THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER
MEMORISE: And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. Mark 10:52
READ: 1 Kings 18:36 -38
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
MESSAGE
Someone brought a young man to me many years ago. His wife who he had just recently married had run mad and gone to the market square naked. Though the case seemed hopeless, the young man did not want to give up. They had taken the woman to a herbalist's place already but she wasn't getting better. When l went to pray for her, l found her tied down in chains. I prayed for her for two minutes and left. The fellow at the herbalist's place called the young man on the phone and to,d him that the Pastor who came to pray for the lady must be a joker. He wondered how someone could come and spend only two minutes praying for a case as serious as this was. The young man was disappointed, so he decided to take his wife to the psychiatric hospital. When they got there, the Professor decided to observe her for seven days to know what kind of drugs he would administered. After seven days, he called the husband and told him there was nothing wrong with his wife. In two minutes, the seemingly hopeless problem was solved.
The efficacy of a prayer is not in how long it is but I how long the fellow praying has been in the presence of God. Jesus Christ never rolled up his sleeves before He prayed for anyone. Even the prayer that brought Lazarus back from the dead after four days was less than two minutes. This is because He had spent a lot of time, many times the whole night, in the presence of God.
When Elijah prayed in the Bible reading for today, he did not sweat. The prayer took less than two minutes and fire fell. That is because Elijah was always on a mountain and we all know that you go to the mountain to pray.
A two-minute prayer that can cause God to send down fire is not reserved for a set of people; anybody can pray such prayers too, as long as you are willing to really spend time in the presence of God behind closed doors. If you are willing to spend hours just worshipping Him, to have your eyes glued to your Bible and your study notes for hours just getting to know God more, to spend top quality time with Him and not just rush in and out of His presence, then you will be able to pray for just two minutes and miracles would happen.
KEY POINT
The efficacy of prayer is not in how long it is but in know long the fellow praying has been in the presence of God.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ephesians 6- Phillippians 2
HYMN 2: CONQUERORS AND OVERCOMERS NOW WE ARE
1 Conquerors and overcomers now are we,
Thro’ the precious blood of Christ we’ve victory,
If the Lord be for us, we can never fail;
Nothing ‘gainst his mighty pow’r can e’er prevail.
Refrain:
Conquerors are we, thro’ the blood of Jesus;
God will give us victory, thro’ the blood of Jesus;
Thro’ the Lamb for sinners slain,
Yet who lives and reigns again,
More than conquerors are we,
More than conquerors are we.
2 In the name of Israel’s God we’ll onward press,
Overcoming sin and all unrighteousness;
Not to us, but unto him the praise shall be,
For salvation and for blood-bought victory. [Refrain]
3 Unto him that overcometh shall be giv’n
Here to eat of hidden manna sent from heav’n;
Over yonder he the victor’s palm shall bear,
And a robe of white, and golden crown shall wear. [Refrain]
