TOPIC: THE PRAYER COVENANT
SHILOH 2022 Day 2 Hour of Visitation
Jere. 29:11-12; For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
The prayer covenant is an assignment from God that must be kept.
There is no graduate in the school of prayer. The more you pray, the more you need to pray.
If you are prayerful, you will definitely see reasons to be more prayerful.
Prayer is needed to control every troubled part of the world being invaded by vagabonds.
Prayer has its root in a heart that is seated in the will of God.
Seek God with all your heart, not just your mouth.
If your prayer is not from the heart, it has no connection to God.
Prayer is the foundation for every lasting success.
Continuity is a function of connectivity on the prayer altar.
– Acts 26:22; Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
Discontinuity on the prayer altar will lead to a crash of destiny.
What is Prayer?
- Prayer is a dialogue with God on the basis of covenant guidelines as spelt out in His Word.
– Isa. 43:26; Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
Isa. 38:3-5; And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,
5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.
- Prayer is putting God in remembrance of His Word and prophecies to secure delivery and fulfilment.
– Isa. 43:26; Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
Isa. 38:3-5; And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,
5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.
If you are not prayerful, you will be sinful.
Prayer is not only when you kneel down to pray, it is also being connected to heaven in prayers as you carry out your daily activities.
Covenant Purposes of Prayer
1. To secure help and intervention from heaven.
– Heb. 4:16; Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
2 Chr. 20:4; And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
2. To advance the kingdom of God.
– Ps. 2:8; Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
3. To resist and destroy the opposition.
– Eph. 6:16-18; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
4. To provoke and enforce your consecration before God.
– Zech. 3:1-4; And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
Rom. 1:4; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5. To enhance your fellowship with God.
– Luke 18: 1-2; And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
Col. 4:2; Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Covenant Demands for Answers to Prayers
1. Understand the will of God concerning what you are praying for.
– 1Thes. 5:14; Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
2. Be specific in prayer.
– 1 Sam. 1:13; Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
3. Have faith in God.
– Mark 11:23-24; For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
4. Approach the throne of grace with thanksgiving and praise.
– Ps. 100:4; Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5. Fill your prayers with relevant scriptures.
6. Avoid worry and anxiety.
– Phil. 4:7; And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Hindrances to Prayers
1. Sin and disobedience.
– Ps. 66:18; If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Zech. 7:13; Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:
2. Ignorance of the will of God.
– Hos. 4:6; My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
3. Doubt and unbelief.
– James 1:5-6; If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
4. Self-centeredness.
– Gal . 6:7-10; Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
5. Impatience
6. Pride
– Luke 18:9,14; And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
#SHILOH2022 #COVENANTHIGHWAYS #BISHOPTHOMASAREMU
