Thread by @seluwole

1. Welcome to the mid-week #BibleStudy titled: The Effectual Fervent Prayer (Part 1).

**This is a thread**

2. Today, we shall do a brief introduction on this topic and continue in our subsequent studies.

In this series, we shall learn the principle guiding prayers and different types of prayers that is established by the word of God.

#BibleStudy

3. One of the indispensable components of Christian life is communing with God or what we simply known as praying to God.

Everyone at one instance or the other feels compel to speak to God, but, mostly this happen in our time of desperation #BibleStudy

4. Prayer is indispensable regardless where you stand or who you are. JESUS in the days of His flesh offered prayers and supplication to God. Although He is a son of God, He was not excepted from praying to God.

5. The bible says that JESUS offered prayers and supplication with vehement cry and tears to God, who is able to save Him from death and He was heard because of His godly fear, not because He was a son with absolute right to heard, but because He feared God. (Amplified)👇

6. The need for prayer transcends our current condition or state. There is always a need to be more fervent in prayer when things are good.

It is a show of arrogance and pride NOT to pray to God. It’s a way of saying; “I don’t need God, I can handle it myself”.

#BibleStudy

7. Now, praying is not fun when the prayers are mostly answered. This is why we must understand the underlying principle that surround prayers, so that we don’t pray amiss or perform an exercise in futility. We shall focus on the principle today as introduction to the study.

8.When JESUS was still on the earth, He finished praying privately one day, then His disciple came to Him with a gentle request: “LORD, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples” Note: he didn’t say “Teach us HOW to Pray” but rather: “Teach us to pray” i.e. mentor us 👇

9. By the virtue of that request, one thing stand out:
You may physically walk with JESUS and watch Him pray regularly, you still Him to be mentored to pray effectively.

It means that we must learn the guiding principles that make-up effectual fervent prayer.

10. The 1st indispensable principle is that all prayers, supplications and thanksgiving MUST be done in the name of JESUS CHRIST, NOT in the name of any saints, prophets (dead or alive), not in the name of the “god of your pastor or bishop”. 👇

#BibleStudy

11. The bible says there is no other name given under the sun through which we must be save except the name of JESUS. The LORD also emphasis that we must pray in His name. You don’t go about praying to Mary or any dead saint. That will be praying to the dead as necromancer. 👇

12. You must not cultivate the habit of praying in the name of the god that your pastor serves, because you only know as much as he told you. There are many false apostles & pastors serving the devil, praying in the name of their god implies praying in the name of Lucifer.

13. For those of you that pray to Mary the mother of JESUS, Mary is in heaven but unfortunately, she cannot answer or address your prayer.

Mary said I should tell you that whatever JESUS say to you, do it.

And JESUS said: Pray ONLY in My name, will you do it? 👇

14. Now, someone may say but I pray in the name of Mary, or that other prophet or the god of Pastor xyz and I received answer to my prayer. That answer does not come from God, but from the devil who intend to keep you in strong delusion that it’s okay to be in false doctrine.

15. JESUS said whatever you ask IN MY NAME, I will do it. But there are terms and condition attached to that promise. The terms and condition attached to receiving answer, even after praying in the name of JESUS, lead us to the second principle of effectual prayer.

16.The 2nd principle: When you ask in the name of JESUS you believe that you receive them, and you will receive them. In other word, when you pray in the name of JESUS, you must have faith. When you believe you receive them, you WILL(Futuristic) receive them. 👇

17. The bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. And you cannot come to God except you believe that He exist and God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. You cannot say you have faith when you don’t have alternative. 👇

18. Your ability to stand on God’s word and wait upon God despite various alternatives is a proof of your faith in God and you believe that what you’ve asked for will be done. If you consider alternatives, then you establish your doubt and confirm your faithlessness.

