September 26
Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion. Ps 134:1-3 (KJV)
I hope you enjoyed your time with God in prayer session of yesterday and you are also getting some clarity tips on the prevailing prayer. Praise God.
When we offer prayers unto the Lord dearly beloved, it is good to believe that it is done. You may not see it with your physical eyes but you can see it with your spiritual eyes, your eyes of faith that the Lord has done it, all you need do going forward is to call it into being.
The Lords will answer our prayers on our household members especially those who have not come to the knowledge of Christ. He will bring them home. Surely He will, for this child I prayed:
“For this child I prayed.” 1Samuel 1:27
Devout souls delight to look upon those mercies which they have obtained in answer to supplication, for they can see God’s especial love in them. When we can name our blessings Samuel, that is, “asked of God,” they will be as dear to us as her child was to Hannah.
Peninnah had many children, but they came as common blessings unsought in prayer: Hannah’s one heaven-given child was dearer far, because he was the fruit of earnest pleadings. How sweet was that water to Samson which he found at “the well of him that prayed!” Quassia cups turn all waters bitter, but the cup of prayer puts a sweetness into the draughts it brings.
Did we pray for the conversion of our children? How doubly sweet, when they are saved, to see in them our own petitions fulfilled! Better to rejoice over them as the fruit of our pleadings than as the fruit of our bodies. Have we sought of the Lord some choice spiritual gift? When it comes to us it will be wrapped up in the gold cloth of God’s faithfulness and truth, and so be doubly precious. Have we petitioned for success in the Lord’s work? How joyful is the prosperity which comes flying upon the wings of prayer! It is always best to get blessings into our house in the legitimate way, by the door of prayer; then they are blessings indeed, and not temptations.
Even when prayer speeds not, the blessings grow all the richer for the delay; the child Jesus was all the more lovely in the eyes of Mary when she found Him after having sought Him sorrowing. That which we win by prayer we should dedicate to God, as Hannah dedicated Samuel. The gift came from heaven, let it go to heaven.
Prayer brought it, gratitude sang over it, let devotion consecrate it. Here will be a special occasion for saying, “Of Thine own have I given unto Thee.” Reader, is prayer your element or your weariness? Which?
Is someone celebrating with me, those things you count as delay is another way of allowing God to perfect His work in your life and situation. Our prayers are answered and our sacrifice accepted, it will not be our doom. Are you happy with that? Let’s consider further:
“If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things.” Judges 13:23
This is a sort of promise deduced by logic. It is an inference fairly drawn from ascertained facts. It was not likely that the Lord had revealed to Manoah and his wife that a son would be born to them, and yet had it in His heart to destroy them. The wife reasoned well, and we shall do well if we follow her line of argument.
The Father has accepted the great sacrifice of Calvary, and has declared Himself well pleased therewith; how can He now be pleased to kill us? Why a substitute if the sinner must still perish? The accepted sacrifice of Jesus puts an end to fear.
The Lord has shown us our election, our adoption, our union to Christ, our marriage to the Well-beloved: how can lie now destroy us? The promises are loaded with blessings, which necessitate our being preserved unto eternal life. It is not possible for the Lord to cast us away, and yet fulfill His covenant.
The past assures us, and the future reassures us. We shall not die, but live; for we have seen Jesus, and in Him we have seen the Father by the illumination of the Holy Ghost. Because of this life-giving sight we must live for ever.
Yes, must live for ever. Child of God is the enemy tormenting you with your past sins, is he reminding you that you will not be forgiving, don’t give in to that fear; our adoption is sure and we are secured but make sure you don’t sin again, don’t fall into that error again and the Lord will preserve you onto the end (Jn 10:9). Amen!
Remain blessed in the Lord.
Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu
