Life Lesson: Prayer

Prayer is critical to the kingdom living. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the man of prayer; always one with God, lives in God’s presence, trusts in God, and Satan has nothing to do with Him. In Matthew 6, He has taught us and shown the pattern of prayer. So that, the kingdom of God may come on earth and the will of the Father may be done on earth. This is the will of the Father, and for this to accomplish, He taught us how to pray. In fact, the only way to fulfill God's eternal plan is by being like the Lord Jesus Christ, the man of prayer; being able to express and represent God on the earth today.

These days, I also have been very burdened by the Lord to pray for the burdens He blessed me with. By His mercy, I have been graced to be able to pray the Lord’s bestowed prayers upon me. Such being the case, I have been praying myself, and helping others to be a man of prayer too, as the Lord Jesus is. Time and again, whenever I got the opportunity, my burden released to my fellow believers has constantly been on prayer life and the burden for prayer.

Yesterday, as I was ministering the word on the Lord’s Day's prophesying meeting, I released my burden on prayer, the prayer that is critical for the kingdom life. As I prayed over the day before, the Lord gave me the following points, His message concerning prayer.

Set Time to Pray: First and foremost, one must set time to pray. Without time for prayer, it was even pointless to talk about prayer. Therefore, I encouraged all the saints to sanctify their times daily in a way of setting a specific time for prayer. Perhaps, five, ten or fifteen minutes; even better is, one or two hours a day. This is the base upon which one can build his prayer life.

Learn How To Pray: Second, one must learn how to pray genuine prayers. One must strictly avoid religious prayers or babling prayers that may not be prayer at all. For this, there is a need to learn to pray expressing the Father's will. But this requires knowing the Father’s will as revealed in the word and through the ministry of the word.

And in praying do not babble empty words as the Gentiles do; for they suppose that in their multiplicity of words they will be heard. (Matthew 6:7, RecVer)

The Lord Jesus Himself as the man of prayer is the pattern one can follow. Daniel is another pattern who prays three times a day kneeling with his window open towards Jerusalem. This indicates that Daniel knew the word of God and the will of God and prays accordingly. So, we must learn from the patterns set in the Holy Scriptures; know the will of God and pray the will of God.

Now when Daniel came to know that the writing had been signed, he went to his house (in his upper room he had windows open toward Jerusalem) and three times daily he knelt on his knees and prayed and gave thanks before his God, because he had always done so previously. (Daniel 6:10, RecVer)

As one prays, genuine prayer will usher the praying one into the presence of God and will pray towards God’s interest as Daniel does; towards Christ as the good land typified by the holy land, the church as the kingdom of God typified by the holy city, and the church as the house of God typified by the holy temple. So, whatever or whoever one prays for, it must all be directed towards Christ and the church as God’s house and God's kingdom.

Result of Prayer: Genuine prayers will always result in being filled with the all-inclusive riches of Christ typified by the loaves, fish, and egg; the riches of the land, water, and air. These riches are in the Holy Spirit that supplies the praying one richly and fills him to the extend that there will be no room for Satan, demons, evil spirits, and darkness but be filled with life and light to supply and enlighten others.

But what father among you whose son shall ask for a fish will instead of a fish hand him a snake? Or if he shall also ask for an egg will hand him a scorpion? If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father who is from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (Luke 11:11-13, RecVer)

In this way of genuine prayer, God will have a way to fulfill His will on the earth, establish His kingdom on the earth as He taught us to pray. 

You then pray in this way: Our Father who is in the heavens, Your name be sanctified; Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth. (Matthew 6:9-10, RecVer)

Lord, grace us to set time to pray everyday. Lord, teach us to pray Your prayer everyday. Amen.