Prayer — Missing in your life?

Pastor Alvin Armstrong  /  January 12, 2023

Basic Simple things regarding Prayer

I have noticed the decline of the power of God in many churches and people, (even in my own life and ministry), and I know that God is not pleased. So, I plan to do something about it and I trust that if you since the power of god is diminishing in your life, you will as well.

Most people feel as though they do not pray enough, whether they are praying for five minutes or an hour, if emotions and feelings are magnified more than the W.O.G., it will not be unusual to feel terribly inadequate when it comes to prayer and intercession. 

What is PRAYER?

  1. Joining forces with God the Father: God can do nothing in the earth until somebody’s prayers prayer license God to move, and act. 
  2. Fellowshipping with God: Spending time with god caused one to be acquainted and to know him on an intimate basis.
  3. Carrying out God’s Will on Earth: By getting instructions, listening, hearing him. 
  4. Asking the father in Jesus’ name: Write a letter to the father, and sign it in Jesus’s name. 
  5. Communicating with god: The father said for us to “come, let us reason together”. There is togetherness when we pray. We are communing. 

Definition: share one’s intimate thoughts or feelings (someone or something), especially when the exchange is on a spiritual level. The purpose of praying is to communicate with god.

What PRAYER is not:

  1. A recital (when one is just reciting/repeating words, or prayers that someone wrote without having little to no meaning whatsoever.
  2. Not manipulating another man’s will.
  3. Nor trying to control or manipulate God
  4. Is not gauged on feelings, emotions reputation, or your own personal experiences. Our experiences should never supersede the WORD OF GOD. 

What does PRAYER DO?

Depending on the Kind of prayer used:

  • It changes things: (Prayer of Faith)
    (Mar 11:24 KJV) Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
  • (Prayer of Worship and Praise), Stills the avenger and stops the enemy in his tracks, (this is in Psalms ch.8 and 9)
  • It causes the enemy to run away from you and binds the things of god to you.

FASTING?

Fasting is a tool that can be used together with prayer to get things accomplished.

Though there are different ways to fast, some may fast their time, others fast food for physical reasons-cleansing not for discipline the flesh to get closer to God).

Fasting

  1. Does not change God- It changes you.
  2. It locates you, settles you down, and puts you in a place to receive form god.

There are 3-Basic kinds of fasting in the Bible:

  1. A Complete Fast: described in Esther 4:16: a complete fast is abstaining from both food and water. Esther proclaimed a complete fast for three days and nights.
    ***You should never attempt a complete fast if you have any medical complications. 
  2. A Regular General Fast: is when you abstain from only food. You may drink as often as you’d like. Some find it helpful to drink juices. You can maintain a fairly long fast this way.
  3. A Partial Fast or Daniel Fast: Daniel 10:2-3: “At that time I, Daniel mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; this is why Daniel could fast for three weeks—a long time. ***We should not attempt any lengthy fast without some food. 

I want to encourage you to spend time (if you haven’t) in praying. Or, if you have, then to spend more time in fasting and praying. Why? Because prayer is essential to living every day. It is especially necessary to live a Christian life. Without Prayer, you will live a powerless Christian life.