Topic 1: Understanding Prayer
Pastor Maselo Mosomane
Let us talk about prayer. We have spent a lot of time speaking about the word of God in the last seven topics. I suppose by now we realize how important the word of God is to a Christian. It is the starting point of our relationship with God. We cannot start our walk with God anywhere but in the word. The word of God is the foundation upon which all other facets of our Christian life hinge. Everything about God comes from His word. He created the universe through His word. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” Hebrews 11:3. We are been born again through the word of God. “Listen to what the spirit says through Peter; …having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” 1 Peter 1:23. We were born again of the word of God. Our old birth came from mortal sperm; our new birth comes from God’s living Word.
As we have said in our previous studies; our spiritual growth requires the sincere milk of the word that we may growth thereby. We need to feed on what God is saying. In other words; we need to keep on hearing what God says to the body of Christ and what He is saying to us as individuals. Sometimes He speaks a corporate statement; sometimes a personal statement. Unlike dumb idols that have mouths but cannot speak; God has a mouth and He speaks. God is not quiet; He speaks.
What do we do when someone speaks to us? Two things must happen; one, we listen; two, we speak back. Communication is a two way line. We all know that we cannot be seating there, someone speaking to us and we just keep quiet as though we were dump. When someone is speaking to us, we listen and speak back. The same thing is true with our communication with God. We listen when He speaks and then speak back.
When we study or read the word in the bible, God is speaking to us. God speaks to us through the written word. We listen attentively so that we can observe to do what He requires of us. But our part is not only to sit and listen; we must also speak back to Him. How do we do that? We speak to God through prayer. When we study the word, God speaks to us; when we pray we speak back to Him. No one appreciates speaking to someone who is just sitting there with his eyes as big as that of a bull frog in a hail storm yet not speaking back to him. God wants us to speak to Him as often as it is humanly possible.
Prayer is a means through which we communicate with God. He is a Person; He has ears and He hears. He is not like idols with ears longer that the head but cannot hear. God hears. We can speak to Him with full assurance that He hears us. We are not speaking into an empty atmosphere when we pray; no, we are speaking to God who hears. Prayer is not an imaginary exercise of someone speaking to an imaginary listener; it is as real as speaking to a person seating next to you. In fact, prayer is more real than speaking to a natural person for God loves us so much He cannot ignore us. A natural person can sit there and be absent minded – not so with God.
To grow in our Christian relationships with God we need to let God speak to us through His word and then speak back to Him through prayer. When you speak with someone you get to know him better. You listen to his thoughts and intentions and you speak back to him about your feelings and opinion about what he has just said. You will never know a person until you let him speak. Every word he speaks comes along with his personality. The same is true with you. When you speak to a person, you make him know you better.
God is ever present with us and therefore, prayer cannot only be an event – it must be a lifestyle. We don’t pray and get out of it as though God does not exist anymore. This is what the Holy Spirit is saying when He says; “and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” Ephesians 6:17. Prayer is suppose to be our continuous communication with God. We don’t pray and shut out; we pray throughout our conscious existence.
David wrote a beautiful song and it is recorded in Psalm 19. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” Psalm 19:1-4. I see in this psalm a good opportunity for us to understand how we can pray without ceasing. Every time you see the wondrous handiwork of God; every time the surrounding begins to speak to you, or every time God begins to speak to you through the surrounding; it’s time to speak back to Him. I have seen and heard it in my life and in many people’s lives. Every time you see some marvelous creation of God you spontaneously utter a word of prayer. You say; “God is great.” The first time you went to the sea and you saw for the first time such a massive body of water; what did you say? I suppose you said God is great.
There is a time and a place of prayer; or rather; there should be a time and place of prayer in every Christian’s life. Jesus said “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. But this should not be the only time we pray. Throughout the day, when we see God in nature, in deliverance, in protection – every time we experience His love and care we need to offer a reply in the form of prayer. All day long we are surrounded by opportunities that challenge us to pray. When you wake up in the morning you don’t know what woke you up; you just wake up. Do you see the need for us to just burst out in prayer? The sun rises and you don’t know how. What do you say about this? Are you not moved to thank God for this in prayer?
David says each day we wake up, creation speaks to us about what God has done. “There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” He says though they do not have vocal cords and their voice is not heard audibly; their words have gone out to the end of the world. We hear their speech; we understand their language and their impact remains witness against us. Is this not the opportunity to offer a word of praise and appreciation in prayer?
Friend, God is not silent; He speaks throughout the day and does not keep quiet through the night. Neither His speech nor His language is limited by the human voice. He speaks and is never silent.
May we speak and never be quiet when He reaches out to us through whatever means – nature included. He speaks to in many ways. Let us also speak to Him in prayer.
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