GOODNEWS! This Saturday September 7^th , 2024, shall be our 5^th POWER ENCOUTER SUMMIT. We are all required to come along with our POINTS OF CONTACTS, THE SICK, and other loved ones to partake of the wonders that awaits us in this encounter. Jesus is Lord!  Time schedule is as usual (9am – 10am, 10am – 1pm). Please note that there will be a prayer line at the end of the meeting. AGENDA  (DEALING WITH TERRITORIAL & MARINE POWERS. DEALING WITH THE POWER OF YOUR FATHER’S HOUSE. FOR VICTORY OVER EVIL POWERS THAT ARE BEHIND SERIOUS SET BACKS IN YOUR LIFE. DEALING WITH TERRITORIAL DEMONS. VICORY FOR THOSE WHO ARE AVICTIM OF COLLECTIVE CAPTIVITY. FIGHTING AGAINST HIDDEN ENEMIES & COMPLEX BATTLES.)

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Prayer is an act of communication with God. Prayer or praying is the process whereby we establish divine connection with our maker. Every religion in the world pray, even pagans and idol worshippers pray. Prayer is a universal way with which man attempts to connect to his spiritual roots. In this article we are going to be looking at the importance of prayer in our everyday life. We shall also be looking at our Lord’s prayer, and types of prayer. Also for the purpose of this article, we shall be focusing on praying as a christian.

When we pray, we talk to God about the issues of our lives and we also expect His intervention in the form of answers to our prayer requests. Prayer, is not a monologue, it is not a one sided communication, it is a dialogue, a two sided communication between God and man. When we pray to God in heaven, we expect him to answer us according to the requests we have made to Him.

Prayer is an act of faith. This is because we pray to a God that we don’t see, we call upon deities we don’t understand. We express our faith in the unseen whenever we pray because we expect God to hear and answer our prayers every time we pray to Him. Prayer can also be rendered in form of thanksgiving and praises to the almighty God. As Christians, God has given us the name of His Son Jesus Christ to use in Prayers. John 14:13, John 15:7, tells us that whatsoever we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, God shall grant us instant answers. The name of Jesus is our password to answered prayers. When we pray in the name of Jesus, God grants us instant access to all that Christ has made available for us in redemption. No believer can live a victorious life without prayer, a prayer less life is a life of total disconnection from God, and when we are disconnected from God, we are exposed to diverse temptations from the evil one.

OUR LORD’S PRAYER ( OUR MODEL OF PRAYER )

In order to pray effectively, one must master the art of prayer. Praying to the Father in heaven has procedures. Jesus thought us how to pray in the bible, we call it our Lord’s prayer or the Lord’s prayer. In this prayer model, we see the foundation of an effective prayer. Every prayer that must be answered must follow the pattern of the Lord’s prayer. We shall be going through the Lord’s prayer to see the right way we should present our request to the Father.

Matthew 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

1). THE NAME OF GOD: The above bible verse started with the prayer, our father who art in heaven.  Every prayer must be addressed to the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ. We must understand that we don’t pray to Jesus Christ or through Jesus Christ, no!!! We pray to the heavenly father, in the name of Jesus Christ. The name of Jesus Christ is the name above all name, Philippians 2:9. it is the, only name that gives us instant access to the throne of God the Father. So, your prayers should start with words like, Father, In the name of Jesus Christ……. Then you continue to the next step.

2) THANKSGIVING: After recognizing the Name of God, you must thank and praise Him, we must recognize in prayer the supremacy of God and His wonderful works in our lives. We must appreciate Him for the wonders of His creations and His mighty wisdom that controls the universe. When we thank God in prayers, we use words like… We thank you for your goodness and your mighty works, you are higher than the highest, greater than the greatest, and better than the best, you are the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Father we praise you for your matchless wisdom that controls the universe, take all the glory Father in Jesus name amen… Then you continue to the next step.

