The last shall be the first

Once again I got this one from the social media.

"A certain gentleman walked into a hotel and after perusing through the menu, ordered for some food. After about 20 mins another group of gentlemen walked in and ordered for theirs.

To his dismay, the first gentlemnan saw them get served first. He watched as they began to eat and laugh heartily. He even overheard one of them brag about how he knew everyone at that hotel and how things moved fast for him there. He felt he was being mocked. He contemplated leaving. But he had waited soo long.
Unable to take it anymore, he called the waiter and spoke rather verbosely of how unfair things were.

The waiter calmly told him, yours is a special order sir, being prepared by the chief chef himself. Their orders were prepared hurriedly by students on attachement because the top chefs are busy with yours. That's why they came first. Please have some juice as you wait.

Unknown to him, the owner of the hotel (who happened to be an old long lost friend of his) had seen him coming and wanted to surprise him and had made changes to his simple meal to make it a five star meal.

He calmed down and waited. Shortly after, his meal was served by 6 waiters and he was waited on hand and foot and being made very comfortable.

The party at the other table were shocked. They couldn't stop staring. Suddenly they were the ones murmuring, asking why they didn't get that kind of service and meal.

So it is with this life. Some people are ahead of you and eating now, laughing at you about how they know people, how they are well connected and how they're blessed, have money and how they're enjoying life because of it.

You have been waiting long wondering why its taking soo long to get your breakthrough, enduring mockery and humiliation. Maybe you have contemplated suicide, gone through depression or suffered severe mental anxiety.

Do not worry. The owner of the world has seen you. And doesn't want to give you simple meals like those laughing at you. You're waiting long because yours is a special meal. It takes time to prepare. And only chief chefs prepare them.

Take heart today. Wait for your meal and relax. When it comes. That laughing party will be silenced for good.

Calm down. Put all your trust in God Almighty

Do remember the Lord's teaching that the last shall be the first. True they may go ahead of you but you will overtake them all. This concept was taught in 2 passages in the gospel according concept Matthew. The first bein Matthew 19 which reads, 16. And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

17. And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

18. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

19. Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

20. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

21. Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

22. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

23. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

24. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

25. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

26. But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

27. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

28. And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

30. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

The second is Matthew 20 which reads, 1. For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

2. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

4. And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

5. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

6. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

7. They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

8. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

9. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

10. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

11. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

12. Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

13. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

14. Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

16. So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

BE BLESSED

South African Universities Set To Introduce B.Sc In Witchcraft

South African Universities Set To Introduce B.Sc In Witchcraft

Wonders shall never cease! News making rounds has it that the South African Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande has announced plans to have witchcraft included in the curriculum from 2018, giving students who wish to get an education on witchcraft the chance to do so in the country’s universities.

The minister made this known while addressing representatives from student unions around the country, adding that the introduction of the course is aimed at learning skills which are peculiar to people who practice witchcraft. Announcing the bizarre move, he urged future university entrees to consider taking Witchcraft as a course.

Hear him:

“There is a lot we can learn from witchcraft, like how they fly in that winnowing basket. Imagine if we learn that skill. It will eradicate traffic jams and everyone will just get in their basket and fly. It also means we will not be importing fuel anymore.”

Mr. Blade was said to have invited renowned witches to make an appointment with his office so they can have their skills tested and those outstanding would then be hired as lecturers. He further extended the invitation to witches from outside South Africa with a promise of giving them permanent residents permits.

He said:

“I spoke to Gibs (Minister of Home affairs Malusi Gigaba) and he agreed to issue witches from outside South Africa with permanent residence permits. I heard Malawi and Zimbabwe have an impressive collection of witches. We are hoping they will heed the call.”

Sequel to the announcement, the student representatives who packed the auditorium were disappointed having gone there with the expectation that the Minister would announce a 0% fee increase for the coming year. Expressing their anger, they booed and threw bottles at him.

Submission of applications into the department by interested students is said to be closing at midnight on September 30 and there is presently a job opening for 109 witches.

Source: http://buzznigeria.com/south-africa-introduce-witchcraft/

To those who regularly read the Bible and follow end time events this is not new news at all. Isiah 15:23 says, “…. rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” The book of Deuteronomy at chapter 18:10 and chapter 22:18 reads “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.” “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” If witchcraft is an abomination to the Lord what gives anyone the desire to learn that which angers God. What level of rebellion and pig-headedness is such a behaviour? No wonder why Revelation 15:22 equates witches to dogs. The verse reads, “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”

In Galatians 5, witchcraft and hatred are listed among the works of the flesh to which Paul stresses, “of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” the wise man once remarked, “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34.

Witchcraft seeks support and leadership from dark spiritual forces and not from God. Forms of witchcraft are evident in white or black magic, sorcery, other forms of magic horoscopes, astrology, tarot cards, séances, psychics, palm reading, spiritism, fortune telling, necromancy (communicating with the dead), yoga, New Age meditation, the force, Chinese Zodiacs, chants, spells, the Rosary, and such artefacts and behaviours which rely heavily on dark or familiar spirits. 

Any spirit that is not the Holy Spirit must never be followed or believed. The Devil is an evil spirit and any spirit under his command must never be entertained. We must only worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Jesus said that His Words are life. John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

The Devil works inside the mind of the wicked, to lead them to do horrible things (Ephesians 2:2). The Devil can't make anyone do anything, but he influences people if they are susceptible and willing. This is the woeful danger of making witchcraft look innocent and fun to young people. It teaches children to invoke Satan's power. Statements like, “There is a lot we can learn from witchcraft” are thus very dangerous and have the capacity to planch an entire nation in to disaster.

Witchcraft involves the manipulation of the demonic host, through chanting, incantations and the casting of spells. It may encompass communication with dark demonic spirits impersonating. As discarnate spirit entities, these demons possess knowledge regarding the activities of humans and may have a limited ability to foretell the future.

My advice to the modern church is, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” 1 Thes 5:21-22

ABUSES FOR GAIN OF THE FAITH AND TEACHINGS OF CHRIST

ABUSES FOR GAIN OF THE FAITH AND TEACHINGS OF CHRIST

Jesus Christ is outstanding and incomparable to any historical figure in all of the human race. Everything good was undoubtedly derived from his philosophy and teachings. Whilst Christ’s teachings are still unrivalled by any known human philosophy or teaching many people who are against him have risen and fallen throughout history.

