PRAYING CONTINUALLY AND STANDING FIRM

1 THESSALONIANS 5:17 “PRAY CONTINUALLY”

MATTHEW 24:13 “HE WHO STANDS FIRM TO THE END WILL BE SAVED”

PRAYING CONTINUALLY AND STANDING FIRM. THESE ARE TWO BASIC THINGS A BELIEVER MUST DO. TO DEFINE THESE IN ONE WORD MEANS; FAITHFULNESS. TO REMAIN FAITHFUL NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION WILL BE. IT IS IN THE DIFFICULT AND HARD TIMES THAT FAITHFULNESS IS TESTED AND WILL REVEAL WHO ARE TRULY THE FAITHFUL ONES. THERE SHOULD BE NO ROOM FOR US TO TURN OUR BACKS AWAY FROM GOD ANYMORE. INSTEAD, LET’S KEEP ON SERVING THE LORD FAITHFULLY AS THE DAY OF HIS COMING IS FAST AND FINALLY APPROACHING. TO REMAIN PRAYERFUL AND TO STAND FIRM ON THE FAITH IS WHAT MATTERS MOST NOW. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT MANY CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS ARE STILL LACKING THESE ESSENTIAL QUALITIES SO THEY JUST IGNORE AND TREAT IT AS ORDINARY AND DOESN’T HAVE THE PASSION TO DO SO. A PERSON WHO DOES NOT PRAY AND DOES NOT STAND FIRM IN FAITH IS NOT EVEN WORTHY TO BE CALLED A BELIEVER.

LET ME TALK ABOUT PRAYER FIRST. I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE AND NOW I AM DISCUSSING IT AGAIN AS I FIND IT TIMELY AND ALWAYS ESSENTIAL. IS PRAYER SO IMPORTANT? AMEN! THUS, IF IT IS IMPORTANT THEN WE MUST HAVE TO PRAY. THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE PRAYING?

PRAYER IS A SOLID SPIRITUAL COMMUNICATION TO GOD. THEREFORE, WE HAVE TO VALUE ITS IMPORTANCE. THAT IS TO MAINTAIN A LIFE OF PRAYING REGULARLY WITHOUT GETTING WEARY. IMAGINE A LIFE WITHOUT PRAYER, WHAT WILL HAPPEN? IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT LACKING IN PRAYER MEANS, NO CONNECTION AND NO RELATION BETWEEN YOU AND GOD. NEGLECTING TO PRAY OR NOT EVEN PRAYING AT ALL ALSO MEANS, YOU DO NOT VALUE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. A PERSON WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH SOMEBODY WILL ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ONE WHOM HE OR SHE WAS IN LOVE WITH. CONSEQUENTLY, AS TO THE ONE WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH GOD, HE OR SHE WILL ALWAYS MAKE A WAY TO REACH TO HIM TOO. AS FAR AS RELATIONSHIP IS CONCERN, THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION ALWAYS CAUSE A MAJOR TROUBLE TO ANY AND EVERY KIND OF RELATIONSHIPS. EVENTUALLY, IT LEADS TO DIVORCE OR SEPARATION. FOR GOD IS NOT A LOADING MACHINE THAT YOU ONLY COME TO HIM WHEN YOU NEED HIM. OR, HE IS NOT EVEN A GROCERY STORE THAT YOU ONLY COME TO HIM ONCE IN A WHILE TO BUY SOMETHING THEN JUST LEAVE HIM WHEN YOU TOOK ALL THAT YOU WANTED. WITHOUT CONNECTION TO GOD, WE ARE SPIRITUALLY DEAD. JUST LIKE A BRANCH THAT IS CUT OFF FROM THE VINE – JOHN 15. A BRANCH THAT IS NOT CONNECTED WILL SLOWLY WITHER/DRY AND DIE. YOU MIGHT BE PHYSICALLY ALIVE BUT ARE NOT SUPPLIED WITH THE NUTRIENTS THAT IS COMING FROM THE VINE. YOUR LIFE IS EMPTY WITHOUT PRAYER. YOU FEEL DEFEATED, THERE IS NO PEACE, NO JOY, NO EXCITEMENT, AND NO HAPPINESS. AS CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS, ONE OF OUR PRIMARY MANDATE IS TO PRAY CONTINUALLY. “ARE WE ONLY PRAYING NOW BECAUSE OF THE DEADLY CORONA VIRUS? ARE WE JUST PRAYING NOW BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID TO DIE AND WE WANT GOD TO SPARE US? NEVERTHELESS, IT IS GOOD THAT YOU ARE REMINDED TO PRAY. 1 THES. 5:17 SAYS, PRAY CONTINUALLY! IT IS SAID THAT WE HAVE TO PRAY UNCEASINGLY. NOT GROWING WEARY. AS A CHURCH, PRAYER SHOULD BE OUR LIFESTYLE! A PRAYING CHURCH IS AN OBEDIENT CHURCH, A STRONG AND FRUITFUL CHURCH. JESUS HIMSELF TAUGHT ABOUT PRAYER AND COMMANDED HIS DISCIPLES TO DO SO. MATTHEW 24:20, “PRAY FOR YOUR FLIGHT OR YOUR DEPARTURE...” THEREFORE, “KEEP WATCH!” – MATTHEW 24:42. IN KEEPING UP WITH PRAYER, WE MUST A PORTION A TIME TO PRAY. SETTING ASIDE OUR DAILY CHORES SO WE COULD FOCUS. IT IS A TIME TO TALK TO GOD, A TIME TO LISTEN, A TIME TO FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM. SO, PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS!

AS WE WAIT ON THE LORD AND PRAY, WE SHOULD ALSO REMAIN STEADFAST AND STAND FIRM ON OUR FAITH. BECAUSE, “ONLY THOSE WHO STAND FIRM UNTIL THE END WILL BE SAVED.” JESUS HAD WARNED HIS DISCIPLES THAT IN THIS END TIMES, MANY WILL ABANDONED THEIR FAITH, THEY GET COLD AND THEY BECAME HATERS -MATTHEW 24:10-11. MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE NOT ONE OF THEM! STANDING FIRM HAS TO DO WITH MANY SPIRITUAL THINGS. IT CAN BE LIKE; WAITING PATIENTLY, PERSEVERANCE, ENDURANCE, SEEK AND DESIRE TO CONSTANTLY LIVE IN THE WILL OF GOD, OBEDIENCE, SACRIFICE, REMAIN COMMITTED OR DEVOTED, BEING PREPARED OR KEEPING OUR LIVES HOLY AND PLEASING TO GOD AND ESPECIALLY LIVING WITH THE POWER AND GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. WE CANNOT SURVIVE WITH OUR OWN! WHY DO WE NEED TO STAND FIRM? OF COURSE, SO THAT WE WILL NOT FALL. BUT CERTAINLY, IT IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE. HOW DO WE STAND FIRM THEN? MAINTAIN A STRONG CONNECTION OR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD. REMAIN IN THE LORD! WHAT TO DO TO STAND FIRM? PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD!

EPHESIANS 6:10-18

The Full Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.