“They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.” Acts 1:14 (NLT)
Purpose and prayer go hand in hand, if purpose involves being led by God to do His will, what better way to do that than prayer? Today, we’ll consider some of the reasons we need to give ourselves to prayer in regards to the fulfilment of purpose.
Firstly, prayer prepares us to do all that God has asked. We see this in the life of Jesus during His earthly ministry. The Bible records in many instances that Jesus separated himself to pray (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12-13).
At the start of His ministry, just after Jesus was declared to be the Son of God by John the Baptist, the Bible records that He separated himself for 40 days to fast and pray (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13). He did this in further preparation for ministry.
Secondly, in the place of prayer, you receive strength to do the will of God (Isaiah 40:31). Even in the toughest hour, when Jesus despaired over the great sacrifice that He would pay for the salvation of the world, He went to pray! The Bible records that He was strengthened (Luke 22:43-44) . This is one of the most potent results of prayer.
Thirdly, prayer also clarifies the details of the assignment that God has given you. In Acts 13:1-4, God had an assignment for Paul and Barnabas to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and while certain leaders and prophets prayed, the assignment was revealed.
After the Holy Spirit spoke, we see that they still spent some more time praying before sending them off (Acts 13:3). The Bible records that they were led on where to go (Acts 13:4). By prayer, we can receive the what, where, when, who and how of purpose.
Finally, in the place of prayer, your desires and zeal are aligned to the plans and purposes of God. Prayer may also be the most essential step in the preparation season. In Acts 1, Jesus gave an instruction to the disciples on the spread of the Gospel, but first He told them to wait. How did they wait? They prayed (Acts 1:14)!
Prayer is soul maintenance. Don’t make the mistake of neglecting regular and consistent prayer. Jesus kept praying, so should you.
Dear believer, prayer plays an essential role in the fulfilment of purpose, keep on praying!
DO THIS: Spend time praying for yourself, every true minister of the Gospel and for the body of Christ. Pray for strength and direction in the fulfilment of purpose.
Bible Reading Plan: Psalms 71, 94