Not a Time to Be Silent

Matthew 21:22 says, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."

Now more than ever is it important for Christians around the world to have faith, pray, and seek God. When I look at the world today, it reminds me of the times of the prophets in the Bible. Israel has forgotten who God is, what He has done for them, and to make matters worse, they worship other gods in His place.

Across the world, we have been preoccupied with ourselves and our selfish desires. Its amazing to think that after all God has done throughout human history, we can act as if He doesn’t exist and that He is not worthy of praise.

As in the times of the prophets of the Bible, God could righteously pass His judgment upon us and allow our enemies to invade us and allow us to be overcome by plagues. In some ways, these things have already happened and are still happening. But in my quiet time with the Lord, it is evident that He has not decided to pour out His judgment just yet. Instead, He has heard the prayers of those who have not given up on Him and continue to seek His face. Those prayers are a beautiful aroma and they have held back His judgment. Instead, the prayers of the saints have been lifted up to Him and they will bring about deliverance and the salvation for so many who are lost.

James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” This generation has been called for a special time in history. We are called to repent and sanctify our heart, soul, and mind so that we can intercede with the power of the Holy Spirit. When we pray like this many will be saved and healed.

We are not limited to speaking in the natural. Sure, we can share our faith and bring truth where there are lies but I believe God is calling us now to a different type of prayer-life. He is calling us to blow the shofar and speak into the spiritual world in order to bring about His will on earth as it is in Heaven. When we pray like this, we are able to bring down the principalities of this world who have ruled for so long.

Speak Into Existence

In Genesis 1, the phrase “God said” occurs over ten times. God set the example by speaking to things that were not as if they were and they became. As Christians, we are also called to speak His will into existence. Prayer is just that, praying His will into existence. God knows our prayers but I believe when we pray with our lips, we are fulfilling the call He has place on us to have dominion over this world. Our prayers allow us to do that by praying His will into our world.

Luke 11:9 says, “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Again, Jesus is telling us to pray. When we pray to God and ask for His will to be done in our lives, doors can and will be opened for us!

Before we can speak God’s will into existence, we must search our hearts and see if there is sin we have to addressed. Proverbs 15:29 says, “The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” Secret sin has been a cancer to the church and it has prevented us from coming to God with a clear conscience. God is full of grace and mercy. All we need to do is go to Him and ask for forgiveness. He is always quick to reconcile. Do this today and do not delay.

How We Should Pray

So how should we pray? Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” When we go to God, let us not go to him in an emergency. May we always come to Him with thanksgiving and praise throughout the day. It is in this daily continual fellowship that anxiety and fear diminish as we approach Him in prayer.

Jesus is very instructive in how we should pray. Matthew 6:5-8 says, "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” God does not see things as man does. While a well thought out prayer may be pleasing to the ear, it can be a clanging symbol to the Lord. So, don’t worry if you can pray like a preacher. God sees your heart and will hear you from Heaven.

In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus goes onto say, “Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” These words breakdown the essence of prayer: (1) honor God (2) ask for His kingdom to come on Earth as it is in Heaven (3) ask for His will to be done, not ours (4) provide for us (5) forgive us as we have forgiven and (6) guide and deliver us. What more do we need in a prayer? Now from day-to-day it may be personalized somewhat but these are areas we should go to God with in prayer.

In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus concludes with, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” This is an important reminder to go before God with a clear conscience. How can we ask God for help when we are unwilling to forgive others?

One last thing about how we should pray. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” We should go to God with faith. He loves us and wants to give good things to us. We should pray with an expectation that He will hear and answer our prayers.

Spiritual Warfare

Make no mistake, as a Christian, we will be under constant attack from those in the world and in the spiritual realm. Matthew 18:18-20 says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” As I stated earlier, God spoke things into reality and as Christians, we are called to pray His will into the world. Our prayers allow things to move in the spiritual so we must constantly pray God’s will into the earth. As Christians, we must constantly come together and come into agreement with the things of God.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Since the beginning of time, there has been a constant spiritual battle in the heavens. Together, we partner with God and His angels to fight the demonic. Unfortunately, for many Christians, they do not see it this way and their prayers are limited to prayers that are within their human understanding. As prayer warriors, we must pray for the tearing down of spiritual strongholds. We must also constantly pray against everything that is against God’s Word.

In Hebrews 1:4 says, “Are they not all ministering spirits (angels), sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” As we pray God’s will, His angels who are on assignment go forth and accomplish His will. What an awesome blessing to be a part of what God is doing on earth and in Heaven.

Conclusion

Prayer is not limited to those who are seasoned in the faith. Like our Heavenly Father, we are called to speak (pray) things into existence that are not aligned with His Word. Our words have power to change our environment both in the natural and spiritual. Prayer isn’t selfish. It is constantly seeking to bring about God’s will in our lives and in the lives of others. Most importantly, prayer strengthens our relationship with God. As we partner with Him in prayer, we are able to bring about amazing things.

Don’t worry about technique. God sees and knows your heart. When we come before Him in humility, seeking to bring about His will; He is faithful to forgive and partner with us and bless us.

So don’t be silent! Pray like you have never prayed before! Our world needs it more than ever.