*Theme* : Prayer
*Text* : Acts 12:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Acts of the Apostles 12:5 CEB
[5] While Peter was held in prison, the church offered earnest prayer to God for him.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 CEB
[17] Pray continually.
Glory be to the Most High King for another privilege to be here today, by His grace alone. Today marks the third day of our prayer and fasting, whether you've been fasting or simply partaking in the word and prayers. My prayer is that the Lord will minister to you and do what only He can in your life. I pray that this period will ignite a new fire of prayer in your life, and your spiritual walk will not remain dormant in Jesus' name. Amen.
Over the past few days, we've focused on various aspects of prayer, and today, we will focus on removing doubt at the point of carrying the evidence of our prayers.
2 Kings 7:1-2, 17, 19-20 NLT [1] Elisha replied, “Listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, six quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver.”
[2] The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, “That couldn’t happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!” But Elisha replied, “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won’t be able to eat any of it!”
[17] The king appointed his officer to control the traffic at the gate, but he was knocked down and trampled to death as the people rushed out. So everything happened exactly as the man of God had predicted when the king came to his house.
[19] The king’s officer had replied, “That couldn’t happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!” And the man of God had said, “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won’t be able to eat any of it!”
[20] And so it was, for the people trampled him to death at the gate!
This story from 2 Kings is tragic and stems from doubt. When Elisha gave a prophecy, he wasn’t speaking on his own accord, but someone doubted, and their end was tragic. You might think, “Well, that wasn’t prayer,” but the key here is to recognize that when you doubt the manifestation of your prayers, faith, or prophecy, you might end up as a spectator, or worse, never partake in it.
Many people pray to God, especially during fasting seasons like this one, where churches fast for long durations—some for days, others for months. This is a great thing, and churches often provide prayer points for each day. Some people dive into this with great zeal, but everyone’s faith and expectations are different. The problem arises when, after all the days of fasting and praying, their faith dies, and they return to the same old routine.
They refuse to act in faith, positioning themselves to receive their evidence. For those who are truly engaged in this time of prayer and fasting, they will experience their evidence—whether before the fast ends, during it, or after. But they will get their evidence. On the other hand, some may view it as just another church exercise, and the cycle of living the same way year after year begins.
When you truly desire change and have petitioned heaven with your prayers, don’t stop there. You need to start acting in the reality of what you've prayed for.
2 Kings 4:1-7 NLT [1] One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.”
[2] “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.
[3] And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors.
[4] Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”
[5] So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another.
[6] Soon every container was full to the brim! “Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons. “There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.
[7] When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”
This is a story of moving from grass to grace, from nothing to something—living the extraordinary life from the ordinary. If she had refused to borrow the pots as the man of God instructed, she wouldn’t have experienced the miracle that enabled her to pay off her debts and saved her sons from servitude. She took an active step of faith in following the prophet’s words.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT
[1] For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
This verse reminds us that everything has a time, and as there is a time to pray, there is also a time to position yourself for the answers to your prayers. This often involves taking active steps of faith, even when it doesn’t make sense. When the Lord prompts you through the Holy Spirit, my advice is to follow His leading. The truth is, the steps of faith that work for one person may not work for another, but God honors faith, no matter how small.
It is pointless to pray and not be ready to see the evidence of your prayer. Whether your prayer is for salvation, healing, or something else, allow your mindset to shift to that of answered prayers. Be expectant of what God will do. Don’t procrastinate—take steps of faith. Conquer fear by positioning yourself to receive answers. Silence the voice of doubters by listening solely to what God is saying. Don’t sabotage your own success—if you’ve prayed about it, trust God to show Himself mighty. Kick out doubt and unbelief, so you can enjoy the supernatural answers that come through prayer.
Let us pray:
Almighty Savior, thank You for the grace to learn at Your feet.
Father, help me, forgive my unbelief, and have Your way in my life.
My Lord and my God, eliminate every fear and doubt that ridicules my faith.
Lord, as I increase my prayer life and reignite my faith in prayer, let me experience supernatural intervention.
I decree I will not live in the same cycle of failure and shame this year.
I decree that this year, I will carry back-to-back evidences of my prayers in Jesus' name.
I decree that my joy will not turn to sorrow in Jesus' name.
I decree every power working to push me out of my Rehoboth is permanently negated.
I decree that henceforth, I am moving higher and higher beyond all limitations and hindrances.
I decree that I will not nurture pain, sickness, or shame in my life in Jesus' name.
I decree that new doors are opening unto me, and wherever the soles of my feet tread, I claim it as my inheritance.
I decree I will not run this race of life against God, my Maker, in Jesus' name.
I decree that my period of waiting has now become a period of answers in Jesus' name.
I decree my year is filled with answered prayers in Jesus' name.
Personal Prayer
Thank You, Ancient of Days, for answered prayers. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Congratulations! 🎉 🎈
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