I maintain my confession and walk by the spirit of God, my healing manifests.

So how do we use faith as a shield?

Probably the best approach to answering this question is for us to remind ourselves; how it all started. How did we become born again and filled with the Holy Ghost? The last time we accessed divine healing for a health condition, how did it happen?

Notice anything peculiar to the kind of faith we’re discussing here? ….

There is always a preexisting undesirable situation or circumstance! 

You know, God displayed what I believe is the highest kind of faith in The Beginning {Genesis 1:1-3}.

A previously empty, chaotic, formless and dark earth, received light and became filled with beautiful forms through a magnificent display of faith by God! 

God simply spoke what He wanted into existence and changed the status quo for ever!

That’s how simple faith is.

Yes, I hear your question, ‘Grace, do you really mean that?’ Yes.

By simply saying what God says about a situation rather than what we feel about it. By proclaiming and maintain our Godly desires about a situation rather than what we see. By speaking, confessing and maintaining the truth of our belief irrespective of present or prevailing circumstances.

The truth always prevails. Halleluyah!

So it doesn’t really matter what missiles, darts, arrows the enemy throws at us {and they don’t stop coming}. What matters is how we react – accept it or knock it off (or quench it) by faith?

That’s how to use faith as a shield.

When I feel weak, I confess that I am strong. When there is no money in my pocket, I confess that I am rich. When strange symptoms pop up in my body, I confess that I am healed.  And I maintain my confession until my faith becomes tangible, a substance and an evidence. A reality!

Praise God.

The Sword of the Spirit

To help us fully appreciate this component of the Whole Armour of God, first, we must answer the question of; what a sword is to a soldier?

A sword is a bladed weapon intended for slashing or thrusting. A sword is usually, long, straight or slightly curved with sharp edge (s). A good soldier would have swordsmanship- proper use and handling of the sword, and maneuver it so as to slash or thrust as the need arises.

What is the Sword of the Spirit?

Well, Ephesians 6:17-18  tells us to use the Sword of the Spirit, tells us what the Sword of the Spirit is, and how to use it.

“…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…”  (NKJV).

And according to Hebrews 4:12, the Word of God is sharper than any known sword….

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”       NKJV

As we see, the Word of God is both a part of the Whole Armour of God (as the Sword of the Spirit) as well as a Weapon of Warfare {we’ll be discussing this further}. The word can slash, thrust and reach deeper than any known sword.

But of what use is the Word of God if we don’t use it? And how do we use the Sword of the Spirit?……….

By basing our Prayer and Supplication on the Word. By praying always in the Spirit, in patience and perseverance.

Friends and brethren, as we conclude our study on the Whole Armour of God, it is very obvious that the purpose for the Whole Armour of God is to make us prepared, immovable and victorious in the day of trouble. Therefore to successfully resist and stand our ground in time of danger, we must proactively and consciously be kitted in this armour always.

Let us always remember that our citizenship is of Heaven, we are born of God, we have His genes and our experiences should reflect same as we live in the awareness of our rights and privileges. We are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, sin has no power over us and where there is no sin, there is no charge or penalty. Let us stay reminded that God’s word is the truth over our affairs. And so let us always proclaim this truth, testify of this truth so as to gain victory at all times.

Thank you so much for staying with me to the end of this session of the series. I appreciate all your feedback and thank God for the opportunity to share His word. It’s been quite refreshing and a tremendous blessing doing this study 🙂

Shalom and my love always.

I like to pick my children’s brains on the Bible sometimes.  I really find this very exciting.  I’d simply throw a scripture they should be familiar with at them requesting their interpretation of it.  For example; ‘Where is the secret place of The Most High’? ‘What do you understand by The Lord is my Shepherd’?  Believe me when I tell you these children come up with brilliant interpretations, sometimes they drop new revelation to run with for many days 🙂

On this beautiful morning, with their boxes packed ready to return to school, I needed to remind them of who they are in Christ Jesus.  Matthew 5:14-16 has been ringing in my head for about 3 weeks now, and who better to study it with than my lovely trio?

“You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.                    -Easy-to- Read Bible Version.

You know how we read this scripture and then suddenly burst into the timeless ‘little light‘ song {this little light of mine, I am gonna light it shine…}. Oh dear! Do I love that song? Yes! I also have a lovely and most cherished personal quote on being Light (deduced from John 1:5) – ” I am light. Darkness has no place where light is“.    🙂

But Matthew 5:14-16 isn’t talking about a ‘little‘ light or darkness. Nope.  And I am glad my kids didn’t sing me the ‘little light‘ song. Instead, as always they provided beautiful and astounding explanations of the scripture they were presented with. Like this one; ‘Mummy it means to live in a way that nobody can prove that you are not a Christian’ WOW!!!  Even I did a step-back, sit-down and some thinking to fully grasp the revelation in that response.  🙂

Light is simply defined on Google as ‘the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible‘. Light illuminates, light accentuates radiance, brilliance, glow and gives a glaring dazzle. Light shows direction in darkness.

Jesus is saying in Matthew 5: 14-16 that we should be a direction for other people. We should show the way to live and act. We should live worthy of our calling as children of God. 

Not too long ago I was member of a team assigned the task of making a purchase for an organization. Having made the first contact and subsequently introduced the merchant to the team, many questions were directed at me for clarification. One of such questions was; ‘ who’d get the discount the merchant was offering, me or the organization’?

We know it is common practice in many business settings for a link person to request variations that accrue to his/her account. Sadly, even members of the body of Christ partake freely in this practice. They see nothing wrong with presenting a receipt for a purchase that they’ve privately secured a personal kickback on.  I still struggle with these things. So my response to this particular question of; ‘sorry I don’t handle such details’, I know, would likely mean my exclusion from such negotiations in the future, but it did guide the team, because following my response, the question was withdrawn. {glad that some decency was displayed}.

Why have I shared this story? Because Matthew 5:14-16 came to me in the midst of it all.

Now, here’s the interesting part for me. A few days after the team meeting, a strange face with a familiar name popped up around my Facebook account. {Now you know I see you if you’ve been sneaking around my Facebook account 🙂 don’t ask me how}.   On a closer look, I was able to relate the face to the lead person at the merchant’s store who I’d met during my initial visit to the store on market survey.  What was she doing around my Facebook  account? Surfing! Who’s this Grace Obomanu? Didn’t this name sound familiar? Is she not the same person that blogs on the Bible?  Or maybe, she was just checking me out and can you imagine her reaction finding out that I actually openly profess to be a Christian?  You know how bad news about Christianity spread like wildfire? ……I am glad I didn’t sell out my birthright in this situation.

Like my little ones said, we should live such that no one can prove that we are not Christians. Let’s stay set like the lamp on a lampstand, like a city set on a hill. Let’s light our world.