Pray for someone……

“And when he saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded further and arrested Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week].

And when he had seized [Peter], he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers of four each to guard him, purposing after the Passover to bring him forth to the people. 

So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent prayer for him  was persistently made to God by the church (assembly). Acts 12:3-19

This year I made a decision to change the way I pray! I can’t pray the same way I prayed in 2014. There must be a change! So I started praying for others more frequently. I decided to take it seriously. I always knew it was the right thing to do but this year I got more serious about it. And then I came across the scripture above! Let me show you how it challenged me:

Peter was in deep trouble. Herod had arrested him and was planning to kill him to please the Jews! But the bible tells us,

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12:5

When I read this I realized something, our prayers have power, whether we are praying into situations we are facing in our own lives or whether we pray for people, our prayers have power.

The church prayed and Peter was delivered out of prison! He was rescued out of Herod’s hands! But get this, the church didn’t understand the power of prayer because when Peter came to their door they didn’t believe Rhoda! It can’t be so with us. We must pray with the understanding that our prayers are powerful and God answers prayer. I want to encourage you to pray for someone. Your prayer is important. It will make a difference in that person’s life.

The enemy doesn’t want us praying for each other.

Think about that! He too knows the power of prayer and he will do all he can to keep us from praying for each other. I will not stand for it, will you? Your prayer has the power to change someone else’s life!

Declare with me,

When I pray things happen.

My prayers have power.

When I pray chains are broken.

When I pray angels respond.

 

One last thing I want to share with you is this:

 

 

Peter was in the most hopeless of situations.

He was guarded by four squads of soldiers of four soldiers each.

He had two soldiers in his cell!

He was bound with two chains in his cell!

There were soldiers outside his cell!

 

If that is not a hopeless situation I don’t know what is. But it is through prayer Peter was set free! No matter how hopeless it seemed he was set free because of prayer! And that for me shows me the power of prayer. Don’t despise the power of prayer! When you pray for yourself or are praying for someone else, know your prayer has power!  God is so good……Amen!

Rolain

 

 

How to Overcome “Jericho”!

We all have insurmountable challenges in our lives. We face situations that threaten to drown us or take us out for good but what do we do in those threatening or seemingly hopeless situations?! The answer is found in the book of Joshua. A friend of mine shared this revelation with me years ago but as I read the story of Joshua this past week I was reminded of what it meant.
The Israelite s had just crossed the Jordon and were in the promise land about to carry out what God had called them to do but understand they had never seen walled cities before. They had never seen giants before and the first place they had to defeat had all of that!!!
Were they afraid, I think so. Did they have doubts, I think so. But look at what the word says in Joshua 5:13-15;

And then this, while Joshua was there near Jericho: He looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing, holding his drawn sword.
Joshua stepped up to him and said, “Whose side are you on – ours or our enemies?”
He said, Neither. I’m commander of God’s army. I’ve just arrived.” Joshua fell to the ground, and worshiped. He asked,
“What orders does my Master have for his servant?”
God’s army commander ordered Joshua, “Take your sandals off your feet. The place you are standing is holy.” Joshua did it.

Joshua approached Jericho but instead of looking at Jericho and its walls he looked up!!! He knew there was Someone bigger than “Jericho”! When he looked up, he saw God, he saw his deliverance! That’s what happens when you look up instead of your problem, your “Jericho”.
When you focus on your problem you become like the 10 spies who saw defeat. They saw no answer to their problem. All they saw were giants and walls and grasshoppers!!!!
By looking at Jericho they lost sight of how big God really was…
When we focus on the “Jericho” in our lives we lose sight of God and how big God really is. Instead you begin to focus on the details. I never finished school so I am not smart enough, I didn’t get brought up in a rich family, I never went to university, I am not tall enough, I am the wrong color, I am not rich enough, I am fat and so on and so on!
When you come to your “Jericho” learn to look up. Your deliverance comes from looking up at God who is bigger than anything we will ever face!!!
Watch and see how small your problems are against a big God!!!

