Men must always pray
Lu 18: 1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
What is the use of praying if God is all powerful knowledgeable and has determined everything?
Why pray?
1. God will not do anything until and unless a man asks. God has left himself out of the equation on earth as a result of the honour God gives man.
2. Prayer is men working with God to bring to pass the will of God one earth. It is about God’s plan and purposes; we are God’s vice regents; getting god’s will done through consultation with God, engaging with Him administering with God- not begging
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
God never took it back!
God never repented this: he never rescinded with afterthought too! The reason why he did it was to bestow honour and dominion on man! Even if he makes a mess of it, I have decided to keep the honour on man; I will even set the mess right!
That alone would make you sit up straight!
To grasp this fact about dominion and honour bestowed on man, we need to understand certain truths. The creation of man, the fall of man and redemption of man. God’s original intent in making man was for him to have dominion. The mess that man made was owing to his sin and Satan. That brought rebellion, resulting in being cut off from God. Man fell so far away, we can no longer appreciate us being rulers: In some churches rulership might even be construed as heresy or queer! We are so removed from truth that we do not think about glory and honour! It has landed us in such ruin that it has destroyed our lives! Sin has so dominated and ruling our lives.
He won it only to give it back to us
What is redemption? It is where God comes in, takes back the position that man lost and (incredibly gives it back to man, restoring honour glory back to man so he can function in his original intent again! God will never be changed no matter whatever mess we make of it! It is about God changing us to suit His original intentions and purposes rather than Him! God never changes! Selah!
Observe your own life, why did you grow up, why did you school, why work? Why raise a family? What is the meaning of all this? How many years you might have spent doing things just for the heck of it- either hanging out with friends, or running around with the crowd, or just chill out at some watering hole: JLT! Spending hours at a street corner from 6 pm to 11 Pm! Not knowing what is the purpose of life! They do not know! If only we can teach them about the purpose of God! That is the only way you can know… there is no other way!
You ask a thing what is its purpose, usually it does not know! The maker knows all about it! So is with man too, His maker knows all about it! You will never find the key to success until you come into a relationship with God and He reveals to you your purpose! Coming to God is not as hard as climbing a mountain- it is just asking God to help you with it!
The day you pray- Lord, Come into my life… from that day, you never say Chumma!
You discover His purpose for today, tomorrow, the next day, the next week, the next month, the next season. The next year, the next decade, the next half century…. you discover a mission for your life, you know where you are going! Success is all about getting to know…
Learn the right language
Merely getting saved does not guarantee your knowing God’s purpose… prayer of some saved people may be all messed up! They cannot pray well because in their mind is still messed up. Others many years into the Christian walk still mess up prayer because they learnt prayer wrongly- from other saints! Do not learn from others who do not know! Because many saints are just saved, their spirits are saved, (they would go to heaven) but their minds are not renewed! They re just doing their best they can…
Lord I am just a worm and dust, I am nothing… I come begging…
Begging prayers come from a saved person who does to know his he position. You may be in that condition, but once you start coming here, you have got to change! If you are for over 3 months in the same condition I’d start worrying about you! The prayer of someone who knows God, his word will be different.
Many feel God has condemned them to just cry and howl before Him day and night! They feel they have to come and sprawl before Him and cry out and beg and plead for mercy. No! It is about God causing you to sit in the heavenly places (in the most important place in the universe) along with Jesus Christ and prayer is not begging God anymore! It is me sitting with Jesus at the right hand of God, and working with God about His plan and purposes and doing His work on this earth! It is not about bawling, lay down prostrate, do cartwheels or trapeze like in a circus- Oh Jesus!
You come to Him meditating about who you are and your position with Him! You are a son, joining in Jesus’ great prayer activity. When you pray that way, your whole prayer approach changes! Learn to pray from Jesus; learn to pray from His word! Your prayer words will change the most efficient type! Then you will have 100% answers to prayer.
Understand God’s idea of redemption- God redeemed us; He was so true to His original plans and intention, he did not cancel out anything from His original blue print! When He redeemed us, to restore our rights to rule and have dominion.
Eph 1: 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
God did not plan man’s redemption and salvation after he sinned and fell! God’s infinite wisdom and purpose caused him to plan it even before it, in fact before he made plans to make the heavens and the earth! –He is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. So God did not make a mistake! (God should have prevented man from making a mistake)! God’s plan of redemption was so perfect, so good, even before he made man. –that Jesus would become the redeemer.
Which He purposed in Himself…
He had decided on some things before the foundations of the world…
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
In the fullness of time- in the right time, (before anything came into being) that He would restore everything to Himself.