                People who are against Christ are known as antichrists. Anti Christs are known for teaching or practicing ideas that are against Christ. They teach the complete opposite of what Christ taught. Their values and life standards are the exact contradiction of Christ’s values and ethics.  Where Christ conveys light they bring darkness.

                Christ’s primary purpose in life was to benefit all mankind even if that meant impoverishing himself, the bible actually says that although he had all the wealth, he voluntarily became poor so that through his poverty we would all become rich. In other words, Christ gave all that belonged to him so that the recipients would gain all that he owned.

                In exactly the opposite, antichrists steal all that man own in order to enrich themselves at the expense of man. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” This is the most glaring contrast between Christ and antichrists. What ever Christ does is for the benefit of his followers whereas antichrists sacrifice their followers for the selfish benefit of the antichrists.

                Christ goes on to say, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore, My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:11-18

                In 2 Corinthian 8:9 Paul wrote, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” In Philippians 2:6-8, Paul further describes Christ as, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

                History is littered with people who behaved in the direct opposite of the above. Peter once wrote, “But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.” 2 Peter 2:1-3

                The first abuse that come to my mind is the sale of indulgence. There are two ideas involved in Roman Catholic teaching on indulgences:

• Christians receive "temporal punishment" for sin, even after its guilt and eternal punishment have been forgiven by God. That temporal punishment must be paid either here on earth or in a temporary, after-death holding place called purgatory.
• The Roman Catholic Church has a "treasury," composed of the "superabundant merits of Christ and the saints," which the Church, through the exercise of the "power of the keys," can transfer to the benefit of those who are due temporal punishment.

This idea completely contradicts 1 Timothy 2:5 which says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” It also contradicts Ephesians 2:8-9 which reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Indulgences were payments to the church used to purchase exemptions from punishment for certain kinds of sins. Examples of such sins were thinking lustful thoughts about someone who you were not married to.  Candidates for indulgences were mainly persons who feared that if any of their sins were left unnoticed or unconfessed, they would spend extra time in purgatory before reaching heaven or worse, end up in hell after failing to repent. In short, indulgences were "confession insurance" which provided cover against eternal damnation because, if you purchased an indulgence then you would not go to hell should you suddenly die before making confession.

The sale of indulgences gradually grew to include forgiveness for the sins of people who were already dead. In one of his sermons, Johann Tetzel, the monk who sold indulgences in Germany, preached “Don't you hear the voices of your dead parents and other relatives crying out, ‘Have mercy on us, for we suffer great punishment and pain. From this, you could release us with a few alms . . . We have created you, fed you, cared for you and left you our temporal goods. Why do you treat us so cruelly and leave us to suffer in the flames, when it takes only a little to save us? [Source: Die Reformation in Augenzeugen Berichten, edited by Helmar Junghaus (Dusseldorf: Karl Rauch Verlag, 1967), 44.]

In the early 16th century, proceeds from the sale of indulgences were being used by the Roman Catholic Church to fund the building of St. Peter's Basilica. Johann Tetzel was particularly proficient at raising funds in this manner. It is disheartening to note that it was mostly the poor and gullible whose money was being swindled by false teachers through feigned words.

The pioneers of our faith wrote in 1 Peter 1:17-19, “…… if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” The same pioneers also wrote in 1 John 1:7, “…. if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” Does this speak the opposite of the sale of indulgences? If the blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL SIN then which sins do indulgences clear? Had Luther not been brave enough to expose the scandal I am sure many us would have being indulgences thereby getting poorer without gaining any salvation at all.

Coming to our own day and age what abuses are prevailing? Some peoplr think that abuses of the above nature are confined to the dark and miedval ages of yesteryear when the majority were gullible and had very little education. Alas, that is not the case because the modern age has worse abuses. In my earlier post I wrote the following. A scandal has been going on within the Christian faith. One preacher was once quoted as having said, "If I give $1,000 dollars I deserve to get back $100,000 because I am just, that's not greed!" This effectively obligates God to honour his side of the bargain because it is God who promised to pay back one hundred fold all that we give to him.

According to the Gospel written by Saint Luke in chapter 6, the modern preacher teaches that when you give to God’s work, that which you give will be measured back to you a hundred times after being pressed down and shaken together because God measures back to you using the same measure you use in giving him. This is a sure and trusted formula of becoming rich according to prominent teachers who have tried the formula as evidenced by empirical evidence at their disposal.

It is very interesting to note that leaders of the Pentecostal Movement in the early 20th century did not embrace prosperity theology. A distinguishable form of the doctrine began to take shape within the movement during the 1940s and 1950s, through the teachings of deliverance and healing evangelists. Linking prosperity teaching with revivalism and faith healing, these evangelists taught "the laws of faith ('ask and ye shall receive') and the laws of divine reciprocity ('give and it will be given back unto you')"

One prominent early character in prosperity theology was E. W. Kenyon, educated in the 1890s at Emerson College of Oratory, where he was exposed to the New Thought movement. He also was greatly influenced by teachings and beliefs of Christian Science. Kenyon later became connected with well-known Pentecostal leaders and wrote about supernatural revelation and positive assertions. His writing influenced leaders of the emerging prosperity movement during the post-war American healing revival. Kenyon and later leaders in the prosperity movement have denied that he was influenced by the New Thought movement or Christian Science. Anthropologist Simon Coleman argues that there are "obvious parallels" between Kenyon's teachings and the New Thought movement.

Could there be no danger or chance that laws of the prosperity theology could have not originated from scripture but from cultic sources? Is there no chance that scriptures are being twisted and forced to conform to cultic teachings? Could this be the reason why scripture such as Luke 16:25; 18:25; Matthew 19:23-24 and Mark 10:23-27 are rarely taught or are never taught at all in Prosperity theology. This truly is a captivating subject.

Oral Roberts began teaching prosperity theology in 1947. He explained the laws of faith as a "blessing pact" in which God would return donations "seven fold", promising that donors would receive back from unanticipated sources the money they donated to him. He promised to refund any donation that did not lead to a harvest. In the 1970s, He categorised his blessing pact teaching as the "seed faith" doctrine: offerings were a form of "seed" which would grow in value and be reaped by the donor. Roberts began enlisting "partners", wealthy donors who received special conference invitations and ministry access in exchange for their support.