19. The 3rd Principle: The secret of receiving whatever you desire & ask from God, is rooted in abiding in Christ and having His word abides in us. If we don’t abide in JESUS and His word does not abide in us, we may ask what we desire, but it shall NOT be done. 👇

20. Now, what does it mean to abide in Christ?

To abide in JESUS means that you are keeping His commandments. Anyone that keeps JESUS commandments abides in JESUS and JESUS abides in him. And the prove of this is the presence of the Holy Spirit. 👇

21. Putting these together, it means that when you don’t keep JESUS commandments, you do not abide in Him and He is not in you, and when you go ahead making long prayers to God, it will NOT be done. If don’t always get answers to your prayer, check with these principles.

22. If the word of God abides in you and you abide in the word of God, you will not make frivolous request to God, you will not desire evil things, you will pray out of covetousness, greed and worldliness and expect God to rubber stamp it.

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23. When you abide in the word, your inner man will be totally transformed, your request will be according to the will of God, not according to greed and lustful desires, then your prayer will become effective and fervent coming from a righteous soul.

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24. The bible says that you ask and you do not receive because you pray amiss, that you may consume it on your lust/pleasure. When you pray out your lustful desires and make a long list, God is not under any obligation to answer such prayer. It will not be answered. Pls read 👇

25. Most of the prayer we pray in many of our churches today are our lustful desire. You pray for a car so that everyone may know that you have arrived. You ask for money because you have a lot of pleasurable things to consume it on, it has nothing to do with sincere need.

26. If you are frustrated by many answered prayers, ask yourself: Am I abiding in Christ (keeping His commandment) & is He abiding in me? Am I asking for things with the goal of consuming it on my lust & pleasure? If any of those two is true, then you know where the problem lies

27. The 4th Principle of Effectual Prayer: Prayer is not a substitute for obedience.

If you know how to pray but you live a life of disobedience to the Holy Spirit & to the LORD, your prayer will never compensate for your disobedience but will rather rob you of your blessings

28. For instance: You’ve been asking God for financial breakthrough becus you’re truly in distress. God decide to answer your prayer & put an idea on your mind to do something. If you refuse to take a step, you may continue to pray but your disobedience robs you of the result 👇

29. The 5th Principle:

• Changing the perfect will of God for your life by prayers of petition or deep supplication always comes with grievous consequences.

God knows what is good for us & when He deny us of what we considered a blessing, is always in our best interest.

30. God told Isaiah to tell King Hezekiah: “Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live”. Hezekiah took the news in bad fate, turn the wall and pray and wept. God oblige him and gave him 15yrs more to live, within 15yrs he gave a beast call Manasseh. Read d story👇

31. Manasseh was one of the most terrible apostate kings that ever rule Israel, he drove the whole nation to national apostasy, he went into occult and did many terrible things that almost destroy the whole nation of Israel. God saw it coming and call for Hezekiah to come home👇

32. However, King Hezekiah was too myopic to see the big picture, he considers death a robbery and change God’s perfect will by supplication. God obliged him because he was a righteous king and his claim was right, but it came with grievous consequences.

33. If God decided to take your baby and inform you that your baby will die, will you not go into fasting & praying, wailing on God not to take your baby away?

It may be that God is trying to save your baby from growing up to destroy entire family or nations.

34. If God decid3e to take your life before certain age and inform you to set your house in order, will you consider it a blessing and trust Him with your soul?

Will you not remind Him that He owes you long life and then you end up in Hell at old age.

#BibleStudy

35. Prayer is good, but be careful of your request. God doesn't prioritise most the things we prioritise on earth. As far as God is concerned, your eternity with Him is more important than your life here. Except you agree with Him on this, you may pray yourself to damnation

36. If having children will cost God your soul, He may leave you without children but can you bear it? You will scandalise Him for not giving you children and end-up with many self-help adventure. You end up having children but at the expense of your soul.

37. If having money and fame will cost God your soul, will you not scandalise Him for denying you, despite your righteousness?

Lazarus could have scandalise & blackmail God, holding Him by His word and his righteous life. He may get what he wants, but lose his souls.

