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On Prayer

       Have you ever felt you are not praying enough on your own, especially after going through the prayer points in less than ten minutes? Do you wonder if you are praying enough especially in light of teachings that one must cultivate the habit of praying at least an hour a day? A young man was discussing this dilemma with me; he couldn't see himself praying beyond ten minutes; he felt he had run out of anything to say. Even when he switches to tongues, after a while, he feels a dulling of his senses! He felt something was wrong with him as he is sure he will end up in hell. I told him he may have misunderstood the message that was being passed on in line with the Scriptures. Because it is not the length of the prayer but the weight of it that is important to God! 
       We are called to pray ceaselessly. Meaning to live a life of Prayer because prayer prepares us for what God has prepared for us. A prayerful person is not necessarily praying 10 hours a day or more. But one that is astute to the Spirit of God: one that prays every time the Spirit leads him to even if it is not the set apart prayer time for him; one that daily meditates upon God's Word and puts what he has learned into practice! 
       What is prayer again? In layman's terms, as a child of God, Prayer is simply communicating with God! The operative word here is 'with'! And we know effective communication is a 2-way street: you speak and the other person responds. In other words, you are having a discussion with God concerning your petitions, or just thanking and basking in his Presence, and He responds! Just as it was with the first couple in the Garden of Eden, God responds to us as well! We are not meant to parrot out words while our minds are set on alternatives to ways of getting what we are asking for, or worse still, our minds are far gone from where we are! No wonder such finish praying and there is still an unsettling in their spirit. It is not supposed to be so but: "You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You Because he trusts in You" (Isaiah 26:3, NKJV).  
       Daniel and many more had amazing prayer life and we saw the results in their lives! These results were not because they prayed for long hours on end but because something else was at play! What is at play here is these men and women had a relationship with God...not the dating kind but the married kind! For them, sitting and staying in the Presence of God was the most beautiful experience, no matter what was happening around them! Elijah at a point when standing before an earthly king, declared: "Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word” (1 King 17:1 AMP). This is a man that was divinely attached to the Lord! He didn't see himself standing before an earthly king, but dwelling before the Almighty God: "One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple" (Psalms 27:4, NKJV). 
       Beloved, the person you stand in front of occupies your thoughts! If it is your challenges, job, etc! But if God, He occupies your thoughts! Thus, to pray meaningfully to God is to have a relationship with Him. The deeper your relationship, the weightier your prayers; and you will find, the longer they will be. Not in inane babblings or repetitions but ineffective talking or 'gisting' with your friend: "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words" (Matthew 6:7, NKJV). 
       How to do you 'gist' with someone you don't know? What do you talk about? Jesus tells us "I am the Vine you are the branches..." (John 15:5a, AMP). As long as we are permanently and consistently attached to Him, we will continue to bear fruit: a result of the divine union between us and Him. Beloved, the longing to pray only comes when we are 'attached' to Him. Meaning, 'remaining' in Him. We are not to come and go as we, please. It is only when we are continually and permanently attached to Him can there be a longing in us to pray, as we saw with Daniel! 
       Beloved, in conclusion, if your prayer life is found wanting, you may have detached from the Vine, Who is your source! Return to Him, He is always waiting, and you will be amazed at your interactions with the Father. You know what? He is loving, and desires to hear everything about your day, either good or bad! He is your friend and desires to be your number one gist Partner! I pray the Lord opens your eyes to see and hear what He is saying to you at this time, in Jesus Christ name! God bless you!

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