Why Do We Pray?

Welcome to NECF sermons.

Each message here is designed to uplift and strengthen you in your walk with God.

Don't miss out, stay with us until the end for our rewarding experience.

Let's dive right in.

Like I said, we look at people that pray a lot as though they have problems, their issues

are beyond solving.

Maybe it's money that they need.

Maybe this church is praying too much, they lack finances or maybe he's yet to get married

or she's yet to get married.

There's a problem that is making them to take time and pray.

But is that the reality of the believer?

Is that what the believer is ought to be doing?

That you come to God when you have problems and issues.

You're only praying because that's your avenue of solving your problems, solving the things

that you need.

Praise the Lord.

Solving the issues that you need.

It's important as well, the Bible encourages us to pray for our needs.

It encourages us to pray for needs.

What we need in this life, you need food, you need shelter, you need your school fees

to be paid.

It encourages you to pray about these things.

Praise the Lord.

It encourages you to pray about these things.

The Bible readily tells us what we should pray for.

Praise the Lord.

It readily tells us what we should pray for.

Praise the Lord.

Mark chapter 11.

Mark 11 · chapter mention

Mark chapter 11 verse 24.

Mark 11:24

Therefore, I say to you, whatever thing you ask when you pray, believe that you receive

them and you will have them.

Praise the Lord.

So clearly, the Bible tells us to pray for the things that we need, for the things that

we need.

We should ask God for things that we need.

Praise the Lord.

Whatever thing you ask when you pray, so you have financial problems, you are sick, it

encourages us to pray for one another, to bear one another's burden.

So it tells us that whatever we ask when we pray, we will receive it.

Praise the Lord.

Matthew 21.

Matthew 21, 21 and 22.

So Jesus answered and said to them, as suddenly I say to you, if you have faith and do not

doubt, you will not only do what was done to the victory, but you will also say to this

mountain, be moved and be cast into the sea and it will be done.

And whatever thing you ask in prayer, believe in, you will receive.

Praise the Lord.

So we see another place where He is telling us to pray for things.

To believe that God is going to meet our needs.

Praise the Lord.

To believe that God is going to meet our needs.

When we pray, we believe that God is going to meet our needs.

Matthew chapter 7, verse 7.

Matthew 7:7

Ask and it will be given to you.

Seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.

Praise the Lord.

So we see here that the Bible encourages us to ask God for things.

Praise the Lord.

You know there are some people that you are just friends with them because you don't really

ask them anything.

The day you start asking them for anything, they might say, you have become a liability

to them and then they want to stay away from you.

Praise the Lord.

God is not like that.

He is saying, ask me for the things that you need.

Praise the Lord.

Is that the reason why we pray?

When you go to the epistle, you will find out that it gradually reduces on the things

that we pray for.

Praise the Lord.

So the prayer changes form as we go to the epistle.

Praise the Lord.

Compared to the four gospels.

In the four gospels, you will see, ask for this, ask for that.

You will see God telling you to ask things for things.

But when you go to the epistle, those things begin to reduce.

It looks like they are no longer asking for things.

They are not necessarily asking for material things.

You will find places where it also asks for things, but it reduces compared to what you

see in the four gospels.

Praise the Lord.

Philippians 4.

So we will see here as well where he talks about asking for things as well.

Philippians 4.

Philippians 4 verse 6.

Philippians 4:6

He said, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,

let your request be made known to God.

Praise the Lord.

So he tells us, let us make our request be known to God.

Let our request be known to God.

First John chapter 5 verse 14.

1 John 5:14

Now this is a confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will,

he hears us.

Praise the Lord.

Third John 2.

Okay.

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul

prospered.

Praise the Lord.

So we see here as well, he's telling us to pray.

Oh, sorry.

He's praying that we prosper in all things and be in good health even as our soul prospered.

Praise the Lord.

But you observe that as you go further, that the prayer for things begins to get a bit

harder, right?

If you want to pray for things, you might go to Matthew.

The things begin to reduce.

There is a different tone in what prayer is or what you really should be asking for or

what you should be praying for.

Praise the Lord.

Compared to what we see in the four gospels, the tone of prayer changes, right, as we enter

the epistle, compared to the things, to something else.

