Mark 14:37–38 GW

He went back and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? COULDN’T YOU STAY AWAKE FOR ONE HOUR? Stay awake, and pray that you won’t be tempted. You want to do what’s right, but you’re weak.”

Isaiah 56: 6–7 NKJV

Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant—even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS.

Mark 11:15–19 NKJV

So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then HE TAUGHT, saying to them, “IS IT NOT WRITTEN, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. When evening had come, He went out of the city.

Luke 11:5–8 NIV

Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, YET BECAUSE OF YOUR SHAMELESS AUDACITY he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.”

Luke 18:1–5 NLT

One day, Jesus told His disciples a story to show that THEY SHOULD ALWAYS PRAY AND NEVER GIVE UP.“There was a judge in a certain city,” He said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city CAME TO HIM REPEATEDLY, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but THIS WOMAN IS DRIVING ME CRAZY. I’M GOING TO SEE THAT SHE GETS JUSTICE, BECAUSE SHE IS WEARING ME OUT WITH HER CONSTANT REQUESTS!’”

1 John 5:14–15 NKJV

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARS US. And if we know that He hears us, WHATEVER WE ASK, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE PETITIONS THAT WE HAVE ASKED OF HIM.

Matthew 7:7–8 NLT

KEEP ON ASKING, and you will RECEIVE what you ask for. KEEP ON SEEKING, and you will FIND. KEEP ON KNOCKING, and the door will be OPENEDto you. For everyone who ASKS, RECEIVES. Everyone who SEEKS, FINDS. And to everyone who KNOCKS, THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED.

James 5:16–18 NLT

THE EARNEST PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS PERSON HAS GREAT POWER AND PRODUCES WONDERFUL RESULTS. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when HE PRAYED EARNESTLY that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when HE PRAYED AGAIN, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

Exhortation: Awake to Prayer

The Church is Called to be a House of Prayer for All Nations

When Jesus suddenly returns, what will He find His Church most preoccupied with? Will the Church be preoccupied with many things in the name of worship but not with prayer? Mark 11:15–19 tells of how Jesus entered the temple and saw God’s people wholly preoccupied with buying, selling, money-changing, and hawking their wares, all in the name of worship. He was filled with holy fury and indignation that these people had made His Father’s temple a den of thieves. He immediately drove out the merchants, overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves, and declared in v 17 NKJV, “IS IT NOT WRITTEN, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” When He returns, will He find us fully engrossed in many programs and activities that we call ministries but bankrupt of prayer? Has the Church become too busy to pray? Are there activities, ministries, and programs that Jesus Christ is overturning and driving out of God’s temple so that prayer for all nations can be rightfully prioritized and practiced? Will He find us ready or unprepared, dressed or naked? WILL HE FIND US PRAYING OR DOING MANY OTHER THINGS? Where is the Church today concerning prayer? Are we weak, poor, and bankrupt, or rich, strong, and unfainting in prayer? Leonard Ravenhill, a mighty prayer warrior and revivalist, declared,

NO MAN IS GREATER THAN HIS PRAYER LIFE. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.

IS THE CHURCH ASLEEP IN THIS LATE HOUR AND NOT PRAYING? Jesus’ disciples fell asleep in the most crucial hour when Jesus told them to pray so they would not succumb to temptation. Has the Church fallen asleep in this most critical hour causing us not to pray? God never sleeps; the devil is not asleep. Is the Church asleep at this hour? Has the unassailable Church, according to Jesus’ words that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, become a sleeping giant? If yes, what has lulled the Church into a slumber, leaving it exposed, unarmed, unguarded, and vulnerable? It is time to wake up and rise to God’s call to pray.

IS GOD WORTH SEEKING? IS GOD WORTH CONSECRATING OURSELVES WHOLLY UNTO HIM IN PRAYER AND FASTING? IF WE VALUE GOD, WE WILL VALUE PRAYER. Prayer is not just something we do; it is the essence of who we are—redeemed to love and seek Him with all our heart, soul, and strength. We are not just prayer warriors, intercessors, or praying people; WE ARE PRAY-ERS, GOD-LOVERS, AND GOD-SEEKERS. We live and breathe to pursue God and to please Him. Matthew 13:44–46 NKJV speaks of the pricelessness of God’s kingdom:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man FOUND and hid; and FOR JOY OVER IT he goes and SELLS ALLthat he has and BUYS that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant SEEKING beautiful pearls, who, when he had FOUND ONE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, went and SOLD ALL that he had and BOUGHT IT.

