THE SCHOOL OF FAITH 49
RESPONSIBILITY TO GROW FAITH Having established in the introduction that the walk of faith is a lifelong process, it is also important to state that it requires responsibility to grow faith because responsibility is the price for greatness. Responsibility in this sense means that every man is responsible for the growth of his own faith. “… the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) The School of Faith is the school for the regenerated mind and in this school you cannot dress, talk or live like unbelievers because every student of this school is called to be separate and to be separate means to be visibly different from the world in all ramifications. In this School your claim of salvation must be with the evidence of transformation and this transformation can only come when we open our hearts to Jesus because until you open your heart to Him He cannot open up your destiny. In this School every student is called to be responsible because it is responsibility that 50
makes us act when we should and responsibility is the state of having a duty towards something, and in this case, our faith. WHAT IS FAITH? “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) Faith is a display of confidence in God until we get our desired result. In other words, faith means doing our part while trusting God to do His because it is irresponsibility to expect God to take 100 percent responsibility for that which concerns us. What do I mean? Our faith in God commits us to play our part and allowing God to play His. All through scriptures we see that God always needed man's cooperation in order to bring His will to pass. So it would be irresponsibility to claim that we have faith but refuse to act. As a matter of fact, our faith can only be proven by our actions. That is why James chapter 2 verse 26 says: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” 51
The above passage does not mean trying to please God by our actions, instead, it means acting in the confidence that God is able to do as He has promised. “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9) What then is faith? Faith is an unseen force that is made potent by our conviction that God is more than able to do what He has promised. “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.” (Hebrews 11:11) Faith believes the unseen and the reward is seeing what you believe. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:3) Faith is meeting the demands of the Author and Finisher of our faith in order to get results. 52
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2) Never expect any result if you do not meet the demands as prescribed in scriptures. “Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” (Luke 5:4) Simon would have left without a catch if he did not meet the demands of the Lord. Faith is obeying divine instructions in order to commit God to make good His Word. “His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” (John 2:5) While the philosophy of men says we must see before we believe, faith in God says believe and you will see. “Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? (John 11:40) To believe means to see beyond the prevailing circumstances, challenges and doubts in order to 53
see answers and manifestation. Please note that faith is not the absence of fear, it is the confidence that God is able to do what He says He would, even in the face of challenges. Faith is being responsible enough to play our part while trusting God to play His; it must be backed by action. We cannot claim to have faith yet act in unbelief because any action that is contrary to our claim of faith is fake and not faith. The story was told of two brothers who were trusting God for breakthrough and decided to fast and pray for Seven days. Upon completing their fast, a very beautiful car drove pass them and one of the brothers said to the other, I see you driving that car soon and he responded saying “who dash monkey banana”? Even though he had fasted and prayed for Seven days trusting God for a breakthrough, he never expected any answer to his prayers. Any faith that is void of expectation will certainly lead to frustration. 54
WHY WE NEED FAITH Faith to the carnal mind seems like stupidity but to the one who has faith, it is just as important as the air we breathe .As oxygen nourishes our bodies, faith nourishes the heart but unfortunately, a lot of people no longer seem to believe in the things they do not see, even believers are not exempted. Faith is not just a thought or a notion that we hold on to in tough times, it is not only a fundamental part of our Christian faith but, for lack of a better word, it is an important element for our walk on earth. Faith is a deeply rooted expectation of good things to come that goes beyond our five senses to a deep down conviction in our spirit. So then, why do we need faith? Amongst other things, we need faith for: 1. For Salvation Over the past few years I have had the opportunity to ask a few persons how they know they are saved, and unfortunately, some people could not answer while some were not sure but 55
only a hand full could really defend their claim of salvation. Salvation is the deliverance from sin and its consequences, brought about by our faith in Jesus Christ. “For by grace are ye saved through faith…” (Ephesians 2:8) We are saved by God's grace through our faith in the price that Jesus Christ paid on the cross. That is, even the gift of salvation can only be received by faith in Jesus Christ. In other words, we need faith for salvation. 2. To Go Through Life This temporary physical world in which we now live in is full of many troubles, that is why Jesus speaking in John chapter 16 verse 33 said: “… In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jesus affirmed in the above passage that the world is full of many troubles but did not only encourage us to be of good cheer because He has overcome it for us, He went further to promise in Matthew 28 verse 20 that He would be with us 56