Maybe the tone changes from things to something else.

Praise the Lord.

Philippians chapter 1, verse 4 to 6.

Philippians 1:4–6

It's always in every prayer of mine making requests for you all rejoin for the fellowship

in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident that this very thing, that

He who has begun a good work in you, we complete it on today, the day of Jesus Christ.

Praise the Lord.

And then let's go to verse 9 to 11.

And this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and in all

the time.

Praise the Lord.

So we see here that the tone of prayer starts to change.

Praise the Lord.

He's no longer asking you, okay, let's pray for the things that you need.

He's saying to you that your love may abound more and more.

Your love may abound more and more in knowledge.

Praise the Lord.

Verse 10.

That you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere without offense until

the day of Christ, 11, and be filled with the fruit of righteousness, which are by Jesus

Christ, to the glory and the praise of God.

Praise the Lord.

We see that the tone of prayer changes.

The tone of prayer changes from things, from the things that you need, which we said is

very important.

You should do that.

Praise the Lord.

Colossians chapter 1, verse 9 to 12.

Colossians 1:9–12

For this reason also, since the day we had of it, do not cease to pray for you and to

ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

Praise the Lord.

These people, do they need food?

Do we think that these people have needs?

Do we think they have needs?

Praise the Lord.

But it's praying for them that they be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom

and spiritual understanding.

Verse 10.

That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good

walk and increasing in the knowledge of God.

And strengthen with all might according to his glorious power for all patience and long

suffering with joy.

Praise the Lord.

So we see here that the tone of prayer is changing from things to something much more

spiritual, to something that has ethanal value.

Praise the Lord.

To something that is, you can relate to.

Something that is, that should be found in your identity.

Praise the Lord.

Colossians 4, verse 2 to 4.

Colossians 4:2–4

It's a continual, earnestly prayer, being vigilant in need with thanksgiving.

Let's go back to 2.

It's a continual, earnestly prayer.

What should you be praying for?

What are you continually, earnestly in prayer?

It's a continual, earnestly prayer.

Let's stay in that.

While praying also for us, that God will open to us a door for the world to speak the mystery

of Christ, for which I am also in chains.

Verse 4.

That I may make it manifest as I ought to speak.

Praise the Lord.

As I ought to speak, the prayer changes.

The tone of prayer changes.

Ephesians 1, verse 15 to 19.

Ephesians 1:15–19

Therefore, I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and your love for

all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of

wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his

calling, what is the riches of his glory, of his inheritance in the sense, verse 19

on.

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards all who believe according to

the walking of his mighty power.

Praise the Lord.

Again, we see that the tone of prayer changes.

Something much more spiritual, something away from my food, something away from my rent,

something away from the necessary things that I need.

Praise the Lord.

To something that has much more value.

Praise the Lord.

Then Ephesians 6, verse 18 to 20.

Ephesians 6:18–20

Praying always with all prayers and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to the end with

all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

And for me that all trance may be given to me that I may open my mouth boldly to make

known the mystery of the gospel.

Praise the Lord.

Verse 20 now.

For which an ambassador in chain that in need I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.

Praise the Lord.

So do we see what he's praying for now?

Did we see the things that the epistle tell us to pray about or to begin to pray about?

Praise the Lord.

Remember, we're trying to see why we pray.

So the epistle was written for men who have the spirit of God in them.

Praise the Lord.

The epistle was written to men who have the spirit of God in them.

Praise the Lord.

So their needs are different.

They have a need.

Like I said, I'm not trying to say that you don't pray for your...

I've explained in the beginning that we should absolutely pray for all the things we need.

God encourages us to do that.

Praise the Lord.

The man who is born of God has a different need.

Praise the Lord.

He has something much more higher than just praying for his food.

Praise the Lord.

He has something much more higher than just praying for his daily needs.

Praise the Lord.

So we drive our prayer life from the epistle.

That is why you can pray for one hour.

That is why you can pray for two hours.

Because what you're praying for is not necessarily what you can see or what is tangible to you

as your need.

Praise the Lord.

Why do we pray?

James chapter one verse five.

