GOD WILL NEVER ASSUME THE NEEDS THAT ARE NOT EXPRESSED BY MAN
PRAYER IS AN ART THAT CAN BE LEARNT
PRAYER IS NOT DYNAMIC UNTIL IT IS SPECIFIC. PRAYER IS NOT POWERFUL UNTIL IT IS DEFINITE
ENSURE THAT WHAT YOU NEED AND PRAYING ABOUT IS IN LINE WITH THE WILL OF GOD
NOTHING AND NOBODY CAN COMPEL GOD TO DO WHAT IS NOT HIS WILL
BEFORE PRAYING, IDENTIFY SCRIPTURES THAT GIVE YOU GROUNDS TO EXPECT ANSWERS FROM GOD
WHAT GOD HAS DONE BEFORE IS A GROUND FOR WHAT HE WILL AND CAN DO AGAIN
THE CONSISTENCY OF GOD IS A BASIS FOR THE AUDACITY OF FAITH
WHEN YOU’RE APPRECIATING GOD, YOU’RE APPLYING FOR MORE OF WHAT HE HAS DONE IN YOUR LIFE BEFORE
YOUR APPRECIATION FOR THE LAST THING THAT GOD DID IS ACCELERATION OF THE NEXT THING THAT GOD WILL DO
APPRECIATION FOR HIS GOODNESS IN YOUR LIFE MULTIPLIES THAT GOODNESS IN YOUR LIFE
IF YOU CAN’T SEE WHAT GOD HAS DONE BEFORE, YOU WON’T SEE WHAT GOD CAN DO AGAIN
If The devil WANTS TO KEEP YOU IN NEED, HE WILL KEEP YOU IN DOUBT
WHERE YOUR DESTINY IS CONCERNED, NO ONE CAN DEFEND OR PLEAD YOUR CASE BEFORE THE JUDGE OF THE EARTH MORE THAN YOU
BEFORE YOU RUSH TO PRAYER, RUSH TO SCRIPTURE
DON’T START FIRING BEFORE YOU LOOK FOR BULLETS
THE RELEASE OF THE WORD AT THE PLACE OF PRAYER IS A KNOCKOUT BLOW FOR THE FORCES OF DARKNESS
EMPOWER, ENERGIZE AND DRIVE YOUR PETITION BY PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT
WHEN YOU PRAY IN TONGUES, THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS YOU TO TOUCH ON ISSUES RELATING TO YOUR REQUEST THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT
THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS YOU TO ACCESS THE REALM OF MYSTERIES AS YOU PRAY, UNVEILING AND DISSOLVING THE MYSTERIES
THANKSGIVING AFTER PRAYING IS THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE WILL OF GOD
THANKSGIVING AFTER PRAYER IS FAITH ACTION
IT IS NOT UNBELIEF TO PRAY OVER A MATTER MORE THAN ONCE
THERE MUST BE A CONSISTENCY OF FAITH IF THE EXPECTATION MUST BE INTACT
– Dr. Pastor Paul Enenche on “SPECIFIC STEPS TO PRODUCTIVE PRAYER” || July Impartation Service || Glory Dome, Abuja.
This morning, we will look at Mark 11:24. The Lord bless His Word in Jesus’ name. I am speaking on the subject, “SPECIFIC STEPS TO PRODUCTIVE PRAYER”.
Our objective this morning is to understand those specific steps that guarantee productive prayer – prayer that gets answered. Church Gist. By way of introduction, I want to say two things very quickly:
1. Prayer is an art that can be learnt. No wonder the disciples asked the Master to teach them to pray. Luke 11:1. Church Gist. So, it is an art, a science, a craft that can be learnt.
2. Praying effectively, efficiently and effectually is possible as we master the art of praying. James 5:16-18. Church Gist. Elijah learnt the art, Paul the Apostle knew the art, the Master Jesus knew the art, John the Baptist knew the art, no wonder he taught his disciples.
Having said that, what are the specific steps that guarantee productive praying? That masters of the art, what do they do?
1. Identify specific needs that you want God to address. Mark 11:24. Church Gist. There must be a specific thing you desire. Mark 10:46-52. Listen to these:
1a. Prayer is not dynamic until it is specific. Prayer is not powerful until it is definite.
1b. God will never assume the needs that are not expressed by man. It is true that God knows the things we need but He desires that we express them to confirm our dependence on Him. Church Gist. Otherwise, Jesus saw the man’s eyes were obviously blind, He would have assumed that the man was asking to be healed, He never assumed. “What do you want me to do?” I mean, “have mercy on me” may mean, “give me some money”. Church Gist. Prayer is not dynamic until it is specific. Prayer is not powerful until it is definite. God will never assume the needs that are not expressed by man.
