Acts 16:25-26
“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”
INSIGHT
-Prayer in Hebrew is written as Tefilah, which means to beseech, implore, beg, call, or interact with God. Prayer can be viewed in diverse ways but this week will discuss it as a weapon of power. In the recent past, we have read and watched the news about the war-torn Afghan nation which has elicited a lot of emotions. When the war erupted between Taliban and Afghanistan, the sound of guns replaced the honking noise of motor vehicles. Crony capitalists invested heavily in weaponry and have driven most of the Afghan soldiers, the president, ordinary men, women and their children into isolation. Such is the situation that Paul and Silas experienced after they delivered the slave girl from her divination spirit in the course of their evangelism. Tortured and derived of their privacy, Paul and Silas did not put up a physical fight. They did not have swords nor guns but their weapons were prayer and worship. As they suffered for the sake of the gospel, they believed that God would deliver them from prison. They prayed and the foundations of the prison shook, the prison doors were opened and all their chains broke loose. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 reminds us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Prayer shakes every foundation that is not of God and breaks all oppressive chains and barriers. Prayer is a powerful weapon that each one of us should utilize, so that we may obtain victory in the Lord; in all circumstances, for the glory and honor of His name.
PRAYER
We give thanks to You Lord for You are good and Your mercies endures forever. We thank You for You have enabled us to see this day in good health, great is Your faithfulness. May You heal all those who are sick and suffering merciful savior. Journey with us throughout this week and grant us victory in all things, we humbly beseech You our Lord and God. You are our Strength and Shield, Almighty Father, in whom we put all our trust. You are the Lion of Judah, all power and might belongs to You. You delivered Paul, Silas and all other prisoners from prison and broke their chains, break every chain and barriers in our lives, families, churches and nation dear Jesus. Break every chain and bar of iron that causes oppression, delay, captivity and hinders our progress merciful Savior. Save us from all forms of oppression and delay, we humbly ask You. Go before us and level the mountains for us merciful Lord. Do a new thing in our lives dear Master. Demolish every stronghold, argument and high thing that exults itself against Your knowledge dear Jesus. Only You are Holy and worthy to be exulted our Savior. Only You are worthy to be worshipped and praise, hosanna to the Son of David, blessed are You who come in the name of the Lord. Ignite the fire of prayer in our hearts Holy Spirit, that we may pray without loosing hope. All our hope and trust is in You. We pray all this believing and trusting in Jesus mighty name. Amen
Further reading: Isaiah 45:2, Psalms 107:15-16
Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”.
INSIGHT
-Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons God has given us. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray and He taught them “the Lord’s prayer”. It forms the structure of prayer and each person; young and old should memorize. The prayer is precise and more interactive with God our Father. Even though God knows all our needs before we ask Him, we are all encouraged to pray, for He hears us and answers us. The Lord’s prayer encompasses all areas of need and is rooted in a critical spiritual base. It outlines most powerfully the elements of prayer; that is, acknowledgement that we are children of God – “Our Father”, adoration – “Hallowed be Your Name”, consecration – “Your Kingdom Come…Your Will be Done”, supplication – “Give us today our daily bread”, intercession – “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors..”, protection – “Lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil”. The Lord’s Prayer is not the only place where Jesus role-modeled a heart of obedience and submission to the will of God over his own desires and needs. In the Garden of Gethsemane, only hours before Jesus’ crucifixion, he would once again pray, “not my will, but yours be done.” In a world where right and wrong are frequently confused and the future is so uncertain, it can be hard to know how to pray or what to ask for. But the one thing we can know with absolute certainty is that God’s plan for those who love him is good, and the safest place we can be is in the center of His divine will.
