Prayer

by Lou Juan Mignogna

        Prayer is one of the greatest privileges of the Christian life. The believer who does not spend time in communion with God can never experience the fullness of joy and victory that is available.  We are spirit creatures, and our renewed spirit longs to communicate with the Holy Spirit. Galatians 4:6, "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Abba, Father."
        Once Jesus was praying and when He stopped, one of His disciples said, "Lord teach us to pray..." That disciple saw that prayer was a habit of Jesus and one which brought power into His life. He wanted and needed that same power. As Christians, we also need that power, especially in today's world.
        All through the book of Acts you read of the believers praying, and the results of their prayers. In Acts 4:24-31, the believers raised their voices together and were praising God for all He had done, then they prayed, "Now Lord, stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After they prayed the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." The believers also knew the power of praying with other believers. Acts 4:32, "All the believers were one in heart and mind."
        Matt.18:19-20, "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."  I am reminded of the Tower of Babel, recorded in Gen. 11:4-7, they said, "Come let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves...but the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building". The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language..." If God had to put a stop to their plans because of the power they had working in agreement with each other (but against His will) imagine what power there is in praying in agreement with God. This is why we bring our prayer request before the congregation every Sunday morning, praying in agreement for God's intervention.
        Praying back to God, His Word, is a most powerful way of praying. John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God." God spoke a word and the world was created. Praying God's Word reinforces His promises.  There is a scripture for every need, and when we apply it to our problem it puts you in agreement with God for the answer. Isaiah 55:11, "So is my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
        I Corinthians 10:4 tells us that the weapons God gave us to fight with have divine power to demolish strongholds. The strongest weapon against Satan is the name of Jesus. Satan knows that Jesus defeated him on the cross, and we often have to remind him of that. Col. 2:9 tells us we have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. There is no power in our lives greater than the name of Jesus.
        Just as an earthly father provides all the needs of his children, so our Heavenly Father has provided for all our needs. II Peter 1:3, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. That verse does say (through our knowledge of Him), when you get to know him, through reading and meditating on His Word, you begin to see how much He loves you, and wants to give you your heart's desire. Psalms 37:4,"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Amen and Amen.