Our topic today says P.U.S.H. which means Pray until something happens, but permit me to narrow it down to the topic prevailing prayers.
Permit me to narrow it down to prevailing prayers Because that’s what pray until something happens is all about. That’s the summary.
Prevailing Prayers
I will read two background scriptures and then we begin, they are familiar scriptures.
1. Jeremiah 33.3 Call unto me and I’ll answer thee and show you great and mighty things which thou knowest not.
2. Matthew 7 from verse 7 through to 11 it says ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you, for everyone that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth, unto him that knocketh it shall be opened. O what man is there of you whom if his son ask bread will give him a stone, Or if he ask a fish (3:10) will give him a serpent?
If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children. How much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him.
Hallelujah.
Prevailing prayers
Let me say that as a bonafide child of God each time you approach the altar of prayer recognize the sovereignty of God. Can I repeat that? As a bonafide child of God anytime or each time you approach the altar of prayer, recognize the sovereignty of God because God is sovereign and no loving father denies the cry of his child.
No loving father denies the cry of his child. A loving father will never reject the cry of his child.
God is our loving father. Understand it. He is our source.
He will not refuse or reject your cry. That’s why he says in Matthew 7:7 ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find.
Knock at the door and it shall be opened. Everyone that asketh receive it. He that seeketh find it and to him that knocketh the door shall be opened.
Hallelujah.
Many years ago, a long time now, one of my children was in primary school and they were about to close for the session. He came home and told me that they were closing with an interhouse sports in their school. So they had been told to register for the different games they were interested in, and that he had registered for bicycle racing. The implication is that he will bring his bicycle. So I asked him, you register for bicycle racing? Do you have a bicycle?
Actually, he had one bicycle that has seen better days. No pedal, no tires, no ,
I mean, it was in a state of disrepair. Buy
So he said, what of the one in the store? I said, do you call that one a bicycle? He said, daddy, I have given them my name and i will take the bicycle. And it was at a time when things were not so good for us financially.
But I’m saying that no loving father rejects the cry of his child. So I said, okay, all we can do is to pray.
We prayed, we believed God. And I’m sure the young man too prayed. But as God would have it, within two days or thereabout, money came.
You know when money came, the first thing that occurred to me was to put that bicycle in shape. I bought tires, I bought tubes, I bought pedal, and before long, there was a bicycle standing. It gave me joy that I was able to meet his need.
That is how God thinks about you. Are you hearing me? So God is your father. And I’m encouraging you that he will not reject or refuse your cry.
I will give you another example and then we begin to pray.
Many years ago, I pastored in Kano. And the landlord of the church building we were using was really harassing us because it was a rented apartment.
And he increased the rent by about 200 to 300 percent. And we couldn’t afford it. So he said, well, if we cannot afford it, we should move out.
So we decided to approach God in prayers. Beyond praying, we decided to task each family. We told members, in the next three months, I mean, whatever you can do, a percentage of your salary set aside so that we can buy a place, we didn’t even want to go and rent a place again.
We wanted to have our own land. That was how we began. We started with prayer.
Then we put a financial plan in place. Then one day I was in the office, one afternoon, I was praying. And I heard a sound by which, I mean, I heard the voice of God.
I pray that you will hear a sound today. You will hear the voice of God today in Jesus name, and as you move in that direction, you will get results. You will have enviable testimonies in the mighty name of Jesus.
As soon as I heard God’s voice, I stood up.
My wife said, where are you going? I said, I’m going somewhere. And I went to a place in Kano.
I went to meet one elderly man, and I told him our plight. He used to call me my pastor. He looked, he said, my pastor, are you serious? I said, I’m very serious, we are looking for a land, and the landlord is been oppressing us. He looked again and asked me again, are you really serious? I said, I’m very serious.
He then said he has a land, though many churches have come to request that he gives them that land, but he has refused. But this one that I have come, something is telling him to give us the land at a price, very ridiculous price, I mean ridiculously low.
When he mentioned it, I said, no, it was even too much, that we don’t even have the money. He said, all right. I think it’s God that sent you here, because if you have come in the next one hour, you won’t meet me.
I’ll be off for Christmas, and I’m going to Abuja, and I won’t return until after about two weeks. He said, all right. He brought the key.
He called one of his staff. He said, go and show pastor the place. The land was already fenced.
He said, if you like it, I’ll wait for you in 10 minutes. Come back and meet me. I said, what of the money? We don’t even have any money now, but I promise you later we will be able to, he said, you don’t need any problem, when you have the money, bring it.
He gave me the key, and it was on a Monday when we used to have prayer storm. When I got back to the church, and I announced that we have gotten a land, I mean, it was unbelievable. Hallelujah.
So, he gave us the land, and he even said out of the money that we were to pay for the land, we should remove N100,000 as his own donation. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
I heard a sound. I heard His voice. You too hear His voice, follow the promptings of the Lord and hold on to the promise of God.
Follow His direction, and by the grace of God, that particular branch of the church still stand on that land that was bought many years ago
I say you will receive answers this morning. So, what then is prevailing prayer? Prevailing prayer is a place of travail. When you’re talking about a travail, I’m talking about putting in some painful and laborious effort as in childbirth, and at the end of the day, you achieve satisfying goals or satisfying results, Hallelujah.
Fruitfulness is usually expected at the end of every travail and for you to prevail, in the place of prayers, you’ve got to be intentional, You’ve got to be purposeful, You’ve got to be focused.
I say that again. For you to prevail in the place of prayers, you’ve got to be intentional. You’ve got to be purposeful and you’ve got to have a focus. By focus, I mean void of distractions. Hallelujah.
Because it is what you conceive that you will ultimately birth. Hallelujah.
So, what is prevailing prayer?
Prevailing prayer is a place of judgment. By that I mean, Mark 11:25- “And when you stand praying, forgive, If you have ought against any, that your Father also, which is in heaven, may forgive your trespasses.
1 Corinthians 11:31, teaches us, “for if we will judge ourselves, we will not be judged”.
So, prevailing prayer is a place of judgment.
Is anything right in your hands? Is there any blemish around you? Are you carrying a weight of unforgiveness? Judge yourself to rectify and correct yourself
Correct every anomaly before you get to the place of prayers. Hallelujah.
What is prevailing prayers? It is a place of purity. Hallelujah.
The Bible speaks in 2 Timothy 2:19. “Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands as sure. Having this seal, this emblem of identification. The Lord knoweth them that are his. Let every man, every woman, that make mention of the name of the Lord. Let him depart from evil”.
And Psalm 66, verse 18 says, if I regard iniquity in my heart, hello, the Lord will not hear”. So, don’t pretend about it. Prevailing prayers is a place of purity.
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