Integrity- People of God

Prayer is not a mystic, esoteric process. It is not some mysterious thing that only a select few have access or power to perform. Prayer is a common practice; it is a normal conversation between mankind and his God. Prayer is not unique to those who believe in Jesus but it is a ritual done by most people and religions where they are seeking favour and answers from their gods.

For those who believe in Jesus, prayer is talking to the God who created us, who knows us, and loves us in spite of all our faults. Prayer is defined as an act of talking with God to give thanks or praise to our Creator and making a petition or asking for something. It appears most people have lost touch with the praise and giving thanks to God for who He is and all He has done for us. They come with the request and petitions and then they leave many still worried and anxious because they have not had true communion with God.

They may have said all they wanted to say but they did not take time to exchange their weakness for His strength. When we are in God’s presence in prayer we are to magnify Him and make God bigger than our problems we are focusing on our God, His glory and His love for us. The more we magnify Him the smaller our problems become and we are strengthened by the power of His Spirit.

It is in prayer where we take our concerns and to release the wrongs, injuries and injustices done to us. In prayer we are submitting our requests and desires to God, asking Him to move on our behalf while we release all malice and hate. We trust God to settle the matter justly and now we are free to forgive and love those who spitefully abused us. Prayer is us taking our concerns to God and letting go of pride and the selfish need to vindicate ourselves and making much of who God is. Prayer is fellowship and hanging out with God who is your Father and your Friend.

Prayer is displayed in many forms. Prayer is when we make a petition to obtain a result regarding a problem or concern. Prayer is communion and fellowship with our God as the source that supplies life to our situations and circumstances. Prayer is talking and staying connected to God our source that produces life in our very being. Prayer is to say what God says or speak what God speaks in His Word on the matter. Prayer is giving thanks to God for His provision and is when we request God to be our advocate and help against our adversaries and enemies. Prayer is interceding for someone, asking God to help them, bless them and meet their needs. Prayer is giving praise to the Almighty God for Who He is and what He has done, doing and will do in our lives.

Simply put, prayer is talking to God, just as we talk to our family or a friend who knows us. When we are talking to close friends or family there is no need to put on airs or pretend to be something we are not. They already know who we are, our needs, and our temperament; they may know things about us most people do not and would not understand.

God knows who we are. He knows our past, and our present and our future. God even knows our inner thoughts, hopes and fears. That is why some may ask why should we pray? If God already knows all things, why waste time praying? Prayer is a relationship between two beings and it is mostly for our benefit.

Let’s be clear, God is God all by Himself and has no need of anything outside of Himself. He does not need man’s prayers; He gives man the privilege to pray and to commune with Him. God made man as a free will being with the ability to fellowship and to have a relationship with God. God desires a relationship with us but we need God in our lives if we are to live an abundant life in this world. God has given us the process of prayer and fellowship as a means of exchanging our weakness for His strength, our bewilderment for His wisdom. It is in His presence there is fullness of joy because it is there we see His greatness and majesty and our problems pale in the light of His glory.

God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. God gave man dominion over the things in the earth therefore; humanity is responsible for the things that take place in the earth. When God gave man dominion over the things in the earth, man became responsible for the things that are happening in the earth.

Mankind gave this authority over to Satan in the fall; man failed miserably at managing this world God had given him. God could not violate His word and could not usurp man’s authority even though he was misusing it. God could not step in and do a hostile takeover even though Adam and Eve missed it. God is faithful to His word, “man has authority over the earth” and God is bound by His word.

God had a plan to redeem mankind, legally according to the principles and authority of mankind even before the foundation of the world. God would become a man in the flesh so He could die for all humanity so we may have a choice, once again, to be reborn by Grace through faith in Jesus the Son of God and man. When we accept Jesus as our Lord, we are saying He is our Master and we will obey and serve Him. We are then adopted into the family of God and become God’s man on earth.

