The power of prayer is often underestimated. Throughout the years, prayer has become neglected in the lives of many Christians. Why prayer has become neglected? If something isn’t exciting and challenging enough, but boring, and dull, and when the desired goals are not achieved, it is neglected and pushed aside. Prayer is often considered as boring, just like reading and studying the Bible; the Word of God. Praying is not interesting enough and above all, it makes people sleepy. As soon as they try to pray, their minds wander, and various thoughts about their everyday life take over and draw their attention away from God. Many Christians are not able to concentrate and find it hard to spend time in prayer. After 5 minutes, they have discussed their matters with the Father and don’t know what to say anymore. They become sleepy and yield to the weariness and will of their flesh. Because the flesh can’t pray and doesn’t want to pray, because prayer doesn’t feed the flesh, but the spirit. That’s why people often postpone their prayers or don’t pray at all. But what does the Bible say about the power of prayer?
The commandment to pray
There are preachers, who say that you don’t have to set time apart and make time to pray because you talk with God the whole day. But by preaching this message, which is nowhere found in the Bible, the power of prayer is neglected and Christians become passive and lukewarm toward prayer.
Of course, you are continuously in a union and connected with Jesus and the Father through the Holy Spirit, and you communicate with Them. Jesus was also continuously in communion with the Father. But….. Jesus withdrew Himself to spend time alone with the Father in prayer.
If Jesus withdrew Himself to be alone with the Father in prayer, how much more should we follow Jesus’ example and also withdraw ourselves to spend time with the Father in prayer? Besides that, in Matthew 6:6-8, Jesus has also given us the commandment to pray.
The power of prayer and the importance of prayer is often underestimated. Why is the power of prayer underestimated? Because not all preachers and leaders of the church are born again and walk after the flesh.
Many preachers are unspiritual and don’t see the need and importance of prayer. Because of the fact, that they don’t see the need and importance of prayer, they don’t speak about it and don’t emphasize its importance among Christians.
Due to the fact, that many preachers and leaders of churches don’t emphasize the importance of prayer and let it be, the believers don’t consider prayer important and essential and let it be.
But the foundation of faith is, besides knowing the Word, prayer. Everything comes forth and revolves around prayer! If we know the Word, then we can pray the Word and pray after the will of God, and He shall empower His words.
It’s about time, that Christians find out the value, importance, and necessity of prayer and wake up and step into the spiritual battle. So that, His will shall be done on earth as it is in Heaven and that His Kingdom shall come on this earth.
The state of the world is due to a lack of prayer
All the sorrow, misery, and chaos in the world today, the increase of wickedness, ungodliness, and apostasy is for a large part due to a poor and defective prayer life of the church; the believers. Throughout the years the church has dropped the ball. The devil has succeeded in misleading the church and caused the believers to leave the path of righteousness and enter the carnal path of the world. The devil caused them to be focused on themselves; their flesh, material prosperity, and worldly matters. Many believers spend more time on the things of this world than on the things of the Kingdom of God.
Prayer meetings are not very popular among believers and therefore don’t draw many believers. No, people would rather sing songs, be entertained, and have a good time. That’s why in many churches the prayer meetings have been replaced by worship and praise gatherings. Because people love to sing and praise the Lord because it makes them happy.
The leaders of the church emphasize the importance of praise and worship and make the believers think that there is power in the singing of songs, whereby most songs are about the (hard) life, troubles, and sorrows of the believers and therefore the believers have become the center of the songs. But this is again a lie of the devil, that many leaders of churches and believers believe.
The scripture that is often cited, to emphasize the singing of songs is the part where Paul and Silas were bound in prison and while they sang songs to the Lord there came a big earthquake and the chains fell off, the doors opened and they escaped. But they don’t read and emphasize the first part, where it says:
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them (Acts 16:25)
Unfortunately, the part where they were praying is not emphasized nor discussed.
Singing believers are not a threat to the kingdom of the devil, and that’s why the devil has nothing to fear for singing Christians. The devil just smiles and laughs and thinks: “Let them sing and gather together, be social, and enjoy themselves.”
It’s no wonder, that praise and worship gatherings and concerts don’t experience any spiritual resistance and are not spiritually attacked the way prayer meetings are being spiritually attacked.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much
No, the devil fears Christians, who truly believe and know the Word and confess the Word. And what the devil fears most is a praying Christian, who prays after the Spirit. Because a soulish carnal Christian, who prays after the flesh, isn’t considered a threat. That’s because carnal Christians are focused on themselves and their surroundings and on building their kingdom.
The devil fears a praying Christian, who is seated in Christ and prays out of Him; the Word after the Spirit. That’s a danger to his kingdom, and that’s why the devil puts effort to eliminate the person and silence the person. How does the devil eliminate and silence a person? By distractions and keeping the person busy and focused on worldly matters so that the person doesn’t have time for prayer.
As soon as someone decides to pray, the devil shall cast hindrances and distractions on the believer’s path. The devil lets a phone ring or lets someone send a text message, someone rings at the door, a family member asks for attention or is in need, etc. The devil shall do anything to interrupt and disturb a praying believer.
The devil works among others in the soul and that’s why the devil shall cast various carnal thoughts in the mind of the believer, which ensures that the believer postpones or cancels his/her prayer time.
