*PNUR Global Day of Fasting and Prayers 08/04/2021*
*Abstract Prayers do not bring results*
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him Mark 11:22-23NIV
The word abstract has more than two dictionary meanings but our focus is the definition which terms it immaterial, intangible or not physically visible or just existing in the person’s ideas. When we say that prayers are abstract, we mean that even though the prayers have many religious words, they are actually saying or asking for nothing. To go further with this, we tend to imply that even though you have said many things, neither you nor God is expecting any material answer from the prayers said.
Every religion has those kind of prayers. Roman Catholic Church has The Angelus – Hail Mary and The Lord’s Prayers. Muslims have “Ala Akhuba” sorry any for wrong spellings. These prayers are said religiously but those who say them are not expecting anything as answer when they say them.
In Pentecostal and Evangelical circles, one can have a long role of prayer collections which in some cases have more than 200 prayer topics which they are advised to say for several nights. If you take a deep look at those prayer collections, you discover that they are really saying nothing or requesting anything.
Example of such is, “Every witch in my father’s house die! Evil altars in my village die by fire!”
A distraught woman once told me that she was done with Pentecostal deliverance ministries all her life. She narrated how she was given such long row of prayers and asked to carry out several days of vigil as she used them. At the end of the set time nothing changed.
To bring this closer, there are those who just contact us on Facebook or other Social Media platforms and passively ask us to put them in prayers over some issues. Such go about telling people that they have given their prayer requests to many men of God. They believe that those prayer ministries and servants of God are actually busy praying for them. I don’t want to hurt your feelings but I love to tell you one truth; most of those people don’t even remember what you told them after then. If you ask them some other time, they tell you that they are praying for you. In fact, for some people, “I am praying for you” is a polite way to say, “Have a nice day”.
When the Lord began to warn me about how sinful it is to accept in one’s presence to pray for him in your private prayers and yet fail to do so, I resolved to take any such promise I make serious. I began to make specific recommendations and requests on those who send us prayer requests and we cannot thank God enough for the wonderful testimonies. In some cases, my experiences are not palatable.
A lady told me about her struggle with repeated miscarriage and specifically asked me for prayers to carry her out of that challenge. She did something most people do not even think of. She sent seed faith without being asked. So I took up the case with my team. More than two years passed and we have not heard from her and her name was still on our prayer booklet. So, I decided to call her. To my surprise, I had to remind her who I am and the subject of her prayer request.
Here is her response, “That one has passed long ago. Not today. I have two children now”. She sent her name and prayer request and has even forgotten she did.
We have instances when we went into fasting for several days for somebody and the person does not even remember that he gave prayer request somewhere. When he asked us for prayers, he sees it as one of those religious things but we are the ones that have taken it too far.
Let me share one very painful encounter with a brother who does not know how to respect the duty of prayer. I had just moved into Port Harcourt with my family and things were difficult for us. This brother I knew in Owerri did brokerage business. We met in Port Harcourt and he brought me to his office and narrated the many troubles he was having in business. He mentioned one specific business that was to bring in about twenty three thousand Naira. He asked me to pray and possibly fast and promised to give the tithe of the sum to my ministry if the business worked. By the exchange rate then, that amount was more than twelve thousand Dollars. You can calculate the ten percent yourself.
I went home and told my wife and we went into intensive prayers. We did not know when the business clicked but one day I asked him. He told me that yes he will get to me later because, “God has done it.” Till date he has not gotten back to me and God made another way for us. The saddest side of this story was that one of his sons became very ill and he had to spend so much money in the hospitals. Most people will rather pay hash bills than pay their tithe. He later lost his wife in a fatal motor accident and many such terrible things. I don’t mean to say that God punished him because of how he treated us but I believe that when he started praying again for other problems, his outstanding credits for prayers for which he was not thankful were a barrier to his new prayers.
The bible told us that there are different kinds of or manners of prayers.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Eph 6:18NIV
Our main text told us how the Lord Jesus Christ saw prayers. If you have followed me for some time, you would have heard me repeatedly say that the Lord Jesus Christ spent much time in mid night prayers. We see here that when the Lord Jesus Christ went up the mountain or in a solitary place to pray, He did not throw up empty unguided prayer topics and then come down hoping that things will change. Far from that.
