Faith Capsule: The word of God energizes prayer session.
Matthew 7:7-12, Luke 18:1-8
Prayer works but it is work. With God, prayer can never be too much but it has to be with understanding. The Bible pointed out how Jesus often withdraws to all night prayer by Himself. Are you living a prayer-less life? Regardless of how long one has been getting away in life without prayer, it will only take one day for the consequence of a prayer-less life to catch with one. Ignore your title and position make prayer a constant engagement. There is no excuse that is enough to be excused from praying.
Jesus admonished us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) Prayer demands conscious engagement. Prayer that is prayed with understanding is undeniable. The assurance of getting answer to our prayer is confirmed in Jesus’ statement in Matthew 7:9-11, “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Are you still in doubt if prayer will work for you? God cannot lie and He does not waste word. Prayer works.
How we keep our heart helps to persevere and wait for answer to our prayer. The word encourages us to pray and not lose heart just as mentioned in the Parable of the Persistent widow. (Luke 18:1-8) Prayer is calling on God. We serve God that answers. He is the same yesterday and forever. David testified about calling on God, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” (2 Samuel 22:4) A believer’s failure to call on God when there is a need to call on God is the evidence of excusing God from extending His deliverance and preservation. Apostle Paul, a giant in the hand of God knows better not to excuse God from his life when he stated, “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly Kingdom. To Him is glory forever and ever, Amen!”(2 Timothy 4:18) How do you call Him? He has so many names and no other god shares His name because He alone is the great God, gracious and merciful. He alone is the Living God; look up to God and in your payer God shall not fail to answer. A good perfect God is the God we are calling on.
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be consistent in calling on Him alone.