38. The children ask God for a king. They said they want to be like other nations. But God said I am your king; they insist they want a king like other nation. God gave them a king in His anger and took him away in His wrath. Life is not cap and stone. #BibleStudy 👇

39. What works for others may not work for you. If God truly loves you, His priority will be saving your soul for all eternity. If you chose to blackmail & scandalise Him into given you what you desire, you may get what you want on earth but at the expense of your eternity.

40. You’ve been told that you can have it all here on earth and that JESUS died to make your life comfortable. How many apostles had a comfortable and pleasurable life? Not because they can have it, but they paid the price saying NO to the world to win Christ & life eternal.

41.If you have it all on earth, what then are you looking forward to in heaven? Those that have it all on the earth have nothing at the other side of eternity. Even Abraham didn't have it all on earth. If he had it all, what is the joy in nursing baby at the age of hundred?

42. He had a promise of receiving the whole land of Canaan, but he didn’t have a plot for himself except the one he bought as burial ground for his wife. He was promised to become a great nation. Most of d promises came to pass & are still coming to pass, after he was long gone.

43. God’s contract with us transcend our earthly life. If you limit the blessings & the promises of God to your lifespan on earth, then you have a myopic view of who God is. When God said to Abraham: In blessing, I will bless you. God was talking about eternal blessing in heaven

44. Don’t go and report God to your Pastor and Prophet asking them to pray for you and blackmail God in the process of changing God’s order and timing for your life. God may give you want you want in His anger, but you will cry dearly for it later. Meditate on these principles.

45. The 6th principle: Not all prayer receive expected response from God, but all prayers receive an answer either favourable or unfavourable, either YES or NO or Later (Not to be done now). Trusting God will help you navigates life regardless of what you receive as response.

46. Moses cried to God, pleading with Him to forgive and allow him cross the Jordan, after he sinned and God issue a verdict that he will not cross Jordan to enter into promise land. God responded to his prayer saying:

“Enough of this! Speak no more to me on this matter”. 👇

47. You’ll think that, that is the end of the prayer, but God gave Moses his heart desire after death. Moses and Elijah were sent to JESUS by God. So, he eventually entered the promised land, even after his death.
Our prayers & God’s response/timing transcend our earthly life.

48. That car, that house, that baby you always pray to God to give you, and He did not. Don’t be despair, you will be surprise that He has the best waiting for you in heaven, were moth or rust cannot destroy.

But don’t blackmail Him into blessing you.

#BibleStudy

49. Imagine JESUS reserving a car, house and children for you in heaven. You’ll be shock of God’s goodness and benevolent toward us. His blessing transcends our lifespan. Just keep loving Him. Not all prayer receives expected response, but God answers all prayers.

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50. Finally; the 7th Principle of effectual Prayer:

• God does not listen to the prayer of the wicked and the unrighteous, except a prayer of repentance and consecration.

#BibleStudy 👇

51. If your life is not pleasing to God, He will not accept anything from you. The wicked in God’s definition of wicked goes beyond those that shed blood. You may be a wicked boss, who uses staff salary to buy treasury bills. Every acts of wickedness makes you a wicked man.

52. There are instances in the bible that a righteous man intercedes for the wicked, but God refuse to answer the prayer. God told Jeremiah three different times; “Do not pray for this people for I will not answer your prayer.”

#BibleStudy 👇

53. At a point, the LORD said to Jeremiah; “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind will not be favourable toward this people (Israelite)”. At this point, the children of Israel have crossed the red line. Nobody can intercede for them and receive favourable answer. 👇

54. Before you think that you can do wickedly & consult men of God for prayer, God ask Jeremiah not to waste his time in intercession, He said, not even Moses & Samuel will dissuade Him not to punish them. The only prayer that God want from a wicked soul is prayer of repentance.

55. With these 7-principles in place, we have laid foundation for the second series of this study, where we shall be examining different types of prayers among other things Holy Ghost will bring. 👇

56. We shall continue next week by God’s grace. Tweet at me or DM if you a question or concern regarding this story.

For me, the punch line is that God answers our prayers, either now or in the ages to come.

57. Please meditate on the principles and keep praying.

• Men ought to pray and not faint.

Shalom!

#BibleStudy