Look at His own words,
1. Have faith in God – prayer should have a platform for an attack and that is faith in God. Some just mouth prayers without asking themselves on what grounds is their request. Some say they have faith but their faith is in their fasting or the many words that make up their prayers. Most of those phrases and words are in Hebrews and Greek which they don’t know their background. Some have faith in their faith or even in the religious exercise. So if they came to fast for three days and they feel that their prayers are not yet answered, they make it up to seven days. If they are praying and fasting and somebody walks in to say something, they believe that the prayer has spoilt, so they have to start all afresh. The Lord Jesus Christ says that our faith should be in the person and character of our God. He that comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who will dare to seek Him.(Heb11:6). Can I add further that the Lord Jesus Christ means that when we start to pray, our heart should have been made up about the personality and reputation of the kind of God to whom we pray. By that we should be rest assured that if what we requested is in His will and good for us, He will surely grant our request.
2. Say to this mountain – prayer must be specifically directed to something. We should not babble like the heathen who consider prayers as religious obligation. We should have something before our eyes which is the object of our request. How would you feel if you are a king and somebody comes in to your court and is saying nothing specifically? I have had to ask some people, “Just what are you asking from me?” and that is because they were not making any point in their discussions.
3. Tell them where to go – Some things must move out of your body. Heart diseases cannot continue to live in your organs. Cancer cannot continue to feed on your organs. Fibroid cannot continue to sit where children should occupy. Depression and fear cannot continue to co-habit with your soul. The cloud of failure must be told to depart from the atmospheres of your businesses. Demons can no longer hang around your body and the life of your loved ones. Do not overlook that spirit of insanity; command it to leave now! You know what you are struggling with; tell them that they are no longer welcome. Don’t just pray and hope that they will understand how you feel about them and depart. No! The Lord Jesus Christ said that you should give them orders on where they should go. Be specific and who knows you may bring the next ground breaking testimony after today’s prayer?
4. Do not doubt – implicit faith that does not doubt gives force to our petitions. Just why should we doubt when we know who we are in Christ Jesus; we know the kind of God we are standing before and we know that what we are asking from Him are in tandem with His good will for us? Have you not heard all those great testimonies of the great things our God has done for other people who mustered courage and prayed in faith? Why should your prayers be different? Just why should God ignore yours? Come on! Push that doubt aside and move forward in holy faith now!
Today is another global day of fasting and prayers. Remember I always tell you that prayer is the opportunity that God has given to you to say something about your life. It is a serious matter if you waste it. Worse still if you say many things but yet said nothing.
Now do what I have always advised you to do; write down specific prayer requests and when the time comes to pray, stand with them and specifically demand from your heavenly father that your request be granted.
What a great privilege that God has put your destiny in your hands today?
If your case is like cancer, tumor, depression, fibroid or any such kinds of problems that plague people, you don’t need to ask what is the will of God about them. Turn towards them through your eyes of faith; lay hands on it where possible and then command them the way the Lord told us to,
“You mountain called …….. I command you now in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, give way now and move out!
Get out now! In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to give way now!”
“You evil spirits hovering around here, I command you now, get ooouuuttttt!”
Are there human beings standing on your path of advancement? Maybe they should sign a paper or any such thing? The will of God about is very clear.
The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. Prov 21:1NIV
Now stand on that word of God and command the hearts of those people to be begin to turn for your favor. You can have another word of God to back your prayers;
When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him Prov 16:7NIV
Remember that no more abstract praying; call someone by name and command him or her to be at peace with you.
Pray emphatically and directedly with no flimsy of fear or doubt. The Lord has given His word that if you have faith in God and pray specifically by faith as you command these mountains, you will have what you ask for. I prefer to believe Jesus Christ than to believe my doubts.
Is it a problem with your business or your spouse or your children? Has somebody constituted himself or herself as a mountain of obstruction on your paths? The rules are the same. Turn your prayers in the direction of that person or your business and command them to bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. They have to obey the greatest authority. Command them to move!
Is your office infested with demons? Is the atmosphere around your home grinding your peace of mind? Are the fortunes of everyday life bringing in misfortune on what you do for a living? The same rules should be followed; address them as mountains, whether they are spiritual or physical. Command them to move and be thrown into the sea
Why not stand up now and charge into prayers? Command the mountains to move now! In the name of Jesus Christ!
You already know that I am praying for.
I love to hear from you
Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com
