How Do I Cultivate A Vibrant Prayer Life?

We live in a generation where men do not pray. We talk about prayer, we read books about it, we desire to do it, but very few people are really investing their life and time into prayer. 

For some of you listening to me you don't pray because you are professionals/aspiring professionals and you say, "I'm not called into the 5-Fold ministry, prayer is for Pastors and for zealous brothers have chosen to fail in other aspects of life". We sometimes take people with vibrant prayer lives as sycophants and we despise them in our inward parts.

It is precisely for this reason that prayer becomes the hallmark for true Christian maturity. Sometimes, you may find people who love to study the bible and listen to messages, but the ratio of people who have a consistent prayer regimen is typically lower. Let me explain why when you listen to messages, or study the word, there is often an immediately tangible addition, you come in contact with a new revelation and for many people, it is intellectually stimulating, but many times prayer leaves you with no short-term sense of achievement and so we backtrack on it.

So, there are three big things I'll teach tonight: #1 is the necessity of prayer, # 2 is the system of true prayer and #3 is How to receive the grace of prayer

Outline 1: The Necessity of Prayer

A. Prayer Increases our Capacity (It is A Pipe Through Which Grace Flows)

Grace represents the summation of all the possibilities resident in God accessible only through Christ. Grace represents the materiality of the divine nature that God has specially brewed/prepared for the church. In general, man is able to route outcomes through other channels other than Christ e.g. A good education, networking, politics, etc. So it is possible to for a believer to operate the principles of God and obtain results, yet he may never encounter Grace. However, the results produced by Grace in any sphere are always superior, require less human efforts and are longlasting. A solid prayer life serves as a spiritual link by which we download the grace software. Think of this, as an android user with a Gmail account, you are entitled to all the free software on google play, but you need an internet connection. That connection is primarily accessed by prayer. Prayer, in addition to knowledge, is one of the divine channels by which our legal benefits resident in God become vitally true through Christ. So, if you ignore prayer and just assume that Grace will find you because you are some special kid and you have one ' backdoor' access please I humbly request that you wake up. If you do not sustain a prayer altar you are not living the 'en-graced' life. You may be successful, but it may be because you are a man or woman of principles. However, I'm here to show you a more excellent way.

B. Prayer Activates the gift of God on your life

In seasons where I have found grace to really stay strong in the place of prayer, I've had amazing things happen to me. Many times, I have an inner witness, or a dream or a leading that directs me on what I must do - which is a pointer to where my gifts lie. In Acts 13:2, the bible says "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." A lot of times, it is in an atmosphere of prayer that God speaks and shows us not just our broad calling, but the finer details of our priestly (within the church - the body) and kingly (within the world) ministries.

C. Prayer authorizes God to move. It is a system of approvals

John Wesley said, "I am convinced that God does nothing except in response to believing prayer." In other words, a prayer closes the circuit between the divine and the human. In Psalm 115:16, the bible says, "The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men."

This above passage shows that God has conveyed authority over the earth realm completely to man, so man must request for God to move. Man must approve for God to act and that approval occurs through prayer.

Ezekiel 2:30 says, "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." So, prayer bridges the gap and allows divinity to intervene on earth, in our lives, etc.

Some people say "what will be will be…" they are not totally true "what God has purposed, which we sanction in prayer, will be…"

Prayer allows us to partner with God to establish His plans, and purposes in our earthly pursuits.

Outline 2: What is the System for True Prayer?

A. Consistency of place and time

A great man of God once said that any activity we do consistently makes the region around which we do it into an altar. For example, if people practice prostitution willfully in a certain region, by reason of the consistency of such practice, spirits that enforce prostitution will be attracted to that area - converting it into an altar of prostitution. An altar simple is a place where human and spiritual goals align and create a partnership. It is necessary in establishing the mechanics of your prayer life that you designate a place and time for consistent prayer. The Christian elders have prayer rooms, but a place of prayer is sufficient. 

As you go there, whether it’s a spot in your room or a wherever God will respect that place and very soon it becomes an altar where spiritual transactions take place with or without your will. The ultimate goal is for your temple, your body to become an altar.

In Genesis 28: 16 And Jacob awoke out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. Apparently, Abraham his father had laid an alter there

B. The solitude of the soul

Mat 14:13 says "When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities." We must ensure that our souls are quiet as we approach God in prayer. This is so that God can speak to us and lay thoughts on our heart. Even though God speaks to our spirits, it is in the soul that such impulses assume a form that we can understand and act upon. So quietude is critical.

C. Pray by the Word and with the Spirit

Eph 6:18 says "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. "

We must ensure and prepare in advance before we enter into prayer, ensuring that our request is aligned with God's will. We must also pray with the Holy Spirit - ensuring that we are quick to lay down our agenda and pick up His agenda as we pray.

D. Pray with Fasting often

E. At all times

Lev 6:12  And the fire upon the altar shall be burning init; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. 

Lev 6:13 "The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out". 

1 Thess. 5:17 - "pray without ceasing"

F. As we become busier and as our popularity grows

Php_4:6  Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (The busier you are, the more prayer you need. As the 'everything, the dimension of your life grows' make sure your 'prayer and supplication' grows

Luk 5:15  "But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities." 

Luk 5:16  "And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed."

Outline 3: How Do I receive Grace for prayer

1. Ask the Holy Spirit for Grace

2. Take baby steps of consistent prayer. Start small and work your way up. There no use trying to do a 3-hour prayer stretch when you are not consistently doing 30 minutes of fellowship with God in prayer. Start with bite-sized blocks of time and grow from one level to the next.

So, I'll use my own prayer routine as a case-in-point:

I have prayer segments as follows

1. Growth prayers. These are the prayers I say telling God to draw me closer, asking Him to make me His friend. Most times I just soak with Him in Fellowship and pray in other tongues. This takes the most time.

2. I have personal prayers focused on my career and life

3. I pray for my nuclear family - asking God to help us enter into the fullness of His will

4. Then I pray ministry focused prayers. These are prayers asking for Grace to serve God acceptably and effectively

5. Then I have a section on intercession where I have actual names of people and I name them one by one and pray for them

Before going into all of these sections, I sing and worship, and kneel and bow - however I am led to enter into His gate. Then I spend time thanking Him for physical and spiritual blessing. Now, God may lead you differently. He may lead you to focus on one segment in a prayer session or two. It is difficult to cover all five in one sitting.