The Power of Prayer

Do you believe in the power of prayer? Praying to God is an essential part of life that is often forgotten or taken for granted.

Tune in to this week's episode as we explore the importance of maintaining a daily prayer life. Discover how a simple prayer to our Father in Heaven is always heard and answered.

“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

- Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Chapters

• 0:13 The Importance of Prayer
• 15:00 The Power of Simple Prayer
• 19:49 The Power of Morning Prayer

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:13

Today I want to talk to you about a very, very important topic, and I'll get straight into it then. You know, most of us today might not even know that this is an important aspect in life and an important aspect in our relationship with God. So I'm going to get straight into it. And the topic that I want to talk to you about this morning is prayer, or praying to God, and I want to tell you, praying to God is, as I said, very important. It's a very important aspect of a person's relationship with God, a very important aspect of your relationship with God. And you know, it's just, it's one of those things that you only go to. I feel or maybe I speak on behalf of myself because I do it that sometimes maybe you only go to it when you need something, and that's fine. There's, as I said, there's no condemnation in jesus, none whatsoever. But today I want to give you a perspective, to let you know how important it is, how important praying to God is. And I want to tell you and don't be mistaken that Jesus, even Jesus, when he prayed, he prayed to God, and I'd like to share a few examples of that with you this morning. And it starts with the time when John the Baptist was baptizing people and Jesus was amongst the crowd and the Bible says that Jesus was also baptized at that time and the Bible says he prayed after he was baptized and the heaven opened, hallelujah. So Jesus goes to John the Baptist to get baptized along with a crowd of people and as he gets baptized, the Bible says he prays. And when he prayed, the Bible says the heaven was opened. And I am reading to you directly from the word of God, from the book of Luke, the third chapter, 22nd verse and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him, hallelujah. And a voice came from heaven which said you are my beloved son. In you I am well pleased. Wow, hallelujah, hallelujah, wow, hallelujah, hallelujah. So you see, jesus prayed and the Bible says the heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him, hallelujah. And Jesus prayed.

Speaker 1: 3:35

And there's another time when Jesus enters a synagogue and it's a Sabbath, and the Bible says he heals a man with a withered hand, which is beautiful and you should read it in your own time. This man has a withered hand and he just asked him to stretch out his hand and his hand gets healed, hallelujah. Wow, you can only imagine how beautiful that would have been, that would have been. And after all that and you know the Pharisees get irritated and annoyed because it's a Sabbath and you're not supposed to do these kind of things and of course Jesus came to make people flow in the opposite direction, hallelujah. But that's not the story I want to tell you. So after that, the Bible says Jesus goes up on a mountain. After he heals this man with a withered hand in the synagogue, on a Sabbath, he goes up a mountain. And again now I'm reading to you from the word of God, from the book of Luke, the sixth chapter, the twelfth verse. Now, it came to pass in those days that he went out to the mountain to pray and he continued all night in prayer to God, oh, hallelujah. He went on a mountain to pray, the Bible says, and he continued all night in prayer to God, oh, hallelujah. So Jesus went up on the mountain and he prayed. And let me tell you, this is just before he appointed the apostles, the ones who would spread the good news, the ones who would do God's bidding. Hallelujah, oh hallelujah.

Speaker 1: 6:02

And if that's not all, let's not forget the time in the life of Lazarus, and maybe some of you know this story and some of you don't, but let me tell you. The Bible says that Jesus loved Martha, her sister, whose name is Mary, and Lazarus, their brother. They are from the same family and the Bible says he loved them. And listen to this story. And Lazarus was someone that Jesus was close to. And this is at a later time, because Jesus has already appointed his apostles, and now he's. He's in another place with them, healing people, sharing the good news, preaching the kingdom of heaven.

Speaker 1: 6:53

And he gets the news of Lazarus being sick and he tells his disciples let's go back to Judea. That's where Lazarus is. Lazarus lives with his two sisters and it's a long story because his, his disciples turn around and tell him Judea, judea, they're waiting to stone you, they're waiting to finish you off and you want to go back into Judea. But yet Jesus goes back to the place where Lazarus lived and I want to tell you, by the time he reached there, you know, mary and Martha come to him at the outskirts of the city and they are crying because Lazarus now is already dead and wait for it. He has been dead for and everyone in the crowd knows that Jesus loved Lazarus and everyone was only saying one thing if he could have only come earlier, he would have healed Lazarus, lazarus would have been fine.