A Pastor may say, “Lord, give me your power?” And God will say, “power to do what? What direction? Which area? What do you want the Power for? Which one do you want?”
2. Ensure that what you need (and praying about) is in line with the will of God. Matthew 8:1-2. Church Gist. The man was not doubting God’s power, he was only doubting His will, “I don’t know if it is your will to heal me”. 1 John 5:14-15. Why is this important?
2a. God works all things after the counsel of His will. Ephesians 1:11. God’s workings are in line with His will.
2b. Nothing and nobody can compel God to do what is not His will because God will never work against Himself. Church Gist. For example, somebody has no calling at all to be a Pastor and he decided to open a ‘shop’. I call it a shop because it’s not a Church, he wasn’t called and he began to pray for God to give him anointing, and God said, “you’re wasting your time. This is a prayer that will never be answered because I never called you to be a Pastor”. Church Gist. This is where the major challenge is. Somebody wants to get married to somebody, everything shows that it’s not the will of God. Okay, basically, “be not unequally yoked with unbelievers”. You’re born again, you’re saved, filled with the Holy Ghost and you go to Church, you saw a raw sinner and you say, “I love him. I like him. I will change him”. Are you the Holy Spirit? “Lord, please, make it work. Bless the union”. Church Gist. God said, “you’re praying a prayer that would never be answered”. God works everything after the counsel of His will.
Somebody wants to relocate from the country, I’m sorry to say this because the situation is such that almost everybody wants to run away, but he sees every vision and dream of the night shows him that he has no future out there and he carries himself there. Church Gist. First of all, he lied that he’s married to somebody so that he can get documents outside the country and everything is upside down from day one. One young man met me in our Area One Church, he came for prayer. I think he came home to marry. “Why don’t you carry your wife to go there?” He said, “no, I can’t carry my wife now, I have to regularize my papers”. Church Gist. I said, “what happened?” He said, “before I went there, I had to arrange a marriage for the sake of documents, so I have to divorce that one first before I can now think of getting this one to come”. I said, “the reason why you’re there is wrong. There’s no prayer I can pray for you there that would succeed. Come back home and start afresh”. Church Gist. God does everything after the counsel of His will.
2c. The will of God is answered prayer waiting to be prayed.
3. Identify Scriptures that give you grounds to expect answers from God. John 15:7. Take note of 3 things:
3a. Revelation is fuel for supplication. John 15:7
3b. Revelation is key to possession. It is what is revealed to you that can be possessed by you. Deuteronomy 29:29.
3c. Revelation is fuel for the conviction of Faith. Church Gist. What you saw in the Bible, for example, concerning your marital destiny, business affairs and your ministry, fuels your Faith. Romans 10:17.
4. Identify testimonies of the acts of God in the area of your petition. The testimonies can come from two directions, from Scriptures and from the lives of people. Church Gist.That area that you’re trusting God for a testimony, has God done anything there before in the Scripture or in the life of anybody? 2 or 3 things are important to note:
4a. What God has done before is a ground for what He will and can do again. 1 Samuel 17:34-37. Church Gist. David was making reference to the deliverance he had before as the basis of the deliverance he’s going to have now.
4b. What God has done for one is a ground for what He can do for another. Church Gist. That was the story of Mary. Luke 1:36-37.
4c. Testimonies are the fuel of Faith and expectation. Luke 1:38.
4d. The consistency of God is a basis for the audacity of Faith. When we see how consistent God is and how He has consistently healed and delivered, it becomes our basis for the audacity of Faith. Malachi 3:6. Hebrews 13:8. Church Gist. Please, don’t toy with testimonies. I’ve said it many times, we are going to make available CDs and DVDs, all testimonies. These are the things you read, you prepare yourself to go for prayer. God’s servant, Bishop David Oyedepo said, he doesn’t just go and pray, he prepares for the prayer.
5. Appreciate God for His Faithfulness in time past, both in your life and in the life of others. Church Gist. Psalm 100:1-4. 1 Samuel 17:34-37. Take note of the following:
5a. Appreciation is application for more. This is a quote by David Oyedepo, our Father in the Lord. Church Gist. When you’re appreciating God, you’re applying for more of what He has done in your life before.
5b. Appreciation for the last is acceleration for the next. Church Gist. Your appreciation for the last thing that God did is acceleration of the next thing that God will do. John 6:9-10.
