Friday, June 17thPastor Chris Oyakhilome PhD DSc DD
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone (Matthew 14:23).
Prayer is part of our priestly ministry. The Bible says men ought always to pray and not to give up. The Lord Jesus showed us, with practical examples, the importance and power of prayer. Mark 1:35 MSG tells us, “While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed.” Luke 5:16 says, “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”
Jesus was disciplined with his prayer routine, and we ought to emulate Him. You’re a soldier in God’s army, and the hallmark of a soldier is discipline. Christianity is a call to a life of spiritual discipline. There’s a disciplined prayer life you ought to cultivate, and you can’t leave it out or leave it to chance.
You can’t say, “I’ll pray whenever I feel like”; no! In the army, you don’t do things when or because you feel like; you do things because you have to do them. You stick to the schedule; excuses aren’t tolerated. Scheduled times of prayer must be an integral part of your daily routine. First, you must have a personal prayer schedule. At such times, nothing else should be more important. Discipline yourself and pray; avoid distractions.
Secondly, take your corporate times of prayer seriously, whether you’re participating onsite or online. It’s one of the many benefits of being a member of a local church. Churches have structures, and members of the body of Christ generally belong to a church. Through the church structure, there could be prayer times allotted to different cell groups or even the whole church could be praying together at specific times. Be sure to be a part of it.
I send out notifications for prayer on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for us to pray for 15 minutes at 12 noon and 10pm local time on Kingschat via the PastorChrislive superuser. If you haven’t been praying with us on that platform, sign up and turn on the notifications on your device to join millions around the world in these special times of prayer.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for the privilege to pray and side with you to enforce your will in the earth and in the lives of men. Through prayer, my eyes are open to spiritual realities, and your thoughts are unveiled to my spirit, causing me to walk in ever-increasing glory, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study:
Luke 18:1
“And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”
Romans 8:26-27
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God.”
Ephesians 6:18 AMPC
“Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).”
1-Year Bible Reading Plan:
Acts 7:1-53;
2 Chronicles 29-30
2-Year Bible Reading Plan:
2 Corinthians 5:1-10;
Isaiah 3