3). RECOGNIZE HIS MERCY: We must understand that its a privilege to pray before the lord, God does not here the prayer of a sinner, if you need salvation click here, but thank God we have been saved by Christ Jesus, not by our works. We should thank God for His unconditional mercies in our lives, Lamentations 3:22-23, let’s us know that its of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, we must appreciate Him for His mercies that we enjoy in our lives everyday. Some believers use this section to ask for forgiveness of sins, its also okay to do that. You can use words like, Father, thank you for your unconditional mercy that is evergreen in my life, or father, I ask that in your unconditional love, you forgive me of all my trespasses in Jesus name.

4). PRESENT YOUR REQUEST TO THE LORD: At this section you can now present your prayer request to the Lord, whether, you are praying for yourself, interceding for someone, praying a prayer for healing, etc this is where you let God know your intenssions for praying. It is important you know also that any of your request must be backed up by the word of God. We must search the scriptures relating to our area of need so that we can present it before the Lord in prayers. For instance, if you are praying for healing, you can remind God of these scriptures: Psalms 107:20, Isaiah 53:5, these healing scriptures will back up your prayers and God will honour His word in your life.

5). END YOUR PRAYER WITH THANKSGIVING: After you have finish presenting your petitions before God, you should end your prayers with thanksgiving. Appreciate God for answering your prayers. When we give Him thanks, We show that we indeed believe in His capacity to answer us speedily. Now let us look at the importance of prayer in our lives.

10 IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

1) SPIRITUAL GROWTH: Prayer exercise is a spiritual growth exercise. When we live a prayer life, our spirits begins to develop very fast. Jesus said men ought to pray always and not faint, Luke 18:1, when you faint it means your strength is small, Proverbs 24:10, and the lack of strength is a sign of poor growth and development. Therefore one of the most effective ways to grow spiritually is to engage in prayers always.

2). DIRECT ACCESS TO GOD: Prayer gives us direct access to God, when we pray always, we talk to God always, when we talk to God always, our closeness to Him becomes very strong. Prayer is the highway that connects the physical to the spiritual, every praying Christian has direct access to God. Whenever God wants to unfold His plans, he speaks only to those who always speak to him in prayers.

3). EXPERIENCE GOD’S LOVE: When we pray from our heart , we are exposed to the unconditional love of God, God will only show His unconditional love to those who talk with Him in prayers daily. Let’s know this, God loves all His children, He even love the whole world, John 3:16, but he does not prefer all his children, He only prefers those whom he knows and those who talk to him all the time in prayers.

4). RECEIVE ANSWERS: Another importance of prayers, is that we receive answers. When we pray, we must expect God to answer. God wants our joy to be full. That is why we must always have great expectations when we pray. Jesus said in Mark 11:23-24, that we shall always have what we say,provided that we believe it and expect it.

5). OVERCOME DARK FORCES: The bible tells us to resist the devil, James 4:7. One of the major ways to resist the devil is through prayers, when you bind the devil,he remains bound. God has given us the power to thread on serpents and Scorpions and destroy all the works of the devil, Matthew 17:20. Its on the altar of prayer that you can overcome the powers of darkness around you and your house hold.

6). DIVINE DIRECTION: Every child of God is entitled to divine direction. The reason why the Holy Spirit was sent is to guide us in our path in life. How does the Spirit of God guide us? Through prayers. We pray to the Holy spirit in the name of Jesus Christ. We can inquire of the Lord which way to go so that we don’t miss it in life.

7). OVERCOME TEMPTATION: If you are fighting temptations, you need to pray. Prayer is the master key to all world problems. Jesus said pray so that you do not fall into temptations, Matthew 26:41. When we pray regularly, without ceasing, we receive spiritual strength to say no to the devil, we receive spiritual power to live above sins and sorrow.

8). TO KNOW GODS WILL: Jesus prayed for the will of God at the end of His earthly life Luke 22:42, Matthew 26:39. Knowing the will of God for our life is our solid foundation for success. One very effective way to know God’s will and purpose for our lives is through prayers. When we enquire of the Lord concerning our bright future, He hears us and directs us in the way that we should go, Isaiah 30:21-23.

9). RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT: Any Christian that lives a prayer lifestyle, has a healthy relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Holy spirit also helps us in our prayers, Romans 8:26. Prayers especially praying in tongues brings us very close to the holy spirit. Every time we pray, we communicate with the Holy Spirit, and the more we communicate with the spirit, the closer we become with Him.

10). SANCTIFICATION: To be sanctified means to be set apart,for the master’s use.Jesus often sets Himself apart to pray in the bible. Prayer sets us apart, a prayerful Christian does not mix with sinners, though he loves them and prays for them but he does not join them in there corrupt practices,why? Because he has been set apart for the Father’s use. Prayer sanctifies us in order to glorify us before others.

10 TYPES OF PRAYER

Now we shall be looking at types of prayer, there are different types of prayer for different types of situations.

1). INTERCESSION : The prayer of intercession or intercessory prayer is a prayer we pray for someone else. This is a very selfless prayer. When we intercede for others, we call on God to intervene in there lives and family. The body of Christ is desperately in need of intercessors, people who will stand in the gap and pray for others. Those who will stand in the gap and pray for the church, the country, sinners, the sick, our leaders, etc. When we pray for the well being of others, God takes care of our well being, Proverbs 11:25. Below are samples of the prayer of intercession:

Prayer Of Intercession for a nation ( Sample).

A). Father, I thank you for I know you always answer me when I call in the name of Jesus.

B). Father, I thank you for your mercies that prevails over judgment in my life.

C). Dear Lord, I lift up this nation ( name it, either America, England or Nigeria) into your able care. Arise and defend this nation from terrorist attacks in Jesus name.

D). Father, arise and frustrate the devices of the wicked men behind all the innocent killings in this nation in Jesus name.

E). Father, surround the citizens and foreigners in this nation with your cloud of protection in Jesus name.

Thank you father for answering my prayers in Jesus name.

2). SUPPLICATION: This is a personal prayer, between you and God, personal supplication is when you go to God in prayers concerning the issues of your life. This is the most practiced prayer in the body of Christ. To pray this prayer effectively, you must pray in faith believing that your prayer request have been answered, Mark 11:23-24. Below are samples of personal supplication.

Prayer Of supplication ( sample ).

A). Father, I thank you for the privilege to be in your presence in Jesus name

B). Father, by the blood of your son Jesus, wash me clean of every sin in Jesus name

C). Father, I ask that you grant me the wisdom and understanding I need to excel in my academics in Jesus name

D). Open my mind Lord, to understand all the subjects I am taught by my teachers in Jesus name

E). Father, empower me with the grace to be a diligent student in Jesus name.

Father, I thank you for answered prayers in Jesus name.

3). WARFARE PRAYERS: Just like the name suggests its a prayer of warfare. It must be noted that our weapon of warfare are not physical weapons, they are spiritual weapons expressed on the altar of prayers. This type of prayers is used to resist the works of the devil in your life. You engage in warfare prayers when you are under the oppression of the devil, when you are facing stubborn problems, when your enemies are fighting hard to pull you down. Warfare prayers are often prayed loudly and with a violent force, this is because we are letting the devil know that enough is enough. Below are samples of warfare prayers.

Warfare Prayers (Sample).

A). Father, arise and fight against all those that fight against me in Jesus name

B) I release the angels of the Lord to attack all those who are plotting evil against me behind my back in Jesus name.

C). By the Power of God in me, I subdue every satanic force fighting against my progress in Jesus name

D). By the breastplate of my faith, I shield myself from every satanic arrows targeted against my life in Jesus name

E). Father, continue to save me from the hands of wicked and unreasonable men in jesus name.

Thank you father, for fighting my battles in Jesus name.

4). PRAYER FOR PEACE: Paul admonished us to pray for our Government. We must pray for the peace of our nation. This is a timely prayer for all Christians. We must continually pray for the peace of our country, because we can only thrive in a peaceful environment. See what the bible has to say about the prayers of peace:Psalm 122:6-9: 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. 7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. 8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.

