Prayer - the Unfettered Access to All of God.

Greetings everyone and welcome to today's edition of...

Learn and Grow With Jesus EVERYDAY. 

Today's Topic is PRAYER.

Date: Monday, January 18, 2021

Bible Reading: Luke 11: 1- 4 NKJV.

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” Luke 11:1‭-‬2‭, ‬4 NKJV

Discussion Question: What is Prayer and Why Pray?

We all live in homes built and fortified with doors. The sole purpose of a door is to grant access to authorized personnel or persons. And access is only granted when you unlock the door with the right key and then turn the handle to open it and enter in. In every home, there are numerous doors. Each door grants access to different rooms and each door has its own unique set of keys. In the same home, all doors are not the same. Some are built with impenetrable materials while some are just ordinary doors. The strength and level of fortification of each door is determined by the contents in the room to which they grant access.

If the contents in the room are of inestimable value, the door is not just an ordinary door but a vault fortress which requires levels and layers of keys, combination secret codes and electronic demagnetizers to unlock as is common in banks. Unlocking such a door requires expert knowledge of the operating procedure otherwise you will lock yourself out with just a few wrong tries. On the other hand, some doors are unlocked with very ordinary keys, and there are doors that have no keys at all, you just open them and gain access.

All doors, no matter how fortified they are, have a common function - access, and so is prayer. Prayer is both a privilege and a gift. Prayer gives us unfettered access directly to God. Some of us cannot even boast of direct access to our bosses or managers at work, much less a governor or president. But prayer connects us directly to the Almighty God. Prayer brings us into His majestic presence, encapsulates us in His glory and splendor, and we speak to God for as long as we want without restrictions. Unlike banks that use vaults to restrict access to treasure storage rooms and often require stringent clearance, with prayer, we gain access to God just as we are, without preconditions. And that access also means access to all of God. Access to His power and might. Access to His loving-kindness. Access to His blessings and favors. Access to his amazing grace. Access to the inner chamber of the Most High.

In this life, the only direct access we have to God is through prayer. Have you ever wondered why Jesus being the Son of God, prayed more than everybody while on earth? If Jesus being God, could pray as much and as desperately as He did while on earth why not you and I?

When we pray, we declare and demonstrate our humility, dependence and reliance on God and His grace and saving power. When we pray we bring ourselves under submission to His authority, power, dominion, rule and purpose. When we pray, we gain access to His presence and His glory. Every encounter with God's presence makes room for more of His presence no matter how long or how short. 

Prayer is an intentional or deliberate hard work, and it takes a lot of discipline. Initially, many find it hard to pray. Yes, but it gets easier and more engaging as you commit and apply yourself to it. Sometimes, you may find that you don't know what to pray about. But prayer isn't just about making requests to God. It is about worship. It is about praise. It is about sharing your hopes, your dreams, your plans, your fears and your anxieties with God. It is about talking to God as a trusted friend, laying your heart bare before Him, and just soaking yourself deep in His love and mercy. As we pray more and more, we get deeper and deeper into His presence and gain access to more of the excellencies of His glory and majesty. There are higher heights and deeper depths, as we pray, our experience and encounters with God become more and more tangible and glorious. There isn't any special or binding protcol we must observe in order to pray. One of the beauties of prayer is that you can pray at any time and from any where you find the opportunity. I enjoy rising early in the morning to pray, I also enjoy talking to God while I drive to work, or while listening to a praise song or sermon. Find what works best for you and do that. Prayer isn't a chore, it is an expression among other things.

There are different kinds of prayer but here, Jesus gave us a template to use when we pray. Pray honoring God. Pray the kingdom come. Pray for the bread of heaven. Pray for forgiveness and forgive others also. Pray for deliverance from evil.

David said, Oh Lord You are my God, and I will  ever praise You. I will seek You in the morning,  and I will learn to walk in your ways, step by step You lead me, and I will always follow You.

Have you taken the time to pray today?

Stay Uplifted in Christ always and live cheerfully everyday. 

Leader Chinedu Nicholas Obodo for EXOLOM Fellowship. Find us at Exolom.com