Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1)
I have said it before but I will say it again – it is of no use pretending to have a Quiet time if it does not result in fellowship with God. Yet it is impossible to have quality fellowship with God without prayers. Prayer is the divine means by which we connect to God. It connects our hearts to the heart of the Father and enables us hear what He wants to say to us.
If there is any ingredient that is missing today in many quiet time, it is a quality time of prayer – a time to worship God and converse with Him. I am by no means exonerated from this. If there is one area of my life I need to improve on, it is my prayer life. I don’t believe that I am supposed to spend less than one hour daily in prayer. Jesus did not pay lip service to praying, why should I take it for granted in my own life if Jesus is my model?
Prayer is divine empowerment. It is the channel to a fruitful fellowship with God. The most memorable moments in my life are the times I give to praying and getting things settled with God. It is easier to hear God and know His plans for my life. And the Grace to walk in and do His will comes effortlessly.
In today’s Bible passage, Jesus was shown as an example to us. As I read that passage, the phrase, Now it came to pass, became a center of attraction for me. What came to pass? Jesus had been waiting on the Father concerning His disciples. He had prayed to God the Father that they would become awakened in their spirit man to the necessity and indispensability of prayers in their own lives and ministries. Jesus had been praying for them and he was not tired of praying for them until He sees results. That is the first lesson I see here – we must be ready to pray and keep praying until we pray through on any matter, especially over matters that involve the salvation and advancement of other people.
As usual, Jesus went to his place of prayer. The bible says as He was praying in a certain place. This is the second lesson to learn. If we must have a fruitful prayer life, we must set apart a place of appointment with God. It is called an altar of prayer. While it is true that we can pray at any place, I believe that we all must learn to build prayer altars where we meet with God regularly. By prayer altar, I do not necessarily refer to a mountain, I mean a prayer altar in your own home where you meet God daily, which could be your bedrooms or special prayer rooms. In my own experience, prayer altars works so powerfully, I have received powerful instructions for my own life and walk with God from the prayer altar. And I believe that I need to sincerely become more serious about rebuilding my own prayer altar like Elijah did (1 Kings 18:30-32).
As Jesus was finishing with his prayer, something happened. The Bible says when He ceased, meaning there must be a time to pray and a time to finish praying. The beautiful thing about rounding off a prayer time is that it gives God the opportunity to manifest the answers to our prayers. It is a sign of faith to spend time with God in prayer over a matter and then to have the confidence that He has heard us by bringing the prayer to an end. After Jesus ceased praying, the evidence of his prayer manifested. Bible says when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Let us read that beginning phrase together Now it came to pass, … that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. What came to pass? That last verse gave us a clue to it – one of His disciples had just caught the fire Jesus had been asking His Father to release into the hearts of His disciples. It is the fire of prayer. The desire and hunger to pray had just started to take the disciples over. Jesus knew they would become nothing in God’s kingdom without praying. So He made His priority to pray them into praying. He could not afford the costs of a prayerless team.
One proof of a fruitful prayer time is the answer that comes forth. Nobody likes to pray without an answer. The prophet of Baal prayed but their gods failed them (1 Kings 18:26-29). Many christians are just like that, praying without results. I terminate that flow in your life from henceforth in Jesus Name. Prayer is sweet when we receive answers from God. Jesus prayed and he was barely finishing when the answer came. I pray in the Name of Jesus that everything standing as barriers and stopping your prayers from being answered is destroyed completely.
Jesus enjoyed quality time of prayer, and we all must learn from Him if we are serious about enjoying quality fellowship with God. Whatever it is in your life that has shut the heavens away from acknowledging your prayers, you need to deal with them first. It could be sin, disobedience to God, whatever it is. God is more than willing to help you. Simply ask Him for mercy and make your way right with Him today. Rebuild your altar of prayer and commit yourself to a life of consistent fellowshipping with God. Stay Blessed!
So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention. (1 Kings 18:26-29)
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. (1 Kings 18:30-32)
At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.” Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. (1 Kings 18:36-40)