If anyone lack wisdom, let him ask of God who give to all, liberally and without approach,

and it will be given to him.

Praise the Lord.

It's a pray for wisdom.

Pray for wisdom.

The man who is born of God has a different need.

This prayer is talking to people who were in trials.

Praise the Lord.

So he's telling people who are in trials and tribulations to pray for wisdom.

Praise the Lord.

That's the background of this.

That these people to whom have trials and tribulations.

Do you have trials and tribulations?

Do you have trials and tribulations?

Okay.

So he says pray for wisdom.

Pray for wisdom.

But let's look at the life of Jesus.

Let's look at the life of Jesus as an example of why we pray.

Praise the Lord.

We follow the prayer life of Jesus to see why we pray.

So Jesus as we know, he spends his time praying.

He goes to the mountain.

He goes to the wilderness.

He prays.

Praise the Lord.

In some occasions to do something, to perform a miracle, he does thank God.

Praise the Lord.

Why did he pray?

Why did he pray?

Let's see some of those examples of where he was praying.

Matthew chapter 14 verse 23.

Matthew 14:23

And when he ascended the mountain to the way, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.

And when the evening came, he was alone there.

Praise the Lord.

He sent the multitude away and he went to the mountain to pray.

What was he praying about?

Why was he praying?

You know this is not a disciple.

You know this is not Peter.

It was not Peter that was going to the mountain to pray.

Praise the Lord.

And then chapter 1 verse 35.

Now in the morning, having rose a long while before daylight, he went out and departed

to a solitary place and there he prayed.

Praise the Lord.

So he goes out very early in the morning somewhere, very quiet place, where nobody is, alone,

and he prays.

The other place we saw that he went to the mountain.

This time around he goes to a quiet place early in the morning.

And that, the previous verse we read tells us that now the evening has come.

Praise the Lord.

So his prayer was not in that, okay, maybe I'm here early in the morning.

He sent the multitude and he went to pray.

Praise the Lord.

So he can pray any time of the day.

Praise the Lord.

This time around he wakes up early to go and pray.

Luke chapter 16, sorry, Luke chapter 6 verse 12.

Luke 16 · chapter mention Luke 6:12

Now he came to pass in those days that he went out to the mountain to pray and continue

all night in prayer to God.

Praise the Lord.

So we see another example here that he went out to pray and he stayed all night.

Praise the Lord.

We follow the example of Jesus.

He went out to the mountain and he continued in prayer to God all night.

Praise the Lord.

So the person who is praying all night to God, who is God, right?

What do you think he's doing?

Do you think he's thinking he's just checking his time, you know?

Why is he still getting, why is it too long?

What are we doing here?

Praise the Lord.

He prays all night.

Luke chapter 9 verse 8.

Luke 9:8

Sorry, Luke chapter 9 verse 18.

Luke 9:18

And it happened as he was alone praying that his disciples joined him and he asked them,

saying, who did the crowd say that I am?

Praise the Lord.

As he was praying alone, we see another place where he was praying.

So the question is that what was Jesus praying or why was he praying?

Praise the Lord.

Why was he praying?

Because this is Jesus who became, who was God, who became man, right?

John chapter 1 verse 14.

John 1:14

They say, the world became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory

as they only begotten, or the Father, full of grace and truth.

Luke chapter 4, 18 and 19.

Luke 4 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 4, 18 and 19.

Luke 4 · chapter mention

They say, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

This is when he went to the temple and he opened the scrolls and he began to talk about

himself.

Say, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to

the poor.

He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive and recover

the sight of the blind, to serve at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable

view of the Lord.

Acts chapter 10 verse 8.

Acts 10:8

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit, with the power.

Who went about doing good and healing all those who were oppressed by the devil?

For God was with him.

Praise the Lord.

Why was he praying?

He says that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit, with power.

He has power, he has the Holy Spirit and he went about healing those who were possessed

for God was with him.

So was he praying to get more power?

Was he praying to get more power?

Praise the Lord.

Why did he pray?

What was his prayer point?

What was his prayer about?

Praise the Lord.

So prayer itself is more important than the things we pray for.

Praise the Lord.

Prayer itself is more important than the things we pray for.