5c. Appreciation is the vehicle for multiplication. Appreciation for His goodness in your life multiplies that goodness in your life at the place of prayer. Church Gist. Most people just go straight and start talking, they don’t know these things work by strategy. How many of us will continue to give something, give gifts and do something for an ungrateful person? Somebody came to my office in Area One, in those days, he worked with shell according to him then. He said he came to town and was stranded and that I should assist him. I gave him a little amount of money, he said to me, “I’m so sorry, I am meant to bring money to Church, not come and take money from Church”. I said, “No, this is my own money”. He said, “thank you so much, I’m grateful”. I said, “hold on, I’m coming”, I went and looked for more money, on the spot, in his eyes. Church Gist. You know, God made man in His image. If you’re not profuse in appreciation, forget your expectations. Appreciation is multiplication, appreciate God and He will multiply His goodness in your life. That is why we dance all the time when miracles, signs and wonders happen, even headache, because headache has killed people before.
5d. If you can’t see what God has done before, you won’t see what God can do again. Church Gist. So, this makes appreciation a very critical pathway in our journey of prayer.
6. Approach God with the boldness of Faith. Hebrews 11:6. James 1:5-7. Church Gist. Take note of the following:
6a. What moves God is Faith, not sentiment.
6b. Taking God and His Word serious is the basis of receiving what is yours from God.
6c. If the devil cannot keep you in doubt, he cannot keep you in need. If the devil wants to keep you in need, he will keep you in doubt, he makes you doubt God so that you will remain in need. Church Gist. “The greatest joy you can give to God is to believe Him and the greatest pain you can give to God is to disbelieve Him” – Mike Murdock. It’s like your wife doubting you or your husband suspecting you. Hallelujah!
7. Present your case on the basis of the Word. Church Gist. It is at this point now that the real prayer has started, the petition. Isaiah 41:21. Isaiah 43:26. What is it saying?
7a. You must present to God the Scriptural reasons why you expect your request to be answered. Church Gist.”Lord, I cannot die before my time because your Word says, the number of my days, You will fulfill. Because your Word says, Jesus tasted death on the behalf of every man” “Lord, I cannot harbour this affliction in my body because your Word says, by His stripes I am healed. Himself took my infirmities”. “Lord, I cannot carry this generational liability because Christ has redeemed from the cause of the law”. You’re presenting you’re cause. “Lord, I have served you, so I expect your blessing because the Bible said I shall serve the Lord my God and He shall bless my bread and my water”.
7b. Where your destiny is concerned, no one can defend or plead your case before the Judge of the earth more than you. Church Gist. Yes, your Pastor can decree over you, prayer partners can join in agreement with you but when it comes to your destiny, nobody can plead your case like you. Job 13:19. Job 14:14. So, you gather Scriptures. Before you rush to prayer, rush to Scripture. Before you rush to pray, rush to the Word. This is what Papa Oyedepo meant when he said that he organizes his prayer. Church Gist. He doesn’t just go and pray, he sits down and documents the prayer, with Scriptures. So that when you’re talking, you’re not guessing. “Lord, this is what I’m asking for and it’s on the basis of this”. Before you rush to pray, rush to the Word, don’t start firing before you look for bullets. Don’t go to court before you begin to think of which session of the constitution said this. Church Gist. They may seize your certificate or whatever or debar you, you’re not qualified to practice. Don’t rush to God before you’re ready to talk. This is very important. The devil knows when you carry light.
– I prophesy to somebody here today, in the name of Jesus, from this moment forward, your prayer would catch like fire!
I have sat down before to locate Scriptures, why I must struggle as a Pastor or struggle to be a beggar or borrower in the name of I am preaching, why I must not be working for God and be servicing affliction at the same time. Before you rush to pray, rush to the Word.
7c. The release of the Word at the place of prayer is a knockout blow for the forces of darkness. Church Gist. When you release the Word at the place of prayer, instead of just talking words, it’s a knockout blow for the forces of darkness. John 1:5.
8. Empower, energize and drive your petition by praying in the spirit. “Father, your Word says, I shall serve the Lord my God and He shall bless my bread and my water and He shall take away sickness from the midst of me, I shall not cast my young and the number of my days shall be fulfilled. Church Gist. So, I am here to thank you for how much you have helped and blessed me in time past and I thank you because of the blessings coming and I reject every trace of affliction and weakness in my system and in the name of Jesus Christ, I refuse to be cut short before my time. I thank you for the lease of life that I am receiving right now. Every system on my body functions in the perfection of creation and I thank you for energy and strength because I have the spirit of might by the Spirit of the Lord. Blessed be your name in the name of Jesus (starts speaking in tongues)”, I am now pushing the prayer. Church Gist. I am pushing it across any barrier. I may speak in my language, in vernacular or English for 5-20 minutes, depending on how much I can and push the balance for another 1-2 hours in tongues. You know what that would do for you? I will show you. If you want to confuse the devil, speak in a language he cannot understand, speak above his head. Church Gist. Because it is the Spirit of God talking to your human spirit. Praying by the Holy Ghost and talking to God, it goes across the head of the devil. It’s a spiritual hotline that cannot be tapped or bugged. What does that do for you when you begin to empower, energize and drive your petition by praying in the Spirit?
