Sunday, August 21, 2011
PRAYER: WHAT CONTENT?
Memorise: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;" (Col 1:9).
Read: Colossians 1:9-11
In John 17:10, the Lord spoke prophetically when He said that He was glorified in His disciples. He could not have been glorified in Peter when he thrice denied Him during His trial. He could not also have been glorified in His apostles when after His death and burial, every man returned to their tents and former businesses. He was also not glorified in them when they could not declare Jesus out of fear of being persecuted by the Jews. Does that mean that the prayer of Jesus for the leaders He raised was unanswered? No! This simply reveals the nature of prayer in the life of the one being prayed for; prayer goes into the future of those being prayed for to prepare the way for them. When you pray for your leaders, even in the midst of several weaknesses, one way or another, God will make them fit in response to your prayers. In this regard, prayer is an investment. If you can invest prayers into your children, you can help to give shape to their destiny. Do you have uncontrollable children or wards? Do not give up on them! Invest in turning their lives around through prayers. Do you have difficult members or ministers? Pray consistently for them.
Apart from the Lord, another Bible character who invested so much in praying for his converts and ministers was Paul. In his epistle to the Ephesians, he plainly told them that apart from thanking God on their behalf, he regularly prayed about their spiritual growth until they were rooted and grounded in love (Eph 1:16-19; 3:14-19). In the same way, Paul prayed regularly for the Colossian Church to increase in the knowledge of God (Col 1:9-11). Although he was concerned about their material prosperity, the greater focus was on spiritual prosperity. The quality of your prayer can be determined by the spiritual content. When you pray for your leaders or subordinates, what are the contents of your prayers? If you assess the content of some prayers, they are not in conformity with God's will, Word, and the destiny of the one being prayed for. If you want spiritual transformation of your leaders, converts or members, pray God's Word contained in the Pauline epistles into their lives. After a period of doing this, you will see a difference in their lives. You can shape and reshape the lives of many through your prayers.
Prayer Points:
How much time do you invest in praying for your loved ones? Pray that all our elders will be more fruitful for the Kingdom as they prepare to meet with the Lord.
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