The Benefits of Prayer in The Home (4)
by Pastor Faith Oyedepo, Week 4, February, 2008
Dear Reader,
As we come to the concluding part of this month’s teaching, it is my prayer that as you apply yourself to the Word of God this year, your testimonies shall abound in Jesus’ name. In the past few weeks, I have shared with you what prayer is all about and some of the benefits of prayer. I want to end this teaching with the subject, which I titled, Consistency in Prayer.
In the parable that Jesus told His disciples in Luke 18:2-7, He said: There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them’. “Day and Night”. connotes consistency and we see the result in verse 8, where Jesus said: I tell you, He will avenge them speedily… So, be encouraged! Most people don’t maintain a consistent prayer life because they claim not to have time. They are always in a hurry to one place or the other, and they return only to find the same problems waiting for them at home. Problems don’t solve themselves! Don’t be nonchalant, or else, before you know it, it will be too late.
Don’t let anybody deceive you by saying, “How long will you continue with this your prayers’ If God wants to answer you He should have answered by now”. They lure you off to native doctors and all manner of satanic places, only to add more to your problems. Stop it! You can’t serve God and mammon! Jesus said: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).
Every tough nut requires consistent hard knocks to break it. Don’t watch the devil destroy your home or your children’s destiny. Refuse to be deprived of the good things that God has given you freely in His Word. The way to do that is to cultivate a vibrant prayer life and you will enjoy a vibrant marital life.
The Bible tells us that the things we see in the physical world are controlled in the spiritual realm (Heb. 11:3), and one of the weapons of control is prayer. That is why it must be done with all seriousness. There is an incident in the Bible that illustrates this point very well. Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick (John 11:1, 3).
Lazarus, a man whom Jesus loved, took ill, and his sisters sent for Jesus. That can be considered as a form of prayer. They were seeking the intervention of the Lord in that situation. But the Bible says that: When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was (John 11:6).
He heard their call. He heard their pleading and their request, yet He stayed back. Why’ Jesus said: When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby (John 11:4).
It may not look so now, but that seemingly embarrassing situation in your marital life will be turned to a thing of glory. That is why you must not give up in prayers. In some homes, prayer is not a part of their daily activities at all whether collectively or as individuals, while some are doing it with reluctance. That you didn’t get instant answers to your prayers does not mean that God has not heard you. Have you not heard: He has made every thing beautiful in his time… (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Don’t give up! Be consistent in your prayer life, and you will find out that your home and marital life gradually become more and more peaceful.
In the story of Lazarus that we looked at earlier, you will find out that Jesus eventually arrived on the scene. Even though Lazarus had died and had been buried for four days, He was still able to bring him back to life (John 11:17-43).
So, rejoice; it is never too late with God. I believe that the reason Jesus did not come immediately when He was sent for, was because He was communing with God over the issue. When He got there and found that in spite of His prayers, Lazarus had died, He told the people to remove the stone from the grave. Then He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said: …Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. Can you say somebody has heard you if you have not said anything to him’ We are not told that Jesus prayed at the tomb of Lazarus, but that He thanked God.
I believe that He prayed before He got there. And even though the situation looked hopeless (Lazarus was in the grave, and already stinking), yet He didn’t give up. Maybe your situation is like that. The home is already scattered. The husband has gone his way, the wife is on her own and the children are somewhere else. A buried and stinking situation! But hear me this hour, if you will refuse to give up, God will soon show up in your life and home. I see a great revival taking place in your prayer life, both as a family and an individual. This is the dawning of a new day in your marital life, in Jesus’ mighty Name!
For God to intervene in your affairs, you need to be born again. You become born again by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour. You can say this prayer and be born again: Dear Lord, I want to turn away from all my sins (name them). Please forgive me, change my heart and grant me Your gift of everlasting life. This day I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.
If you prayed this simple prayer, you are now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).
Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through:
E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com Tel. No: 234-1-7747546-8;
For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Book Stores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian book stores.
1. Marriage Covenant
2. Making Marriage Work
3. Building a Successful Family
4. Success in Marriage (Co-Authored with Bishop David Oyedepo).