Below are samples of the prayer for peace:

Prayer for peace

A). Father, in the name of Jesus, let your peace that surpasses all understanding rest upon this nation in jesus name.

B). Father, remove the heart of stone from our leaders and give them a heart of flesh, thereby causing them to foster peace amongst us in this nation in Jesus name

C). We rebuke the spirit of violence from this nation in Jesus name.

Thank you father for reigning down peace in our nation in jesus name.

The prayer for peace is not only limited to the government, it can be prayed for families and others also.

5). THANKSGIVING PRAYER: This is a prayer that is filled with thanks, praises for what God has done and will yet do in our lives. We engage this prayer for two reasons, firstly to thank God for what He has done in our lives, secondly to thank God for what He will yet do in our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks in all situations. Below are samples of thanksgiving prayer:

Thanksgiving Prayer ( Sample ).

A) Father, I thank you for who you are in my Life.

B) Father, I thank you for your goodness and mercies in my life

C) Father, i thank you for always providing for me and my family in Jesus name

D) Father , I thank you for I know my tommorow must be greater than today in Jesus name

E) Thank you Jesus.

6). PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT: 1 Corinthians 14:14 tells us about praying in the spirit. Praying in the spirit or praying in the holy ghost or praying in tongues is a form of prayer where we allow the holy spirit to pray through us, using sounds that makes no sense to the human mind. When we pray in tongues, the spirit of God is praying through our spirit and touching areas of our lives that cannot be touched by our understanding. Praying in the spirit is not a gift, it is an enduement of the holy ghost. When we pray in the spirit we build yourself in our most holy faith, Jude 1:20. Paul admonished us to pray in the spirit always, Ephesians 6:18. Praying in the spirit is the most effective form of prayer. It is the fastest way to build your spiritual life.

7). PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS: This is an authoritative kind of prayer, where you declare what you want to see in your life. Mark 11:23-24 and Matthew 17:20, tells us about declaring want we want to see. When we engage this prayers, we speak out boldly what we want to see in our life, and we also command boldly what we don’t want to see out of our lives. Examples of Prophetic declarations are below:

Prophetic Declarations: ( Sample ).

A). I declare and decree that I shall succeed as a seed of Abraham in jesus name

B). I declare and decree that no weapon fashioned against me shall prosper in Jesus name

C). I declare and decree that I am working in victory in Jesus name.

D). I declare and decree that I am working in divine health, sicknesses and diseases are far from me in Jesus name.

Thank you Jesus.

8). PRAYER FOR HEALING: This is a prayer you pray over a sick person. The prayer of healing is a prayer of faith that will always heal the sick. Mark 16:18-20, Jesus said those who believe in His name will lay hand on the sick and they shall be healed. Below are the samples of prayer for healing.

Prayer For Healing

A). I command this sickness ( mention the name ) to come out of this body in Jesus name

B). You foul spirit of infirmity, come out of this body now in Jesus name

C). I speak healing to your life now in Jesus name

D). Be healed in your body, be healed in your blood, be healed in your bones in Jesus name.

Thank You Jesus.

9). PRAYER OF FELLOWSHIP: This is just having a good time with God, in fellowship. Fellowshipping with God is just spending time in His presence, worshipping, singing, praising Him and also you can worship him in the spirit and in your understanding. A good example is when you are leading a worship group or you are personally worshipping God.

10). PRAYER OF FAITH: This kind of prayers can move mountains. Jesus said if thou canst believe all things are possible, Mark 9:23. In this prayer, you exercise your faith in the word of the Lord. A good example of this is the prayer of Elijah, James 5:17. When you pray this prayer, you know that nothing shall be impossible with you.

CONCLUSION:

I believe that by now we have seen the power of prayer in our everyday life. As believers, we must live a life of prayer, we must pursue after God, we must never take a major step in our lives without consulting the Lord in prayers. I pray that the grace to pray always will continually rest on you in Jesus name.