COMMUNION WITH GOD
What is prayer?
God desires to have fellowship with us as His children, just as an earthly father loves to converse with his children.
Prayer is a type of communion with God . God went down to the garden of Eden to talk to Adam and Eve.
God wants us to talk to him the same way you would talk to a good friend , not a hypocritical or pretentious one.
Just as a young child can ask his father to help him, God will help his children overcome life’s problems.
“Call me, and I will answer you, I will announce to you great and impenetrable things that you do not know” (Jeremiah 33: 3)
“The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry.”(Psalm 34:15)
“The righteous cry out and the LORD hears them; deliver them from all their misfortunes.”(Psalm 34:17)
We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (see 2 Corinthians 5:21), God wants us to seek him diligently in prayer .
Strive to be a “diligent researcher” rather than a “casual researcher”.
“Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever approaches God must believe that he is, and that he rewards all who seek him.” (Hebrews 11: 6)
“You will invoke me, you will come to pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek me and you will find me, because you will seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29: 12-13)
To those who ask, seek and knock – God promises to give what is good to those who ask Him.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you; for everyone who asks receives; whoever seeks finds, and it will be opened to whoever knocks.” (Matthew 7: 7-8)
“So if you, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father, who is in heaven, give good things to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:11
“… the prayer of the just has great efficacy.”
(James 5:16)
“… you don’t have, why don’t you ask”
(James 4: 2)
Types of prayer
There are many different types of prayer, such as:
• Prayer of petition
• Prayer of intercession
• Prayer of agreement
• Congregational
prayer • Prayer of worship
• Prayer of thanksgiving
• Prayer of the company
• Prayer of consecration.
However, we will focus specifically on prayer of petition (or faith), which is asking God for the things we desire.
“Therefore I tell you: all the things that you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received them and you will get them.” (Mark 11:24)
The Son of God said we can pray for what we want. This includes all spiritual, physical, material and financial needs. The only reason God would resist giving us our wishes is if we pray for something that is not in line with His Word (e.g. praying for our neighbour’s wife to fall in love with us) or if we don’t have the character to receive.
ONCE I PRAYED
WHEN SHOULD I BELIEVE I HAVE RECEIVED THE ANSWER?
“Therefore, I tell you: all the things that you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received them and you will get them.” (Mark 11:24)
You must believe that you receive WHEN you pray, right there and after. If you do, Jesus said “you will get them” – which is some time in the future.
In everyday language this means that you have to believe you have it, before you get it, but if you don’t believe you understand it, you will never get it.
Now, if you truly believe that you have received it in prayer, you will no longer ask for it, but you will act and speak as if you already have it.
You don’t have to believe for the things you can see, but for the things you can’t see. We are not saying that we have it, but that we believe we have it. In relation to faith, “seeing is not believing”. Our part is simply to believe. God’s part is to watch over his word and make it good on our behalf.
“for I watch my word to effect it.”
(Jeremiah 1:12)
“On the day I shouted at you, you answered me …”
(Psalm 138: 3)
When we pray, we must ask in faith, being sure of God’s will and ability to answer our prayer.
“And if any of you lack wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to everyone without reproaching it, and it will be given to him. wind and thrust here and there. Such a man does not think he receives something from the Lord, because he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways. “(James 1: 5-8)
God delivered Daniel after his midnight, after he was thrown into the lions’ den. Therefore, never tell God WHEN He should answer your prayer. Also, never tell God HOW to answer your prayer.
Keep your faith in the power of God and not a preconceived idea of what you have decided to do. It will never work.
Remember, “my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55: 9)
We must have faith in His love!