Prayer Pillars

READ: Acts 4:23-31
MORE LESSONS: Jam.5:17-18
Bible Reading in One Year: Proverbs 29-31

A pillar is a load carrier in a building or structure. Without strong pillars a great house or structure cannot stand. A pillar therefore is the main strength of a structure. A pillar is called by whatever material it is made of, hence you have concrete pillar, pillar of cloud, pillar of prayer, wooden pillar, etc. Like any strong building, the Church of Jesus needs strong pillars to stand among them, one of which is prayer pillar. The prayer pillar in any church is the intercessor, individual or group. The New Testament Church did not survive without it and no church of God today can survive without it. A church is strong to the extent of its intercessors or individuals lifting the church or its pastor up in prayer because the work of God moves on the wings of intercession. Therefore, where there is no intercessor the work drags and suffers great setback no matter what else is done. The glory of the New Testament Church is her prayer pillar.

The early Church prayed:
1. In Every watch hour (Acts 3:1).
2. As an apostolic band (Acts 4:23-31).
3. And the building shook (Acts 4:31).
4. And the earth quaked (Acts 16:25-26).
5. And the prison doors opened (Acts 12:1-11).
6. Without ceasing (Acts 6:4).
7. Until something happened (Acts 12:5).
8. And changed the world (Acts 17:6).

The greatest need of the Church today is men and women who will raise prayers up to Heaven for the Church and her pastors. Are you one of them? The recruitment exercise is still on, join those who lift Moses’ hands up and not those who criticise everything that is done in church. Whatever we do to a church or in a church building has eternal reward.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that God will use you in the place of intercession to make a difference in your church and in the world.
* Pray that God will raise faithful intercessors to pray for your church and world evangelism.
* Pray for your spiritual leaders.
* Make a covenant never to close your service or family altar or personal prayer time without a prayer for your spiritual leader.

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Make a Demand on Heaven

READ: Neh.2:1-6
MORE LESSONS: Matt.7:7
Bible Reading in One Year: Proverbs 25-28

Occasionally in life you are opportune to stand before great people and you are asked, What can I do for you? It is usually an opportunity to make a great request but sometimes you mess it up and ask for peanuts. Nehemiah stood before the king and asked for permission and help to return and rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem and he got it, … So it pleased the king to send me;….v6. Herodias’ daughter, prompted by her mother, stood before Herod and asked, ...Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her: Matt.14:8-9 She got it. Elisha asked Elijah for a hard thing and got it (2kgs.2:10-14). Solomon, himself a king, had the rear privilege of being urged by not less than the King of kings to make a request, he got it, Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour: Chron.1:7-12.

When you know how to make your request to Jehovah, it is as good as standing before the Almighty God Himself and it is an opportunity to ask for the great desires of your life. Each time you notice the presence of God in a place, either a worship time in or out of church or an unusual presence of God's glory all around you, it is as good as hearing God say, What can I do for you? Never let such opportunity pass you by, make a request, step into a great worship or anything that will make you a partaker of the glory of the divine presence. Today, write a prayer request of the greatest desires of your heart, create an atmosphere of God's presence by praise and worship (singing) or by prayer, and present your requests to the King of kings and expect an answer. Just as others got answer, you too will today.

Prayer / Action
* Thank God for the honour of being allowed into His presence.
* Ask God for the blessing of His presence.
* Ask God to grant your desires by His greatness.
* Rebuke every barrier and road block to your answer.
* Declare that today your pain will become a testimony.
* Thank God for answer.

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You must not Lose your Labour

READ: 2 Jn.8 (NLT)
MORE LESSONS: Gen.26:12-13
Bible Reading in One Year: Proverbs 22-24

Many people work so hard, breaking new grounds, planting and harvesting but do not pay attention to conserving the fruits of their past labours. Such people will labour all through life and end up with no rewards in their hand. They have stories of what they did, and probably what they achieved but nothing concrete in terms of end products that will carter for their needs. That shall not be your case; you will eat the fruits of your labour. Imagine a farmer that is so busy opening new farms, but will not look back to weed the ones he has cultivated. At the end of the season he will have no harvest because he has laboured like a fool. Or a pastor who wins souls everyday, but he does not have a solid plan to disciple the souls he wins, absorb them into the church and build them up to become mature believers. The church of such a pastor will be empty. Take a moment to reflect on your labour of old. What are you doing to preserve and process them so they can become profitable fruits in your hand? Our text cries out so loud to us to look to ourselves so that we don’t lose the things which we have worked for.

In your quest for greatness, God wants to take you from glory to glory. He wants the new grounds you have broken to be an addition to the old ones, not substitutes. He wants you to add to your achievements and thereby make you become greater and greater. May you truly advance by addition and may you increase and be preserved, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Prayer/Action
* Take Psa.115:14 to God in prayer for yourself.
* Pray against any waster or devourer that may want to eat up your fruits and past labour.
* Ask the Lord to increase and establish the works of your hand.
* Ask God to increase and establish the works of your pastor, spiritual and otherwise.
* Ask God for wisdom for an enduring work.
* Give thanks for answered prayer.

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Yes, You Can

READ: Matt. 21:19-22
MORE LESSONS: Matt. 7:7-11
Bible Reading in One Year: Proverbs 19-21

Have you ever dreamt of a day when all your prayer requests are answered? Or a situation where, as you ask, you get the result? I hear Heaven say, Yes, you can; you can get prompt answer now, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: Matt.7:7. This scripture simply means that prayer is not meant to be a one way traffic, which is what we are used to. Rather it is supposed to be something like a direct face-to-face conversation with instant result. Our theology and direction about prayer needs to shift from an exercise for future result to instant manifestation because this is what prayer is meant to be.

“Ask and receive”, not ask and wait. This is not to see prayer as magic for instant results in your hand always as there could be a reason to wait, but you need to go to the Father's presence with an expectation that the answer will be now. Prayer for Jesus was communion with the Father with instant answer. After all, all we will ever ask have been provided before creation and we can never exhaust God’s resources. Therefore all we need to do is ask and pick up the supply. All through Jesus' work on earth, prayer was ‘ask and pick it’. At Lazarus' tomb where we should have expected the toughest prayer and delay because death was involved, His prayer was short and answer came instantly, …Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: …. And he that was dead came forth…. Jn.11:41-44. Even at Gethsemane where the battle was tough, He got answer instantly (Lk.22:43). However, all these are predicated on, … if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 1Jn.5:14. Ask according to God’s will and you can confidently conclude, Yes, I can get the answer now.

Three quick tests for answered prayer:
1. A righteous life, Psa.24:3-4.
2. Faith in God, Heb.11:1-2.
3. Asking according to His will, I Jn.5:14.
Yes, you can have what you ask, right away.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to revisit your past requests and grant you answer today.
* Pray that a new season of answered prayers will begin for you today.
* Ask God to increase your faith.
Worship the Lord and sing a song of answered prayers.

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