Prayer XXI

In the first article, I wrote on definitions on prayer, when prayer starts and some of the components of prayer. While in the second article I finished my brief exegesis on components of prayer. The third article is centered on those who should pray. The fourth is on some of the reasons why talk (pray) to our heavenly father. The fifth article is on places of prayer while the sixth and seventh centered on occasions that move men to pray unto God. The eight article is on period (time) that men can pray. The ninth article focuses on how we should be praying. In the tenth article I write on a type of prayer, which is the prayer of thanksgiving.

While in the eleventh article I talked about three types of prayers which are, prayer of praise, prayer of worship and prayer of dedication (consecration). In the twelfth article I have talked about the following types of prayer: prayer of supplication, prayer of agreement, corporate prayer, prayer of commitment and prayer of imprecation. And in the thirteenth article I talked about prayer of vengeance, prayer of restoration, prayer of forgiveness, prayer of repentance and silent prayer. Article fourteen focuses on prayer of binding and loosing. In article fifteen I write on the prayer of contemplation. In the sixteenth article I start writing on the intercessory prayer and capped this up with some of the essentials of this prayer in article seventeen. Articles eighteen and nineteen talk about things to take note of on prayer of faith.

In article twenty, I wrote few things that can hinder the prayer of faith. As I continue with the prayer of faith here, I will talk about some of the rules guiding this prayer then proceed with some other types of prayer.

When we are praying the prayer of faith what is expected of us at the moment is demonstrating total faith in the Lord. Some people it is after they had prayed that they would start demonstrating their faith in the Lord. We should not do that.

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Mat 21:22)

Believing here is written in Greek as “πιστεύω”, romanized form is pisteuō (pronounced as pist-yoo'-o) which means have faith, entrust, put in trust with.

From this definition, we can think about someone who wants to insure his vehicle, if the person gets to the insurance firm and has any reason to doubt or hesitate about the firm would he insure his property with the firm again? I do not think he will. He has trusted the firm immediately; thus, he wants to insure his properties with them.

If a guy proposes to a girl and the girls could not trust the guy, I am sure she would not continue with the relationship. In the case that they have been in relationship, if a spouse has been having reasons not to trust her partner, she would not be able to hand over some of the important things of her life to him again. Again a spouse who is trust worthy but whom his partner has been doubting him, when such partner wants to hand over something important to him the partner may reject it, because abinitio she has not been trusting him why does she now want to entrust something into the hand of someone she has not been trusting all this while?

When we have not trust God from the inception of the prayer, this may be an albatross to him committing himself to doing something on what we have prayed for, because someone who has not trusted him would resort to other means with time, if there is delay in answering the prayer.

Anything short of complete trust to the Lord would not augur well for us, it would set us back and would make God not to value our prayer of faith, because it lacks merit, it lacks absolute trust in God.

We all have inherited spiritual blindness from the first man and the first woman, that is why we cannot see beyond the ordinary most of the times, that is why we cannot do exploits spiritually. People who would do exploits in the world and in the christian faith would be those whose spiritual eyes have been opened, those who can see beyond the ordinary.

God wants us to attain this position because he is a spiritual being and the bible says those who would worship him must do so in spirit and in truth.

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (Joh 4:24)

To now leave the position that the sins of our fore parents have placed us, we need to pray that God open our eyes. This was the kind of prayer prophet Elisha prayed for his subject when the enemies encompassed them around to show the man, servant, that God was always with him because he does what is pleasing unto the Lord always.

“And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17)

Poll 2: Pleasing him: Are you doing what is pleasing unto the Lord always? Yes no

If we are doing what pleases the Lord always, we should know that the angels of God encompass us always. And except our eyes are opened we shall not see them, we may in fact think we are alone, we are ordinary and this comes most of the times when we are being confronted with some difficulties, we would say as the psalmists says that “why hath he forsaken us?”, where as he has neither forsaken us nor forgotten us. (Mt. 3:16; 17:3; Gen. 21:16-20)

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” (Psa. 22:1)

Now as believers we need to pray this kind of prayer always so that our eyes would be opened.

1. To Receive Deeper Insight: It is the person with deeper insight that would continue to lead in the world. When Isaac receive deeper insight into his condition and the position of the country he lives in he becomes exceedingly great in the land. (Gen 26:2-3)

2. To Know We are Not Alone: Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by what is happening around us and in the world that we shall think we are alone. During this time, we are always afraid but when we pray that our eyes be opened we shall not be afraid again and we would say like the Psalmist says, “what time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” (Psa 56:3)

3. To Know Where the Gospel is Being Needed: Sometimes some of us, evangelists sow on unfertile lands based on the fact that the bible has said we should go into all the world to preach the gospel. This again would have happened to apostle Paul too, if not that God opened his eyes to see where the gospel is needed at that period.

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, come over into Macedonia, and help us.” (Acts 16:9)

4. To Know our Assigned Helpers: It has been long that captain Cornelius has been praying unto God, but his prayers have not been expressly answered except that they were stored before God. But when the prayers would be answered his eyes was opened and he was instructed unto who would put him through. (Acts 10)

5. To Receive Fulness of the Spirit: Saul has been miraculously saved by God on his way to Damascus, but he was yet to be full of the spirit and he needs the spirit of God to do the assigned work unto him. His eyes was opened, and he saw that someone prayed for him that he would be filled with the spirit of God (Acts 9:12)

6. To Receive Divine Healing: Sometimes some infirmities transcend the physical and have some spiritual undertone, it is when our eyes are opened that we shall be able to receive healing on these kinds of infirmities. (Acts 9:12)

7. To Know Solution to the World’s Problems: The world as from the ancient times have been in serious problems, but when believers pray this prayer and their eyes are opened, they would know what to do about the world’s problems. (2 King 6:8-15)

8. To Receive Divine Instruction for our Needs: He has promised to supply our needs according to his riches in glory. However, we may continue to suffer if we do not call unto him for instructions on how our needs would be met. (Act 11:28-30; Gen 31:10)

9. Find Comfort for Ourselves: For her malfeasance she was sent away from the house with her son, but they got to a juncture that all that they have on them finished and she was afraid that her son would die, but God intervened as her eyes was opened and she was comforted with her son. (Gen 21:19)

10. To Have Boldness: Prophet Elisha’s servant was damn afraid when the enemies surrounded their abode, because his eyes were not opened but when his master prayed and his eyes were opened he regained his confidence and boldness and could continue with what he was doing without fear. (2 Kin 6:17)

We can see that this type of prayer is essential for our daily activities. In the next article I shall be writing on another type of prayer.