THE INFLUENCE OF PRAYER
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”(Phillipians 1:9-11)
There has never been a day like today; the church must rise up to be the mighty influence God created us to be. Like the moon influences the tidal movement of the ocean, so prayer influences the practice of the church. As you pray, listen for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. He will be your helper and He will teach you how to pray in every situation. Paul under stood the influence that prayer exerted on the church. He prayed and sought the Lord for his church family, as he did the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit would flow like a river.
Paul must have prayed a lot, so much so that he said in the fourteenth chapter of Corinthians that he prayed in the spirit more than the whole bunch. My guess is that Paul knew something about prayer. In Ephesians 1:15-23 we find a record of Paul and his prayer for the church at Ephesus. In Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul prays for the church, he knew that without prayer the church would never rise to the level of dominion that God has called us to live in. I do not believe that we should all depend on someone to pray for us, though it is wonderful when a friend or a pastor takes you as their prayer charge. I believe we must all learn to pray for one another, and the power of prayer will be realized in the fullness that God desires for His church.
The practice of prayer is governed by the will of God and He is our enabler. See Romans 8:26-27. Prayer produces a sense of well being, however it is not spiritual therapy. Prayer is the will of man rising to the level of God’s will. Prayer makes the performance of the will of God possible. I believe that prayer paves the way for the host of heaven to come into the earthly realm and work in our hearts. The apostles in Acts 4:29-31 empowered by the Holy Spirit to pray and to seek His face spoke the Word of God with a boldness that shook a nation. With great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. So walk you in Him and learn the power of Spirit led prayer in your life.
Pastor Danny