So as I conclude this post I would really like you to think about where you are focused when you approach the “Jericho’s” in your life. It’s ok to see the facts and even admit there is a problem but don’t stop there. Yes, Jericho is a walled city and it has giants but God is our Deliverer, He is our Rock and Strong Tower!
He is our only Hope in the face of insurmountable challenges!

Rolain

 

Is Your Life Balanced?

There needs to be a balance in our lives. A lot of Christians like to get stuck in one truth and that’s all they ever see. Some of us get stuck in prosperity or giving, or faith forgetting the other important things that make up Christianity. We need to strike a balance in our walk. It is not one or the other thing but it is all those things that make us successful.

 At bible school the lecturer made a very interesting observation. He said a lot of Christians pray and pray but don’t praise. He then told a true story about a traveling pastor who was sick. Every where this pastor went he asked people to pray for him but nothing changed. His sickness remained. One day the pastor went before God and asked Him why he was still sick despite the countless prayers being offered for him. God showed him a vision of measuring scales. On one scale was praise and the other was prayer. The scale which was prayer was filled and it far outweighed praise. God then told him that the reason nothing was happening was because there was no praise in his life. The man began praising God everyday and within no time he was healed of his sickness completely!!! That is the power of prayer and praise. The two go hand in hand.

Let me show you this principle in action in scripture. In Acts 16:23-36 we read about Paul and Silas.

In verse 25 up to 26 it reads, “but about the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were making prayers and songs to God in the hearing of the prisoners;
And suddenly there was an earth-shock, so that the base of the prison was moved; and all the doors came open, and everyone’s chains came off.
Notice, they prayed first but only as they praised God did the deliverance come through. A lot of the time we have prayed and prayed but with no answer while God was waiting for us to praise Him! There is power in prayer, no doubt but there is also power in thanksgiving and praise.

For another example we are going to look at 2 Chronicles 20. In verse 2 we read how Jehoshaphat got some disturbing news about a great army coming towards him. In his fear, he prayed to God for help. But notice that he didn’t get his deliverance then. The Lord answered his prayer but he didn’t get his manifestation then.  The manifestation only came when he praised God! The enemy still advanced after he prayed but it is only when he praised that the deliverance came.

It is the same with us. We should pray, we NEED to pray but it should be coupled with praise! Is your life balanced? Is your scale balanced? This is for all of us. I know that my scale is not balanced. My praise and thanksgiving is very low but I want it to increase!

Praise is acting like we have the answer – David Divelbiss

I have been so challenged by this word, I hope you have too. Let us practice praying and praising. Our praise is an act of faith towards God. It is our praise to God that releases our faith! Prayer is powerful, praise is powerful but together you become unstoppable!

God bless

Rolain

 

Are You Really Desperate?

How hungry are you for God? How desperate are you for Him? Are you as desperate as Jacob was? He was sleeping alone and about to meet his brother Esau. This is what the word says:

And Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until daybreak.
And when [the Man] saw that He did not prevail against [Jacob], He touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob’s thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with Him.
Then He said, Let Me go, for day is breaking. But [Jacob] said, I will not let You go unless You declare a blessing upon me.
Genesis 32: 24-26

Jacob was desperate for a blessing and he fought with everything within him. He would not let go at any cost. Even after his thigh was put out of joint, Jacob never let go. He was desperate.

Can your desperation match Jacob’s?

But I have realised something. We ask for more of God but we don’t put any action to our prayer. We ask for more of God and just keep on sitting down expecting sparks and fireworks!! We ask for more of God but don’t pray more. We ask for more of God but we don’t read our bibles more. Instead we just sit there. We don’t change what we watch. We don’t change how we speak. We just keep on living the same way we did before we prayed! Are our actions sending the right signals?
I was in this boat sometime ago. I would pray and pray for more of God but really not change anything.
People of old were wiling to give their lives for more of God. They were desperate for God and they showed it through their actions. And they are our models today.
We need God and we love Him desperately so let us show Him through our actions.

Rolain.P