even to the end of the age: “… lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” However, it takes faith not only to believe that He has indeed conquered the world for us but that He would go through life's many troubles with us. Please note that Jesus did not guarantee us a trouble free life as some preachers allude to, but He did assure us that in Him we would have peace through life's storm and only our faith in Him can truly help us have a smooth sail through it all. 3. For Answers To Prayers One fundamental question every believer has to answer is the question of “WHY DO I PRAY?” The sincere answer we give ourselves would tell us a lot. Truthfully, a lot of believers pray religiously; they do not pray because they are convinced that God will answer them but because they see prayer as one of those many religious activities they have to engage in. The truth be told, we are meant to pray because we are convinced that God has heard us even before we pray and not because 57
He will hear us when we pray. “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24) Jesus speaking in Mark chapter 11 verse 24 declared boldly: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Put simply, what Jesus meant is that we need faith to get answers to our prayers. 4. For Victory Victory is the act of overcoming an enemy or defeating an opponent in battle and we know that life is warfare and the enemy we are contending with is a spiritual one, however, he has human agents. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) 58
In this battle, only those who are born of God can overcome the enemy and it is only through faith that our victory is guaranteed. “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4) Faith is a fundamental requirement for victory in life. 5. For Signs And Wonders Signs and wonders are an integral part of the Christian faith that is why when Jesus was speaking with His disciples, He admonished them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endured with power. “… tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) The Christian faith would not be complete without signs and wonders because they are what validate the power of the gospel. In John 4:48, Jesus said: 59
“… Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” And we can only access signs and wonders by faith: “The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,” (Acts 14:9) The Apostles were able to wrought great signs and wonders because of their undiluted level of faith, which is why we are still reading about them today. So we need faith for signs and wonders. 6. For Divine Health And Healing When God created man, His ultimate plan was for man to live in divine health but after the fall, man then had a need for health and healing, but when Jesus came, He brought a total health package with Him. So while divine healing is good, far better is divine health. “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 John 2) 60
During His earthly ministry, Jesus never had any need for personal healing, rather, He brought healing to us by His stripes, however, He also showed us that divine health is possible because all through His time on earth He never had a need to see a doctor and His response to the Pharisees in Matthew chapter 9 verse 12, He said: “… They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” In verse 21 to 22 of the same chapter, we see the woman who had the issue of blood being healed of her disease and in verse 22 Jesus declared to her: “… Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole…” Either divine health or healing can be accessed by faith because everything is possible to him that believes. 7. For Restoration To restore means to put back as it was or to make new again. In John chapter 11, we see a classical case of the restoration power of faith at work. The man Lazarus had died, been buried for days 61
and his corpse had also began to stink, but when Jesus came into the scene, He turned the tide around and declared in verse 40: “… Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” In verse 43-44 of John chapter 11, we see Jesus demonstrate the restoration power of faith when He brought Lazarus back from the dead. “And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth…” Faith is a powerful force that holds a universal value in every nation of the earth if only we believe. A man by the name Thomas Aquinas once said that “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” HOW TO CONTACT FAITH The force of faith is inarguably one of the most powerful and fundamental forces in our walk as believers. 62
Of a truth, our claim of salvation would be incomplete without faith because it takes faith to believe in the unseen. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) It takes faith to believe in a God we cannot see and in the Son whom He sent to redeem us from sin and death. It also takes faith to believe that Jesus is Lord. The subject of faith is the subject of truth and only the truth can set free. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth so only He can teach us the truth but it takes faith to believe in Him. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth… (John 16:13) With the above scriptures in mind, we can then go ahead to examine some ways by which we can get faith. 63
1. By Looking Up To Jesus “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) This is where it all begins because before we can ever begin to consider the topic of faith, salvation must come first because talking about faith in the absence of salvation would be tantamount to wishful thinking and if wishes were horses even beggars would ride. The word finisher in Greek means “one who raises the level of faith to its perfection by setting the highest example of faith” and Jesus Christ is that perfect example. So every time we study the Word of God with conviction, what we are simply doing is saying “Jesus, You are the beginning and the perfect example of faith and I look up to You, please build my faith. Hallelujah!!! 2. As AGift From The Holy Spirit. “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant… Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit… 64