Speaker 1: 7:57

And, as I said, to cut a long story short, jesus asked to be taken to the tomb where Lazarus was. And he goes outside the tomb where Lazarus was. And he goes outside the tomb because they take him there and then he says roll off the stone, that's, that's, you know, sealing the tomb. I must tell you that Mary turns around and tells him but Lord, he has been dead four days. There will be a stench.

Speaker 1: 8:26

And I want to tell you this is when it's recorded in the Bible, the shortest passage of scripture in the Bible, which says Jesus wept. Jesus weeps for his friend Lazarus, the one he loved, the one he must have had a close relationship with Lazarus. He wept for him. Wow, and I want to tell you, even though he knew what he was going to do for Lazarus, jesus wept. So you can only feel Jesus's pain for the loss of someone he loves, pain for the loss of someone he loves.

Speaker 1: 9:10

And Jesus goes outside the tomb where Lazarus was and listen to this. Jesus lifts up his eyes and prays oh hallelujah. There it is again, jesus is praying, and I am reading to you from the word of God again, the book of John, the 11th chapter, the 41st verse onwards. And Father, I thank you that you have heard me. Oh, hallelujah, jesus is praying. Oh, father, I thank you that you have heard me and I know you always hear me, oh, hallelujah. No, you always hear me, oh, hallelujah. But because of the people who are standing by, I said this that they may believe that you sent me.

Speaker 1: 9:54

And now, when he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice Lazarus, come forth, hallelujah, hallelujah. And he who had died came out, bound, hand and foot, with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said loosen and let him go. Wow, hallelujah, jesus brings his dead friend back to life. Jesus could have. He could have just snapped his fingers. He could have snapped his finger to roll the stone away. He could have snapped his finger when he was out of Judea. He could have done anything he wanted.

Speaker 1: 10:38

But when Jesus was on this planet, he spoke to people in parables and everything he did was a model to us on how we're supposed to live our lives, and that's the reason why, and that's the reason why he goes outside the tomb and he prays to god in front of everyone, and he says it also. It's not like I, I don't know that. You I know you hear me, but I'm doing it so they understand. Oh hallelujah, what a beautiful, beautiful thing to do. And then there's a time of the garden at Gethsemane where Jesus is with his disciples and he's praying for this bitter cup of the cross to be taken away from him, and he prays to God, and yet he prays. Lord, father, let your will yet be done. Oh, what a difficult, difficult thing to swallow. And yet he prays. And then there's a time when Jesus is transfigured in front of three of his disciples and there too he prays.

Speaker 1: 11:48

The bible says and I'm not getting into those stories today, but I think you got the point you see, jesus too, he prayed when he was on this planet. Jesus, the son of God, prayed when he was on this planet. And I want to tell you, if you, if you missed it, at very significant times too, very, very significant times, we prayed. And today I want to tell you. Some of us don't have a prayer life, some of you might not have a prayer life. Some of you do Great, well done. Praise God for that and continue to take it to the next level, because I can tell you there are three layers to pray.

Speaker 1: 12:34

And I'll just leave you with it because it's just a thought and it's my version, because when he was at the garden of gethsemane, he went, kept going back to his disciples and they kept falling asleep and he said could you not be with me an hour? Could you not be with me an hour? Hallelujah. So there's praying when you get up in the morning. There's praying to God for an hour and, hey, there's praying to God an entire night, hallelujah. But, as I said, they're all different, they're different stages of a relationship with God.

Speaker 1: 13:14

And, coming back to what I've shared with you from the word of God this morning, it's important to pray is what I want to tell you. Jesus prayed, we have to pray, and if you don't have a prayer life, it's a perfect day to start. And I'll tell you what Jesus said about praying when he was here on this planet, because people he knew people would have wanted to know how do I pray and he also knew this is one of those tools that they need to go through life on this planet and I will give it to them. And here it comes from the words of Jesus, from the book of Matthew, the sixth chapter, the sixth verse. But you, when you pray, he starts with that, which means you have to pray when you're here, you have to pray on your life on this planet. When you pray, you go into your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your father, who is in secret, and your father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. Oh hallelujah, oh hallelujah. What a beautiful key to give you and me for our life on this planet. You, when you pray which means you are supposed to pray Go into your room, shut your door and pray to your father, who is in the secret place, and your father who sees in secret. No matter when you pray, what time you pray Latitude, longitude, time zones, does not matter. He will see you praying Hallelujah. And when he sees you, oh hallelujah, he will see you praying hallelujah. And when he sees you, oh hallelujah, he will reward you openly. What you do in secret, he will reward you in the open, hallelujah.

