Tag: Jesus prayed

Posted in PRAYER, Uplifting Christ

4 Things that can Keep you from Praying (3 min read)

Posted on by Uplifting Christ

20121127-085653.jpgThe prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. (James 5:16, MSG)

Prayer is your powerful weapon in this world. Remember when the Church prayed for Peter in Acts 12, God sent an angel to release him from prison. And throughout the history of the earth, there are stories about how prayer made impossible things and/or situations possible. 

Your prayer is something powerful to be reckoned with that is why you should never allow the enemy to keep your mouth shut in any day.

When we take a close look at Jesus’ life, Mark 1:35 says that “Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left [the house], and went out to a secluded place, and was praying there.” emphasis added.  In Luke 5:16, “Jesus often went away to other places to be alone so that he could pray.” (emphasis added) and in Luke 6:12, “A few days later, Jesus went out to a mountain to pray. He stayed there all night praying to God” (emphasis added)

In sum, Jesus would go to pray, away from home, early morning, and he would often go away to other places to be alone so that he could pray, and sometimes he went to the mountain to pray all night to God. This was His lifestyle and as His chosen ones, we are to emulate Him because Prayer connects us to God the Father. It enriches our relationship with the Holy Spirit and it also connects us to the realm of the Supernatural.

I have identified four things that the enemy can use to keep you  from praying. Sometimes we do not take note of them but they can affect your prayer life and gradually draw you away from God.

  1. Condemnation
  2. Worry and Anxiety
  3. Your Schedule
  4. Unforgivingness
  • condemnation

dsc00627The enemy will condemn you when you go wrong to make you feel like you don’t qualify to come to God. His interest is to keep your mouth shut because he knows that whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe that you have received it, it will be yours. He knows that your earnest prayer has great power and produces wonderful results.

Friend, don’t let the devil keep your mouth shut. Take note of this; I am not encouraging you to sin but if you go wrong or sin, don’t let guilt hinder you from praying. Instead, prayer for forgiveness and ask for grace to continue your race. Remember “a prayerless Christian is powerless Christian”

  • worry and anxiety

dontworry_niv

Worrying about your situation will shift your focus from God. In effect, It will make your problem(s) look bigger and you wouldn’t see the importance of praying to God. Its amazing how some people spend hours worrying about something beyond their control when in actual fact they could have prayed for supernatural turnaround. The enemy will make you worry as he knows it will keep your mouth shut.

Paul said in Philippians 4:6 that don’t worry about anything. Pray to God about everything.

  • Your schedule

In a fast pace world, the enemy will give you perfect excuse(s) for not praying; your schedule. Why don’t you pray? “I am occupied”, “I don’t have time”, “my work takes all my time”, “I have to prepare breakfast, take my kids to school, and get to the office before 8am”, “I am always tired when I get home in the evening”, etc. Don’t let anything come between your Father and you. What shall separate you from the love of God?

Note that when you present your schedule before God, He will give you wisdom to execute your plans and show you how to have a fruitful day.

Proverbs 16:3 (ERV)says “Turn to the Lord for help in everything you do, and you will be successful”

  • Unforgivingness

forgiveness

The enemy is happy when you don’t forgive people who offend you because it hinders you from receiving from God. Make a decision to let go and live in harmony with everyone. Always remember the 70 times 7 rule in your endeavours.

Conclusion:

The enemy’s plan is to keep your mouth shut so that he can cause havoc in your life. Although the enemies may use any of the above to distract you, there are remedies; Don’t stay in sin, don’t worry, turn to God for help in everything you do, and always remember the 70 times 7 rule when people offend you. Have a blissful prayer life

Posted in DIVINE PROTECTION, PRAYER

Intercessory Prayer works

Posted on by Uplifting Christ

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. (John 10:10, NLT).

(See also 1 Peter 5:8)

Satan isn’t omnipresent so he works with his demons. These guys are responsible for all the evils we see in our cities, countries, and other parts of the world. 1 John 5:19 says the world around us is under the control of the evil one. The good news for us is Jesus holds us securely and Satan cannot touch us. (1 John 5:18). He will try but he will fail.

One truth you should take note of is when the enemy can’t touch you, he attacks people around you. Remember 1 John 5:19 says the world around us is under the control of the evil one. In other words, people who aren’t in Jesus Christ are under the control of Satan. Some of these people are dearer to our hearts. We love them, we care for them, and we want the best for them. Some of the people around us may also not be strong in the Lord. These are the people Satan will attack because he knows when he attacks them the result will affect us in some way.

Haven’t you realised that he is using our political leaders to make laws that affect Christians all over the world?

Friend, we have power to function in the Name of Jesus. James 5:16 says the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Our prayer in the Name of Jesus is powerful and effective so when we pray for these people, we will get the result(s) we need.

Praying for other people works. In the Bible, Abraham prayed for Lot and his family, Moses prayed for the Children of Israel, Jesus prayed for His disciples, and for those who will believe in His Name, and the church prayed for Peter when he was arrested by Herod.

I want to encourage you not to give up on praying for; that child who has gone astray, that person you want to win for Jesus Christ, your family, friends, political leaders, Christians all over the world who are suffering from various attacks every day, your country, your business, etc.

Satan’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. It is true that he wants some to devour BUT our prayer can stop him from attacking vulnerable people.

Keep praying.

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Posted in PRAYER

FERVENT PRAYER

Posted on by Uplifting Christ

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The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16 NLT)

Nations have trust in their weapons. I saw what Israel did with its weapons about two weeks ago in the Middle East. When it comes to war, one thing a nation could rely on is the weapons it has. But as Christians, the weapons of our warfare are not canal. We do not war with physical weapons. Our number one weapon is Prayer. The devil tempts us everyday. In other words, the least chance he gets, he tempts us. Thus Jesus said Pray that you do not fall into temptation.

Have you reviewed your prayer life lately?

Jesus our High Priest set the pace for us to follow: He was tempted so he told us we would be tempted. He walked in Faith so he encourages us daily to walk in faith. He never worried so he us told in Matthew not to worry about anything. He fasted and prayed, so we must fast and pray. “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” (Luke 18:1 NLT)

I read Luke 22:44 today and I was surprised at what I saw. The Scripture says “He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.” (Luke 22:44 NLT). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, prayed more fervently…that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood? If the Son of God could pray more fervently when he saw what was ahead, what must we do in the day of trouble? What must we do when we are surrounded by enemies? What must we do when we are hit by storms of life? What must we do when the devil steals the joy in our homes, businesses, relationships, etc? I believe we have to pray more fervently.

Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. (James 5:17, 18 NLT)

Be encouraged that Your earnest prayer has great power and produces wonderful results. Therefore Keep asking and it shall be given unto you. Never cease praying.

God bless you

God bless you!