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; (1 Corinthians 12:1, 4 and 9) We can get faith as a gift from the Holy Spirit and this gift is not for self alone but for the benefit of the church and for humanity. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” (1 Corinthians 12:7) One of the ways we can put the gift of faith to use for the benefit of mankind is by leading souls to Christ and for healing and deliverance. “… they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3) “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38) 3. By Revelation From God's Word “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) 65
It is one thing to get information and another to catch a revelation. What you get when you read is information but what God's shows you when you dig deep into His Word is revelation, and the revelation that we put to work gives us illumination. So when the Psalmist said in Psalms 119:130: “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” He was referring to the revelation of God's Word and this can only be accessed by a heart that desires or craves after understanding and not the type that comes just from reading for information purposes only. In other words, the deeper our desire for God by His Word, the deeper our faith grows. 4. Through Testimonies “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:” (Acts 10:34) “For there is no respect of persons with God.” (Romans 2:11) The essence of telling testimonies is not just so that people can clap and shout hallelujah. It is 66
also to build the faith of those who may be having a similar challenge as one has had and when they hear ones testimony, believe and act on it, would also have their testimonies. Not only do our testimonies represent the fact that we are in Christ, they also continue to bring others to Him when we share them. We see Peter and Paul in the passages above telling us that God is no respecter of persons, that is, He does not discriminate. If He did it for one, He can also do it for another if they believe and that is where the place of testimonies come in to help boost the faith of others. So in essence, testimonies are faith boosters. In Mark chapter 5 from verse 25 to 34, we see a woman who had suffered from the issue of blood for 12 years without hope, but the day she heard that Jesus Christ would pass by, she pressed in to touch His garment and got her healing immediately, and when the testimony went out, we see in chapter 6 from verse 53 to 56 that the people of the region of Gennesaret brought out their sick so that they also can touch His garment. They did and got their healings also. Prior to that day, I believe people had been touching Him but never got healed because their 67
faith was weak or because they just wanted to have a feel of His garment, but the day they heard her testimony, their faith got boosted and they got healed. So you can get faith through testimonies. 5. By Praying In The Holy Ghost “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,” (Jude 20). To pray in the Holy Ghost is another way of saying to pray in tongues, which is a very powerful way of not only accessing the realm of the Spirit but to also build our faith because it is the deep calling to the deep. To pray in tongues goes beyond just mouthing words because a lot of believers are used to just speaking or just speaking from their lips yet wonder why their faith level remains the same. Speaking in tongues is a spiritual exercise and God expects us to pray from our spirits, not from our heads because it is in the spirit that faith is built; the spirit is the seat of power because that is where faith resides. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching 68
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:18) From the above scripture we can see that praying in tongues also keeps the believers alert, strong in purpose and engages them in praying for other believers even without their knowing. As believers, it is expedient that we pray in tongues from our spirit, that way we not only grow our faith, we become empowered beyond human understanding and also pray in line with God's will for our lives. 69
CHAPTER THREE 70
THE SPIRIT OF MAN 71
To understand what the spirit of man is, we must first try to understand man's make up. In Christian theology, we are made to understand that man is a tripartite being. What this means is that man is made up of three distinct components; his spirit, his soul and his body and this is a biblically sound teaching as there are several Bible passages that validates it. However, we will be looking at a very few of them. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Grammatically speaking, the word whole means complete yet we see Apostle Paul in the above passage making reference to the complete man as being made up of “the spirit, soul and body”. That is, man is a spirit; he has a soul and lives in a body. THE BODY The body of man can be easily identified because that is the physical make up of man that we can see. It is made up of our 5 senses, that which we can hear, see, smell, taste, and touch. 72
THE SOUL The soul of man is our humanity. It is what makes us feel emotions, and that is also where our intellect lies. Another word for the soul is the mind so the words soul and mind c an be us ed interchangeably and it is from the soul that we express our emotions or will. While the soul can be used to magnify God, we can experience God's power in our spirit only. “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” (Luke 1:46-47) We see in the passage above that Mary rejoiced in God's love shown through His only begotten Son through her spirit. The expression of God's love is through our spirit. THE SPIRIT As the words soul and mind are the same and can be used interchangeably, so also are the words heart and the spirit. They are one and the same. We will dwell more on the spirit because in the School of Faith, the spirit is a fundamental 73