In the 1960s, prosperity became a primary focus in healing revivals. T. L. Osborn began emphasizing prosperity in the 1960s and became known for his often flamboyant displays of personal wealth. During that decade, Oral Roberts and William Branham criticized other prosperity ministries, arguing that their fund-raising tactics unfairly pressured congregants. These tactics were prompted in part by the expense of developing nationwide radio networks and campaign schedules. At the same time, leaders of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God organization often criticized the focus on prosperity taken by independent healing evangelists.

It is clear that Roberts, Branham and leaders of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God were getting alarmed by excesses and abuses of the Prosperity Gospel. The teaching was fast becoming a get rich formula which promised rapid wealth to donors. Indeed the formula was performing wonders never before seen in he history of the church. Interestingly, the formula was rapidly enriching the preacher of the theology at the expense of the donor. This was the reason why the man who had coined the word “seed faith” was getting perturbed by the abuse of his coined word. A new crop of wealth seeker preachers had taken the church by storm. Churches with a reputation for manipulating and alienating the poor had suddenly come aboard.

Today new forms of offerings have been introduced in to the church. New forms such as deliverance and redemption offerings are now very common as if deliverance and redemption depend on offerings instead of the blood of Jesus Christ. Even answers to prayer now have to be unlocked by offerings'

Following the arrival of these treasure hunters numerous scandals were reported within the church.

Accompanying the money scandal were also sex scandals as the two always coexist. News of Tim Bakker’s fall from grace soon made headlines. Singapore’s City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee was sentenced to 8 years in November 2015. Numerous scandals of Prosperity Gospel theologians continue to make headlines the world over.

Such disturbing news reports confirm the necessity of books like Saints Made Merchandise which analyses tithes, aid and offerings. This book is a must read paperback which seeks to warn against unbiblical abuses. Not only does the book seek to warn against fraud but it also looks at exactly what the Bible teaches. It tries to trace the origin of tithes and offerings as presented by the Bible. I strongly encourage you to get yourself a copy and enjoy good reading.

As was the case with indulgences the modern man is now buying salvation using money rather than the blood of Christ. Sacrifices such as the Salvation offering have suddenly crept in to the church. Has the blood of Christ suddenly lost its saving power now that we need a few dollars to secure redemption? Sometimes we get so carried away with our own human perceptions and theories such that we end up abandoning the original faith. No wonder why Jude wrote, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Likewise, also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Breaking News

Again from the social media

BREAKING NEWS.
A renowned  POLICE Spokesperson has today confirmed in an interview that the distance from London to Bulawayo is just the same as from Bulawayo to London

Thank you and enjoy your weekend!

A Poor Wise Woman

I read the following article from the social media. Enjoy your reading.

A poor woman called a Christian radio station asking for feeding assistance. A Satanist listening decided to shame the woman into realising that good things don't only come from GOD. He got her address, called his secretary and ordered for food to be taken to her. "And if she asks who sent the food, tell her it's from the devil!" The woman was so happy on receiving the food. The secretary then asked: "Wouldn't you want to know who sent you the food? "The woman answered, "No my dear, it doesn't matter. When God orders, even the devil obeys!

I enjoyed this one!!!
Interesting

Ten Lessons on God’s Prayer Pattern

God’s Prayer Pattern

Lesson 1 (teach us to pray)

The greatest question or debate of all time, is “Does God answer prayer? History is littered with claims that God answers prayer or God does not answer prayer. Both claimants of either theory submit empirical evidence in their favour. Those who claim that God, if He at all exist, does not answer prayer put across convincing arguments of their own life experiences. They point out instances when certain people cried out to God and got no answer, not even an acknowledgement that God had heard the prayer.

On the other hand, those who argue that God does answer prayer also put across convincing arguments of their own life experiences. They also point out instances when certain people cried out to God got irrefutable answers to their prayers were provided for all to see. Examples of people such as Daniel, Shadreck, Misheck and Abednego are often highlighted. Moses’ great prayer at the Red sea is often cited as one example when a very desperate nation cried to God and were granted incontrovertible deliverance.

Interestingly the Bible in fact says that God does answer prayer and also that He may not answer prayer. In the book of James, the Bible reads, “You crave what you do not have. You kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.” James 4:2-3. In this instance the Bible does admit that it is possible to pray and have no answer to that prayer. Contrariwise, in the book of John the same Bible reads, “Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:12-14. This then raises the question, what really is the secrete to answered prayer?

In Luke 11:1 and Matthew 6:9-13 the Bible reads, “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

The first thing we learn here is that it is very necessary to learn how to pray. Here we have the pioneers of the Christian church yearning to learn how to pray. These were great man of most powerful church who admitted that it was necessary to learn how to pray. The secret to answered prayer may lie in how one prays. Paul tells us in Romans 8:26-27 that, “…... the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.  And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” James also says in chapter 4:3, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss.” This alone is clear evidence that there is an unbroken link between answered prayer and knowing how to pray.

Jesus gives an example of two people who went to the same temple at the same time and prayed to the same God but only the one who knew how to pray retuned home with an answer yet the other returned with no answer at all. Learning how to pray is of great importance if we are to have answered prayers. The apostles were taught how to pray and we also must be taught the proper manner of praying so that we will not pray amiss. In my next post I will look at the question of how to pray correctly.

Lesson 2 (do not be like hypocrites)

In my last post I looked at the need to learn how to pray. The disciples asked for lessons on how to pray and they were given the lessons. In this session I will begin by looking the Lord’s answer.

In response to the request the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:5-13 said, “…... when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The first lesson that the Lord Jesus Christ gave is “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly ……. where everyone can see them.” The fundamental lesson every prayer warrior must grasp is not to be like a hypocrite. A hypocrite is a person who fakes some desirable or publicly approved attitude, particularly one whose private life, opinions, or statements contradict such public declarations. A hypocrite can also be defined as a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs and principles which he does not actually possess, explicitly a person whose actions contradict the stated beliefs.

When a hypocrite prays, the motive is nor to get God’s attention but to impress people listening to the hypocrite’s prayer. The hypocrite’s aim is to captivate the accompanying crowds with the pretender’s poetry. The pretender impresses people with his long and winding prayers which are designed to make him appear very pious. In most cases the long prayers are a tool of conning people whilst appearing very spiritual. In Matthew 23:14, Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47 the Lord Jesus Christ says that hypocrites, “……. shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be fervent by making long prayers in public.” Peter also describes a similar portrayal of a hypocrites in 2 Peter 2:3 where he points out that through covetousness they exploit unsuspecting believers with deceptive words that are designed to abuse teachings of the Bible for personal and obscene gain. Read my book Saints Made Merchandise which is currently available at
http://www.amazon.com/Saints-Made-Merchandise-Analysis-Offerings/dp/0797469141 or at Pearl Press Media.

