The Story of Jacob

The story of Jacob (Genesis 32:22-31) wrestling with the Angels is well known. Here is a picture of prayer in action.

What was happening that night was first of all God’s faithful dealing with recalcitrant Jacob until he absolutely came to the end of himself and was forced to depend wholly on God. The other part of the story concerns Jacob’s perseverance in prayer, holding on to God, until God bless him.

What an awesome encouragement to us today.

Pastor Winston

The Victory of Intercession

For instance on one occasion (Genesis 18:20-23) God counseled with friend Abraham about the punishment of the wicked city, Sodom. Abraham assumed the role of intercessor and besought God to spare the city pointing out that God being righteous, could not punish the innocent with the guilty.

No less than six times Abraham interceded before God and each time God answered. However, when God promised to spare the city if there were ten righteous, Abraham stopped praying.

What would have happed to Sodom if Abraham had continued his intercession? No one knows.

The lesson taught here is the amazing grace of God and His willingness to forgive and pardon in answer to prayer.

Pastor Winston

The True Nature of Prayer

Perhaps the most helpful information regarding the nature of true prayer and how to pray is to be learned from a careful perusal of Bible prayers themselves. Of these the Bible has many with each one teaching a definite prayer lesson.

We will review some in the coming days.

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples : and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 1 Corinthians 10:11KJV

Pastor Winston

Just Pray

Prayer’s greatest condition however, is a simple one. It is just to pray.

Not talk about,
not reason about it,
not preach about it,
not analyze it,
not disect it - but to simply PRAY.

Pastor Winston

Unselfishness In Prayer

Let most of your prayers be for others.

Not that we cannot ask God for our own needs. We can and should. But for too many Christian’s prayers concern themselves almost wholly with the individual’s needs.

The Apostle Paul prayed for the needs of others a God wants His prayer helpers to reach out beyond their personal needs and desire.

Our petitions should encircle the world. We should seek to do the will and work of God on a military scale. Doing so will abundantly cause our needs to be met and the needs of others will be met also.

Pastor Winston

Persevering Prayer

And we should persevere in our prayer petition.

There are cases where God has withheld the answer to prayers just to test the perseverance of the intercessor. If the need is there, and if the answer would be to the glory of God, then nothing should interfere with the continued petition.

There are occasions too, when God may fully intend to answer the need, but the time is not yet right. Yet God has inspired the prayer, and expects us to patiently continue to ask. Some prayers fail of an answer through lack of perseverance.

Pastor Winston

Precise Prayer

God honors definiteness and preciseness in prayer.

We ought to pray for specific needs. We ought to mention names and places. We should honestly tell our Heavenly Father concerning our wants and straightforwardly request the answers.

There is no value in ambiguity. God sees our hearts and knows our thoughts. He is fully aware of whether or not we truly want the answers we request. There is no question but that honestly is the best policy in prayer.

Pastor Winston

Scriptural Prayer

Prayer must of necessity be scripturally consistent.

There is no need to pray for things that the Scripture has forbidden. Rather, it is the part of true wisdom to fashion our prayers in agreement with well know scriptural principles.

The Bible and prayer complement each other. Each is aided by knowledge of the other. A good knowledge of scripture is of inestimable aid to the successful practice of prayer.

In like manner, prayer and prayer’s answers become life’s greatest commentary on the scripture.

Pastor Winston

The Place of Prayer

A good suggestion includes a time and place of prayer.

While it is wonderfully true that our Heavenly Father will most certainly hear our cry at any time and from any place, still this does not take away from the good and wise suggestion that we take time to pray, and to have a place set apart.

Real prayer warriors do this, and the Scripture quite agrees. The time should be adequate to cover the needs. Many are pressed for time today, but better to sleep less and pray more.

The place need not be a cathedral. Rather, perhaps just a corner, a chair, or a closet. You will be blessed by the results there obtained.

Pastor Winston

Lord, Increase Our Faith

For successful prayer, your life must be right.

Do not expect God to answer your prayer if there are un-confessed sins or unworthy practices going on. God’s interest in you if this is the case, is that you should confess your wrongdoing, and turn to Him in contrition.

Too many of us fail as intercessors simply because we blatantly condone sins in our hearts. Remember, if we confess our sin, He is faithful to forgive us.

Pastor Winston

Lord, Increase Our Faith

Being led by the Holy Spirit venture out in faith with your prayer. When you know that a thing is the will of God, move our in prayer with it.

Do not mind if this is humanly impossible, or at least highly improbable. Lay hold of God for this in prayer.

