13 reasons why you should pray
- It is a sign of an active spiritual life:
“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.” (Mathew chapter 26 verses 36)
Remember that Jesus is not only our saviour and redeemer, He is also our role model. Prayer was the life style Jesus exhibited all through His time on earth which enabled Him to effectively and efficiently fulfill His course for the redemption of the earth. Praying is a spiritual exercise and it activates your spiritual life.
- It is one’s obedience to God:
“If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.” (Job chapter 36 verses 11)
One of the ways to show one’s obedience to God is developing and having a life of prayer. God wants a constant communication with Him. He created us in His image after His likeness so that there will be a cordial relationship between Him and mankind. Since communication is very vital and one of tools to sustain a relationship, prayer is a communication with God which can sustain our relationship with God.
- Pray is a lifestyle of a believer:
“Pray without ceasing.” (1Thessalonian chapter 5 verses 17)
As no one can live for long without food so it is with a believer, he or she cannot live a successful Christian victorious life without having a prayer life. Anyone who does not have a prayer life is a casualty to the issue of life. No Christian can survive it in this present time who does not have a prayer life.
- It is to bring down the Will of God:
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Mathew chapter 6 verses 10)
It is in the place of prayer we are able to access and know the mind of God. There is no way one can defend the mind of God who is not a person of prayer. Prayer is the only way we approach God and also be able to decode what is His Will at the moment. You can’t have a better understanding of what God is about to do in this moment who is not a person has a genuine communication with God.
- It is for spiritual warfare:
10 – “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 – Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 – For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 to 12)
There is a personal devil that strives all day long to stop one. If one did not pray, the devil will take advantage of that and constantly strike. When one understands what he or she is facing, he or she will pray more. There is a day the devil will come to check out an individual. Men are not individual’s problem but the devil.
- There is an evil day:
13 – “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 – Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 – And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 – Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 – And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians chapter 6 verses 13 to 18)
It is through prayer to you take control of the evil day. There are times when darkness will want to invade and cause people to walk in deep darkness. It is in the place of prayer that one deploys more light to chase away darkness. When there is no light, darkness seems to be in control but when the light of prayer shows up, darkness does not comprehend it and it disappears. Do not be deceived there are days when all an individual can do is to pray as though everything ends in prayer. At that moment prayer is the only option.
- For effective soul winning:
4 – “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 – For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 – For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2Corinthians chapter 4 verses 4 to 6)
We should know that no soul is free. There is a spirit that possesses anyone you see in the society today. Why some person find it hard to accept the gospel is because of what they are possessed with. In such case, we need the intervention of God through prayer to be able to cause such soul to yield to the gospel.
- To bind the strong man and put an end to his evil deed.
“No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.” (Mark chapter 3 verses 27)
God said vengeance is mine. The only way one can effectively deploy God into the scene is by prayer. When you see people not living the true life God has designed for them, it is the strong man that has intruded. In most cases it is an individual that gave him the legal right to start manipulating their lives. It takes effective prayer to be able to destroy the works of the devil by binding him and to destroy his works in a person’s life.
- To call God into the scene:
13 – “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14 – The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” (Exodus chapter 14 verses 13 to 14)
Prayer is a means of communicating with God. If one fails to communicate with his or her Father, how then will he or she be able to bring God into the scene. There is when the battle of life seems to be beyond the natural and at that moment one needs to deploy the supernatural. One’s greatest wish is to make sure he or she has God by his side on the day the battle of life will be tough. There are battles of life no matter how one tries to fight, he or she cannot prevail with the arm of flesh.
- There is an enemy:
“Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.” (Psalms chapter 3 verses 7)
There is an enemy somewhere planning evil against us. We as human can only be at a place at a particular time. It is only God Almighty that is omnipresent and omniscient. In the place of prayer the angels of God can be deployed to scatter all the works of the enemy against us. No genuine Christian can afford not to pray.
- To take charge of the day:
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms chapter 118 verses 24)
“Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;” (Job chapter 38 verses 12)
The bible made it clear that when men are asleep, the enemy can and sow tares. It is in the place of prayer that one will be able to uproot whatever the enemy must have sown all through the night. It is in the place of prayer one takes charge of the day by uttering it.
- Abundance provision and protection:
13 – “For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
14 – This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
15 – I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.” (Psalms chapter 132 verses 13 to 15)
One should realise that prayer is taking God’s Word back to Him. It is in the place of prayer we are able to bring to remembrance God’s promises upon one’s life to Him. God wants us to bring to His remembrance His promises and that can only be done through prayer.
- Making your request known to God:
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians chapter 4 verses 6)
Whatever one’s petition may be, it is in the place of prayer he or she will be able to table it before God. No one should assume that God should know, you have to bring your request to Him with the understanding He is able to handle them. There is nothing too hard for God to do. Anyone who has this understanding should take whatever challenges they are having to God in prayer. And God will surely intervene.
