“I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2:8).
TEXT — 1 Timoty 2:1-8
Message
Prayer is an awesome resource for the Christian warrior. To underscore this statement, Mary, Queen of Scots, once said: “I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.” John Knox was a formidable intercessor who prayed, “Lord, give me Scotland or I die.” However, the fuel of Knox’s effective prayer life was his pure life. As much as we are commanded to intercede in prayers for all men, it is not the quantity of our prayers nor the eloquence of it that counts. It is the effectiveness of our prayers that is paramount. Prayers are only effectual when borne on the wings of holiness.
The salvation of humanity is already bought and paid for by Christ at Calvary. Calvary is God’s gift to everyone regardless of their place, position, and power in society. Righteousness will run on an unencumbered rail in any society when holy men and women “pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”
Our voluminous prayers are ineffectual if our hearts are cauldrons of bitterness, malice, hatred, doubts, and unforgiveness. Sin, however insignificant, is a clog in our spiritual transmitter. Hannah, the once-barren wife of Elkanah poured her righteous soul unto the Lord through a wordless but heartfelt supplication. God heard and answered her. The Scripture says, “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” This is a promise that worked for people like Daniel and Elijah whose fervent prayers came out of righteous hearts. Get your heart purged of every uncleanness before you lift up your hands in prayers unto God, and witness the incredible power of the prayer of a righteous believer availing much (James 5:16).
Thought for the day
A pure heart is the fuel that runs the engine of an effective prayer life.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
I want to be sanctified by blood of Jesus christ I want to make it to Heaven .
I want to be sanctified by blood of Jesus christ I want to make it to Heaven .