PRAYER
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Who forgives all our iniquities. Who heals all our diseases. Who redeems our lives from destruction. Who crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Who satisfies our mouth with good things; so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Thank You Lord because You love us with an incomparable kind of love, we love You Lord. Thank You Father for all things work for the good for those who love You, and have been called according to Your purpose. We praise Your holy name. Grant peace to all the war-torn nations dear Jesus. Grant salvation to all our family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues, leaders, and the whole world, Abba Father, we humbly beseech You. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen
Further reading: Luke 5:16, Romans 8:28
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus invites us to come to Him which is a form of prayer, that we may find rest. Sometimes we face challenges and difficult situations. Other times we are discouraged and disillusioned by life situations. Jesus reveals that if we desire to live Godly lives we will suffer persecution, but we should stand on His word and He will guide us in His wisdom through faith in Him (2 Timothy 3:12-15). When we come to Christ in prayer, we experience His loving, gentle and lowly heart, and He responds to our needs and cares. Isaiah 55:1-2 reveals God’s response to our needs, and calls everyone who thirsts, to come to the waters, everyone who have no money, to come buy and eat. To come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. His gifts are free, and as we have freely received, we are called to freely give (Matthew 10:8). God looks at our sorrowful hearts and comforts us. He looks at our discouraged hearts and strengthens us. He looks at our anxious hearts and heals us. His yoke is easy and His burden is light, and in Him we rest easy. Jesus reminds us to call upon His name and we shall be saved (Romans 10:13). He encourages us to be strong in Him, and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10), and we shall find rest for our souls.
PRAYER
Your burden is light and Your yoke is easy merciful Savior, we submit our lives unto You, heal all our wounds. Heal our hearts and minds dear Jesus. Heal all those who are sick and suffering merciful Savior. Restore our souls Holy Spirit we humbly ask You. Comfort us with Your grace we humbly beseech You. We come boldly to You throne of grace dear Jesus, that we may find mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. Calm every storm in our lives dear Jesus we call on You. Calm every storm in our families and respond to all our prayers and hearts desires. Calm every storm in our communities and heal our hearts. Remove every form of bitterness, anger, hatred, strife, corruption, depression, brokenness and heal our hearts. Calm every storm in the lives of the street families and deliver them from their troubles. Calm every storm and comfort all those thirst. Calm every storm in our nation including Laikipia county. Heal our land and grant us Your sure peace now and the coming year as we advance to elect our leaders. Give us the best men and women whose hearts are after Your own heart dear Jesus. Calm every storm that COVID-19 has presented in our nation and all the nations of the world, dear Jesus. Wash away every iniquity in our lives, families, nation and the whole world. Remove every accusation against us and grant us rest. Grant that all Your people will know You more and receive Your gift of salvation. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen
Further reading: Matthew 4:23, Hebrews 4:16
James 1:6-8
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
INSIGHT
-Faith is the currency that we transact with God in prayer. Without faith we cannot please God in our prayer life, and we obtain nothing from Him. Abraham had faith in God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. If then we are made righteousness through faith, our prayers as God’s righteous beloved avail much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. He prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit (James 5:16-18). Jesus taught His disciples saying that, “if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:21-22). We are reminded to apply faith in prayer and God will answer all our prayers according to His will.
