DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - WEDNESDAY: Principles For Praying That Pleases Our Saviour

"If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one GO there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for." - Charles Spurgeon.
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First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. -- 1Tim 2:1-4.

In our battle against the enemy, prayer is the key! Paul seen the need to encourage Timothy in the matter of prayer, there is a power in prayer that will defeat the enemy and change our lives in a style we really desire. So the purpose of this series is to encourage all of us to pray more!

The great battles, the battles that decide our destiny and the destiny of generations yet unborn, are not fought on public platforms, but in the lonely hours of the night and in moments of agony. --- Samuel Logan Brengle.

The battle that we are in now is this; more souls need to be won for Christ, the Church needs to be strengthened and encouraged! We need to learn to pray in specifics rather than generalities - to pray retail rather than wholesale. Our Second Principle is…

Pray That They Might Come to the Knowledge of the Truth
Pray to build relationships... To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. --1 Cor 9:22.

Paul identified with people, sharing their hurts and problems, not judging them, not doing anything unlawful, not trying to look down on them, just identifying with their needs. This what we must do also!

Pray for opportunities to witness… At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison -- Col 4:3. A door for speaking the word of God. It is comforting to other Christians, to see the greatest of all preachers here, asking prayer that he may be set free again to preach. Hallelujah!

Pray for boldness to speak the word… And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, --Acts 4:29. This means, to literally speak the word with all boldness and to go on speaking the word.

Peter and John had defied the Sanhedrin in Act 4:20 “… for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." However, the more they prayed for courage in deed, to live up to their brave words, the better it became. A dynamic lesson.

James Duncan, preaching with great unction and power, was asked what was the secret of such powerful preaching. "The secret," he said, "was thirteen hours of consecutive prayer."

David Livingston of Scotland, on two different occasions, preached with such power that in each service 500 were converted. Both sermons were preceded by a night of prayer.

When asked the secret of his spiritual power, Charles Spurgeon said: "Knee work! Knee work!"

Charles Finney, after spending a day in the woods in prayer and fasting, preached that night in a phenomenally irreligious congregation. The sermon was accompanied by such divine power that the whole congregation, except one man, fell prostrate upon the floor, and voiced their agony under conviction of sin, in such loud outcries that the preacher was forced to stop.

Of "Uncle" John Vassar, The Tract Society colporteur, his pastor says: "He absolutely prayed day and night -- prayed about everything, prayed for almost everything, prayed with almost everybody he met. He prayed when he went out and when he came in. He prayed before every religious service, and then prayed all the way through it. I have occupied the same room with him night after night, and rarely went to sleep without hearing him in prayer, or awoke without finding him in prayer." Christ Life Newsletter.

So, no matter what the situation is, we must pray, and not just a lip service to our Lord, but a crying from the heart, an agony from within our soul, allowing the Holy Spirit to direct us!

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to be a prayer warrior for you, that I might please you! Help me to pray for building relationships, for opportunities to witness and for boldness to speak your word! In Jesus name I pray! Amen.