Transcription
We titled the message "The Most Effective and Rewarding Prayer Points," and we'll be sharing on Part One today. By the grace of God, we should take the second part next Sunday. "The Most Effective and Rewarding Prayer Points." Please open with me to First Chronicles, chapter 4, verse 9 to 10. First Chronicles, chapter 4, verse 9 to 10.
I will be reading from the Contemporary English Version and then also from The Living Bible. So, from the Contemporary English Version, First Chronicles, chapter 4, 9 to 10, it says: "Jabez was a man who got his name because of the pain he caused his mother during birth, but he was still the most respected son in his family. One day he prayed to Israel's God, 'Please bless me and give me a lot of land. Be with me so I will be safe from harm.' And God did just what Jabez had asked."
The Living Bible, First Chronicles, chapter 4, verse 9 to 10, it says: "Jabez was more distinguished than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because she had a hard time at his birth. Jabez means distress. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that You would wonderfully bless me and help me in my work! Please be with me in all that I do and keep me from all evil and disaster.' And God granted him his request."
Let me re-emphasize again that there are two principal factors that are essential for optimum results in prayer. And the first one has to do with how we pray. And this has to do with the manner, the pattern, the mood in which we are praying. And secondly, what we pray for, which is in the area of our focus. In this message, what we pray for, and this has to do with the contents, the specific needs, specific desires, the purpose, foresight, and wisdom of our prayer points.
Now, I share five revised lessons from the prayer of Jabez. One, that it shows you the importance of making specific and strategic prayer points. Jabez was very specific about what he desired from God. God responded to the four specific things he asked for in his request.
The second takeaway from the prayer of Jabez is that he was strategic in his choice of words that he used in his prayer points. The magnitude, the quality, and quantity of what he desired was clearly specified in his prayer points. For instance, he said, "Oh, that You would wonderfully bless me." He didn't just ask God to bless him. The magnitude of the kind of blessing he expected from God was clearly specified. And then he said again, "Please bless me and give me a lot of land." Jabez didn't just ask for land; they asked God specifically for a lot of land.
Now, number three, the takeaway from the prayer of Jabez is that praying with the right prayer points can greatly influence what will subsequently happen in the physical realm. Praying with the right prayer points can greatly influence what will subsequently happen in the physical realm. Praying with the right prayer points can make life far better for you and also for those you are praying for. You can influence God to create the kind of life.
The fourth takeaway: You can influence God to create the kind of life you want by the contents of your prayer points. And number five, you can also influence God to create the kind of life you want for your loved ones by the contents of your prayer points for them.
Now, understanding the importance of our prayer points. Prayer is not just a communion between man and God. Prayer is a spiritual force. James 5:16. Prayer is a spiritual force that moves God to execute those things that have been specifically mentioned by those praying in their prayer points. A prayer point is a seed in the spiritual realm. A prayer point is a seed in the spiritual realm. In order for God to execute specific things in the physical realm, specific prayer points concerning such needs or desires must first of all be offered to God in the spirit realm.
In James chapter 4, verse 2, James chapter 4, verse 2, Amplified Bible, it says: "You do not have because you do not ask." And you know, we all experience this from time to time. Something that burdens your heart could be going on, and you have talked so much about it. You are praying at that time, but somehow you fail to observe that this thing that is, uh, taking so much of my attention and causing so much concern for me, for some people, it's not actually part of what I'm praying about. So, in James chapter 4, verse 2, he says, "This happens from time to time. There are things we desire, there are needs we have, and we want those needs attended to, but somehow we fail to mention them in the time of prayer."
They are certain things that must first of all be asked for in prayer for God to make them happen in the physical. In order to bring about the physical manifestation of certain promises of God, someone has to mention them to God in prayer. Someone has to mention them to God in prayer. Certain promises of God must first of all be activated for execution in the physical realm, and this is done by mentioning them in your prayer points. You must mention, make reference to those promises of God in your prayer points. It could be promises of divine health, promises of divine provision, promises of divine protection. Prayer points are very important and necessary for the fulfillment of God's plan in the physical realm. Absolutely necessary.
