“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.”
– James 5:17 ESV
Welcome to the 36th week of our devotional recap. This week, we did a copious study on prayer and considered diligence, consistency, fervency and thanksgiving in prayer.
On Monday, we learnt to have a heartfelt devotion towards the will of God. We sharpen our participation in God’s plan for the earth through prayer. Your prayer life must not solely consist of personal requests, but must be replete with prayers that propel the cause of Christ (Luke 2:36-38, 1 Timothy 2:1-4).
On Tuesday, we considered thanksgiving in prayer. Thanksgiving is not an activity to round up a prayer session, rather it is our lifestyle. When we constantly live a life of thanksgiving, we place a premium on God’s power over circumstances that we may be faced with. A perfect example is the multiplying of the five bread and two fishes through thanksgiving. (John 6:5-13)
We then proceeded to learn about what it means to follow Christ. Following Christ entails doing as He did when He was on the earth (Matthew 16:24). Jesus was committed to prayer in and out of season (Luke 5:16). He is our example, and we must have the same attitude to prayer.
On Thursday, we looked at consistency in prayer. Prayer should not be done occasionally, but regularly (Colossians 4:2, Romans 12:12). By doing so, we build intimacy with God. While this may be much of a task, it can be achieved. To do so, you must have the right approach to prayer, create a schedule, do away with distractions and embrace corporate prayer and accountability.
Finally, we learnt diligence in prayer. It is a call to tenacity in prayer. Our walk with God should not only be built on special times of devotion, but a daily commitment towards our walk with Him. Our prayer life must not be built on circumstances. We must press to build a purposeful devotional culture.
God uses men who are readily available to be used. When we spend time in the place of prayer, we build capacity and ready ourselves to be used by God.
Bible Reading Plan:
Luke 23:1-12, Hebrews 8:7-13, Proverbs 25:1-14, Isaiah 37-39