One great preacher shared, "the things that have been wrought in life have all been wrought through the power of prayer." Friends prayer is a major staple of the Christian life. Prayer by definition is alignment with the Father. It is us operating in complete oneness with the Father. Prayer is more than just a time of communicating, but it is a time of total surrender of our being, mind, body and soul. When we understand this definition of prayer we then can understand Jesus telling us that, "men ought to always pray" as well as the Apostle Paul sharing that we are to "pray without ceasing."
Let's be clear folks, this is not the traditional understanding and this definition takes some getting use to. We have been taught that it is just about communication and I simply share my desires, wishes and ills. You know prayer for many is simply a form of "spiritual therapy." Perhaps that is why we do not see the miracles and the blessings that come as a result of prayer, because we think about it as unloading our baggage. Or even still we think of prayer in a "superstitious" way, that is that if I pray that I will be able to receive blessings and gain some benefit. Matter of fact, that is why we have not placed prayer at the forefront of our lives and utilized the power of God because we have not understood or practiced the power of Prayer.
My friends, prayer is absolute and we should be getting answers to our prayers with 100% results. We have to believe that if we believe in the principle of God and understand the WORD.
For the individual prayer brings a sense of oneness with the Father. It aligns our consciousness with the Divine Mind of God. Through prayer we embrace a God-Consciousness--we see life through the lens of God. The affairs of life are placed within proper context--we see things the way the Father sees them and for what they are really worth.
When a family prays, it unites the family around their God-given purpose. Every household should have a time set aside for prayer with the whole family. I want to encourage this, particularly in the morning. Why the morning? Because it is the start of the day, Jesus prayed in the morning and the early church met and prayed in the morning hours. When we pray in the mornings, it sets the tone for the day, in addition, it is putting God first in our day. I believe that there would be less breakdowns in a family when husbands and wives understand the value of prayer and centering on their God-given purpose. One thing I have discovered, it is hard to allow EGO into a prayer circle. The EGO resist any form of unity and oneness with others in a spiritual setting, particularly an intimate setting. That is precisely why families have breakdowns.
When a church prays,great things happen in the life of the church and their people. I have been blessed to be a part of the Church Growth International Organization led by Dr. Yonghi Cho in Seoul Korea. Dr. Cho is pastor of the world's largest church, the church humbly boast of having almost a million members. One pervasive thing I noticed about the church when I attend is that they are a "praying church". They have a culture of prayer and everyone is involved. It is not some obligatory pattern of prayer that the leadership and members get together and do. It is a yearning and a desire to be aligned with the Father and to be in fellowship and communion with Him. And as a result of this culture of prayer the church is doing a tremendous work. Church growth is not about marketing or organizational structure, it is all about God and hearing and aligning with His heartbeat. A church culture that is not based on prayer ceases to be a church. It is in a culture of prayer that miracles are manifested!
What happens when a church is aligned and on one accord? "Ask whatever you will, and I will do it." When we prayer together and on one accord we see the power of God manifested in the answering of prayer and the blessings of God.
My friends, let us be aligned in prayer.
Living with Faith and Power and Creating a Phenomenal Life!
Bishop Keith Russell Lee
Hoffman Estates, IL and Los Angeles, CA
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