THE DISCIPLINE OF PRAYER

10/7/2024

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find." (Romans 7:18)

The essence of prayer is to produce death; the death  of your flesh. This is why prayer is labour and requires discipline. Prayer almost always begins from a place of  fleshly rebellion. It is the reason why praying may not come to some easily because they haven't learnt to tame their flesh. 

Now, someone might be wondering, "Pastor, what do you mean by the flesh?" The flesh is an all-inclusive word that encapsulates your five senses. It is the part of you that is accustomed to external stimuli and by extension, corruption. In today's theme scripture, Paul describes it as the part of you where nothing good dwells. 

So how do I tame my flesh?  Simple, deny it, often. We are admonished in 1 Corinthians 9:25, "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown." Saints, we are in a competition for the final approval of the Master. What this means is that if we are going to hear these words: Well done, my good and faithful servant, then we are going to have to be temperate in all things. Some days, we are going to have to pray longer than usual, fast longer than usual, stay in the word of God longer than usual and away from pleasures longer than usual. 

And this is not a competition with anyone. It is a competition to outdo your past. If you used to pray for 30 minutes, take it up a notch by 15 minutes. If you often fast from dawn to sunset, go the whole 24 hours. If you have become very drawn to some form of content, wean yourself off it for some days. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 says, Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

Prayer is one key area wherein you subject your flesh. Jesus said in Luke 18:1 "...that men always ought to pray and not lose heart." And then, the Master went on to make comparisons between an unjust judge who granted a woman's petition and God the Righteous Judge saying, "...Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?"

In other words, God is asking you to maintain your discipline of prayer. Many lose heart because they think that God is not interested in granting them  answers, and stop short, at the time when they should be intensifying their efforts to pray and receive  the answers they have desired from God

If there is any guarantee that we have about pressing in continued prayer , Galatians 6:9 says, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." This week, increase the tempo. Join all our prayer calls and intensify your personal time with the Lord, knowing that as you follow hard after Him, His right hand will uphold you. (according to Psalm 63:8)

Have a great day.

Faith-Filled Confession 

I maintain my prayer discipline , knowing that the Lord is my just avenger who will grant my petitions that I pray about until I have a testimony. I am undaunted and undeterred by any external circumstances as yet, knowing that my praying will produce a change. In Jesus' name. Amen.