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by Mervyn Morelock, Lt. Colonel –
“The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came. Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory” (R.A. Torrey).
Ephesians 6 tells us that prayer is a great weapon of the soldier of Christ. It is the line of communication with headquarters. It is essential to keep the communication line open, free from interference and from Satanic static. Sin interferes with earth-to-heaven communication.
One of the responses heard when someone has a moral failure or a relapse in his fight over substance abuse is that he stopped praying. I talked to a man the other day. He was broken down and teary eyed. When I asked what happened, he told me that he had stopped praying and the old demons of drugs and alcohol had taken over his life. It happens.
The Scriptures give us clear instruction on how to have victory. “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it…” (Colossians 4:2). “Continuing steadfast in prayer” (Romans 12:12). “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
God wants us to come to him in the intimate communion of prayer.
An article in a book from the School of Biblical Evangelism states:
It has been said that he who is a stranger to prayer will also be a stranger to God’s power. The great missionary Hudson Taylor said, “Prayer Power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see mighty works of Divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, ‘Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know’” (Jeremiah 33:3).
God always answers prayer. Sometimes he says yes; sometimes he says no; and sometimes he says, “Wait for a minute.” And since to the Lord a thousand years is the same as a day (2 Peter 3:8), this could mean a ten-year wait for us! So ask in faith, but rest in peace-filled patience.
When people pray, really pray, they have the calmness and assurance that he is going to answer in his good time. This puts our anxiety at rest.
We also need to understand that sin can keep God from hearing our prayer (Psalm 66:18), and that if we pray with doubt, we will not get an answer (James 1:6,7).
1. We need to pray with faith (Hebrews 11:6)
2. Pray with clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24:3,4)
3. Pray with heartfelt prayer, rather than with vain repetitions (Mathew 6:7)
4. Make sure you are praying to the God revealed in the Scriptures (Exodus 20:3-6)
Alvin J. Vander Griend writes of transforming prayer:
Prayer can move mountains. It can change human hearts, families, neighborhoods, cities and nations. It’s the ultimate source of power because it is, in reality, the power of Almighty God. Prayer can do what political action cannot, what education cannot, what military might cannot, and what planning committee’s cannot. All these are impotent by comparison.
Recently much has been written and said about the National Day of Prayer. Cartoons have been published, legal opinions expressed, debate in the newspapers and on TV about whether the government can or cannot declare a national day of prayer. But the one thing the law and the power of this world cannot do is to stop people from praying…and God from answering!
And we can all be encouraged by the news that the new $100 bill still says, “In God We Trust!”
Prayer changes things, situations…and people!
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