The importance of prayer in the life of a believer cannot be over emphasised. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself urged,

 

 

In my opinion, the Lord???s statement in the scripture above may be read as recognition of the struggles and distractions believers may face when following the counsel to ???pray and not to faint???.  From the bible account of the Lord???s ministry, the priority of prayer occupied on His agenda was clear.

 

Prayer means speaking our heart issues to God. When we pray we are talking to God.  The scripture above reveals God???s heart, which is to speak to His children in return. He wants to ???reveal??? secrets inaccessible to the human mind, and incomprehensible except by divine revelation. When communicating to one another, the natural expectation would be to receive a response.  Similarly, when we pray we ought to approach the Lord with expectation for answers. Our expectation must be borne out of relationship and communion with the Lord as Father.

 

There is no wrong or right way to pray, no style is mentioned in the bible except the case of hypocrisy practiced by the Pharisees.  Many believers today ask of how they may pray to God.  Perhaps the question may be re-worded to ???How do I talk with God????  Naturally; we all know what to say to God when difficulties occur and needs arise.  In times of adversity believers generally know what to do when it comes to prayer and praying.  Sadly, the attitudes of some change when answer to prayer is received.  As a prayer facilitator, I come in contact with these kinds of Christians regularly.  I found teaching these people to pray by giving them scriptures and in some cases written up prayer declarations gets them started but then maturing a believer from the stage of seeking prayer from every ???anointed??? Minister into one who stands on the word of God for themselves in relationship with Lord who is the Word is an absolute necessity.  At this stage of maturity, the believer???s prayer life must become totally inspired and led by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth who then illuminates the word, revealing the heart of God for insight.  God???s heart poured out into our hearts may be received through one-off thoughts making you wonder whether you are hearing ???other voices???; the decisions made after praying, or even in practical actions after prayer.

 

The relationship God desires with His children is beautifully laid out in the book of Jeremiah.  God said,

 

 

God???s heart is a storehouse for His divine plans (Jeremiah 29:13). His plans are unchangeable and settled (established) in heaven.  He reveals His plans to those who fear him (Psalm 25:14).  We must desire revelation of His unchangeable, irrefutable plans (Malachi 3:6) every time we commune with Him.

 

Our prayers become strategic (i.e. focused at accomplishing divine mission) when we pray with divine insight. Revelation received from the Holy Spirit become powerful spiritual weapons arming believers with the necessary strategy to advance the Kingdom.  Expectation of Kingdom authority must be channelled and targeted for Kingdom advancement.  Divine authority is given to believers to overcome the evil one and to establish God???s kingdom  (James 5:16).   Praying with benefit of divine insight releases faith and authority.  When a believer prays with insight, devils fret and heaven celebrates.  The chances of ???missing the mark??? (the heart of God) are non-existent when the Holy Spirit leads.  The believer knows exactly what to pray, how to pray, and when to pray.

 

Prayer not founded on the word of God compromises relevant authority, becoming open then to challenges from the devil. The devil is a liar and accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12).  Issues of spiritual authority are familiar to the devil that successfully challenged the authority of the seven sons of Sceva. The devil knew the men involved were cloning another???s anointing so the only way to stop them was through challenge to the cloned anointing. He knew they lacked revelation of the ???times???, that salvation and its benefits including miracles, signs and wonders were available to all who received the Kingdom of God (Luke 4).  The more we cultivate and nurture precious relationship with the Lord, He entrusts us with the secrets of His heart (Psalm 24:14).  The bible makes it clear ???The secret things belong to God??? (Deuteronomy 29:29).  In our world of competing interests it is important for believers must push through all distractions and get into the habit of praying with insight.  This practice will not come without a price.  The price requirement would be to ???die to flesh??? overcoming the pleasures of the world to make time for the Lord in our busy schedules.   Paul said ??? For me to live is Christ, and to die is to gain??? (Philippians 1:21).  He also went on to say ??? I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

 

Close friends and confidante???s trust one another with secrets.  This rule applies in our relationship with the Lord (Psalm 24:14).  As said, God???s word holds secrets that are war plans. An army engaging in war without strategy is likely to fall into disarray. There is an urgent call to the body of Christ to turn to God in prayer.  So long as we have an enemy called Lucifer, spiritual wars will continue.  But, for those who understand their covenant rights, every challenge becomes an exciting time; an opportunity to establish God???s Kingdom authority.  God???s Kingdom authority is established when believers apply the word of God in real life situations to attain the results the world professes.  For instance; a problem in your life will remain a problem until as a believer, you seek God???s heart revealed in His word on how to deal with such a situation.  Many believers pray endlessly for financial breakthrough and then get disappointed when their circumstances do not change or in some cases grows worse.  I challenged my church members recently to examine their ways (Haggai 1).  Many believers go off to the banks, mortgage and other lenders to borrow.  So many owe huge amounts on unsettled credit card and store cards.  I believe a borrower must pay back at agreed time for settlement.  The general attitude of Christians is to turn around and blame the devil for the money borrowed, binding the spirit of poverty and so on forgetting the ???devil??? and his spirits were minding their our business when you visited to ask for money.  The promise of God is that His children will lend to many nations but not borrow (Deuteronomy 28:12).  I do not believe the promise to lend relates to finances alone if one remembers that the world is in an information and other technology advancement.  It would be fair and sensible to assume you we could also be equipped by the Lord so we become exporters of knowledge, expertise, technology and other areas.  Applying this scripture in your prayer life and then praying with insight; praying that your supernatural abilities will be released to nations is bound to bring revelation into our lives.    

