Prayer!

Sunday Sermon with Apostle Chisale

GREETINGS beloved. The Bible says in Luke 18:1, “… that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Jesus is encouraging the church to pray and not give up. I know that many books have been written about prayer. Prayer has many dimensions. There are prayers that the church should do for us to prevail when dealing with situations. Prayer has been misrepresented with some saying it is for poor people. 

It has also been misinterpreted that prayer is only for those in need. Yes, we know the bible says “ask and it shall be given”. But that is one of the levels of prayer. 

As I said, there are many types of prayer. Some think that prayer is for prayer warriors, for intercessors, for pastors and for those who are doing the work of God. 

That’s why you will discover that we have got many struggling business people and politicians because many of us have a misinterpretation of prayer. Prayer was simply designed for everyone.

We see our fathers in faith how they became stronger and they had victories in all areas of their lives because they were people of prayer. Jesus gave us a command that men must always pray. You have to understand, the word is a daily thing. We pray whether we need things or we pray whether we have things. Some men believe that prayer is for women. That’s why you will discover that in many prayer gatherings, few men attend because prayer has been misinterpreted. 

But we thank God that in this end time, God is raising men and women who will get hold of the horns of the altar and pray until things happen. Prayer is for businessmen, for doctors, for politicians, the unemployed, for those who are married or those who are single and for those who are in any other profession. You need to pray.

Jesus as a son of God and as God himself prayed when he was here on earth. I see Jesus’ disciples asking him to teach them to pray. If you have a prayer-less life, the demons that are operating in this world will frustrate you or kill you. There is a prayer of thanksgiving, prayer of supplication and prayer of petition. All these are types of prayers. May God give us understanding.

The book of Matthew 21:13 says, “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of robbers.” What was Jesus saying in this verse? Remember that we are a house of the Holy Spirit, each individual, or a temple as many would call it. Even the demons know that our bodies are houses. We see in Matthew 12:44 when Jesus was teaching on deliverance he said when demons have been cast out from a man, after some time they say, … “I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he finds it empty, swept, and garnished.” 

So, we see that demons understand that we are a house. We can either house the Holy Spirit or house demons. And Jesus comes in and says my house shall be called a house of prayer.

So, ladies and gentlemen we are either a house of prayer or a house of robbers. There are two things that a house can accommodate: i) you can be a house of prayer or ii) a house of robbers. What do I mean by a house of robbers? It simply means if you don’t pray there is demonic transaction. Just like in the temple in Matthew 21:12, there were transactions taking place, some selling doves, etc. and when Jesus entered the temple he had to kick tables and chase everyone out. So, there are people whose health has been stolen, their spiritual stars have been stolen, their sensitivity and their gifts have been stolen because they have turned their houses into houses of robbers. May God give us understanding that we should pray.

In part two of prayer, we will define the types of prayers.

In Luke 3:21-22 it says, “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the Heaven was opened.” 

When Jesus was being baptised he had to pray and the Heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him and a voice was heard from Heaven. Now, I understand why Jesus taught about prayer and why he enjoyed praying. 

There are times when Jesus would separate himself from the busy schedule that he had to create time for prayer. 

In Mark 1:35, we see Jesus rising up early in the morning before daybreak and went out into a solitary place where he prayed. If Jesus took prayer so seriously, what more us as believers?

I would like to invite you to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. By believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that he is your Lord and Saviour, you shall be saved.

May God bless you all.

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