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will:
In the third chapter
Eph 3: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
The many sided wisdom of God might be announced to the principalities and powers. Are these demonic? In some places they do refer to the demonic powers, but it need not refer to the demonic always! The context refers to the Holy angels of God in heaven. Why? Many belabor to interpret it; God wanting to reveal His manifold wisdom through the church to demons is not of any profit to God! The demons do not like God and His wisdom: they may be astounded and confounded by it, at best!
What was God doing?
His angels had been with God prior to mankind itself, engaged in creative acts and interventions with affairs of man after man’s creations. They have served as His servants… doing His bidding; leading to numerous accounts of their acts in the OT. They know a lot about us mankind too! They looked on as Adam fell and they remember; they saw Abraham try to sacrifice Isaac, the parting of the red sea, God’s dealings and mighty works were witnessed by them. However, when God does something like sending the Second person of the Trinity, they were told to announce His birth! Michael to announcing to Mary the birth of Jesus, he merely consoled her “not to worry” he did not understand what God was doing. Why announce to shepherds? They witnessed the garden of Gethsemane scene and strengthened Him. They had supported Him in the earthly ministry, not knowing why God was doing this, and they drew their swords and waited for God to order to take them down, to put the roman soldiers to the sword when Jesus was crucified on the cross. What was God doing?
Jesus came alive! They were told to tell them He is risen. What in the world is happening? He is not here anymore! As He was taken up in the clouds- he is going to come back the way he went up, Go do your work- preach the gospel!
Since then, many other incidents they participated in, releasing peter form the prison… but they did not understand the death on the cross.
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
They do not understand , but a certain Paul was given a revelation, through the preaching of the Christian church, the manifold wisdom of God must be made known to the angels of God( not only to the parishioners) there is a balcony crowd- more than those present here! I preach to balcony crowd full of thousands of millions and millions of angels! There is something wonderful- all our questions answered at P 43!
Angels are looking in… Something interests them- an exposition they never heard! Like we people understand! God has purposed to make known to them! It is such a thing to make known to angels! It is therefore not enough to have moral stories… not to lie cheat… there is moral science! Done better at schools!
Christian preaching…
Christian preaching… is not about chewing, spitting and snorting! Anyone smoking would be told by an elder not to do that! … Pentecostal preaching is not that- to is about the glorious redemption, mystery of God’s plan and purpose- God gathering all through Jesus Christ! The cigarette packet would clarify; the arrack shop will tell you about it. If you continue it is foolishness, why do it to get all hose sicknesses? I am not waste my time preaching on that; I want to preach what God has done for you-
About long hair and snuff and … is not worth your effort! It is insignificant! Christian Preaching is different, that the angels are interested, to discover that they td onto know what God wanted to do in the actions of man!
That the angels are interested in discovering what they have not comprehended despite working with God for thousands of years that they now have to flock to hear Christian preaching to understand the mystery of God’s plan through mankind.
Boldness and Access
It is because of what Jesus has done, his shed blood, because of what He has done! Because if what He has done, we have boldness and access.
“Boldness and access” if you appreciate redemption and the sacrifice on the cross, they you will have boldness. With confidence.
That is why, to pray we have to stop begging. Begging is not prayer. Before you beg, think for a moment: through Jesus Christ, you have boldness to come, knowing you have access. Come knowing that you are allowed; you are welcome there!
Prayer is not me trying to get into God’s presence, and trying to twist His arm! It is not trying to knock on heaven’s door wanting to get a foot in somehow! Someone complained, “I am trying to call up God; seems all the lines are busy! No! God is never busy.
God has never been in a hurry all though history. God made the heaven and the earth and gave the earth to man. Man lost the authority on earth through rebellion, so God took the initiative to save the earth and sent God’s son as a man. It is not enough for him to come as a man;
For God to become Man…
1. He had to be sin-less. He cannot man in sin of he had sin himself! He had to come without sin.
2. He had to be the express image of God. Colossians is full of expressions how Jesus is the express image of God. Exactly like God, just as Adam was. So Jesus said, “If you’ve seen me you have seen the Father”- his exact image!
3. Jesus had to have a deep relationship of love with God.
John 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
When Jesus was on the earth, he was another Adam. Just like Adam! Now Jesus the second Adam has come and now everything has been placed in His hands because the Loved Him.
Jn 5: 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
Whatever the Father wants done He shows the Son and the son carries it out! He even lays down His life for the Father knowing He would be allowed to take it up again. He and the Father are One, in purpose, in accomplishment, in activity, in thinking ad doing…
Jn 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
30 I and my Father are one.
One in intent, activity, thinking and doing, Jesus and the Father were one! Jesus having become man, has become another Man! Another Adam is now walking on the earth! Imagine what effect it had on the devil. He was probably running helter-skelter since; here was a Man who spoke a completely different language! Whereas all other men were sin-stained and under his thumb, here was another, walking a different walk, the express image of God, sinless therefore cannot come under the power of Satan! He has a wonderful relationship with God to top it all! He has a personal knowledge of God, and here he is, lived to do the Father’s will! Praying Thy kingdom Come, they will be done!