Prayer is like that hidden treasure and the pearl of great price. It is prudent for us to let go of other things of value in order to make room for that which is of greater value—prayer.

Prayer is God’s Priority

IF WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND PRAYER, WE MUST SEEK TO UNDERSTAND GOD.Jesus’ perfect understanding and knowledge of His Father was clearly expressed in His most extended recorded prayer in John 17:1–26. Also evidently conveyed was His perfect unity and loving intimacy with His Father. This prayer is a profound revelation of the innermost nature and heart of the Son and the Father and Their relationship with each other. In John 17:25 NLT, Jesus declared, “O Righteous Father, THE WORLD DOESN’T KNOW YOU, BUT I DO.” No one knew the Father as Jesus did, and no one knew the Son as the Father did. As sons and daughters of God, we should pray to know God in this kind of intimacy. He will reveal Himself to those who thirst and seek after Him as Jesus did. They will behold God and know Him in a manner that belongs only to those who have given all to know Him.

God is the Author of and Reason for prayer, and He is the One who calls His Church to prayer. WITHOUT GOD, THERE IS NO CAUSE TO PRAY. THE PASSION TO PRAY EXISTS BECAUSE WE PANT FOR GOD—to know, love, and please Him, AS THE DEER PANTS FOR THE WATER. In thirsting after God, we will thirst to do His will. His priority becomes our priority as we seek to please Him. David was a man of prayer. He called on God unceasingly. In Psalm 63:1–5 ESV, David expressed his cry for God, saying,

O God, YOU ARE MY GOD; EARNESTLY I SEEK YOU; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have LOOKED UPON YOU in the sanctuary, BEHOLDING Your power and glory.Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.

Prayer seeks to LOOK UPON GOD (in His presence and secret place) and to BEHOLD HIS POWER AND GLORY. Prayer is not just a cry for God to do all He can for us—blessing, healing, deliverance, or protection; PRAYER IS A CRY FOR GOD.Otherwise, we would be praying like heathens who only call on their gods for blessing, provision, protection, and prosperity. We pray as God’s children, having been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, who now seek to love and serve Him. We do not pray as heathens who have yet to come to God and be saved. Their sins are not yet forgiven, their minds are not renewed, they do not have the Holy Spirit in them, and they live in darkness. They do not know God; their lives are centered around themselves, and therefore, they only pray concerning what they eat, drink, what they have, and where they live. The lives of the children of light, sons and daughters of God, are centered around our Heavenly Father so we pray for His kingdom to come and His will be done.

We pray for He is God, our Lord, and Heavenly Father, not just because we have needs. PRAYER IS NOT MAN-CENTERED BUT GOD-CENTERED— FOCUSED ON GOD’S PRIORITIES, WILL, AND PURPOSE. Prayer is not getting God to do what we want Him to do. It is a hearing and trusting of God in which He graces us to do what He calls us to, just as Jesus prayed, that God’s will be done, not His.

We must awaken to God’s call to prayer and know that it is His priority. We should not just spend our Christian life using all the resources God has given us in many Christian activities but not in prayer. PRAYER MUST BE A PRIORITY WE LIVE AS A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST. Do we hear the heart of God when He lamented expressing His search for intercessors in Ezekiel 22:30 NKJV, “SO I SOUGHT FOR A MAN among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; BUT I FOUND NO ONE”? Also, His great displeasure and disappointment is shown in Isaiah 59:16 ESV when no one stands in the gap to intercede: “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede.” Wondered in Hebrew, šāmēm, means to be appalled, astounded, stunned, or stupefied. God is never at a loss in the face of anything, but wondered expresses to us the extent of grievousness for the prayerlessness of God’s people. When we neglect prayer, we neglect God and His will and have become careless and casual about God and what matters to Him. PRAYER IS GOD’S PRIORITY FOR US BECAUSE OUR PRAYER PRIORITIZES GOD AND HIS WILL. THE CHURCH MUST AWAKE TO God’s CALL TO PRAY.

• “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”—Isaiah 56:7; Mark 11:17
• “Then He [Jesus] spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” —Luke 18:1 NKJV
• Prayer was a priority in Jesus’ life. He set Himself apart to seek His Father.
• Jesus called on His disciples to pray.