When a believer starts to pray, the devil shall again cast thoughts in the mind of the person, which will make the person wander, so that the person will have a hard time concentrating on prayer.
During prayer, the devil shall try to bring the person from the spirit to the flesh, by entering carnal thoughts in the mind of the believer that are focused on carnal issues and the prosperity of the person him/herself.
The devil shall provide false revelations and promises, that are all focused upon the prosperity of the person. Yes, the devil shall do his best to make the believer focus upon his/her own kingdom so that the praying believer will leave his kingdom alone, and the devil can continue, without the disruptions of the praying believer and expand his kingdom.
When a person experiences these things, then the devil still has power in the life of the person and still controls the person.
It’s, therefore, time to wake up. So that Christians become spiritually awake and see what the devil is doing in this world. It’s about time, that the sons and daughters of God become active and together with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit establish the Kingdom of God on this earth and battle against sin and death, and destroy the works of the darkness.
How did Jesus overcome the devil; His enemy and adversary?
Did Jesus overcome the devil in the wilderness by singing songs to the Lord? When Jesus prepared Himself to fulfill the great work of redemption for mankind, did Jesus sing songs in the garden of Gethsemane? No! Jesus overcame and defeated the devil with the Word of God. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus overcame and defeated His enemy; fear through prayer.
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder (Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32)
Jesus accomplished His work through prayer
Jesus spent a lot of time with His Father. Jesus often withdrew Himself to a quiet place to spend time alone with the Father. That’s why Jesus was able to accomplish the work of God and fulfill God’s plan for His life.
And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone (Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46)
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed (Mark 1:35)
And He withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed (Luke 5:16)
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God (Luke 6:12)
And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? (Luke 9:18)
And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, He took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray (Lu 9:28)
Jesus shared everything with His Father, instead of people, because Jesus knew what was in the old man (John 2:24). That’s why Jesus didn’t rely upon people and didn’t put His trust in people and commit to them. But Jesus relied on His Father and put His trust in Him, and was committed to Him.
Because of His prayer life, Jesus could endure all the hatred and persecution of men. Even when all His disciples, whom Jesus called friends, left Jesus, Jesus wasn’t intimidated and continued His work.
During His life in the flesh, Jesus had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he was a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him (Hebrews 5:7-9)
Through prayer, Jesus was able to accomplish His work and exalted and glorified the Father.
Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again (John 12:27-28)
A lack of prayer causes apostasy
When Jesus went to Mount Olive to pray, Jesus commanded His disciples, who were still the old creation, to pray, so that they would not enter a place of testing where a solicitation to do evil may be the occasion, which would lead to an act of sin.
And when He was at the place, He said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. (Luke 22:40)
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41, Mark 14:38, Luke 22:46)
Unfortunately, their flesh couldn’t pray and that’s why they were weak and fell asleep.
Jesus persevered in prayer and through prayer, Jesus overcame the fear in His soul and could stand and fulfill the will of God and His work on this earth. But the disciples couldn’t pray, let alone persevere in prayer.
And because of the fact, that they couldn’t persevere in prayer, they became a victim of the devil; the adversary and they were not able to stand. They left Jesus and denied Jesus.
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:36)
And that shall also occur at the end of the last days when the pressure of the world will increase, and many Christians succumb and leave Jesus; the Word and deny Him.
Actually, this already happens. Because when Christians become disobedient to the Word and leave the Word, by taking over the viewpoint and opinion of the world and allowing and tolerating sin, Christians already succumbed to the pressure of the world and have left Jesus; the Word, and denied Him.
Therefore, it’s important to stay awake and watch, and pray, so that you will not be tempted and misled by the lies of the devil, but be able to discern the lies of the devil and stay obedient and loyal to the Word, and be His witness (Read also: How doctrines of devils are killing the church?).
The power of prayer
Every Christian needs to pray and persevere in prayer. The time will only come once, and that’s why it’s important how you spend your time. Don’t be focused on the temporary things of this world. But be focused upon the eternal things of the Kingdom of God and establish the Kingdom of God on this earth, and reveal and destroy the works of the darkness.
You are seated in Jesus Christ and that’s why you have been given access and boldness to come before the throne of the Father and pray to the Father directly.
Don’t believe anyone, who says that you don’t have to pray and that prayer is irrelevant or doesn’t work. Let no one make you believe, that you can’t accomplish anything through prayer. Because these are lies of the devil.
Jesus says, that you should withdraw yourself and pray in secret to the Father. Jesus knows, how important it is to pray and that you can’t stay awake and watch, and can’t stand during the hatred and persecution of the world without prayer (Read also: The secret prayer life of the believer).
Believe, that no word, that comes forth from the Spirit and out of your mouth shall return void, but shall do and accomplish what it must do. Perseverance is essential. Sometimes things don’t happen that fast, but keep standing and persevere in prayer and not give up! The Word says, that we should pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). When you plant a seed in the soil, you will not find a tree with fruits the next day. Therefore be patient, and persevere.
Pray for the leaders of the church and country. Pray for your fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Pray, that the will of God shall be done on this earth and that His Kingdom shall come on this earth, as it is in Heaven.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
