Mark 1:35, Matt 6:6-13, 1 Thess 5:17, Heb 4:16

Kunle Olabode

Prayer is an act of communication rather than a ritual as some people think. It is not a mechanical torrent of empty words; rather, it is an expression and conversation between man and God. For everyone that believes in God, prayer should be an essential part of our daily activities. The Bible says "very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35). Jesus Christ did not take personal prayer lightly; it was so important for Him to pray to God His father before attending to the needs of the people. No wonder he was able to lead a victorious life which ordinarily would have been impossible without Him communicating with His father.

Also in Matthew 6:6 Jesus said, "when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly". It's unfortunate that many Christians only pray when in the Church or in a group of other believers; such Christians do not realize the importance of personal prayers. Just as it is important that we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour, it is equally vital that we maintain a personal contact with Him everyday, every moment of our lives through personal prayer (Matt 6:6-13).

Important Hints

1. One of the secrets of the successful saints of old is their love for personal prayer - people like Elijah, Elisha, Moses, Stephen, Daniel, and David. These disciples were able to overcome in their days due to their commitment to a life of personal prayer. They were able to do exploits for God both in their secular and spiritual works: Psalms 5:3, 119:147, 55:17; Daniel 6:10, Zechariah 8:21, Luke 2:37, Acts 10:2, I Thess.3:10

2. Personal prayer encourages the development of a relationship with the Lord (Amos 3:3). Saints like Enoch and Moses knew the great blessings of such a relationship with God. Genesis 5:22, Exodus 25:22, 33:7-34, 34:29,35; Psalms 73:28, Matthew 6: 5-8, John1:3, Revelation 3:20.

3. Personal prayer makes public worship more lively, (no wonder in our days church services are becoming so boring and uninteresting due to lack of personal prayers of church members). Personal prayers make Christians alive in the spirit and alert to the things of the spirit. Through personal prayer, believers can build up their faith for the unusual to happen; they are therefore able to subdue depression, nations and kingdoms. It also assists in the process of sanctification and saves us from doctrinal error. Acts 2:42-47, I Kings 19:1-l4, Ps. 42:1-11, Joshua 4:8, Acts 27:1-44, II Cor.4:7-12, Luke 11:13, James 4:8, I John 3:6, Psalms 16:8, Psalms 147:18, Colossians 1:26-27, Hebrews 13:7-9, II John 1:7-8

When And How To Pray

The Bible encourages us to pray at all times - 1 Thess 5:17. Prayer can be made in the morning, noon, evening and night - Ps 5:1-3; 55:16-17. Jesus shows us a typical example of praying in the morning, Mk 1:35. Effective prayers normally have the following criteria:

• It is a private time between a believer and God Matt 14:23
• It should be carried out with a high level of commitment; not distractions by friends, children, phone calls etc, Act 6:4
• It should be fervent Eph. 6:4

There is a power we forfeit due to our lack of commitment to personal prayers. Oh!!! That Christians should have a sense of commitment to personal prayer - life would be so fulfilling, enjoyable and interesting. (Heb 4:16) .............Let us pray.