So to come to church and say we have one hour to pray is more important than what, who has

a need here that we should pray for?

Praise the Lord.

The one hour to pray is more important than what we are requesting for.

Praise the Lord.

The act itself is more important than it because we see an example of Jesus with power, with

everything.

Right?

He still went further to pray.

He still continued to pray.

He was still praying.

Praise the Lord.

Somebody of that nature should, you know, if you don't have understanding, would think

that he should not be praying.

What does he need?

Because we have been taught that prayer is as a result you come to pray because you have

a need.

You come to pray because there is your school fees is hanging somewhere.

Praise the Lord.

You come to pray because it is time to get married.

You come to pray because somebody is sick.

You come to pray because they are chasing you.

Praise the Lord.

But we see that Jesus had everything and yet he prayed.

Why was he praying?

What was his prayer point?

He spent all night praying.

What was he praying about?

Praise the Lord.

What was he praying about?

And I'm sure that you would also have the same question.

You who is, who just comes and when they are praying, you are looking.

I'm sure you have this question.

What are these people praying about?

What are they doing?

Praise the Lord.

What are we doing here?

What is this?

Why are we taking so long?

Just keep speaking in tongues.

What are we doing?

Are we just finished?

Praise the Lord.

Do you know that, I'm sure you know, do you know that the things that you pray for, right?

Other people get it without praying.

Do you know that your current need now, right, it could be your school fees.

It could be, it could be that you want something from the Lord.

Other people get it without praying.

Praise the Lord.

That's why I said to you that prayer is more important than the things that you are asking

for.

Praise the Lord.

So he's desiring something from your heart as you come to pray.

Praise the Lord.

As we said, we saw places where the Bible readily tells us, there are things, go and

pray for things.

Pray for this, pray for that, pray for your need.

I'm going to provide it for you.

Pray for this, pray for that.

I will meet them for you.

You will receive them.

Praise the Lord.

He says ask and you will receive.

Seek and you will find.

God will provide you with your needs.

But prayer, when you come to God to pray, God requires something much more than just

meeting your needs.

There is something more meaningful about prayer than just supplying your needs.

It's a thing that the Gentiles ask of him.

Praise the Lord.

So what is the difference between you and the Gentile?

What is the difference between you and somebody who doesn't know God?

If you will come to God and get these things and the Gentile will not come to God and they

will get it.

Praise the Lord.

So he desires something from your heart as you come to pray.

So that shows that it is not the things that we get in prayer that is the most important,

but the prayer itself.

Praise the Lord.

It is not the things that we get from prayers that is the most important, but the prayer

itself.

So when you come to pray, you're not thinking, I'm coming to take.

Praise the Lord.

There is something much more important than that.

Praise the Lord.

Because the Gentiles can get it without praying.

So that's why people would be writing so many things and saying so many things online about

how people are taking a lot of time in church.

They are taking too many hours to pray.

You should be more productive than that.

Your life should be progressing.

Look at other countries.

Look at what is going on and all of that.

Praise the Lord.

And if you see Pastor Victor's recent post, he was talking about something similar, right,

of how people are complaining about how much time people take in church.

But let's say, according to Pastor Victor, let's say that you spend two hours every day

in church.

Every day in church, right?

This will mean that you are spending just 10% of your time in the entire week.

That's what it means.

What are you doing with 90%?

Do you know you can sit down by the riverside?

What's the name of that place?

By that spring, for two hours, you can sit down there every day and you will feel refreshed.

Do you know that?

Or you can go for a coffee with your friend and sit down.

You just discuss, talk for two hours, three hours, or go for a movie, three hours.

Why are you not factoring that time into productivity?

Praise the Lord.

Because they miss the point of prayer.

Those who say such things, they miss the point.

Praise the Lord.

They miss the point of prayer.

We pray because prayer changes things, right?

Prayer changes things.

It changes circumstances.

Praise the Lord.

The most important thing about prayer, the most important reason why you pray is because

prayer changes you.

Praise the Lord.

Why would Jesus take all night and is praying?

Why would he encourage them to wait one hour?

Can they keep watch for one hour?

Because the most important thing that prayer does is that it changes you.

