Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2)
If all that prayer entails is a mere recital at specified times of the day, then it would pass for one of the most boring activities to do. But thank God it is more than that. Your mindset about prayer will, however, determine how much of a blessing prayer is to you. The Bible says that the prayer of the righteous is the Lord’s delight (Proverbs 15:8). There must be something to prayer for the Almighty God to be excited about it. It is wisdom, therefore, to seek to be firmly established in the very thing that excites the Lord’s heart. Ultimately, prayer is an indispensable culture you should grow in and master. You will soon find out that there is very little you can do without it.
Prayer is one of the most important meetings of your life. Remember the first time you met with someone you deemed important; it could be the love of your life or a person of high esteem. Remember the preparations you put in just to look and sound right, and the gifts you may have taken along. But prayer is more than that. It is a time of meeting with the most important person in the universe and beyond; It is a time of meeting with the Lord God Almighty. Doesn’t the thought of meeting with God excite you? If not then you must get saved. How prepared are you to meet with Him, and how precious is this time to you? Do you respect God’s time enough to be punctual, and to regularly keep your daily schedule with Him? Do you have your gifts ready to meet Him: your thanksgiving, praise and worship?
Prayer is not a period of mere recital or vain incantations. It is a time of communication and fellowship. If you really believed God hears you when you pray, and will speak back to you how excited will you be to get into your secret place to hear Him? Even so, expect to hear from God when you pray. Bring to Him the concerns that weigh on your heart and ask Him questions. And learn to pay attention to those thoughts and “knowings” that come to you in your time of prayer that do not violate God’s Word. Learn to write them down. And you will begin to learn and know the inward witness and inward voice (still small voice) of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is a place where our flesh with its carnality is subdued, and we grow in our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. It’s a place where dreams and visions and the prophetic are incubated.
Prayer is a time of spiritual warfare. There is an enemy of your soul who needs no invitation to war against you. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). Even so, the devil and his cohorts are useless foes who can only devour you with your permission (1 Peter 5:8). But prayer is key in standing against and defeating him, for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much (James 5:16). Prayer is a time when we push back the darkness and establish the purposes of God in its place. It’s a time when we destroy and thwart the schemes of the evil one and establish the will of God in our lives and in the earth. Remember to put on all your armour to avoid all the needless casualties of war (read Ephesians 6:10-18).
Have a mind to pray, and keep at it. This is a way to be effective in prayer. Change your mindset about prayer from one of an impersonal activity to a time of fellowship and intercession. You are the Lord’s friend and He delights in meeting and spending time with you. You are His warrior to establish His purposes on the earth and to deliver many through your prayer. Therefore, devote yourself to prayer and to the ministry of His word (Acts 6:4), and pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Kwadwo Omari
© 2014