During the first century, Pharisees, Seduces and Scribes were a very good example of hypocrites. The Lord was always at logger heads with this group of obsessive religious pretenders because of their insensitivity and distortion of religious teachings. At one time he said, “…. woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in.” This is a clear message that a hypocrite is outside the kingdom of Christ. Even when they preached or taught the truth, they never lived what they taught. The other identifying mark of a hypocrite is his unappeasable desire to be respected, honoured, praised or even worshipped. In Matthew 23: 6,7 the Lord said the hypocrites, “… love the place of honour at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.”

What exactly then the Lord say we must avoid being like hypocrites? In short the Lord was saying we must;

• practice what we teach and believe,
• be sincere about our beliefs,
• seek the approval of God and not of men
• be honest and not exploitative
• not unnecessarily over burden others with demands which we are unable to fulfil

always be guided by the principles of Christ

in my next post I will look at the worshipper’s relationship with Christ. Be blessed and meditate on the following scripture. Matthew 23:  1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.  3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, [a] that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.  4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.  6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’  8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, [b] and you are all brethren.  9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.  10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.  11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Be blessed

Lesson 3 (Relationship)

In my last post I wrote about what not to do when praying. The Lord’s instruction is When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. In this post I write about how to pray. The disciples’ request was a lesson on how to pray.

                The Lord said, “in this manner, therefore, pray.” The words in this manner depict a way or a means or a method or a style and custom of doing things. It does not point to the exact word to use but merely a technique of prayer. The words point to a pattern of prayer and not a recitation of a prayer. The Lord was saying after this style craft your prayer. In other words, he was saying this the fashion you are to follow when praying or structuring your prayer.

                “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven……” The words “our Father,” point to a very fundamental and vital or necessary aspect of prayer without which prayer will be ineffective. These words point to a relationship that must exist between a worshiper and God. It is the type of relationship between a worshiper and his God which determines the level of effectiveness of any prayer.

                Relationships differ and have different outcomes on how different people associate with each other. There is a relationship which exist between God and satan. That relationship is called enmity. Enmity is an association of active opposition or hostility. Enemies always seek the downfall of their foes. This relationship was created by satan and not God hence it is satan and his devils who are always on the receiving end. God has therefore created their final destination in eternal fire. See Matthew 25:41 and Revelation 12:9. In the book of Job we see satan praying for an opportunity to test Job but God’s answer was designed to ensure that Job triumphed over satan. In the end it was Job who emerged a hero whilst satan emerged the villain despite having prayed fervently for the downfall of Job. This is the reason why the devil will never triumph over saints. Satan cannot tempt anyone without the permission of God hence the devil will pray for that permission but because he is God’s foe answers to those prayers will always be designed to ensure the saint will emerge hero whilst satan becomes the scoundrel. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 Paul writes, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Enmity therefore must never exist between you and God.

The other relationship that exists between God and men is the master servant relationship. This is the relationship that existed between the great Bible heroes we read about in most scriptures. This relationship demands that the servant respects the master. In Malachi 1:6 the Lord says, “A son naturally honours his father and a slave respects his master. If I am your father, where is my honour? If I am your master, where is my respect?” Whilst God’s servants esteem Him, God on the other hand protects them. In 2 Kings 19:34 and Isiah 37:35 when the enemy had besieged God’s servant God said, “for my own honour and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.” This is one reason why God answers favourably prayers of his servants.

The other relationship that can exist between God and man is that of friendship. This is the relationship which existed between God and Abraham. This type of relationship has an effect on future generations. This relationship has a bearing on how your descendants will relate with God. In Isiah 41:8-11 God says to his friend’s dependents, “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend, I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. “See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who opposes you will die and come to nothing.” This type of relationships caused Abraham’s offspring to enter into their own relationship with God and is still responsible for the protection of those progenies even today.

Of all the relationships that exist between God and man, the greatest of them all is the father son relationship. This is the relationship alluded to in Matthew 6:9 when Christ says, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father ……...” There is no greater relationship than this and it is very pivotal to the success of any prayer. This is the highest and most esteemed relationship with God every believer must strive to be in. The beloved disciple wrote that as many as received Jesus Christ, he gave them the power to become sons of God.

 The relationship of a son to his father outshines that of the father and his friend or servant. In John 8:35 Jesus said, “the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth for ever.” With regards to the difference between master servant relationship and the friendship relationship, the Lord said, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15. However, when we compare the friendship relationship against the father son relationship we see that the latter is a far greater relationship than mere friendship. A son is an heir to the father whereas a friend cannot inherit his associate’s estate ahead of the acquaintance’s children. In other words, a son enjoys his father’s rights just like his father and for that reason the farther delegates all his to the son. (see John 5)

The Jews knew this very well and that is one reason why in John 5:18 they sought to kill Jesus because he had “…... said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” Because of the depth of this relationship the father delegates all his authority to the son. In the Gospel according to John the Lord said, “the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.” (5:22).

It is in view of the strength of this relationship why Jesus gave those who believe on him the authority to be the sons of God. This is also the reason why the write of the book of Hebrew wrote, “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”

We must therefore tap in to this relationship so that our prayer become effective. Jesus said in John 15:3-7, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

This points to a clear need to have a close knit relationship with Christ in order to enjoy his unbroken relationship with the Father. The relationship of a branch and the vine is key in that the branch does not have a life of its own outside the vine. In fact, the branch has no identity of its own outside the vine. It has the identity and life of the vine and anyone making reference to it talks about the vine rather than the branch. The branch is a part of the branch and not the other way. The roots that sustain the branch belong to the vine hence the life the flows in the branch is the life of the vine. Due to that fact, the fruit that hangs on the branch belongs to the vine because it is the vine’s life which creates, nourishes and sustains the fruit.

This then means we must cease to live and Christ must become our life and identity. Paul in 1^st Corinthians 8:6 writes, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” In Galatians 2:20 he again writes, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” When this happens, when we lose our identity and life so that Christ lives his life in and through us, we will certainly become one with God and how will he deny himself his own desires. In John 17:23, Jesus once prayed, “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.” Just tell me how our payers will fail when are made perfect with the Father and the Son. Because of this, Christ “died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 2^nd Corinthians 5:15.

