Wake up: The Importance of a Strong Prayer Life

Wake up: The Importance of a Strong Prayer Life
Posted on May 7, 2017 in Devotions
By:  Eric Ladson 
That’s from our Lord Jesus Himself.  He wanted the inner-circle disciples (Peter, John and James) to join Him as He prayed at the midnight hour in the Garden of Gethsemane.  What did Jesus find after He returned from praying?  He found the very elect, inner-circle disciples fast asleep.  Jesus wanted to teach an important spiritual law in practice…the Law or Principle of Agreement (Unity).  Along with praying, being in agreement with the saints increases the power of our prayers.

 Jesus stole away to pray throughout His ministry which exemplified a strong and consistent prayer life
 
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:20).  That night Jesus did what He normally always did…He prayed to His Father in heaven.  Jesus stole away to pray throughout His ministry which exemplified a strong and consistent prayer life.  Why did Jesus do this?  There are many important reasons but let’s discuss a few here for the avid disciple looking to capitalize on this lesson Jesus was teaching.  There was a boy with an evil spirit and the disciples tried to cast the demon out of him to no avail.  After Jesus had gone into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?.  Jesus answered, This kind cannot come out except by prayer. (Mark 9:28-29).  What’s interesting is that this occurred before the Garden of Gethsemane and yet they still fell fast asleep.  

 
Jesus was conducting spiritual warfare against the enemy.  He was exercising one of the most important weapons God gave His people: PRAYER.  The disciples had no spiritual power over the evil spirit in the boy because of a deficient prayer life.  Some of the works of the devil that God’s people are oppressed by are: sin, sickness, fear, depression, lust, temptation, deception, slothfulness and rebellion.  “…for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8).  Jesus came to emancipate us from the bondage of sin yet we fail to adhere to the very acts that Jesus demonstrated that gave Him power over satan.  Jesus taught the disciples to pray and constantly prayed for them.  Hosea the prophet warned the Hebrews: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”.  

Who are the very elect, inner-circle prayer warriors in our homes and churches?  What’s their prayer life like?  Does power flow from their prayers?  What’s the atmosphere like when there is no strong prayer life in the body of believers?

My challenge to you, as a body of believers, is to join in agreement with one another corporately and set your hearts on creating the atmosphere that ignites a “day of Pentecost” in the house of God instead of first seeking the results thereof.