component as that is where faith resides. In Genesis chapter 2 verse 7 the Bible tells us that God made man out of the dust, breathed the breath of life into his nostrils and man became a living soul. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” The word breath was translated from the Hebrew word “neshamah” which also means spirit. And in Job chapter 32 verse 8 the Bible says: “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” While the book of Proverbs chapter 20 verse 27 says: “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. From the above passages, we can see that when God breathed into man, He gave man from His spirit and man who was originally dust came alive and it is with that spirit that He interfaces with man. 74
Job says that it is by the inspiration of the spirit that man received from God that his mind is inspired by Him to get understanding and Proverbs says that man's spirit is the candle with which God searches the inner part of man; our thoughts and intents. Apostle Paul was right when he said in Romans chapter 8 verse 16 that: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” But Jesus went much further in John chapter 4 and verse 24 to tell us that it is with our spirits that we worship God. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. We must call to mind, however, that though we worship God with our spirits, our bodies must also be used to glorify Him. “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” (1 Corinthians 6:20) The function of the spirit is spiritual and it is with it that we connect with God. 75
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God… The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” (Romans 8:14 and 16) TYPES OF HUMAN SPIRIT There are basically two types of human spirits and they are: 1. The Regenerated Spirit: This is the spirit of those who have not only given their lives to Christ, they have also surrendered to Him as Lord and are working constantly to please Him. Those with the regenerated spirit are those referred to in John chapter 4 verse 24: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” These ones constantly seek after God and His righteousness. To seek God is to constantly flee 76
from sin and setting our affection on Him, given of oneself to prayer, humility and total surrender to Him as Lord. 2. The Unregenerated Spirit This is the spirit of those who are not saved or the spirit of those who have come to the knowledge of the saving grace that God has offered mankind through His Son, Jesus Christ, but have refused to surrender to His Lordship but rather walking after the flesh just to satisfy their lustful or worldly desires. These ones could also be members and possibly workers in their local churches yet still constantly yielding themselves to sin. These are the ones the Bible calls the natural man because their affections are centred on carnal or worldly desires. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) There is no middle ground in spiritual matters. It is either you are regenerated or not; spiritual or carnal. That is why Galatians chapter 5 verse 17 says: 77
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” In the School of Faith, either you are walking in the Spirit, unsaved or living in deception. That is why Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6 says: “… for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Those in this category are spiritually dead. Death in this case is the departure of the Holy Spirit from the spirit of man or the departure of man from the Spirit of God. To be physically dead means the departure of man's spirit from his own body, however the first level of death is the scariest of all deaths because a man without the Holy Spirit is a dead man. Even though alive, he is dead. That is why the bible enjoins us not to grieve the Holy Spirit because without Him we are dead! To remain spiritually alive, it is our responsibility to diligently seek God genuinely and allow His Spirit lead us. Most importantly, we must surrender our all to Him because it is one thing to accept Jesus as our Saviour, and another to 78
surrender to Him as means to let go of our personal desires for His glory and letting His will prevail over ours. WHATIS THE HEART(SPIRITOFMAN)? Having been able to understand that the body, soul and spirit are different, and that the Spirit of God interfaces with man through his spirit, what then is the spirit of man? 1. It Is The Centre Of Our Being As the physical heart is to our bodies, sending life giving blood to every living cell in the body, so also is the spirit of man. In Genesis chapter 2 verse 7, we see that God made man out of dust and breathe life into his nostril and that life is the spirit of man that drives him, thereby making the spirit the centre of man's being. In the wisdom of the author of the book of Proverbs, he admonishes man to guard his heart diligently. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) our Lord. And to surrender 79
The reason man must guard his heart diligently is because the heart is where thoughts and intents are born. And the book of Mark chapter 7 verse 21 to 23 says: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. The heart must be guarded with all diligence to avoid it from being infected with filth because it is the core of our being. 2. It Is Our Identity In the physical, a man is identified by the look of his face, but in the spiritual he is identified by his spirit because the spirit is the real us. The body is only a house for the spirit. “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man. (Proverbs 27:19, NASB) A man's spiritual identity is not in his physical looks but the true state of his heart. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he… 80
(Proverbs 23:7) It is what a man is in the inside that reflects outwardly. The heart is man's true identity. In other words, a man is not defined by who he is in the physical but who he is on the inside. Note: Every man has a spirit but what makes the difference is whether or not his spirit is regenerated because it is the regenerated spirit that has access to the deep things of God. 81
