The Potency of Prayer

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are praying in vain. Prayer is not a tool used to circumvent the sovereign will of God, but to perpetuate it. We are called in Romans 12:2 not only to know the will of God, but to move away from the thinking and ways of the world. One of the effective weapons of Satan has been his ability to infiltrate the Christian faith with worldly philosophies. I call this a comingling of the Word and the World and it is totally in direct opposition to God’s will. This carries us into the next phase of our study, “Looking at ourselves”. When our prayer life is unproductive, it calls for introspection, a looking within, and a veracious assessment of where we are and what we are doing. We must search ourselves to find where we have fallen short. In your personal prayer life, are you praying specific and direct prayers, or are your prayers traditional, rehearsed or repetitive, with no true passion? Are your prayers unaccompanied by faith and anticipation; or just left in the air to linger? Have you taken the time to align yourself with the perfect will of God or are you still living by your own rules and standards? Are you living on your own terms, yet arrogantly expecting God to honor your request? It is a shame to see the audacity we display when we place our petitions and supplications at the altar after having shaken our fist in the face of God declaring: “This is my life.” You may reply by proclaiming that you’ve done no such thing; however, each time you choose to move opposite to His will, any time you choose through your own volition to sin, any time you choose your way in neglect of God’s way you have said to God, “I will live my life as I please.” As a creature of free volition, this course of action is of course, your prerogative; however, you must be prepared for the consequences, one of which is a stagnant and ineffective prayer life. We must first align ourselves with the will of God before we approach His throne. When we examine ourselves, are we in line with God’s Word? Can we say with certainty that we are in unison with today’s scriptural text? Lastly, let us look above! Let us first look to God and repent, for God has given us a powerful and mighty weapon in prayer and we have allowed it lie dormant and rust away from nonuse. How can we consider ourselves to be soldiers of the cross, when God has given us this matchless and unparalleled power, yet that power lies still, dormant, and untapped? How Satan must emote with joy knowing that so many of us have failed to utilize this most awesome weapon at our disposal. In reviewing history it is said that the Roman Emperor Constantine saw that on the coins of other emperors before him that their image was struck in an erect posture of triumph. Instead of following suit, he ordered that his image be struck kneeling in prayer, for he said, “This is the way that I have triumphed.” Constantine had an erudite understanding that there is no victory without prayer. We too, must come to this reality. We cannot prosper without prayer; there is no victory aside of prayer.
When we begin to see our prayer life as a privilege instead of a tedious task, it will open a pathway to victory. When we see prayer as a direct line to our power source, we will be able to face the vicissitudes of life without fear and anxiety. When we see the right to approach the throne of grace as an honor and not a burden, we will unleash the power of God into our lives and circumstances. Many of us have been awaiting the movement of God in our situations. We have been searching for peace in the midst of the storm. We have been looking for something in which we can anchor our hopes. 2 Chronicles 7:14 lays out the powerful force of prayer as God speaks to Solomon concerning the temple: “If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (AMP) Let us turn away from the selfishness of our self-centeredness toward God. Let us humble ourselves in His presence; let us seek his face with an anticipation of what’s to come. Let us know that when we seek Him at the point of His perfect and definite will, He will move mightily on our behalf. We will be able to gain ground in this spiritual walk. We will be able to claim the precious promises of God. We will be able to face the struggles of this life with a newfound hope; with renewed purpose and vigor. Through our prayer life, we will be able to embrace the truth that troubles don’t last always. In prayer we will find that we can do all things through Christ. Through prayer we will find that God’s grace is sufficient for every struggle. In prayer we will find that no weapon formed against us will prosper. Though prayer will find the Lord is mighty to save. Through prayer will find that our weapons are not carnal, but mighty in God to the pulling down of strongholds. God is waiting to be gracious to you; He desires to do a new thing. He is prepared to touch every situation, every circumstance, every heartache, and every disappointment. God is ready to reach out and bring healing to every aspect of your life. To those who are suffering in the horrible pit of relational dysfunctionality, God has an answer to your prayer. To those who are burdened with financial strain, God has an answer to your prayer. To those who have been struggling with addiction, God has an answer to your prayer. I invite you to try him. Step out on faith and watch God as he moves through the show up process. We all know what God does when he shows up; He shows out!
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Page 4 and 5: Through His Divine attribute of omn
Page 6 and 7: stagnant prayer life? I believe one
Page 10: Claim your blessing! Walk in triump

The Potency of Prayer

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