Awake to the Cost and Discipline of Prayer

PRAYER IS NEVER WITHOUT A COST AND DISCIPLINE; THAT IS WHY IF WE LIVE IN THE FLESH, WE WILL BE EITHER VERY POOR OR BANKRUPT IN PRAYER. We must choose to be that kernel of wheat that falls to the ground and dies to all in order to pray. When we die in giving our lives over to prayer, God will take our sacrificed life and cause it to bring forth an abundant and supernatural harvest of lives. This death to self was how Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane to do the Father’s will. We must be aware of the cost of prayer and be willing to pay that price. Matthew 13:44–46 speaks of how one ought to be willing to sell everything of value in one’s life to buy what is priceless concerning God’s kingdom. The Church must be willing to sacrifice by selling all to pray until we fully apprehend God as He apprehends us. UNTIL THE CHURCH DIES TO ALL IN ORDER TO PRAY, WE HAVE NOT AWAKENED TO PRAY THE WAY JESUS PRAYED. Prayer must consume us because seeking God consumes us.

The cost and discipline of consecration to pray requires the Church to be willing to pay by giving ourselves over to prayer.Matthew 5:29–30 NLT speaks of this:

So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

The Bible is not only talking about separating from what is evil. It calls for separation from even that which is legitimate, good (not a sin), and of value if it causes one to sin. Concerning prayer, are we willing to cut off things and activities that are legitimate and valuable in our lives but are hindering us from prayer? We must be willing to take a scalpel to our life and ruthlessly cut away all that stands in the way of prayer or seeking God. We must discipline our effort, priority, desire, relationship, program, and goals and the use of time. Food and sleep are legitimate necessities, but if they stand in the way of prayer, let us cut them off for a season to give ourselves over to prayer. This discipline is called fasting. Jesus fasted and prayed for forty days before He began His ministry. During His ministry, He also prayed through the night on many occasions. If entertainment, television, social media, socializing, or anything else is robbing time from God in our seeking Him, cut them off. It is better to be in prayer than to be lukewarm because of these things.

In consecration, let the Church not look back like Lot’s wife after being warned not to as she fled from Sodom and Gomorrah. Instead, let us press forward to pray. We must see to it that we continue until the purging is complete and, in the end, leaving only a circumcised heart and purified life that loves and seeks God above all. There will be an unspeakable hunger for Him and a thirst that compels us to seek Him even through sleepless nights to lay hold of Him. The heart remains disturbed, unsettled, and even in agony until we encounter Him in prayer. We no longer seek food, sleep, or pleasure as our priority because we burn with a passion for Him. He is first in our thoughts, last in our thoughts, and constantly throughout the day. We live for Him. We live in a relationship with Him where our eyes are always on Him, our hearts perpetually burning for Him, and we pursue Him unceasingly to love, obey, and serve Him with all our hearts and lives. WE HAVE ONLY ONE CALL, GOAL, AND FOCUS IN LIFE—JESUS! JESUS! AND JESUS ONLY! He fills us, overtakes us, and consumes us. He is more to us than our father, mother, spouse, children, and even our own life. It is a love and passion that is so single-hearted that we have no time for temptation, doubt, or debate about loving, obeying, and serving Him. This fervor defined Jesus Christ’s life of prayer and love for His Father. WE NEED THIS KIND OF PASSION FOR THE FATHER EVEN AS JESUS DID. Mark 14:32–36 NLT testifies to Jesus’ passion.

They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. STAY HERE and KEEP WATCH with Me.” He went on a little farther and FELL TO THE GROUND. HE PRAYED that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting Him might pass Him by. “Abba, Father,” HE CRIED OUT, “everything is possible for You. Please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.”

UNTIL THE CHURCH DIES TO ALL IN ORDER TO PRAY, WE HAVE NOT AWAKEN TO PRAY THE WAY JESUS PRAYED. Prayer must consume us.

We must overcome the weakness of the flesh. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The Holy Spirit will help us if we do not give up. Matthew 26:41 NKJV states, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Passion can be imparted to us, stamina can be built up, and conviction can be strengthened if we press into prayer and not give up or be discouraged. If the Church will deny ourselves, crucify our flesh, pick up the cross, and follow Him in prayer, the Church will be burning with unquenchable revival fire, obedient to Him even unto death, and reflecting Jesus Christ with glorious transparency, faithful and unstoppable.

The Power of Prayer

God is Almighty, and He is the source of all power. Prayer is unlimitedly powerful because the power of God is released through prayer. Prayer goes as far as God can go. Revivalist Leonard Ravenhill, said, “PRAYER IS AS VAST AS GOD BECAUSE HE IS BEHIND IT. PRAYER IS AS MIGHTY AS GOD BECAUSE HE HAS COMMITTED HIMSELF TO ANSWER IT.” Virginia Whitman, a Christian author, wrote, “OTHER ACTIVITIES PRODUCE WHAT WE CAN DO. PRAYER OUTPUT IS WHAT GOD CAN DO.”

