BENEFITS OF PRAYER

Prayer is divided into three main parts: 1) Prayer of Thanksgiving 2) Petition Prayer. 3) Prayer of Declaration.

1.) PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING.

Many believers are well-acquainted with this part of prayer.Thanksgiving is an important element of prayer.It’s therefore,our duty as Christians to offer thanks to God for all he’s done and is doing in our lives.

We give thanks to God for: 1)the gift of life 2)grace 3)love 4)mercy 5)protection 6)providing our daily needs 7)good health.

Generally, in the prayer of thanksgiving we express our heartfelt gratitude for what God does in our lives.We also show that we value and acknowledge his goodness,protection kindnesses unto us.

2.) PETITION PRAYER.

Here,we submit our petitions or rather requests.We boldly,yet,humbly make our needs known before God.We go to him in faith trusting that he’s our Provider and Ultimate Giver (JEHOVA-JIRE). Through petitioning, we ask God to: 1) Give us our daily bread; 2) bless the works of our hands; 3) Protect us against all ailments ;4) deliver us from the evil one; 5) Give us the grace to know more of him; 6) Create in us a spirit of brokenness and the willingness to obey his Word; 7) Give us wisdom; 8) Fill us with joy,peace,love and ; 9) for favour wherever we go.

Most importantly, we ask him to keep us from all the fiery darts of the Enemy, in accordance with the words of Jesus in Luke 22:40.

Prayer is the best weapon against all temptations.If we fail to pray then we are sure of being tempted.Remember Jesus’ words to Peter and his companions on that night in the Garden of Gethsemane. Had Peter prayed ,he would have escaped Satan’s temptation to make him disown Jesus.But since he had not clothed himself with strength through prayer,he ended up denying that he knew Jesus.Suppose Peter had taken the Lord at his word then God would have delivered him from this temptation.We therefore, are asked to begin and end our day by praying and blessing to reverse all evils directed toward us.

3.) PRAYER OF DECLARATION.

This is the last part and a very important element of prayer to a Christian.It helps us to keep from getting into temptation. Just like in the prayer of thanksgiving,we pray to God to deliver and keep us from all evil. It’s in God’s own interest to guard and vindicate them from all troubles they encounter in their journey of faith.However, while are still here on earth,we’re not guaranteed 100% protection from God.This is because we still live in this weak,imperfect and mortal tent.Till we are clothed in the glorious heavenly body,on that day of the second coming of our Lord.We need to accept the fact that in as much as our lives are in the hands of an all-wise and all-powerful God,we cannot evade some of these temptations.

For the devil is working day and night to ensure that his plan to cause our downfall succeeds. Despite that you lead an upright life and please the Lord in all your ways,you cannot evade the challenges and difficulties of this life.You will fall sick,be abused and slandered,among many others.Yet,remember that they just but for a while;they won’t last forever.For God cannot let us to be tempted beyond all we can bear,as he has said in His Word.

2 Corinthians 10:13 -“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:but God is faithful,who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape ,that ye may be able to bear it.”

In our daily lives,we will face temptations and be put to the test.All this comes from Satan whose work is to make us suffer trouble and be discouraged.

And it gives us every reason to continue steadfastly in prayer,declaring victory into our lives. Somebody may ask,how does Satan use his power to suffer us?He does it through declaration.He uses his agents:people or the fallen angels (demons) to declare misfortunes unto a person.However,no matter how big the misfortune declared upon you is,will happen in its full measure.

This is becoming we are protected by God to a larger extent.Our sufferings should give us a reason to think that God is unable protect us fully.Not at all.It’s in God’s own doing so we may know how weak we are without him,and therefore make us become God-dependent people.The challenges also remind us that our spiritual warfare is still ongoing ,until the hour of our redemption when we will be with our Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:8; -“For we would not ,brethren,have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia,that we were pressed out of measure,above strength,insomuch that we despaired even of life:

9. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves,that we should not trust in ourselves,but in God which raiseth the death:

10. Who delivered us from so great a death,and doth deliver:in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.”

Prayer of declaration will help us to fight against the wicked schemes of Satan directed toward us.Whenever we practice declaration in prayer,we sap Satan’s power

He becomes powerless. When we make declarations that oppose those of the Enemy,we become victorious. Remember your tongue has the power of life and death.Learn to use it wisely!(Proverbs 18:21). Prayer of declaration helps us to defeat Satan’s tragedy in our lives.Unplanned for happenings will in not so much way have grip on us.That’s the power of prayer! Declaration is one of the 6 weapons of the full armour of God, that we are commanded to put on,if we have to defeat Satan.

Ephesians 6:11– “Put on the full armour of God,that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,but against principalities, against powers,against the rulers of the darkness of this world,against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13. Wherefore take unto you the full armour of God,that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,and having done all,to stand.

14 Stand therefore ,having your loins girt about with truth,and having on the breastplate of righteousness.

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16. Above all,taking the shield of faith,wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17. And take the helmet of salvation ,and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:

18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for saints;

19. And for me,that utterance may be given unto me,that I may open my mouth boldly,to make known the mystery of the gospel;

20. For which I am an ambassador in bonds:that therein I may speak boldly,as I ought to speak.” Biblically,we are to spent at least one hour in prayer.It is a command from our Lord Jesus according to:

Matthew 26:40-41;-“And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep,and saith unto Peter,What,could ye could not watch with me one hour?Watch and pray,that ye enter not into temptation;the spirit indeed is willing,but the flesh is weak.”

In the spiritual world, the spirit and the flesh work in utterly strong opposition. Whereas the spirit is willing to pray,the flesh on the other hand is weak.We have a great task to stand our ground and overcome the power of the flesh.While Jesus lived sinlessly, yet, he was a prayer warrior.

He spent most of his time on earth praying.This poses a challenge on our side,that we should pray even more,for are sinners and therefore imperfect.

May God of all power fill our hearts with the willingness to pray and strength to overcome evil.

God bless you.

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