Praise the Lord.

God says he's going to meet your needs.

You believe that.

You have tested it.

Even as maybe you think to yourself, okay, I was not really following God like that,

but your needs were still met.

The time you came and prayed, it still happened.

The prayers that...

To tell you how is it, the prayer that you never mentioned, God fulfilled them.

The things that you wished in your heart is like, God, I wish...

And then he came to pass.

You'll be asking yourself, why I didn't pray this prayer?

I didn't open my mouth to pray about it.

God knows your heart and he answered those prayers.

So the most important thing about prayers, the reason why you spend this long time in

prayer is that it changes you.

And again, I said that it is to people who are born of God.

Praise the Lord.

It is to people who are born of God.

It's a practice of people who are born of God.

If prayer does not change you, if you come and you spend three hours, four hours, and

you are not changed, you have missed the point.

You have missed productive time.

If you want to say that, you have missed productive time.

Praise the Lord.

You have missed productive time.

You have missed the point of prayer.

Prayer, the idea is that it changes you.

It's what changed you.

It's what makes you an effective believer.

Praise the Lord.

So the reason why we pray is more about us than the things that we ask for.

It is more about us.

It's more about you.

The reason why you take me 20 minutes to pray is about you than the things you ask for.

Praise the Lord.

The prayer about things would go very little to how it changes you.

Praise the Lord.

Because sometimes if you get what you need, you will run away.

There's some people that they come when they have issues, they come and say, Pastor, this

is what I have.

This is what I have.

You help them, you instruct them, you help them, and then they find a solution and they

run.

You never see them again until the next time there's an issue.

Praise the Lord.

But if you know that that communication is about your life improving, you will stay.

If you know that that relationship is about your life becoming better, becoming a better

person, more effective, you will stay.

You will not use the person that run.

Praise the Lord.

So the reason for prayer is more about you than the things that you are asking about.

It is more about you than the things you are asking about.

Praise the Lord.

Luke chapter 5 and 6.

Luke 5 · chapter mention

Sorry, it's his theme.

Luke chapter 5 verse 16.

Luke 5:16

So he himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

He's talking about Christ.

He often withdraws into the wilderness and he prays.

See he oftens.

What does often mean?

So he frequently goes away to pray.

Praise the Lord.

He frequently goes away to pray.

Jesus often withdraws.

This is his practice as we have seen from the scriptures we have read that he prays

in the morning, he prays in the night, he prays in the daytime, he prays through the

night.

And he said this is his habit that he often withdraws and he prays.

Praise the Lord.

And we still ask him why is he praying?

How often do you withdraw to pray?

Or you don't even, you don't have a set apart.

There is no set apart in your life.

You just, you try to go out, you go to church, you pray in the church and receive the word

in the church.

You don't open your notes after the church.

You don't follow the messages after the church.

After the church service, my other life continues.

Praise the Lord.

You see Jesus, he often withdraws and he prays.

How often do you withdraw?

Do you stop all your activities?

Do you say okay, this period, in this December, right, and some people have really messed

you up to the level that they would find out oh it's December, you know you have to pray

into the new year.

And then that's when you withdraw.

Because you think that in the new year things might not be the same as this year.

Or your life might automatically change in the new year.

Praise the Lord.

How often do you withdraw to say me, in this month, I'm going to take two days and fast

and pray.

Praise the Lord.

How often do you do that?

Because that is the life of the believer.

And we see Jesus who is full of power, who is full of grace and mercy, who is full of

truth.

He withdraws.

This is his usual thing.

Praise the Lord.

There is a communion there.

Like I said, the all night prayer is something that he's not, he will not be looking at

his time.

What's going on?

We have prayed for one hour.

I think we are done now.

The only thing is that we continue tomorrow.

Praise the Lord.

How often do you withdraw to pray?

So do not trivialize your setting apart.

Don't make light of it.

You need time to pray.

You need time to withdraw and pray.

Praise the Lord.

You need time to withdraw and pray.

Be weary of anybody who wants to play with that time.

So the day that you said, this Saturday now, be at home, I'll pray.

One of your friends will answer, please.

There's a movie that just came out.