It thus is imperative that Christ lives in and through us so that when we pray we will approach God as his sons and as heirs of his inheritance. This is the most effective way of having answered prayers. Jesus said, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father ……...” Our Father indicates that God is a father of many sons. The other sons have equal rights to God’s blessings in as much the same way as we have. In view of that we must therefore not be selfish and greedy. This thus follows that when we pray we must also consider the needs and desires of others. When God answers others we must rejoice with them because they are our brothers and God is their father also. When we identify or come to know our fellow brothers’ needs we must not hesitate to pray for them also. In writing to Timothy, Paul wrote, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;”

In my next post on effective prayer or God’s prayer pattern, I will discuss the greatness of God.

Lesson 4 (the Greatness of God)

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” These words tell us something unique about God which we must be conscious of when we engage in prayer. We must be conscious of God’s greatness.

God is an awesome being and in the book of Isiah he says, “I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” In that regard, he alone is worth to be worshipped hence he has given commandment to that effect. He is a great God such that in Isiah 66:1 he says, “…... heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.” He cannot be confined to a temple or a particular place because he is everywhere present, all powerful and all knowing. He existed before time, created time and set the boundaries of time yet he is from everlasting even unto everlasting. He created the beginning of time as well as the end of time but no one understands his existence since he is not time bound.

Examples of his greatness can be seen in the creation story. Did it ever occur to you that whilst the counting or numbering of days and nights is determined by the sun and moon, the first 3 days never relied on the sun and moon. Genesis gives the following description from verse 3 to 5. ‘God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.  God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.’ It is interesting to note that on this day and night there was no sun and moon to divide the day from the night yet this was very possible. Two more days and nights came and passed with full light during the day and darkness at night yet there was no sun to give light and also with no moon to obstruct the sun’s light upon the earth. Truly how great is this God, can anyone explain, I truly wonder. The sun and moon only came on the fourth day to give light and to divide day from night.

Vegetation which relies heavily on light for growth was created before the sun had been created. Genesis 1:11-13 reads, “Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.  There was evening and there was morning, a third day.…” Did this ever occur to you that vegetation grew and produced fruit with no sun in sight at all. The sun only came in to being four days after the first act of creation. The sun, moon and stars only came on the fourth day and their purpose was to separate the day from the night, and …... be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and …... be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth; yet light existed four days before they came in existence. Can you just imagine a God who can do such awesome things? My friend this is just one bit of how overwhelming and marvellous God is.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. In other words, God made the universe out of absolutely nothing. Imagine how great this God is in that furthermore, invisible atoms and ions were put together by God to put in place visible things which we see daily. Do you really understand this God? As for me I am completely tongue tied.

The psalmist, in Psalms 145, wrote, “Yahweh is great and is highly praised; His greatness is unsearchable. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love. The Lord is good to everyone; His compassion rests on all He has made.” Let me say that God is greater than greatness because words cannot describe his greatness, in fact it is him who created greatness hence in Genesis 12:1-3 he could say to Abraham, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing... And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." The hymn writer sang, “the sings my soul my saviour God to thee, how great thou art, how great thou art.”

When we pray we must be conscious of this greatness and when we do so faith will be built in us. Faith and confidence is always put in what is greater than us so when we realise the greatness of God faith and assurance in Him will naturally grow within us.

Because of his greatness, his great name must be held in high esteem. The disciples were told to say, “Hallowed be thy name.” God’s name is sacred and must not be taken in vain. The Hebrews were very particular about the aspect. The took seriously the Leviticus 19:12 which said, “And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.” Even whilst reading the scripture they would mumble when they came to where the name of YHW was written because they feared to profane it. the Israelites revered the name of God so much that they only used it in a serious and considerate way so as to avoid using His name in a useless and disrespectful way.

When they said, “thus says the Lord”, God would have in deed spoken. They were not like most of us modern men who are not ashamed to say, “YHW said to me,” when God would not have spoken a word. Not only does the modern me take his name in vain. They actually misuse and abuse it. Many in the modern church have lost reverence for God and his great and awesome name. Many people have been fleeced of their hard earned wealth by certain deceivers who have said, “God has commanded that you give me this and that” when God would have said nothing at all. No wonder why most prayers go un answered because we failed to stay within the prayer pattern wherein consecrate the Lord’s name. In my book Saints Made Merchandise I emphasise the seriousness of not abusing the Lord’s for selfish gain.

In my next post I will look at the phrase, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

Lesson 5 (Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven)

In the Lord’s prayer the greatest teacher teaches us to pray for the coming of the kingdom of God. To the modern man it may be very difficult to understand the concept of a kingdom since we are used to the idea of democratic republics or democratic constitutional monarchs. In order for us to understand what the kingdom of God entails, it is necessary that we comprehend the magnitude of the need for God’s kingdom to come. I also am of the opinion that it may be necessary to distinguish the differences between a kingdom as alluded to in the bible and a republic or a democratic constitutional monarch as is practiced today. A kingdom as denoted in the bible refers to a dominion with a single figurehead, known as a king, wielding supreme executive power whereas a republic or democratic constitutional monarch has delegates and representatives with collective or delegated authority.

Kingdom rule was a form of government which prevailed during biblical and pre-biblical times. Utmost or supreme authority resided in an individual commonly known as the king. The king, in this kind of domination, exercised absolute power over the governance of the kingdom and often held the title for life or until abdication to an heir who always was from the same family. The king was wholly set apart from all other members of the state and he made all the laws and legislative or judicial decisions. He owned all land in his territory and could even banish offenders from his land.

Modern day kingdoms, however, do not have unlimited political power since this type of governance has evolved to a more citizen-friendly government. They have evolved in to constitutional monarchies whose powers are limited by constitutions. Most of the kings or queens are mere figure heads as real political power now resides in the constitution which delates real political

Democracy is the rule of the people by the people and is claimed to be based on the principle of equality and freedom. The equality being defined in terms where all citizens are all equal before the law which law is made by the people through their representatives. This follows that the representatives are also governed by the same laws that govern the ordinary people hence both the governed and the governors are subject to the same sanctions under the law.

In contrast, in a kingdom the king makes and gives the law hence he is the law whilst in democracy, all people are equal before the law including the governors. In a kingdom, supreme power resides in the king and no one can question his decisions. This is the type of kingdom Christ was making reference to where God is the supreme ruler. Unlike a republic or a constitutional monarch were the laws and the leadership is voted in to power by the governed, the laws in the kingdom alluded to in Matthew 6 is led by a king who is the supreme leader and exercises absolute and supreme power. He is the law giver and exercises both executive and judiciary powers. He is not and cannot be controlled by his own laws.

