31/10/10

Prayer in Christian Life

Daniel 7:13-14
13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.


Daniel along with Job and Noah were considered by the Lord as a very righteous and so they become important examples to us. And looking into their life and testimonies we get a lot to learn.

In today's message we see Daniel got into problem because he prayed to the Lord and not to the king as per the statue passed by the king which stated that no one with bow to any god other than the king.

What we need to look at is the prayer life of Daniel so that we learn from him. Daniel never sat for hours and most of the day to pray. We see he sat 3 times a day before the Lord and those 3 times were not long periods. This we learn because the people had to wait to catch him praying. Had he sat for long hours they could have easily caught him.

If we look at the prayer life of Jesus, He did not sit all time praying. He would often go for short periods to prayer, at times making people wait. There were very rare or important moments of His life wherein He prayed long hours. If one sees His prayers, they were short and powerful. His prayers before any miracle were just simple words but were full of faith. He made either a prayer of declaration or of thanksgiving. There was only once during his weakest moment which was in the Garden of Gethsemane that He made a prayer of request and that too He later canceled it.

Prayers are very important for they help to build us and the Church as a whole. There are different types of prayers; the prayer which is communicating and being in touch with the Lord is not what we should be doing for short periods of a day. We as Christians are suppose to be continually in touch with the Lord and of this Paul also talks of to be ceaselessly.

In the books of Moses via the sacrifices the Lord instructs us the required quantities of the different kinds of prayers, generally and also at different times (both earthly - daily, weekly, monthly and yearly and spiritual - times of difficulties, repentance etc.) as being minimum okay by Him.

Along with praying, God wants us to witness Him by our deeds and our way of living. As we learn and come to know more of God and His Kingdom we will find our prayers short and powerful (that does not mean we will pray less often). Our relationship and communication with Him will improve and will be ceaselessly. Any place and anytime we lift our eyes to Him and He will answer. We will ask less and receive more by just thanking Him. Many things we may not ask but will take authority and rebuke the devourer and human weaknesses because we will know what we have already received but are deprived from.

Be not just a praying Christian, this is not what makes God proud of us. If God has to be proud of us as He was of Daniel, Job and Noah let us be a praying and witnessing Christian; witnessing God not just with bold words but with our lives living in His ways and letting His glory shine through us.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord Jesus, You showed us how to live a perfect righteous Christian life. We also learn for the anointed patriarchs who made attempts to walk your path. Lord Jesus, we received light in our lives through You and this is not for ourselves alone but to let is shine unto others by our deeds and our living. Lord, help us to weight all things good in our life according to measure which pleases You...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripture ]
Ezekiel 14:13-16
13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.
15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:
16 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

Matthew 6:5-8
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Matthew 26:36-44
36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

Luke 6:11-19
11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
12 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.
13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
17 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)