Or, you know what, let's go to Lefkade.

Be weary of such people.

Praise the Lord.

Because you have set your time to pray and or you have set your time to be with the Lord

and they have decided to come and take you out of the time that you have set.

Be weary of such people.

Run away from them.

Praise the Lord.

But I tell you, oh, this guy, why are you fasting?

You don't want to help your life.

You're looking very slim.

You look like somebody who is not.

I mean, I know there's some people we need to tell that one, right?

Few people, one or two of them, right?

But you, somebody's like, why are you fast?

You have seen you're doing 20 days.

What are you doing?

Why?

You don't like your life.

You don't want to grow.

Praise the Lord.

Be weary of such people who don't encourage you for spiritual activity, who don't encourage

you to help you grow spiritually, to help you exercise your spirit.

Praise the Lord.

Be weary of such people.

Or maybe when you are trying to fast, that's when you are cooking.

Praise the Lord.

Be weary of those housemates.

As a minister of the gospel, as we know all of us are, right, you need time to withdraw.

You need time set apart to pray.

You need time set apart to pray.

Isaiah 40 and 31 would tell us that he strengthens us, right?

They that wait upon him, he strengthens them.

Praise the Lord.

He gives them strength.

He gives them strength.

They will renew their strength.

That's where you go to renew your strength.

Praise the Lord.

Because this life is very challenging.

The life itself is very, very challenging.

It has its own challenges, things you don't plan for, things that you might just be on

your lane and the thing comes to you.

Praise the Lord.

Things that you need to pay for.

There are so many things that would happen.

You don't have control over those things.

There's nothing in this world that is designed to make you an effective Christian.

There's no design in this world that is saying this design is to help you, believer, thrice.

Praise the Lord.

Sin comes to you as you go out.

Praise the Lord.

Sin comes to you as you go out.

I remember I was listening to a preacher.

He was, I don't know what the village was talking about.

He was saying, you as a believer, you're staying in one village and you're still battling with

lust.

Wait until you go to like Brazil, right?

You might just have to drop whatever you're carrying.

Like your locality, there are still issues that are, you are battling so many issues.

Wait until you expose yourself to other different parts of the world.

Sin comes at you as you go out.

They're always trying you.

What are you going to do?

There's always the presentation of it.

Praise the Lord.

They're all around you.

The presentation of it.

What are you going to do?

Praise the Lord.

So the time set apart is to help you renew your strength.

They will not go away or your strength can be renewed.

Praise the Lord.

They will not go away or your strength can be renewed.

Praise the Lord.

Somebody who is battling with, let's say for example, an alcohol addiction.

Do you think because of you, they will close all the bars?

For your strength, you can grow in strength.

Praise the Lord.

You can grow in strength.

Do you think that they should take away all the women because you are lost?

No, it will not happen.

We reject it.

Praise the Lord.

And you can grow in strength.

Praise the Lord.

You can grow in strength.

You can grow.

Praise the Lord.

The things should remain where they are.

You can grow.

Praise the Lord.

You can grow in strength.

So if Jesus could go to the wilderness, if he could go to the mountain, if he could go

out early in the morning, if he can do so many things to go and pray, somebody who is

full of grace and truth with God himself, what about you?

Praise the Lord.

You can do the same.

Praise the Lord.

You can do the same.

So why was he going to the wilderness?

Does he not have a house to pray?

Does he not have, you know, can't he pray in the house?

Can't he pray where the disciples are?

He could do that.

Praise the Lord.

But he knows that he's more effective, right, when he goes apart.

Praise the Lord.

So it's not that the prayer is going to be, sorry, it's not that the prayer itself, let's

say, when he goes apart, he's going to be more effective than when he's in the house,

right?

It's not like your prayer would be less effective if you are in this church now and we are praying

collectively, right?

And you praying somewhere in your house.

It starts, the only thing that happens is that as you go apart, it does change you as

a person because it is you and God.

Praise the Lord.

It changes you.

Do you have areas of your life where you need change?

Do you have, do you know areas of your life where you know that change is needed?

You believe that I can do better than what I am currently now.

I can be more an effective Christian than what I am right now.

Are you growing in the Lord?