 

Many prophetic voices have prophesied 2005 as a year of responsibility signified by the number 5, a year of maturity, testing of focus and a year that would see faithful believers established and rooted firmly in the promises of God.  Prophecy remains dormant unless after weighing and testing; you take up the message, praying until what God says will happen come to pass.  God???s grace enables believers in Christ carry out responsibilities in their spheres of influence (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15-20).

 

The Lord also revealed 2005 to me as a year for divine perfection signified by Number 10.  The implication is exciting for every believer in Christ in that He will perfect everything concerning you, enabling you take up your responsibilities from 2005 onwards.  What this means then is that the Lord will reveal issues in your life that need to be put right your Christian journey is free of long-standing problems, habits and other deep-rooted matters. As issues may revolve around important aspects of the prophecy for 2005 I am giving my time to disseminate is ???divine perfection???.  God???s plan is to divinely perfect the body of Christ, to bring deliverance from hidden sin, and past sins that challenge advancement.  For instance generational line curses and covenants must be broken over the lives of believers.

 

These are negative influences that have been allowed to run in families for so long now forming set patterns.  When dealing with disputes in commercial law cases where there are no agreed terms covering the matter at hand, that is referred to as ???established trade practices???.  In order to establish a pattern, the Law is subsequently applied.  The aim of the law is to honour or dishonour the matter at hand.  So for instance if a contract between a person and a dry-cleaning company does not cover damage to buttons.  In determining the cause; a judge may draw influence from an established practice in the dry cleaning industry for dealing with damage to clothing.  Also in landlord and tenant matter, disputes over notice periods may be determined through ???established??? pattern of rent payment.  So for instance if a tenant paid rent monthly, then in the absence of an express agreement, one month???s notice in writing will suffice as meeting statutory requirement if the notice is quit.  It is vital we understand established routes and patterns in the natural as well as the spirit in order for us to pray strategically.  God???s word establishes the pathway of a believer???s destiny whilst the devil establishes pathways through which he launches demonic attacks to prevent you from believing God???s ???established??? promises that will ???establish??? you in your purpose.  The devil???s entry point into man???s life was gained through a subtle question ???Has God said???? (Genesis 2).

 

Many have struggled in their walk with Christ. Some of the struggles faced by believers are down to curses that have been allowed through the generational line.  Being a Christian is not enough protection from such curses but a Christian with knowledge and revelation of the cross need not be hindered by family line curses.  They become the axe with which such curses are broken.

 

With the state of affairs in our world today confirming to the end of the ages my overall conclusion would be Christian soldiers must be prepared to take up their divine responsibilities to fulfil the corporate commission of the church to disciple the nations.  The prayer call is to the worldwide body of Christ.  The call is to ???cry out to the Lord???.  In Jeremiah 33 verse 3, God urged Jeremiah to ???cry out??? to Him for revelation, for insight.  The Hebrew word (qara) for ???call??? in this scripture describes crying out so loud as in an attempt to attract someone???s attention.  The body of Christ is being urged to cry out so loud as to attract God???s attention; and to plead mercy for nations (Exodus 3).

 

Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus ???that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His calling??? (Ephesians 1:17-18).  Believers in Ephesus could only come into their position in Christ, knowing who they are and the purposes of God for their lives with divine insight (they lived amongst idols).

 

Generally when a believer prays, he does so with the hope that answers would come from heaven (Revelation 8:5-8). 

Christians today cannot with confidence claim to be living the ???breakthrough??? lives pre-ordained by God. Are we condemned sinners or are we simply laid back, lazy sojourners?

 

During a recent mission trip to Southern region of Africa in 2003, my team and I experienced the most bizarre spiritual challenges. Depending on the Holy Spirit???s leading and revelation was crucial to our making it out of the region alive. Swaziland known for high level occult and witchcraft became an anti-climax as we learned to pray at a level beyond our natural ability. Pastors in Swaziland told of many great men of God (such as Reinhardt Bonnke) who allegedly cancelled crusades due to high levels of witchcraft and other demonic activities in the land.  This revealed the urgency to pray through a simple message.