CHAPTER FOUR 82
THE PLACE OF PRAYER IN THE SCHOOL OF FAITH 83
The subject of prayer is not only a fundamental necessity in the School of Faith but also a vital requirement in the life of every believer. To take away the place of prayer from our Christian walk is to render it not only impotent but to reduce it to a mere religious activity. In the School of Faith, we do not pray to have faith, rather, we pray because we have faith for faith comes by hearing; hearing God's Word and because God's Word is infallible, we know that when we pray He hears us and that is why we pray. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” (1 John 5:14- 15) It is by faith that we know that God not only hears us but grants us our heart desires according to His will that stirs us to pray, and it is that prayer of faith that produces results beyond our human comprehension. 84
“... The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” (James 5:16B, Amplified Bible) It is the prayer of faith that produces results, not the prayer to have faith, that is why the prayer of the righteous avails because through the Word of God he has been able to build his faith to the level where the Word of God now appears very real to him and it is the conviction that God cannot lie that stirs his faith to produce massive results. That is why Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 4 says: “… the just shall live by his faith.” Because the lifestyle of faith is the lifestyle of the righteous and his prayers avail because he prays scriptures. WHAT IS PRAYER? Prayer is communicating with God and communication is the act of transferring information from one place, person or group to another which involves a sender and a receiver. But in this case, it is talking to and receiving instructions from God. To better put it, we can say that prayer is the exchange of divine information between God 85
and man. WHY SHOULD WE PRAY? The need for prayer in the life of a believer cannot be overemphasized because the Christian faith without prayer would be playing without knowing. Or better yet, it would be just another religious exercise in futility. Furthermore, during His earthly walk, Jesus showed us the importance of prayer by constantly praying, thereby teaching us the need to pray. This then generates the question of why should we pray? 1. We Must Pray Because Jesus Prayed Prayer was a fundamental requirement in the fulfillment of the ministry of Jesus during His earthly walk. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” (1 Peter 2:21) We see Brother Peter telling us in the above verse that Jesus Christ left us an example and enjoining us to follow His steps. So since Jesus Christ was 86
a man of prayer, we also must give in to prayers. Even in heaven, the Bible says He still mediates on our behalf. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” (1 John 2:1) 2. To Secure Our Glorious Destiny The call to prayer is not an advice but a clear instruction. And the instruction to pray is for us to secure our glorious destinies because if a believer sleeps when he should be alert, it will give his enemies an edge to manipulate his God ordained destiny that is why Matthew chapter 13 and verse 25 says: “But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” If a believer must fulfill his or her God given purpose on earth, then the necessity of prayer cannot be overruled. “…men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” (Luke 18:1) 87
The battles we refuse to fight today we will fight tomorrow if we refuse to pray. 3. To Keep Us Spiritually Alert Prayer is to our spiritual life what fuel is to fire and to keep a fire burning we need to continually add fuel to it and that fire will never go out. So also, to stay spiritually alert, we must be given to prayer. “And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.” (Leviticus 6:12-13) The firewood of our spiritual life is the prayer altar, so to stay alert, we must be prayerful. Also, a prayerful life helps us overcome temptation. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matthew 26:41, NIV) Like a freshly uprooted tree that still looks green would ultimately dry up, so also would a 88
prayerless life get spiritually dry. “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out…” (Proverbs 26:20) We must consistently pray to stay spiritually alert. 4. To Silence The Enemy The Word of God makes it clear that life is a battle field and we are at war with the forces of darkness. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) While listing the weapons required for our warfare from verse 13, Apostle Paul stated categorically that prayer is a fundamental weapon that is needed to silence the enemy in order to gain victory in life. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:18) 89
5. We Pray Because We Know That God Will Hear And Give Us Answers The essence of praying would be defeated if God does not hear or answer prayers and praying would be an exercise in futility if we do not believe God would hear us. The truth is that God sometimes hears and answers us even when we doubt He would. He does things to strengthen our faith in Him. The reason why believers pray is because they are convinced beyond every reasonable doubt that not only will God hear us when we do but we are guaranteed that He will give us answers even before we call. “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” (1 John 5:14) It is the confidence that God will hear us that stirs the believer to pray. 90
WHEN SHOULD WE PRAY? As believers in Christ, we are called to pray ceaselessly, that is, to pray always. “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) It must be stated however that to pray without ceasing does not mean prayers should take the place of work or personal responsibility. We should pray while we work and work while we pray. Hallelujah!!! HOW SHOULD WE PRAY? A wise man once said that when the purpose of a thing is not known then abuse would certainly be inevitable and it aligns with the book of Ecclesiastes because when one does not know how a thing is done, he labours unnecessarily. “The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.” (Ecclesiates 10:15) There is a “how” to the way things are done and wisdom demands that we take our time to learn it so as to avoid struggling unnecessarily. 91