Are you growing in the Lord?

Last year until this year, have you grown?

Has anything changed about you?

Has your character improved?

Have you become more loving?

Has malice found no place in your heart anymore?

Has unforgiveness found no place in your heart anymore?

The things that you are hooked on, the addictions that you had, have they gone away?

You had them last year, do you still have them today?

Praise the Lord.

Are there areas of your life where you need to change?

Prayer is a tool in which your life can change and will change.

Praise the Lord.

What do you, in what ways do you need to change?

Are you still fighting with your father or your mother or are you still, do you still

have people that you don't want to speak to?

Are your desires still what they are previously?

Like I said, the world will always push its idea to us.

It will always push the agenda to us.

There's always pushing of those things and when you buy them, they become your own desire.

You begin to run with them.

Are they still the same?

Praise the Lord.

Are they still the same?

Do you need to change?

There's a book that I have, right?

It's called, is something how to change or the need to change?

Praise the Lord.

Do you need to change?

Is that something in your life that needs to change?

Are you saying that you're an effective Christian?

That people can look at your life and see the glory of God?

Can your housemates, the people that you live with, testify of the goodness of God in your

life?

Praise the Lord.

He doesn't want you to remain the same.

Praise the Lord.

He doesn't want you to remain the same, to have the same old habits.

Say I'm struggling last year with this and this year I'm still struggling.

Praise the Lord.

He has put in you and he has made provision for you to grow, for you to overcome.

Praise the Lord.

For you to always overcome.

Prayer alters your direction.

You know when you pray that decision will not be the same.

Praise the Lord.

Maybe there's some things you want to do.

You want to go to a country.

You want to start a relationship.

You want to travel somewhere.

You want to make a decision on this or that.

Have you prayed about it?

Or in your heart, do you know?

You know that if I take this thing to God, direction might change.

Or he might be saying something else and then you say, let me not pray about it.

You just want to, as you have planned it, you will run with it.

Praise the Lord.

Your planning is not, you don't present your planning to God.

Praise the Lord.

You don't present, you make your planning, you make your decision, you execute it, you

run with it.

Praise the Lord.

Prayer alters or guides us.

It alters or guides our direction.

Like I said, the most important thing about prayer is that it changes you.

It is you that is changing.

It is you that is transforming.

It is you that when you come to prayer, as your God, you are going to change your life.

It is you that when you come to prayer, as you are coming to pray, weights begin to go

away.

Weights begin to go away.

Bodies begin to go away.

Or forgiveness begins to leave you.

Praise the Lord.

Because you have come to hear, look at and give you strength.

I always like to read Isaiah chapter 40 because it tells us that even the youth, they will

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

grow weary.

Right?

To them that supposedly supposed to or should have strength, them will grow weary.

They say, oh, your strength is in your youth.

Right?

They say, them will grow weary.

They say, but they that weight upon the Lord will renew their strength.

Praise the Lord.

They will grow weary.

They will not have direction.

They will hold on to substances to numb themselves and keep going with life.

Praise the Lord.

When they discover that maybe this life is very difficult, they will find something.

They will start smoking.

They will start drinking.

They will start doing so many things to help me cope with the issues of life.

I have some people in my building today.

I want to give one example.

But they are not in that category.

So in my house, my wife sometimes, she comes and closes the bathroom door because there's

always somebody who is smoking something.

I know he's not a cigarette.

And he's a very young person.

I'd be asking him, why do you need to do that?

You would ask yourself, why does the person need to keep?

At least if you're an occasional smoker, somebody might understand what's going on.

But why do you need that?

One of the reasons could be that he has found out or he knows or he has not found God and

he's chasing something.

And the only way to keep chasing what he's chasing is to keep numbing every voice and

every suggestion that something is right or wrong.

Praise the Lord.

So he said the youth will grow weary.

They will find out that you need God and they don't have God and they will hold on to something.

Praise the Lord.

So prayer changes you.

We appreciate you being here today.

We hope you carry this word with you throughout your week.

Don't forget to check the show notes for additional insights.

Stay connected with us through our website or follow us on social media.

If you were encouraged, share this message with someone you care about.

Until next time, stay blessed.