God is a God of integrity and honesty and He is true to His word. He will not violate mankind’s right to reign. When we call upon God in prayer and ask for His divine intervention, God has already provided all we need through Jesus. Jesus has done a great and mighty work on our behalf and has brought us abundantly. God has paid it all and provided all we need to be successful and live abundantly in this life. The people of God perish today because they do not know God’s word and they lack an understanding of how to live in this new kingdom on earth.

God is the Source from which we have our existence and our life. Prayer is the cable, rope or the life line that keeps us connected to The Source of life. We understand that if a plant was uprooted from the soil, its source of life, it will die and if a fish is taken out of the water, its source of life, it too will die. Mankind came out of God and He is our source. But we became detached or disconnected from our source of life in the Garden when mankind as God had created him died spiritually although it took centuries for him to die physically. Jesus came and gave us a new life, a new spirit. We are no longer under the curse of sin when we accept Jesus as our Lord and our Redeemer.

Genesis 2: 17 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Man, as long as his spirit was connected to God he was able to live, freely eat in the garden and enjoy all God had provided. When mankind rebelled and disobeyed he became disconnected from The Source of life. The living spirit of man that God created surely died that day. Mankind disobeyed God, ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and obeyed Satan.  It was a spiritual death the departure of the God likeness in man’s spirit was gone. God’s fellowship and intimate communion was gone. Mankind was no longer the created spiritual being God created him to be and was disconnected from his source.

The brightness of God’s glory was no longer on man and his spirit no longer illuminated the glory of God from within. Mankind lost the glory God had placed on him and his natural eyes could now see his nakedness. Man in his glorious splendor deceased and he began operating in the natural or in his flesh.

When mankind lost their spiritual connection to God they became cynical, afraid, acting and talking like the one they obeyed, Satan. But God had made provision for mankind to be re-born to have a new birth and another life though Jesus. Jesus paid our sin debt and redeemed us from death this was our way back to God. God had provided a way of escape before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to son ship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

      Prayer is just us talking with God and we are reconnected to our source. In His presence we can receive the life giving strength we need to grow and live an abundant life in the earth. Just as a plant or tree that is loosely planted in the soil may live for a season but will not be as productive as it could be had it been firmly planted and tightly attached to the life giving soil. So are we when we are loosely connected to our source of life. There is so much more we can do when we are securely connected in fellowship and communion with God.

 John 15:4-8    Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

The Reason We Do Not Pray!

With prayer being such a vital part of our growth, we must ask the question; why is it we do not pray? Usually it is one of two reasons; it is out of ignorance and or pride. Ignorance is the lack of knowledge on a matter and one is blind to truth.  That is what Satan, the prince of darkness, tries to do, to keep us ignorant and in darkness to the word of God. He wants to blind us to the light and truth of God’s word.

Pride says, “I do not need God!” Pride is lifted up in self-reliance and believes that they are doing ok. Pride believes in self that self has all the knowledge it needs; he is smart enough to handle every situation on his own. It was pride that caused Satan to think he could be lifted higher than God and to be thrown out of heaven. Pride is the same weapon he used in the garden to cause man to think more highly of himself than he should. This is the trap the enemy uses to get so many to fall into. Pride relies on self but humility trust God.

 Hosea 4:6a …my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

Isaiah 14: 12- How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!  You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.  I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”  But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 29:23 A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Pride does come before destruction and a fall. Pride has kept us from being connected to The One True God and at times our loved ones. Most people would never say out right that it is pride that keeps them from praying but their actions speak volumes to what they believe in their heart. They refuse to admit their wrongs or their need for help even at the risk of losing a friend, someone they love or communion with God. Some people refuse to pray or ask God for help because they think it will make them look weak. Others hearts are so hardened that they just refuse to seek help and it is all because of pride.

When we pray we are coming to God and communing with the One who created us. Prayer says I need you God in my life to help me and direct me in my situations and circumstances. Prayer shows humility. When we pray we are humbling ourselves under the authority of God and acknowledging Him as our Sovereign King. A king is responsible for his subjects, to provide and protect them from their enemies and invaders. This is the provision and protection we receive from God as our Sovereign King.

2 Chronicles 7:14-15 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ¹⁵ Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.