Friday, 17 June 2022
A STRICT PRAYER REGIMEN
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone (Matthew 14:23).
Prayer is part of our priestly ministry. The Bible says men ought always to pray and not to give up. The Lord Jesus showed us, with practical examples, the importance and power of prayer. Mark 1:35 MSG tells us, “While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed.” Luke 5:16 says, “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”
Jesus was disciplined with his prayer routine, and we ought to emulate Him. You’re a soldier in God’s army, and the hallmark of a soldier is discipline. Christianity is a call to a life of spiritual discipline. There’s a disciplined prayer life you ought to cultivate, and you can’t leave it out or leave it to chance.
You can’t say, “I’ll pray whenever I feel like”; no! In the army, you don’t do things when or because you feel like; you do things because you have to do them. You stick to the schedule; excuses aren’t tolerated. Scheduled times of prayer must be an integral part of your daily routine. First, you must have a personal prayer schedule. At such times, nothing else should be more important. Discipline yourself and pray; avoid distractions.
Secondly, take your corporate times of prayer seriously, whether you’re participating onsite or online. It’s one of the many benefits of being a member of a local church. Churches have structures, and members of the body of Christ generally belong to a church. Through the church structure, there could be prayer times allotted to different cell groups or even the whole church could be praying together at specific times. Be sure to be a part of it.
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank you for the privilege to pray and side with you to enforce your will in the earth and in the lives of men. Through prayer, my eyes are open to spiritual realities, and your thoughts are unveiled to my spirit, causing me to walk in ever-increasing glory, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Luke 18:1; Romans 8:26-27; Ephesians 6:18 AMPC
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Acts 7:1-53 & 2 Chronicles 29-30
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 & Isaiah 3