April 9

Merciful Father, hallowed be Thy Name. We grateful for all You have done for us, the rain, the sun, the moon and the stars; we must thank You for this wonderful piece that has not fail to be from creation. Your Awesomeness cannot be comprehended. When the kings and the mighty seems to forget they are mere mortals; You raise in Your Majesty and show forth Your Sovereignty. Thank You for all You Are to us. Glory be to Your Holy Name Amen.

Beloved, is praying time! So let’s talk about “Prayer”. We will be considering “Intercessory Prayer” as long as the Holy Spirit enables us, so be ready to have a good time in His presence. Intercessory Prayer is Jesus model of prayer. You see Him praying for others, asking His Father to intervene in the situation such prayer as healing, deliverance, provisions, protection, even raising the dead from death.

Dear friend, prayer is important to God even though Jesus being God in human form was still earnestly seeking His Father to get things done while here on earth. Considering the above scenario, we cannot afford to stay off prayer. Intercessory prayer calls for strong will and the serious minded person not for weakling.

Someone is asking, if so much time must be given to prayer, it would involve the neglect of the imperative calls of duty “There is the morning post, before breakfast, with ten or twelve letters which must be answered. Then there are committee meetings waiting, with numberless other engagements, more than enough to fill up the day. It is difficult to see how it can be done.”

My answer to that it is simply a question of whether the call of God for our time and attention was of more importance than that of man. If God was waiting to meet us, and to give us blessing and power from heaven for His work, it was a short-sighted policy to put other work in the place which God and waiting on Him should have.

Further, we all know the difference between a man whose profits are just enough to maintain his family and keep up his business, and another whose income enables him to extend the business and to help others. In order words, there may be an earnest Christian life in which there is prayer enough to keep us from going back, and just maintain the position we have attained to, without much of growth in spirituality or Christlikeness.

The attitude is more defensive, seeking to ward off temptation, than aggressive, reaching out after higher attainment. If there is indeed to be a going from strength to strength, with some large experience of God’s power to sanctify ourselves and to bring down real blessing on others, there must be more definite and persevering prayer. The Scripture teaching about crying day and night, continuing steadfastly in prayer, watching unto prayer, being heard for his importunity, must in some degree become our experience if we are really to be intercessors. With that background, let us seek the Lord earnestly:

“It is time to seek the Lord.” Hosea 10:12

This month of April is said to derive its name from the Latin verb aperio, which signifies to open, because all the buds and blossoms are now opening, and we have arrived at the gates of the flowery year. Reader, if you are yet unsaved, may your heart, in accord with the universal awakening of nature, be opened to receive the Lord.

Every blossoming flower warns you that it is time to seek the Lord; be not out of tune with nature, but let your heart bud and bloom with holy desires. Do you tell me that the warm blood of youth leaps in your veins? Then, I entreat you, give your vigour to the Lord. It was my unspeakable happiness to be called in early youth, and I could fain praise the Lord every day for it. Salvation is priceless, let it come when it may, but oh! an early salvation has a double value in it.

Young men and maidens, since you may perish ere you reach your prime, “It is time to seek the Lord.” Ye who feel the first signs of decay, quicken your pace: that hollow cough, that hectic flush, are warnings which you must not trifle with; with you it is indeed time to seek the Lord. Did I observe a little grey mingled with your once luxurious tresses? Years are stealing on apace, and death is drawing nearer by hasty marches, let each return of spring arouse you to set your house in order.

Dear reader, if you are now advanced in life, let me entreat and implore you to delay no longer. There is a day of grace for you now—be thankful for that, but it is a limited season and grows shorter every time that clock ticks. Here in this silent chamber, on this ninth night of another month, I speak to you as best I can by paper and ink, and from my inmost soul, as God’s servant, I lay before you this warning, “It is time to seek the Lord.” Slight not that work, it may be your last call from destruction, the final syllable from the lip of grace.

Not a threat, but with the love of God, come to Him now seek Him and you will find Him (click here to accept Jesus NOW), for he cannot cast you off forever. Even if He does, it is for a while, so keep at it:

“I called Him, but He gave me no answer.” Song 5:6

Prayer sometimes tarrieth, like a petitioner at the gate, until the King cometh forth to fill her bosom with the blessings which she seeketh. The Lord, when He hath given great faith, has been known to try it by long delayings. He has suffered His servants’ voices to echo in their ears as from a brazen sky. They have knocked at the golden gate, but it has remained immovable, as though it were rusted upon its hinges. Like Jeremiah, they have cried, “Thou hast covered Thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.”

Thus have true saints continued long in patient waiting without reply, not because their prayers were not vehement, nor because they were unaccepted, but because it so pleased Him who is a Sovereign, and who gives according to His own pleasure. If it pleases Him to bid our patience exercise itself, shall He not do as He wills with His own! Beggars must not be choosers either as to time, place, or form. But we must be careful not to take delays in prayer for denials: God’s long-dated bills will be punctually honoured; we must not suffer Satan to shake our confidence in the God of truth by pointing to our unanswered prayers.

Unanswered petitions are not unheard. God keeps a file for our prayers—they are not blown away by the wind, they are treasured in the King’s archives. This is a registry in the court of heaven wherein every prayer is recorded. Tried believer, thy Lord hath a tear-bottle in which the costly drops of sacred grief are put away, and a book in which thy holy groanings are numbered. By-and-by, thy suit shall prevail. Canst thou not be content to wait a little? Will not thy Lord’s time be better than thy time? By-and-by He will comfortably appear, to thy soul’s joy, and make thee put away the sackcloth and ashes of long waiting, and put on the scarlet and fine linen of full fruition.

Looks like a contradiction that “we serve a prayer answering God”, not at all. God’s discretion can never be questioned by man. He promised to rescue the Israelite from the land of Egypt but that after 430 years.  He promised a son to Abraham and it was after 25years. He also promised us a Saviour, many prophet that saw and prophesy as they were led, did not see the Messiah. So what is that thing you cannot patiently wait?

His Word must surly come to pass, so fret not.

I pray for you as you stay in the gap for others, the Lord will attain to your all needs speedy in Jesus Name. Amen!

Remain blessed in the Lord.

Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu  

 

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IFEOMA OHONDU is the founder of the MattersoftheHeart foundation, a platform where issues affecting our everyday life are discussed and where necessary proffer solution. She is part of the end time army, who will not break their rank to fulfill the urgent call of God upon her life by declaring His word to the helpless, the doubting, the comfortless and the dying world. The world will experience great restoration and healing in the Word of God through her ministration. She is a voice to emphasize key spiritual truth about Faith, Healing and Encouragement.