Give yourself wholly to it. Pray without ceasing for it. Then stand back and see the answer come. Others have done this and have seen the miraculous intervention of God.

Pastor Winston

Lord, Increase Our Faith

How can our faith be thus increased?

While it is true that our fleshly eyes have never looked upon the face of God, still there are the many thrilling accounts of answered prayer on the pages of His Book. Then, there are stories almost without number in history of the miraculous way by which God has stepped into the human sphere and met the needs of His dear children.

Reading such accounts strengthens our faith. We will review a few of those account over the next several days.

Pastor Winston

Praying In the Spirit

Prayer to God must be prayer to GOD.

We must take into account the greatness of the One to whom we pray and the surety of His ability to answer even our greatest request. Prayer can never be of the stature of man's ability.

It should never be constrained by our limitations or resource, we must be convinced that nothing, absolutely nothing is too hard for Him.

Pastor Winston

Praying In the Spirit

How then can we adjust ourselves to utilize this wonderful person in our prayer life? Let me whisper the secret to your ear. While every Christian has the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit does not have every Christian; that is, He does not always have "all of us."

God’s plan for true success in prayer is that believers shall be “filled” (Ephesians 5:18) with the Spirit. That’s the simple yet profound answer.

And to the Christian who is clean and empty, who also desires to be filled - the Holy Spirit will do just that. The results in your prayer life will be simply amazing. Prayer will be easier, joyful, efficient and glorious!

Pastor Winston

Praying In the Spirit

The Holy Spirit inspires our faith too. When we slip down into the depths of despondency, He reminds us of God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice.

When the disappointing events of circumstance discourages us, He us on eagles wings to heaven’s purer atmosphere.

When our eyes are awash with tears He bids us to look at God’s benevolent face above us. His ministry to the believer is priceless. His place in prayer is uniquely incomparable.

Pastor Winston

Praying In the Spirit

Many times our prayers are so confused and unclear. We often pray under the stress of trouble and difficulty. We may even pray for things that are foolish or hurtful. Some of the time our prayers resemble an incoherent jumble of words.

Surely, this is no way to address the God of the Universe. But, there is the Spirit of God, who knows our hearts, and so fashions our prayers to make them presentable.

What a wonderful, indescribable valuable service to Christians is this ministry of God’s own Holy Spirit.

Pastor Winston

Praying in the Spirit

The importance of the Holy Spirit's aid in our prayer life is impossible make our prayers successful.

In the first place, He, as God, understands the deep things, the mysteries of God. He is fully awareof the plan of God, and will graciously and quietly inspire (Romans 8:26) our petitions to conform to that plan.

Pastor Winston

Praying in the Spirit

By far, the greatest gift which our Heavenly Father makes to his children in this life is the priceless gift of the presence of the Holy Spirit. This blessed member of the Trinity is the possession (2 Corinthians 6:19, 20) of every truly born again child of God, and at the instant of conversion. And, he never leaves our hearts even after we leave this mortal plane.

Pastor Winston

Praying In His Name

Praying in the name has a negative value too. A scripture illustration (Luke 18:10-14) shows us two men praying. One prayed according to his own good works, the other on the basis of God’s mercy.

Jesus pointed out the lesson showing that the good works prayer availed nothing while the mercy prayer was heard. When we pray in Christ’s name it is a mercy prayer.

We are saying that of ourselves no answer is deserved, but that the worthiness is to be found in our Lord. This kind of prayer God can and will answer.

Pastor Winston

Praying In His Name

However, the greatest things about prayer in His name are that it opens the doors to heaven’s answers. God has promised to hear such petitions. There is not the slightest doubt about such a prayer being accepted before the throne of grace.

The name of Christ is sweet on earth, but it is the power and perfection in heaven. When prayer is offered in His name, it is as sure of an answer as there is a God in glory.

Prayer in the Name of Jesus according to God’s will cannot fail.

Pastor Winston

Praying In His Name

Using the name of Jesus does not in anyway limit your prayer, rather, it enlarges it. Tell me, would you as God’s child desire something, which your Lord would not approve? Would you knowingly ask your Heavenly Father for something out of his will? Would it be in your heart to petition God for a blessing on you or your loved ones that might hinder your Christian life or detract from your testimony?

I am sure your answer to this is an emphatic “no.” Therefore, your every supplication should be in Christ’s name, for Christ’s prayer includes your highest - as well as His highest. He want us to experience “Good Success.”

Pastor Winston