Because of the supreme authority alluded to above God says. “I will not yield my glory to another.” When God’s kingdom comes His own will as king will prevail. He is not elected in to office hence does not have to seek the will of the electorate. As king he is called king of kings because he appoints junior kings to execute his rule according to his own will and that is why scriptures say we shall reign with Christ. Concerning the kingdom of God Isiah write, “Now it will come about that in the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it and many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” The prophet Daniel in verse 44 of his 2^nd chapter describes the kingdom of God in the following fashion. “"In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” In chapter 7 verses 13,14 and 27 he writes, “And behold, one like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” John in Revelation 11: 15 reaffirms this by saying, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

You see whenever you pray, “Thy kingdom come,” that is the type of kingdom you will be praying for. You will be praying for a kingdom where the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Rev 19:6. This kingdom must start within you and not outside. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). In other words, before the great and dreadful day comes, God must establish his kingdom within us. We must subject ourselves to his reign. His desires must reign in us and must dilute our own desires. That is the reason why the bible says we must cease to live and allow Christ to live in us.

From this background you can now understand why soon after praying for the coming of the kingdom we then pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” This is an acknowledgement that God deserves all honour and majesty. It expresses appreciation that God continuously has the right direction to follow, no matter the circumstances in which we as human beings find ourselves. In Proverbs 3:5-6 the wise man wrote, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” What an excellent guideline for us to follow.

Since God is all-powerful and “does whatever He pleases” as is depicted in Psalm 115:3, is there any need to pray for His will to be done when His will is going to occur anyway? You see this teaches to align our thinking and actions with God’s purpose and plan for us. We must learn his desires so that thy will be our own desires. Remember that in the book of Luke it is reported that Jesus knelt down and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

James 4:3 says, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” That is the result of prayers that are said outside the will of God. When we fail to align our desires to the will of God we will pray amiss. Paul corroborate this when he says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.  And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Knowing the will of God is therefore key to answered prayers.

Lesson 6 (Praise and Worship)

The greatest teacher ever to walk on this earth teaches us to pray after this manner, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” These words apart from telling us about God’s greatness, they all so tell us about how to start or enter in to prayer. The psalmist once said, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” Psalm 100:4. The greatest lesson we get here is that we must always enter in to God’s presence with praise and worship.

Praising and worshiping God is an expression of our love and admiration of him for who he is and what he has done or is capable of doing.  In Isaiah 66:1 God says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.”  He is the Creator of the universe and everything in it, which includes you and me.  In Psalms 100 the worshipper says, “Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.  For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.” How wonderful and amazing is that!

Praising and worshiping God is not a ritual, or recital of an ancient prayer.  True worship calls for total commitment of our body, mind and spirit.  It has nothing to do with religion, but has all to do with having a profound and intimate relationship with God. It’s about exalting, adoring and acknowledging the God of the Bible. 

Gotquestions.org has the following to say about praise and worship.

“Understanding the difference between praise and worship can bring a new depth to the way we honour the Lord. Throughout the Bible, the commands to "praise the Lord" are too numerous to mention. Angels and the heavenly hosts are commanded to praise the Lord (Psalm 89:5; 103:20; 148:2). All inhabitants of the earth are instructed to praise the Lord (Psalm 138:4; Romans 15:11). We can praise Him with singing (Isaiah 12:5; Psalm 9:11), with shouting (Psalm 33:1; 98:4), with the dance (Psalm 150:4), and with musical instruments (1 Chronicles 13:8; Psalm 108:2; 150:3-5).

 Praise is the joyful recounting of all God has done for us. It is closely intertwined with thanksgiving as we offer back to God appreciation for His mighty works on our behalf. Praise is universal and can be applied to other relationships as well. We can praise our family, friends, boss, or paperboy. Praise does not require anything of us. It is merely the truthful acknowledgment of the righteous acts of another. Since God has done many wonderful deeds, He is worthy of praise (Psalm 18:3).

 Worship, however, comes from a different place within our spirits. Worship should be reserved for God alone (Luke 4:8). Worship is the art of losing self in the adoration of another. Praise can be a part of worship, but worship goes beyond praise. Praise is easy; worship is not. Worship gets to the heart of who we are. To truly worship God, we must let go of our self-worship. We must be willing to humble ourselves before God, surrender every part of our lives to His control, and adore Him for who He is, not just what He has done. Worship is a lifestyle, not just an occasional activity. Jesus said the Father is seeking those who will worship Him "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23).

In Scripture, praise is usually presented as boisterous, joyful, and uninhibited. God invites praise of all kinds from His creation. Jesus said that if people don't praise God, even the "stones will cry out" (Luke 19:40). When the Bible mentions worship, however, the tone changes. We read verses like, "Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" (Psalm 96:9). And, "Come let us worship and bow down" (Psalm 95:6). Often, worship is coupled with the act of bowing or kneeling, which shows humility and contrition (2 Chronicles 29:28; Hebrews 11:21; Revelation 19:10). It is through true worship that we invite the Holy Spirit to speak to us, convict us, and comfort us. Through worship, we realign our priorities with God's and acknowledge Him once more as the rightful Lord of our lives.

 Just as praise is intertwined with thanksgiving, worship is intertwined with surrender. It is impossible to worship God and anything else at the same time (Luke 4:8). The physical acts often associated with worship—bowing, kneeling, lifting hands—help to create the necessary attitude of humility required for real worship. Wise worship leaders know how to structure a worship service to allow participants to both praise and worship the Lord. Often, services begin with joyous praise songs and transition to a quieter, more introspective opportunity for worship.

Worship is an attitude of the heart. A person can go through the outward motions and not be worshiping (Psalm 51:16-17; Matthew 6:5-6). God sees the heart, and He desires and deserves sincere, heartfelt praise and worship.” 

When we praise and worship the Lord a very profound thing occurs. Psalms 22:3 says that that God inhabits the praises of his people. In 2 Chronicles 6 we see Solomon at the dedication of the temple giving an elaborate praise and worship to God. He praised God for all the good God had done for Israel from the day he delivered Israel from the days of the captivity in Egypt up to the date of the temple dedication. The acclaim was so ornate such that in the next chapter, 2 Chronicles 7, we are told that, “As soon as Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and burned up the offerings. The Lord’s dazzling glory then filled the temple, and the priests could not go in. When the crowd of people saw the fire and the Lord’s glory, they knelt down and worshiped the Lord. They prayed: “The Lord is good, and his love never ends.”