 

 

 

 

 

My understanding of this message is that, ???the Lord is calling on Christians in Britain to get in the habit of praying much more than we are doing at present???.  However, this call to prayer must to be read as a global call.  Although the word above was targeted at Britain, as messengers the Lord would commission and us to particular areas with His word.  When this happens, such words may not be exclusive to the area addressed.  The obligation of a messenger is to deliver the word to those within his mandate.  Other messengers are in like manner commissioned to other groups around the world with the same exact message, so that in every season and time; God has no favourites, giving all men equal opportunity to receive and know Him personally and to be saved.  

 

 

 

 

Prophetic prayers achieve intended results.  This type of prayer is backed up by the Holy Spirit???s enabling power.  The church in Britain for instance must initiate true repentance of the ???conquering, domineering and empire building??? spirits with which the enemy sought to subvert the Lord???s destiny for Britain as she conquered nation after nation. The Lord raised Britain as a light to the gentiles, to share the love of Jesus abroad but somewhere down the line, I believe the cause became perverted, as the colonial masters seemed to rob these nations of natural and human resources. In many parts of the world nations were divided down the middle on basis of religion with Moslems empowered by the colonial masters.

 

 

The spread of Islam in Europe and other continents must be studied in the light of the actions of the colonial masters.  Intercessory prayer networks have been at the forefront of identificational repentance for the sins of the fathers but now the rest of the body of Christ must catch up, understand the issues and pray with insight.  The body of Christ in Australia for instance must keep praying into the issue of the Aborigines and in South Africa the sin of apartheid.  Curses on the land are not broken in one conference or a weekly prayer meeting. We pray for deliverance and then pray for grace to stand as stewards of the land.  True repentance, sincere renunciation of sin; and good stewardship plans, breaks curses at ???entry point???.  The time for returning children of the Commonwealth nations of former British Empire must now be embraced in the heart by the church in Britain.  For complete deliverance, Jesus shed His blood, translating us from slaves to son ship.  Britain needs to embrace former slave nations, as ???Sons??? for complete deliverance to take place.  The devil lacks intelligence and creativity often operating through established spiritual pathways. So for instance, he would accuse the righteousness of Christ in a generation by the sin of a past generation. Without insight the coming generations may become vicariously bound by sins they did not know of nor did they commit.

 

 

 

 

Our part as prophetic people is to demolish these demonic pathways of accusation (by the devil) with apostolic intercession, strategic level spiritual warfare and most importantly worship. Revelatory knowledge needed to engage the nations with their end-time purposes is accessed through prayer, and prayer alone.  Prayer opens doors for research and spiritual mapping then intercessors are better armed with information.  Revisiting the definition of prayer which is ???communication with the Lord; talking to the Lord???, answers the questions many ask regarding the church???s effectiveness. When was the last time you talked with the Lord? 

 

The bible account of Elijah, the Tishbite who successfully challenged spiritual darkness over Israel brought on by Baal worship is familiar to most Christians.

 

Many so readily crave Elijah???s prophetic anointing but not so many are willing to take up his prayer mantle. However it was Elijah???s prayer mantle that the New Testament honoured (James 5:17-18). Elijah engaged in effective, fervent prayers, energised by the Holy Spirit for his beloved nation. As a matter of fact we ought to call out to the Holy Spirit (the spirit of Elijah) for prophetic anointing and unction and not to the man Elijah. He prayed boldly (as man) but it was the Holy Spirit Who inspired his utterance (as God). As a risk taker Elijah laid aside personal insignificance (the Tishbite), ministry titles (Elijah) in order to invite prophetic insight with which he challenged the very root of Israel???s idolatry (Baal was believed to be the god of rain).

 

He was well positioned to receive insight as his declaration reveals, ???As the Lord God of Israel lives before whom I stand??? (1 Kings 17:1).

Unless the body of Christ adopts the practice of praying with insight many in Churches today will continue to experience unanswered prayers (due to praying amiss) or delays to answered prayers will be the confession of many (Daniel 10:12-13).

 

 

 

 ???Restore to me the joy of your salvation??? (Psalm 51). 

 

The joy of our salvation refers to the promises of God in His word. King David a man of worship, recognised life was meaningless without the Lord???s manifest presence. What is the cry of your heart today?

 

The church especially the church in the western world has talked long enough, now is the time for our words to translate into action. We have groped in the dark long enough believing sometimes in our own deception, but now is the time to pray with insight.  Insight received and applied in the natural brings a believer to the point of deliverance.  Deliverance means complete freedom from one form of ignorance or another.  We need greater wisdom on order to serve God???s purpose on earth more effectively.

 

The opportunity has now come to step out of the old dispensation in order to access the new move of the Holy Spirit to see God???s Kingdom established on the earth. We must now pray with insight.   

 

Rev Obii Pax-Harry

July 2005