APR 13

Luke 11:5-13
Memorise Luke 11:9-10
"...Ask, and it shall be given you..."

If you read your Bible daily and consistently, you would have realised that prayer is part and parcel of the lives of the people of God. Many mighty prayers were recorded in the Bible and God answered them with many mighty miracles and wonders.

Elijah, the mighty prophet of Old Testament times is an example for us. James 5:17 describes him as a man who is subject to like passions as we are. He prayed that it would not rain on the land of Israel for three and a half years – for God was wroth with the sins and evils of the land led by an idol worshipping and apostate king Ahab. God heard and answered this great prayer and all the crops, cattle and people suffered much hunger and thirst as a result. The unforgettable encounter (1 Kings 18:19-39), as he stood alone but with God on his side, against the 450 prophets of Baal, is an example of prayer that not only worked but also showed that Israel’s God is the living and true God. God settled the question when He sent fire from heaven, in answer to Elijah’s prayer.

Prayer is as necessary as the air we breathe. But best of all is the promise in Luke 11:9-10 that comes in between two wonderful parables on prayer. God promises to answer our prayers if we continuously seek Him in prayer according to His will, for He is our perfect loving Father in heaven who knows how to give good spiritual gifts to His children!

Elijah sought God with all his heart. This he did by praying and calling to God fervently, as he lived in the secret places of the mountains and plains. He had been alone with God as an intercessor against the evils of his day. You can be confident too that God will answer your earnest prayers as you seek Him to strengthen yourself against the evils in your heart and the evils that surround you. God will honour your continuous and unceasing prayer, just as He honoured Elijah’s mighty prayer.

Thought: Prayer is power with God and with men.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to pray with confidence and faith in You, seeking only for Thy glory and Thy name to be glorified.