Acceptable Prayer
Dr. Valson Abraham
Someone remarked, “A typical prayer meeting in many churches today is little more than an organ recital—a litany of prayers for ailing body organs.”
We spend more time praying to keep dying saints alive than keeping sinners out of hell. If we are to experience supernatural empowering, we must give priority to prayer. Yes, we do need and are exhorted to pray for the sick ,but we should not neglect praying for the salvation of souls and the fulfillment of the Great Commission. The church in Korea is a great example. Most Korean believers get up very early in the morning and pray an hour or more. That prayer is the power behind their church growing and reaching out.
Church history records a common thread to all church growth—prayer that is concerted, focused, and supernatural. The methods and models may vary, but the prayer will be constant. In John 15:7, we read, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you.” In 1 John 3:22, we read, “And whatever we ask, we receive from him because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.” In James 4:2, we read, “You do not have because you do not ask.” There is a critical nature of prayer that can be summarized by two seemingly contrasting verses of scripture: “I can do all things through him that strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13) and “I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). How much can we accomplish through supernatural empowering? The answer is, “All things.” What can be accomplished without supernatural empowering? The answer is, “Nothing.”
It is not that we can achieve a limited amount without prayer, but we can achieve nothing of eternal significance. We see the importance of prayer in the life and ministry of Jesus. We see that reflected in the disciples’ request to Jesus asking him to teach them to pray. The continual activity of the apostles was prayer (Acts 1:14).
Following are some ideas to help increase prayer:
Pray the scripture. When we pray the scriptures, we are praying according to God’s will. God is in the process of re-shaping our thinking and values to become more Christ-like. When we pray scripture, we know he not only hears us, but he also answers us.
Have concerts of prayer. The entire local body of believers, pastors, leaders come together to pray for revival and for the needs of the church, village or city.
Praise God.
• Praise helps us to focus our heart upon God. • Praise removes worry and earthly concerns.
• Praise increases faith. • Praise invades Satan’s territory.
On-site praying. Many teams go to various cities and nations for on-site praying. There have been numerous examples of occultic places, places of violence and pornography and other places of sin that were shut down as a result of believers doing on-site praying.
Spiritual Warfare. According to Ephesians 6, we know our battle is with spiritual powers. Prayer takes back from Satan the territory he has stolen and long held. More is accomplished for the Lord in a short time when this kind of prayer is employed. A good example of prayer and evangelism was John Hyde. As he was leaving by ship to India, a man handed him a letter. He tucked it into his coat pocket and went into his state room. Later, he remembered the letter. He pulled it out and began to read. The friend asked, “Dear John, Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?”
The note angered him so that he crumpled the letter and threw it on the floor. Then he started pacing about. He said to himself, “I dedicated my life to the mission field, graduated from seminary, and I’m on my way to India.” But God used that note to bring conviction to his heart. By the time he reached India, he was a different man from when he left the United States. He spent much time in prayer on his voyage to India. The Holy Spirit fashioned John Hyde into a great prayer warrior, granting him four souls won to Christ every day.
As we pray for community and our nation , let us remember these important truths.
