FAITH CAPSULE: Prayer is the key for opening up the doors of heaven.

Hebrews 11
 
Among the different ways that prayer can be described is talking and listening to God. Prayer is an intimate fellowship with God. What prayer requires is faith and to be in right relationship with God. Without faith or right relationship with God, prayer could be like attempting to wash a dirty cloth in dirty water. God will not answer when the relationship is not right; neither would He be pleased when there is no faith. The right relationship starts with asking for forgiveness. Among the different types of prayer are: Interceding, thanking God, praising God, and confessing before God. Above all, if there is anything that will certainly open the windows of heaven, it is prayer. Luke 3:21, “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.” Jesus, in His entire earthly ministry, was showing us how to walk the walk. When Jesus came to be baptized, He took His time to pray, and heaven opened. This is a clear demonstration that prayer is the key for opening up the doors of heaven. It is also clear through the Bible that prayer opens heaven not only at the point of baptism but also at every juncture of life. When heaven opened in response to Jesus’ prayer, different things happened. Luke 3:22, “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ’You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’” Prayer is a heaven-opener. The prayer by Jesus is a testimony to the fact that when a prayer finds the door to heaven, the Holy Spirit, which represents the presence of God, will come down and descend on the one praying. With the Holy Spirit descending, the voice of God will then sound in the direction of the one praying. With the heavens opened, the voice of God will speak direction if the one praying has the ear to hear the voice of God. We need the grace of God to hear His voice when it sounds in our direction. Again, with the heavens opened, Jesus heard the voice from heaven saying to Him, “You are my beloved Son: in You I am well pleased.” Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The voice that sounded as a result of prayer also pointed out that prayer rooted in faith is what pleases God. For without faith God is not pleased. Receive the word, believe the word and behave the word to please God.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God for the grace to be increased at your prayer altar.