8a. The Holy Spirit helps you to touch on issues relating to your request that you know nothing about. Romans 8:26. Church Gist. For example, you’re praying for promotion, all you know is that you have been delayed for too long and you’re quoting Scripture, pray and began to push it in tongues, while you’re praying in that tongue, the Holy Ghost began to address issues you didn’t speak in English, maybe because you didn’t know, “Lord, I want you to deal with that man who said I will never be promoted, this is his name and I want you to actually transfer him from that office, let my promotion be double before he returns back”. Church Gist. You’re dealing in the spirit with issues you have no understanding but the Holy Ghost knows. So, while you’re in tongues, He’s addressing them. You’re praying for journey mercies to go to Lokoja but in the Spirit, the Holy Ghost is saying, “clear those bastards from the road before I reach there”.
I preached sometime ago about the luxury of tongue, it’s such a luxurious life to pray in the Holy Ghost.
8b. The Holy Spirit helps you to access the realm of mysteries as you pray, unveiling and dissolving the mysteries. 1 Corinthians 14:2. Church Gist. Maybe there’s something that your father did in time past that is fighting your destiny today or there’s a generational altar, those are mysteries. Church Gist. As you’re praying, made your physical requests and began to pray in the Spirit, then you step into the realms of mysteries, unveiling and dissolving them. The Holy Spirit helps you.
8c. The Holy Spirit helps you to pray perfectly in line with the will of God on the subject matter. Romans 8:27. Church Gist. “Lord, I am trusting you to help me to marry Angelina. I have approached her and she has refused for me to marry her but I know that I must marry Angelina because the last time I was in a relationship with Nwakaego, it didn’t go well” (laughs). Then you started praying in tongues and the Holy Ghost will say, “Lord, don’t mind him, it is not Angelina. Church Gist. Open his eyes to see the right person” and the right person is near him but he’s looking far away. So, He’s helping you to pray in line with the will of God. You’re praying your own desire, He’s helping you to pray what is right, after a while, you become aligned with the correctness of God’s will for your life!
– as I’m talking now in the line of marital destiny, I prophesy to somebody, you will not end in the wrong relationship! You will not end in the hands of the wrong person, in the name of Jesus!
9. Appreciate God for answers when you sense victory in your spirit. Matthew 6:13b. That is, after you have prayed all the prayers, this would be the conclusion. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18. Church Gist. You have prayed and prayed and the end of it, you give thanks. Two things you will like to note:
9a. Thanksgiving after prayer is a Faith action that says, “God is believed because He is believable”. Psalm 106:12. Romans 4:20.
9b. Thanksgiving after praying is the enforcement of the will of God. 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Church Gist. After you have prayed and you move on to thanksgiving, you’re enforcing that will that you asked God to do in your life.
Supposing you have done all of these and you have not seen the answer yet.
10. Go through the process where necessary, dwelling more on appreciation and praying in the Spirit. Church Gist. For example, you have prayed for a husband and a wife or for this and that and you thought that you gave victory already, you have appreciated God, everytime the devil or your mind reminds you that you’re still trusting God for this, you proceed, “Father, thank you because I trusted you the other day for this and that on the basis of your Word, thank you because I know that you’re too faithful to fail” and then you proceed again in appreciation.
I want to say something to you that you must never forget. Is it unbelief to pray over one matter more than once? Church Gist. We were told sometime ago that it was but it’s not necessary. I will give you 3 examples.
10a. 1 Kings 18:43-44. When Elijah began to pray for the rain to fall, He asked his servant to go and look for the cloud, it was at the seventh time that the man said, “behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea like a man’s hand”. Church Gist. 1 Kings 18:44. 7 times. It was on and on until the result manifested.
10b. When Elisha was going to raise the child of the Shunamite woman. 2 Kings 4:34-35. The first thing he did was to send his rod through Gehazi, no result. Church Gist. 2 Kings 4:34-35. This was a situation where somebody prayed more than once over an issue for the answer to come. 2 Kings 5:14.
Now, somebody said, “this is old testament”. Now, let’s look at Jesus Christ. Matthew 26:41-42. Mark 14:39.
– somebody say a loud Amen!
What must be consistent is that the Faith must be constant. You prayed first in Faith, don’t pray next in doubt. Church Gist. There must be a consistency of Faith if the expectation must be intact. If you want, you can charge up your Faith with more light, brighter light and then proceed and the answers will come.
– somebody who is blessed, shout the loudmost Amen!
Now, when you have done this, in conclusion, once we follow the process, results are mandatory. Church Gist. Again, where results delay in coming, we shift higher unto the boosters of prayer like joining fasting with praying and the other things we would be looking at when we come next Sunday.
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