MESSAGE TITLE: PRAYER.
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 1:1-18
BY: THE RT. REV’D. PROSPER A. AMAH.

PRAYER IS NOT JUST TALKING TO GOD BUT ALSO LARGELY A HEARTY FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

PRAYER IS GIVING GOD ROOM TO BEAR ON OUR DAILY AFFAIRS AND LIFE SITUATIONS. IT IS TELLING GOD THAT APART FROM HIM, YOU CAN DO NOTHING.

CHALLENGES OF LIFE CALL FOR PRAYERS. OUR DAILY LIVING DEMANDS PRAYERS.

HANNAH IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ONE WHO UNDERSTOOD AND MAXIMIZED THE POWER OF PRAYER. HER EXPERIENCE IS A ‘QUICKENER’ ON THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PRAYER.

OFTEN, THE NATURE AND STATE
OF ONE’S PROBLEM MAY WARRANT A DISTINCT DIMENSION OR APPROACH FOR SOLUTIONS THROUGH PRAYERS.

ORDINARILY, PEOPLE PRAY, BUT THERE ARE VARIOUS SERIOUS LEVELS OF PRAYER A BELIEVER CAN ADOPT TO CONCRETIZE HIS COMMITMENT TO RECEIVING FROM GOD.

•PRAYER WITH FASTING – MARK 9:29, MATTHEW 17:21
THERE ARE SITUATIONS THAT MAY CALL FOR NOT JUST PRAYING BUT ALSO FASTING ALONG SIDE FOR RESULT. THE FLESH IS SUBDUED WHEN WE ‘FAST’ OUR PRAYER. THE SPIRIT IS GIVEN ENOUGH ROOM TO ATTRACT GOD’S ATTENTION TO OUR DIRECTION WHEN THIS APPROACH IS MADE WITH EVERY SINCERENESS.

• PRAYER AND WEEPING – 1 SAMUEL 1:10
HANNAH EXPRESSED HER DISTRESS BY WEEPING HER PRAYER. A WAILING THAT PROVOKED GOD’S ACTION. STATING HER MISERY AND POURING OUT HER HEART TO GOD. A BROKEN HEART AND A CONTRITE SPIRIT, GOD DOES NOT DESPISE.

•PRAYER WITH VOW – 1 Samuel 1:11
HANNAH MADE A VOW AND PROMISE TO GOD PRIOR THE ANSWER TO HER REQUEST. SUCH COMMITMENT COMMANDED AND STILL COMMANDS GOD’S ATTENTION AND RESPONSE.

PRAYER AND SACRIFICE – 1 SAMUEL 1:11
HANNAH IN COURSE OF HER HEARTY REQUEST WAS READY TO EFFECT THE SACRIFICE OF HER SON. SHE PROMISED TO GIVE HIM BACK TO GOD. SHE WAS SENSITIVE IN THE SPIRIT, EVEN IN HER FRUSTRATED STATE, TO MOVE GOD IN THIS WISE TO ACT ON HER REQUEST. WE CAN ATTRACT GOD’S ATTENTION BY ATTACHING HOLY SACRIFICES TO OUR PRAYERS.

THE SUCCESS OF OUR PRAYER BEARS UPON THE FOLLOWING FACTORS, AMONG OTHER, AS OBSERVED IN THE CASE OF HANNAH:

1. BEING SINCERE: 1 SAMUEL 1:11
HANNAH WAS SINCERE BEFORE GOD. SHE POURED OUT HER HEART REGARDLESS OF
WHO WAS OBSERVING HER. SHE TOLD GOD THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT HER AND HER CONDITION. WE DON’T APPROACH GOD MAKING SOME RESERVATION ABOUT OUR SITUATION OR TRYING TO IMPRESS OUR OBSERVERS.

2. BEING SPECIFIC: 1 SAMUEL: HANNAH KNEW WHAT SHE WANTED. SHE WAS DIRECT AND CLEAR IN HER HEARTY REQUEST. SHE WAS NOT DISORIENTED IN HER DESIRE AND EXPECTATION. ALTHOUGH GOD KNOWS OUR REQUEST EVER BEFORE WE MAKE THEM, BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR APPROACH. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT.

3. BEING SACRIFICIAL: ARE YOU READY TO LET GO OF WHAT THE LORD MAY DEMAND FROM YOU? DO YOU TRULY ACKNOWLEDGE HIM IN FULL AWARENESS THAT THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF. A SACRIFICIAL LIFE AND PRAYER HASTEN GOD’S RESPONSE TO OUR DESIRE.

BEING PURE AND MAINTAINING PURITY: PRAYERS THRIVE ON THE PEDESTAL OF PURITY. NO ONE EXPECTS AN ANSWER FROM A FATHER WHOM HE DOES NOT KNOW OR REGARD. YOUR SONSHIP IN THIS KINGDOM IS PREMISED AND SEALED UPON YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOUR – A PERSONAL AND AN ETERNALLY-REWARDING DECISION. REMEMBER, THE PRAYER OF A SINNER IS AN ABOMINATION BEFORE GOD. THEREFORE, SETTLE THE MATTER OF SIN BEFORE THE CROSS, THEN APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE WHERE ALL SPIRITUAL GAINS AND POSSIBILITIES ARE ENSURED.

NOTE:
PRAYER STILL WORKS AND WOULD NEVER GO OUT OF FASHION.

RISE, TAKE A BOLD STEP AND APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE.

PRAY FOR:
•OUR COUNTRY AND OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD.

•LEADER IN THE GOVERNMENT AND OTHER STRATA.

•THE CHURCH OF GOD.

•YOUR FAMILY.

•WHATSOEVER THE ENEMY HAS STOLEN AND AGAINST EVERY CLOSE OPPRESSOR WHO IS DETERMINED TO CAUSE YOU MISERY. 1 SAM.1:6.

LET US PRAY!

…………
RT. Rev’d Prosper Amah During Fresh Oil Programme – March, 2021 Edition @St. James Church Iyiowa Odekpe, Anambra State.
Dated: 6th March, 2021.