When prayer is God-centered, led, and empowered, it is powerful; if not, prayer has no foundation, leverage, power, or fulfillment. Prayer is powerful because when we pray, God answers.

• Prayer brings God into the situation, and He makes all things possible. Where God is, His power will be.
• Prayer brings God’s will and purpose to pass (Matthew 6:10; Joel 2:13–17).
• Prayer releases the will of God into lives and situations and brings it to fulfillment.
  • Prayer removes all resistance to God and transforms hearts.
  • A transformed heart allows God to work His will in and through it.
• Prayer is the weapon through which believers obtain spiritual dominion. Through prayer, we exercise Christ’s authority and power to overcome (Mark 16:17–20; John 14:13–14).
• Prayer overcomes evil and brings an outpouring of righteousness(Hosea 10:12; Mark 16:17–18).
  • Reforms cannot change the spiritual bankruptcy and moral decay of a human heart. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can do the impossible. The Holy Spirit’s power will be poured out through the prayers, fasting, and travailing of the Church that seeks God on its knees.
  • Prayer releases the Spirit of Grace, who convicts and works godly sorrow in the heart and breaks the power of sin over lives (Hebrews 10:26–29). Prayer causes God to rain righteousness upon us as we overcome temptation through prayer (Mathew 26:41).
• Prayer ushers in revival(Joel 2:12–17,28–32). Prayer ushers in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, bringing revival. When Nineveh fasted, prayed, and repented before God, He spared them from judgment and brought salvation and revival.

The Blessings of Prayer

The blessings of prayer are limitless because God is passionate about blessing His people as we call on Him. Prayer does these things:

• Brings Us Closer to God–Frequent communication brings us closer to other people. In a similar vein, frequent praying brings us closer to God. God is always listening to our prayers and will answer them in His own way.
• Guides Us–When we are lost and do not know what to do, we can always pray to God for guidance. Scripture states: “Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long” Psalm 25:4–5 NIV.
• Keeps Us from Temptation–We cannot resist temptation alone, so we need God’s help to keep us from succumbing to it. In Matthew 26:41 NIV, Jesus says: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
• Helps Us Accept God’s Will–God always has a plan for us, but sometimes, it can be challenging to understand. Praying helps us understand His will and accept it because His plans are always for our own good. As the Bible says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV.
• Helps us to Show Gratitude–It can be challenging to stay thankful when dealing with difficult things. Praying helps us focus on the good things God has given us instead of the bad that happens. If we do not know how to be thankful through prayer, the Book of Psalms has many verses about gratitude to inspire us. Psalm 118:1 NIV: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”
• Gives us restful sleep–“I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me” Psalm 3:5 NIV.
• Protects us from all fears–“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 NIV.
• Heals the broken heart–“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit” Psalm 34:17–18 NIV.

Prayer is Life-Changing

Prayer is also powerful because it is:

• Saving–keeping us from sinning, saving us from the works of the enemy and works of the flesh.
• Sanctifying and purifying–revealing our hearts to us through the Holy Spirit, showing us the way to go, giving us a contrite heart and broken spirit that we repent. It restores the backslidden heart and sets it on fire. In grief and repentance, we are awakened to the wasted time, turning our hearts back to God.
• Cleansing–washing our spirit, soul, and mind with the blood of Jesus. It purges us from all that is unclean, profane, and defiled (Psalm 51).
• Renewing–giving us a new spirit, mind, and vision.
• Strengthening–edifying our spirit and giving us courage, hope, and faith.
• Restoring–renewing what has been worn out and worn down by trials, cares of life, and warfare. He makes us new from the inside out. We have a new perspective filled with hope, joy, and faith.
• Reviving–resurrecting anything that dies, just as Lazarus was raised from the dead.
• Revealing–removing scales from our eyes in the presence of God. We see our true state as Isaiah did when he said, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5 NKJV).
• Transforming–making us more like Jesus in nature and priorities. The more we abide in the Holy Spirit, the more fruit of the Spirit we will bear.
• Overcoming–causing the flesh to die so we will overcome in warfare.
• Enlightening–being enlightened as God reveals Himself to us. We gain divine knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and prophetic insights.

The Church must awake and arise to prayer!