THE PRAYER POINTS OF DISCIPLES
By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi
One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.
" Acts of the Apostles 13:2-3 NLT
"Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer." Luke 2:36-37 NLT
Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is different from the average religious devotee. Disciples are completely sold out to Jesus and live to promote the gospel of God's kingdom through teaching . Anna was a widow who devoted her time to fasting and praying for the fulfillment of God's plans on earth. God needs human agents to intervene on our behalf through prayer.
Prayer is the invitation we offer divinity to intervene in humanity . It took Moses's prayers to save the Jews from bondage in Egypt . The early disciples realized this and committed quality time to praying and fasting for divine preservation and the fulfillment of God's plans . Jesus Christ taught his disciples to pray " your will be done on earth " (Matt6:10)
They prayed for the opportunity to preach the gospel (Col.4:3) The disciples also prayed for the perfections of the faith of the brethren , the Bible says "Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith."
1 Thess 3:10 NLT You need to ask God to give you the right preacher to build your faith . This is one of the effects of praying in tongues (Jude1;20) . Faith requires brotherly love and unity (Eph4:3) .
Disciples of Christ pray for love amongst the brethren " I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding."Philippians 1:9 NLT. Love is sustained by knowledge , therefore, disciples pray that the brethren be filled with knowledge, " So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding."
Colossians 1:9 NLT
The word of God is what heals nations therefore , disciples pray for the rapid spread of God's word across the world " Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you."2 Thes 3:1 NLT God's word spreads through honest living by brethren . Bribery and corruption by Christians hinders the spread of the gospel .
Disciples pray for honest living by brethren " Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do."Hebrews 13:18 NLT. This is leads to a healthy and secure society.
Disciples are also required to pray for the healing of the sick ( James5:16) and this happens when we set set our affection more on heavenly virtues ." Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. " Colossians 3:2 NLT
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