My meat is to do the Father’s will and to complete it!
Even in Gethsemane, at the most difficult time of His life, he prayed, let this cup be removed from me, nevertheless, not my will but yours be done!
He was so consumed with the will of His father that when someone announced the arrival of his kith and kin, He said,
Mr 3:35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
And God wants to use you in prayer
The will of the Father, was what consumed Him so much that even his earthly parents, brothers and sisters were secondary! When He was on the earth, He was a special man, in a special relationship with God, administering God’s will on earth. As a result, the blind saw, the lame walked and even the dead were raised: here was a man who came to do the will of the Father! He had not come to lay burdens on the people: He did not come to even be ruled and dominated by the circumstances of life, but ruled and reigned, just as God had told Adam to do! Jesus was the only person doing it: the only person qualified to do it: owing to His sinlessness!
Because if His special status, his prayers were so important- and He prayed all night, early morning, and late at night- about His father’s business!
All others had lost touch with God, despite prayers going on in synagogues and other places, temples and homes! The prayers of Jesus were the prayers of a man closely connected with God! In the absence of anyone else to pray, he had much to do, therefore had much to pray about! In prayer he was administering, ruling and reigning, the only One qualified to intervene on earth. Everyone else was lost on earth in Jesus’ time! He was the only one who could talk to God and bring God’s intervention on earth!
When He died on the cross, he died in our stead, took man’s sin as a sacrifice. After he died, bearing our sin, he had to descend all the way to Hell too! He had to take back that authority from the one who had taken it away from Man! Now having paid the price Jesus had become the legal owner, He went and took back the earth from the serpent and came out…
Jesus did not lay claims to all of this for himself, after acquiring rulership. He did not say, I overcame so I am going to keep it , at least not give it to man who messed it up the last time, I will take it to the right hand of the father and I will keep it with me, and administer it all myself!
As a man he had obtained the power and authority, legally had taken it back, and legally transfers it back to man!
To those who believed on Him He gave them authority to become the sons and daughters of God!
The devil is in bigger trouble now! Instead of one son, there are many sons now! He is going to perfect you, he is going to transform you, show you to the way, give you the holy spirit and make you what He wants you to be!
Jesus transfers that authority through the new birth! When you accept Jesus and are born again, all the authority that Adam lost is given back to us!
And God wants to use us, through our prayer to rule and administer and reign on earth! Are you ready for that?
Legalistic or liberal?
It is not about fasting and prayer, or not even prayer and star bucks! Sadly your rights and privileges were never the subject of Christian preaching except being focussed on externals! Preachers wee either liberal coming out of seminaries like cemeteries to peak of the bible as a though it was mythology or to legalism on the other end, focussing on men’s traditions, though they shout hallelujah and do some things!
This is what we have, the preaching and songs are setting are different, but what we preach is the word of God!
So many get cold feet to believe God’s word, and do not take Him at His word: who are we to command God? (We ought to be careful with these things! We can only beg Him! ) but it is about really believing His word, so much that we are willing to do what He says! Coming to Him in the knowledge of what He says, reading, meditating and believing and speaking His word, standing on the word and expecting it to come to pass! That is what God expects!
Can we command God?
It is not about ordering God around! The heavenly Father is pleased when you believe his word and insist on it- when you ask according to His word and according to His will, just like your heart will be thrilled when your son or daughter comes to you and stakes a claim on your promise to the Where are we right now
Where are we right now? That realization will let you escape the begging mode! Stop! You are seated with Jesus at the right hand of the Father. Who is at the right hand? Jesus is seated there, and you are seated right there with him! So you pray just like Jesus! Don’t hide behind the crutch that Abraham prayed that he was just dust and ashes! Do not kill yourself with the bible! If you do not understand it, it will destroy your future! Look at Jesus; he is the Son you must be like!
Just like Jesus always prayed, “Father I thank you for you have always heard me!” Have boldness! To talk to Him!
Redemption has given me rule and dominion back, Jesus got it back for me! I am to rule, I am to have dominion on this earth through prayer! Prayer is the means of exercising my rule and dominion. Every time I pray, I am exercising rule and dominion. With confidence with boldness I have access into God’s throne room. I am welcome there! I have a standing invitation, the doors are open; I am God’s child! I have rights and privileges! I am seated with Christ at the right hand of God and I talk to Him as my Father!
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