That is what praise and worship does. It invites the presence of God in to the midst of his people. When we praise God his presence will come down and when his presence is in our midst our trouble will flee away. This explains why the sick get healed even before they have been prayed for.

Here Jesus is teaching us to do one of the things that bring about electiveness in to our prayer life. When God is in our presence no demon can dare stand such an atmosphere charged with the presence of God. Through praise and worship we break al chains and fetters of the evil one. Through praise we open flood gates for answers to prayer. Did you know that God know our needs even before we mention them? Many a time most of the needs are met without praying about them. When we praise the Lord everything falls in to shape.

The lesson we therefore get is that before we make our petition known, we must first acknowledge the greatness of God and then genuinely and from the depth of our hearts adore God and give him all the praises that belong to him. Are you aware that Jesus once said that when people do not worship God, rocks and boulders will praise him

Lesson 7 (Give us this day our daily bread)

In Philippians 4:6, the apostle Paul writes, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”  In the model prayer the Lord says, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father ……… Give us this day our daily bread,” In short, he was saying petition God what you desire from him. The apostle James addresses the same topic when he says, “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask” James 4:2. Jesus again said, “Ask, and it shall be given you” (Mt7:7) and the apostle James in verse 5 of his first chapter writes, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Our lesson here is that we must entreaty the Lord for that which we want. Tell God what exactly you want. In the model prayer the request is, “Give us this day our daily bread.” If you desire a house you must pray, “Lord give me a house.” In Mat. 20:30-34 Jesus was confronted by 2 blind men. Jesus could see that they were blind but he asked them what they wanted him to do for them. By this act he was availing them an opportunity to make their request to him. Had they said they wanted bread he would have availed them the bread. The good news is they knew what they wanted so they said, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened” and the Lord gave them sight.

This takes us to the next aspect which is, know what you want before you pray. Many people pray amiss because they do not know what they want. James write in Jas 5:14-15, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” In Matthew 20:20-23 we see the mother of Zebedee's children making a request to Jesus. As was the case with the blind men, Jesus asked her what she wanted him to do for her. Her response was, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” Jesus’ amazing answer was, “You do not know what you ask.”

Can you see the danger of not knowing your need? What this woman payed for was not what she really needed. In a bid to let her and her sons realise that they knew not what they were praying for he asked, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” a clever person would have sought to know what that cup and baptism were but because they were blinded with pride and greedy they said, “We are able.” Because of lust as pointed out in James 4:2 they gave this answer because they were obsessed with the to be the most powerful people in the kingdom of Christ. Because of this obsession which led them to wrong motives the Lord answered their request by saying, “Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.” So the sons of Zebedee must not complain about the persecution they went through because they prayed for it.

In yet another Luke case the Lord gives us examples of persons who really knew what they wanted and as a result made the correct petition. First to come to my mind is a certain widow in a certain city who petitioned a certain judge who did not fear God and had no regard for man. She petitioned this uncaring judge until he said within himself, “Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” (Luke 18:4-5) The other example that comes to my mind is case of the Publican and the Pharisee who went up into the temple to pray. The Pharisee did not know he needed forgiveness and as a result boasted about all his self-righteousness and even reminded God that the Publican was a sinner. On the other hand, the Publican was aware of his inadequacy and made a very simple prayer which was, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” The Lord said, “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.” Luke 18:14

The good news is that when we ask, the Father will always answer us. The Lord said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.” Jhn 16:23-28. In Luke’s gospel he said, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luk 11:9-14

We therefore have the assurance that when we ask any thing in Jesus’ name, the Father will give us. However, we must always remember what we learnt in lesson 5 that everything must be according to his own will. Elijah the great prophet tried it and got a shock of his life when God gave him a new assignment rather than grant him his request. In 1^st Kings chapter 19 we are told that as Elijah sat under a juniper tree he requested for himself that he might die. His prayer was, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” Rather than take his life, God gave him a fresh assignment because (1) it was not God’s will for Elijah to die before accomplishing his calling and (2) Elijah did not know what he was asking as he was blinded by emotion. Had he died jezebel would have been the winner and Elijah himself the looser.

A chapter before chapter 19 Elijah had been an example of a person who knew exactly what he wanted. He prayed, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.” God did just that by answering with fire all the people were convicted that YHW is God. 1^st Kings 18:39 says, “And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.” Soon after that he prayed for rain and the Lord gave them the rain. He did not ask for Ahab and Jezebel to die because that would not benefit him and was against God’s will since he does not delight in the death of a sinner. He prayed for the nation’s greatest need and God granted it.

Therefore, the lesson here is, know what you want and let your request be specific. Don’t beat about the bush.

Lesson 8 (And forgive us our sins)

Luke’s version reads, “And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.” Luke 11:4. Here we learn one of the greatest lessons of successful prayer. The beloved disciple wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 Jn 1:9. In Psalm 32:5, the psalmist says, “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’” Here the psalmist addresses, “sin,” “iniquity,” and “transgression” in his prayer to God because he was aware that the three all describe evil and lawlessness against God. In 1 John 3:4 the beloved disciple says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

This is the secrete which the Pharisee never knew when he went before God. The tax collector knew it and returned home justified. 1 John 1:8-10 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” The greatest lie we can ever live is to deny our shortcomings and seek remedy for of it. We must guard against iniquity remembering that God is holy. 1 Peter 1:15-17.

The Psalmist said it all when he sang, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.” Ps. 66:18-20. He will not turn away our prayers when we confess our sins and turn away from our transgressions. The ex-blind once taught the then scholars of the day, that “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” Jhn 9:31. In Proverbs 15:29 the wiseman said, “The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.” This is why John remarked, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’

As we seek forgiveness from God we must also learn to forgive those who trespass against us. In Matthew 6:14-15 the Lord taught, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” As children of God we must be like God. God is a forging being hence his children must also be forgiving beings. Remember the parable of the ungrateful servant.

 

The parable of the ungrateful servant in Matthew 18 is a good lesson which needs no further interpretation. Matthew writes, “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.  The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’  Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’  So his fellow servant fell down at his feet[a] and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’  And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.  Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.  Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’  And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.”

Lesson 9 (And lead us not in to temptation)

The next petition we see in this prayer model is, “…. lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” In Matthew 26:41, the Lord said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” He also once said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jn 16:33.