The reason why some people do not get answers to their prayers is because they pray amiss. Either they are harboring unforgiveness in their hearts, bantering too many vain repetitions, or asking to satisfy their lustful desires. “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, c and have given up resentment against) our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12, Amplified Bible) "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.” (Matthew 6:7, NASB) “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures”. (James 4:3, NASB) Prayer is a spiritual exercise but sadly, it has been reduced to a mere physical and religious activity which is why so many people pray yet only a few truly get answers. So how do we pray to get answers? 1. Enter His Presence With Thanks A wonderful woman of God once said that when we thank God for His finger we will see His 92
Hands and when we thank Him for His Hand we will see His outstretched Arms. Another fellow said it is only when we thank God that our tanks will be full. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” (Psalms 100:4) A heart of praise and thanksgiving simply shows that we are grateful to Him for what He has done for us in time past, for what He is doing and for what He will do and we know that a man that appreciates what was done for him is only setting himself up for yet another opportunity to be blessed. 2. Ask God For Mercy And Forgive Others The man who truly wants answers to his prayers is the one who not only understands the need of seeking God's mercy; he is the man who also understands the need for forgiving others. We cannot be asking God for His mercy while to forgive others is a herculean task. To get answers to our prayers, the act of forgiving others for offences done to us must be a core part 93
of our lives. “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Psalms 24:3-5) We can see from the above passage that the man who receives God's blessing is the man that has clean hands and a pure heart towards God and you cannot have a pure heart before God while holding grudges against others. That is why Jesus in teaching the disciples how to pray said in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 12: “and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” (NLT) According to the above passage, we must first forgive those who have sinned against us before we can even ask God for His mercy and we know that this is only possible in the place of prayer. “It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” (Lamentation 3:22) 94
We must continuously seek His mercy if we truly desire answers to our prayers because His mercy will always prevail over judgment. 3. Enter His Presence With Boldness There is a very big difference between being bold and being rude. While to be bold means to have confidence, to be rude means to lack manners. I once heard someone say to me many years ago that you do not pray to the Holy Spirit, you command Him. You can only imagine my shock when I heard “YOU COMMAND HIM! Imagine a scenario where you get lost in life's journey and someone was sent to help you find your way. Do you command such a person or stay loyal and submissive to him so that he can help you? The Holy Spirit was sent to help us go through life's journey, so it is wisdom not to grieve Him by being rude. “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30) 95
For clarity, the Holy Spirit is the third Person in the God Head which makes Him God and Jesus, speaking about the Holy Spirit said in John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (NASB) If truly the Holy Spirit is our Helper according to Jesus Christ, and He is, then it would be wisdom to ask for His help in the Name of Jesus, however, we must do so boldly, not rudely or timidly. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) The main reason why we must come boldly is because He loves us and because we are confident that He is able to do whatever we ask in the Name of Jesus in line with God's will for our lives. 4. We Must Come With Our Strong Reason The earlier we come to terms with the fact that God is not a waster and will only give us those things that He knows will help us go through life 96
and fulfill His will for our lives, the better for us. He will not give us anything that will take us away from Him because we are precious in His sight. We must also come to terms with the fact that He is not wicked. He knows our end from our beginning, as such, He knows exactly how we would react to certain blessings should He allow them come our way. Most importantly, like our biological fathers would like us to convince them on why they should oblige us certain of our demands, much more than our biological fathers is God's love for us, as such, He wants us to convince Him on why we must get some of the things we demand of Him. “Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.” (Isaiah 41:21) God is not moved by tears or by our begging like beggars. He is moved by faith and wants us to convince Him that we truly deserve what we are asking for. 97
5. Remind Him Of His Word Beyond asking, God expects us to put Him in remembrance of His Word, not because He has forgotten but to prove that we know our rights in Christ. “Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.” (Isaiah 43:26) As children of God who truly desire answers to our prayers, we must learn to pray scriptures, that is, we must remind Him of what His Words says. Two amongst other reasons why we must do this are: a. God Cannot Lie There is nothing God cannot do so He has absolutely no reason to lie and if He says He will do it, we can be rest assured that He would because nothing He says will return to Him void. “So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11, NASB) 98