Speaker 1: 15:00

And jesus even says don't use vain repetition of your words, don't use words that make no sense. Don't think that you need flowery language to reach out to your father. I have a son, he's just turning three and he just comes in and he says, dada, I want this and he gets it. He doesn't come to me with Shakespeare English, he doesn't come to me with the Queen's English, he just comes to me and says, dada, I want this and he gets it. That's your father, hallelujah. And even Jesus said said don't use vain words that are useless words, and for some of you have never done this before.

Speaker 1: 15:46

Here's another beautiful key that jesus gives us from the book of matthew again, the sixth chapter, the ninth was onwards in this manner. Therefore, pray, or I stick to it again. Go to your room, shut your door and say our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom. Come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and give us this day our daily bread, lord, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us this day our daily bread, lord, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen, hallelujah, oh hallelujah, the prayer given by Jesus In this manner, pray.

Speaker 1: 16:40

So, as I said, there are three. I like to look at it as three variants. Somebody, who's just what we call as beginner level, go ahead, shut that door. Do today, don't wait, and say the our father, just as the way jesus has given it to us. And in case you don't know it by heart, you don't need to know it by heart open the bible.

Speaker 1: 17:01

Go to an app and go to matthew, the sixth chapter, the ninth verse, the bible app, I meant and go to matthew, the sixth chapter, the ninth, and read it from there. It's the words of Jesus for us, saying here pray like this to your father, hallelujah, matthew 11, 22,. Jesus answers and said to them have faith in God. And then he goes on to say and listen to this, this is for you, listen to it. It for surely, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, move and be removed and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that those things he says will be done and it will be done. Therefore, I say to you whatever things you ask when you pray, believe you have received them and you will have them. Amen, hallelujah, how beautiful, how beautiful. Your father loves you, jesus loves you, and when he came on this planet, he gave us, us this key, which most of us might have missed on.

Speaker 1: 18:20

And today is just a nice little shakedown on that pray, pray to your father. Close that door, go to your room and, if you've never done it before, say the our father. And if you are someone who has a prayer relationship with God, well done. Praise God, continue to do it. And for those of you who want to go deeper, go into an hour, be with Him an hour. Could you not be with me an hour? I don't know what will happen. Hey, actually I know what will happen, but go, try it. And then there's a next level pray, pray the whole night, hallelujah, he'll come and stand right next to you, hallelujah.

Speaker 1: 19:11

As I said, today might be a day where you don't have a prayer life, but that's the day that you need to change today. So go into your room, shut that door and say the Our Father, to start with, and thank Him, just thank Him for everything. Look around you, look at the beautiful things you have, look at the clothes you wear. Don't worry about the clothes you wear. Your Father knows you need it. Look at the food you eat. Don't worry about the food that you have to eat. Your Father knows you need it. Look at the food you eat. Don't worry about the food that you have to eat. Your father knows you need it. Hallelujah, today is that day. Get into that room and start a prayer life with God.

Speaker 1: 19:49

Jesus prayed when he was on this planet. How much more do we need to for our lives on this planet? Today is a perfect day, aligned with the word of God. Hallelujah, dear Lord, I thank you for this beautiful word. Lord, I thank you for your double-edged sword that does not go back until it has achieved what it has been set out for, lord. I thank you, lord, for for your presence on this platform. Lord, I thank you that you have touched some people this beautiful morning, lord, and they will begin their prayer life with you. Hallelujah, I thank you, lord, for your promise to us that when we believe that whatever we pray for, if we believe it, it shall happen.

Speaker 1: 20:37

Hall, thank you, lord, for ever being faithful to us. Lord, though we remain faithless. Thank you for this beautiful time. Thank you for this beautiful key that you've given us for our lives on this planet. Thank you for your presence. Thank you for your name, that's, above all names where every knee will bow on the earth, above the earth and below the earth. Lord, thank you for your presence. Thank you for your name, that's above all names, where every knee will bow on the earth, above the earth and below the earth. Lord, thank you for what you did on that cross for us, lord. Thank you, lord. In Jesus name, I pray Amen.