PRAYER
Abba Father our Lord and God we exult You and praise Your holy name. You are our Refuge and Strength, nothing is too hard for You Lord. We come before You today with humility in our hearts asking You for mercy and grace. Great is Your faithfulness dear Jesus. You are Great and greatly to be praised and adored. You are faithful dear God increase in us faith we humbly ask You. Strengthen us to always be faithful to You and be fruitful in our work and purposes. Guide us in all our ways and protect us in our coming in and going out, dear Jesus. We humbly ask You to hear us and answer all our prayers and supplications according to Your will. May You forgive us all our transgressions and wash us with Your precious blood dear Jesus. You are the living word, and Your word is sure and true, may You form our hearts according to Your divine will. Bless us dear Jesus and increase our territories. Open many doors and divine opportunities for us Abba Father. Renew our minds and grant us Your divine favor we humbly beseech You. Deliver us from unbelief and grant us Your gifts and fruit. When You come back dear Jesus, may faith on the earth. Grant that many people among us may know You and come to You. You are the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father apart from by You dear Jesus. Grant that our children, relatives, friends, colleagues, leaders and the entire world may come to You. We love You dear Jesus, thank You for loving us first. You are worthy Lord to receive glory, honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being. We praise You and glorify Your holy name, now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, Matthew 7:7-8 , Luke 17:19
Ephesians 6:18
“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”
INSIGHT
-God requires that we pray in all situations. Not only when we are sick but also when we are health. Not only when we are faced with emotional distress and anxieties but also when we enjoy His peace. Not only when we are faced with financial difficulty but also when we have excesses. Not only when we are waiting on God to answer our prayers but also when we have received our requests. In all situations we are called to pray. At all times we are expected to pray in the spirit which remains alive even when we are asleep. As the saints of the Lord, we have confidence for our prayers are always presented before the Lord as burning incense (Revelation 8:4). Jesus told a parable to His disciples, that they should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1). He also thanked the Father that He always heard Him (John 11:41-42). We are therefore called to pray without ceasing, for the Lord always hears us and answer us according to His merciful love.
SUMMARY
Prayer is a powerful weapon that each one of us should utilize. Many people and religions have taken prayer very seriously, sometimes even more than Christians. For instance; in the Islamic community, it is a basic requirement that each person should pray five times a day. Daniel prayed three times a day even when a decree was signed by king Darius to hinder anyone from praying to God or any other god but to the king (Daniel 6:7-10). Daniel disobeyed and he was thrown into the den of lions, but the Lord delivered him. Jesus reminds us to call upon Him in the day of trouble and He will deliver us, and we will glorify Him (Psalms 50:15). Paul and Silas also utilized the power of prayer. When they were arrested and taken to prison, they prayed and the foundations of prison shook, the prison doors were opened and all their chains broke loose. Jesus calls us to Him with our heavy loads and cares and He will give us rest, for His heart is gentle and lowly, and He cares for us (Matthew 11:28-30). Prayer has always been a powerful weapon that destroys all the plans of the devil; who comes to kill, steal and destroy. Prayer is a powerful spiritual weapon that pulls down every stronghold, casts down every argument and high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). We should have faith when we pray, for without faith we cannot please God and cannot receive anything. We should pray always and not loose heart for the Lord hears us. Matthew 7:7-8 reminds us that we should ask and it will be given to us, seek and we will find, knock and it will be opened to us, for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. The living word of God is not selective as it reveals that, everyone who asks receives. We should have confidence when we ask and especially according to His will, that God hears us (1 John 5:14). Jesusloves us and loves to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. As His children, God expects that we look to Him alone in faith and we will live victoriously always.
PRAYER
You are powerful and glorious Abba Father, how awesome is Your name in all the earth. Jesus You reign above our troubles, anxieties and fears. Nothing is impossible with You. You reign in all the earth, let all the people rejoice. Our lives belongs to You dear Jesus. We lay our lives before You and adore You. Hear us dear Jesus and answer us according to Your unending faithfulness. Visit us in the day of trouble and deliver us merciful Savior. Hear all our prayers and hearts desires loving Father. We declare that we can do all things through You Christ who strengthens us. Teach us how to pray Holy Spirit and light the fire of prayer in our hearts, that we may pray without ceasing. We love You Lord and worship You. Help us Holy Spirit to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. We declare that no weapon fashioned against us shall prosper and no tongues raised against us in condemnation shall prevail because You reign Lord. Thank You for You always hear us and answer us according to Your will. Thank You dear Jesus for Your goodness and mercy upon our lives. May our prayers always come to You as pleasing sacrifices. Thank You for You always hear us. God bless us and keep us. May You make Your face shine upon us and be gracious to us. May You lift up Your countenance upon us and give us peace. Amen
Further reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Romans 12:12, Revelation 5:8