Temptation will come but we desire to be kept away from temptation. The main reason why we utter this petition is because we acknowledge God as our defence, shelter and source of victory. Paul in 1^st Corinthians 10:12- 14 wrote, “So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.” satan may tempt us but God will ensure we are not tempted beyond our capacity to resist. Job is one good example which comes to mind. When satan got the permission to test Job, God gave satan strict restriction and at the end of it all, Job emerged the undisputed victor.

 God is indeed our refuge, covering and hiding place.  He is the rock to which we run for protection. The Psalmist in Psalm 62 sang, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” For that reason, the Lord Jesus Christ says, "When you pray say, 'And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil." We thus pray that that God will protect us in the physical and spiritual realms so as to ensure that we live lives that are pleasing to the Lord. Every day we ought to be praying for each other so that we are not lead us not into temptation.

Does this prayer then assume that God leads people in to temptation so that they sin? The apostle James in his 1^st chapter and at verse 13 writes, "Let no one say when he is tempted, I'm being tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by evil and He Himself doesn't tempt anyone."  God isn't going to tempt anyone.” However, trials and temptations bring out of us the gem that is hidden in each and every one of us. In the 2^nd verse of the same chapter, the apostle James writes, “Count it all joy when you fall into various tests."  Why, because trials result in a perfect work as they produce endurance in us. The apostle Peter also says, "After you've suffered a while, the Lord will make you perfect."  Paul said, "It was in my pain and my suffering, in my agony that I was humbled and that I found in my weakness the strength of Christ."

So in short we asking God that temptations must never overwhelm us hence the phrase, “but deliver us from evil.” In other words, we are saying God do a perfect work in me and ensure that at the end of the day I emerge the type of person you desire me to be.

Lesson 10 (For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,)

Finally, we come to the phrase, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” What is the significance of this statement in prayer? Kingdom, Power, and Glory raise which sentiments or frame of mind? Is it not proper that every fervent payer should be concluded by upholding that the kingdom that reigns above every government, all power, and all glory exclusively interminably belong to the one and only living God? Every born again Christian should unashamedly and resoundingly respond with firm amen!

The kingdom speaks about control and governance. In Lesson 5 we alluded to the fact that God’s kingdom cannot be destroyed. All earthly kingdoms, dominions and the greatness of all other territories or governments in the entire world shall serve and obey our God because His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and the Lord Jesus Christ shall reign for ever and ever. By closing our prayer with the words, “thine is the kingdom,” we will be affirming that the kingdom does not belong to us and hence we are not in control. We are upholding that God is in control and we are his subjects.  In summary we are saying, “I’m not God but you are my God and king.”

This hearty declaration emphasizes that God possesses and presides over his immense and unending kingdom as the sovereign king who exercises supreme authority and unlimited dominion over the vast domain. God’s reign undoubtedly, embraces both the spiritual and physical as well as the realm of providence and the sphere of salvation. The great apostle in his epistle to the Ephesians at chapter 6:11, wrote that God “works all things according to the counsel of his will” hence in that regard, he controls and commands all the affairs of mankind. He has infinite control over even the intricate inner workings of the entire universe including the mysterious things of the spirit.

In lesson 5 we prayed that God’s kingdom should come and here we are asserting that the kingdom belongs to God. When Jesus came in to the world he “went about ….…… preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” Matthew 4:23. His main thrust was to establish the kingdom of God. To a teacher of the law he said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ……..  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:1-5. It is abundantly clear that the Lord’s gospel is the gospel of the kingdom and nothing else.

By confessing that the kingdom belongs to God, we are not just acknowledging that the kingdom does not belong to us but to God. We are proclaiming that God does what he wants with us. We are further decreeing that we are willing to conform to his standard and values. The apostle once wrote, “the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Rom 14:17. This then follows that for us to be part of the kingdom of we God we must live righteous lives. In Matthew 7:21 the Lord said, “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” In other words, by praying, “thy kindom come,” we will be accepting to be guided by the will of God. That was why in lesson 4 we sought God’s will soon after praying for his kingdom to come.

The power speaks of control, authority, supremacy, influence and rule. In other words, by saying “thine is …. the power we,” we will be succumbing to the authority and influence of God. We will be saying, “God influence my affairs.” The Lord must order our steps. We follow his commands and we cannot command him. The psalmist wrote, “Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God.” Psalm 62:11.

Theologians explain his power as omnipotence. This refers to having unlimited power. He is called Elshadai which means the Almighty God. The prophet reports that, “…. the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"  God’s power is so enormous that Jesus only used his finger to cast out demons. In Luke 11:20 the Lord said, “if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”  In Matthew 10 the Lord compared the power of those who can kill the body alone agains the power of God who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Imagine power which is able to raise back to life the following:  Revelations 20:2 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.  14Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.”

Indeed, all power belongs to him. The Lord taught his disciples to affirm that “the power” belongs to God. The definite article defines the infinite scope of His sovereignty. He possesses not a mere portion of some power, but the power. He has all power in heaven and on earth. All that God’s supreme will chooses to do, He has the omnipotence to execute it fully. Nothing can hinder the free exercise of His sovereign pleasure

Glory speaks of magnificence and the truth that God is an awesome being who says in the book of Isiah, “I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” Everything is made for the glory of God! All things in life and ministry must be solely for the glory and praise of God. Our passion and prayer must be God-centred focussing on glorifying God in prayer. To this end, all prayer before to God must begin and end with unqualified acclaim to him. The Alpha and Omega of prayer must be for the glory of God.

Prayer must not be a selfish self-centred quest which is motivated by the gratifying of selfish indulgences of notorious “name it and claim it” or so called “prosperity gospel” which is devoid of ascribing to God the glory which is his alone. Seeing that Jesus emphasised glorifying God at the start and end of his prayer model we immediately notice that his primary focus of prayer is for one to be captivated upon the supreme glory of God. As our Lord gave instruction regarding how to pray, He was unequivocal in teaching us to attribute all glory to God. Everything must yield to the glory of God!  The Lord Jesus here indicates how our prayers should be concluded by ascribing glory to God hence we pray, “For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen”

It is desirable that the climax of any prayer be a pulsating assertion of the glory of God, his power and his rulership. Our prayers must climax with the proclamation that all glory belongs to our God. All glory rightfully belongs to God.

Finally, the prayer is concluded by the word “Amen” which refers to being firm, sure and secure. Indeed his promises are sure and Amen

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Copyright © 2016 Abraham Soka