And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. (Luke 24:53).
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers (Acts 1:14).
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart (Acts 2:46).
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31).
Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God (Luke 6:12).
The foundation for all that God does in us and through us is in our prayer life. Jesus set the standard. Jesus’ days of ministry were preceded by nights of intense praying. The early church was formed in the incubator of prayer after Jesus’ ascension.
The kingdom of God functions on the prayers of the saints. The mighty forces that shape the world are not physical but spiritual. The answer to every challenge we face is first of all found in that place of solace in prayer with the Father. If Jesus heeded the importance of praying things out in His time on earth, should we not heed His example?
We’re facing pressures unheard of in previous generations. The climax of the ages is upon us. God has a grand and glorious strategy for the church in this hour. And it begins and ends on our knees! To neglect the place of prayer is to neglect the very purpose and plans of the Father for life.
And one other thought. If we do not pray during this next election, and if the saints of God do not wake up and cry out, and then vote the right way, our freedoms will be forever lost. Freedoms to worship. Freedom to think. Freedom to follow God. Gone. And in the place of freedom will be persecution the likes of which has never been seen on American soil. And, the American church simply is not ready for this kind of persecution.
Start today. Move yourself into a deeper place of prayer. Find a private place, and begin to tell the Father how wonderful He is to you. Ask Him to help you pour out your heart to Him. Then, take to Him every concern and problem. Give Him the details of what bothers you.
Start by praying for the world, for God to send people worldwide to share the gospel with those in darkness. Pray for the leaders of the nations of the world, that God would work in their lives and allow the Word of God to be spread in their nation. Pray for Israel, God’s “timepiece” in the earth, that God’s promises would be fulfilled. Pray for the United States, that there would be another “Great Awakening” to the presence of God and to His moral laws and to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pray for your church: that your pastor would have the boldness to preach the truth of the Word of God and would not give in to the “itching ears” syndrome of our day (only telling people what they want to hear to build a larger crowd);that the Holy Spirit would minister in a powerful way in each church service; that God would grant the staff team and leaders wisdom to minister to the congregation and community at large; that God would use your local church as a light and an example of who Jesus is to the community and that souls would be saved; that love, peace, and unity would flow in the body of believers;that the children and youth ministries would minister in a powerful way; that God would provide the financial resources to do what He has called your local church to accomplish; that God would use you and each church member to share His love and Word with others every single day.
Then pray for your family. You see, to be really blessed, put yourself and your needs last, and put others first. Pray for your spouse, your children, grandchildren, and extended family. Ask God to work in each life and talk to Him about the details of what each family member needs. Remind God of the promises of His Word to you. And then spend some time in thanksgiving for the answers.
While praying, take time to pray in tongues. This is the most effective form of prayer. Praying in the spirit enables you to pray the perfect will of God about the unknown future. It enables you to pray the will of God into manifestation in so many ways! Don’t neglect this secret weapon God has given to you! Use it regularly and watch the forces of the enemy back up!
The success of your day, and the freedoms that we will have tomorrow, begins in your prayer closet. Make it count!