Whenever God wants to execute specific things in the physical realm, He would first of all inspire at least one person, at least one person, to pray and intercede about such things. That is why the Holy Spirit consistently helps us to pray the right prayer points. Every time we pray in tongues, The Living Bible captures the message excellently in God's Word in Romans chapter 8, verse 26 to 27. Romans 8:26 to 27, Living Bible: "And in the same way, by our faith, the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying, for we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how to pray as we should. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words. And the Father, who knows all hearts, knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying as He pleads for us in harmony with God's own will."
I pray that more than ever before, you will pray not only in the understanding but also in the Spirit as often as necessary, every new day, in the name of Jesus. From time to time, there will be specific things that God wants us to pray about that we may not even be aware of. And that is why whenever we pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit helps us to pray over such prayer points. These divinely inspired prayer points could be concerning you, your loved ones, your family, the church, your nation, for certain leaders, or for specific people.
Now, take note of this: The main act of praying does not necessarily move God to overturn issues and challenges. Rather, it is when you pray with specific prayer points that specify such issues and challenges that God is committed to intervene concerning them. An excellent example was the case of Daniel. If you're having a hint of his lifestyle, in Daniel chapter 6, the Bible tells us that he had a habit of praying at least three times every day. However, in Daniel chapter 2, even though he had this habit in his prayer life, praying consistently, in Daniel chapter 2, there was a big problem. The king, in whose palace he was serving, had a dream that troubled him, but he could not even remember the dream, talk less of the interpretation. So, he called all the gifted and talented men that he assembled in his palace, and of course, Daniel was one of them, and told them to tell him his dream and give him the interpretation. And of course, those men could not. So, the king got angry and threatened to kill them.
It was in the midst of this that Daniel pleaded to have audience with the king, and he begged the king to please give him time, just give him time to get back to him on that issue. And what was his intention? He had a plan, and that plan was to have a serious prayer session. And in that prayer session, exclusive attention was given to just one issue, and that issue was the dream of the king and its interpretation. So, Daniel got his three close friends and prayer partners, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and they had just one night vigil. Just one night vigil. But interestingly, what happened in that vigil was that they didn't pray about other things that they usually pray about on a daily basis. All the prayer points they took that night had to do with the king's dream and the interpretation. And by the time they were done, before they broke, there was a breakthrough.
I pray for you right now that at this point in time, whatever is that issue that needs urgent attention from God, you will have a breakthrough in prayer. You will have a breakthrough in prayer, in the name of Jesus. God will give you the answer. God will show you the solution. And whatever was the big issue, you are coming out of it with a testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ. And by daybreak, before Daniel woke up after the vigil, everything he needed to know, everything he asked for in that night of prayer, was revealed to him by God. I hear the Lord saying to someone here, the answer is coming from God's presence, and you will get it now, in the name of Jesus.
So, the main act of praying does not necessarily move God. But when we pray with specific prayer points that have to do with the particular issue, the particular challenge, the particular need or desire, that is when God is committed to respond to that particular issue, that particular challenge, need, or desire.
Now, in Matthew chapter 18, verse 18 to 19, it says: "And whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven." So, this first of all implies the need for prayer, and secondly, it also emphasizes the need for specific prayer points and prophetic declarations. First, it implies that until you bind on earth, heaven will not enforce what you desire. Secondly, it also implies that it is exactly what you tell God through your prayer point, to bind through your prophetic declaration, to bind, that God will subsequently enforce.
Have this in mind: Satan cannot, I repeat, cannot stop the power and impact of prayer. It is too powerful. However, what he would rather do to stop the effect of certain prayer points is to distract you from praying certain prayer points that could prevent or overcome him from doing what he intends to do. So, you can be praying, and Satan is still doing what he has planned to do until you start praying at least one prayer point that addresses and counters that oppression of the enemy. The enemy operation may go on, even though you are spending time every day in the place of prayer.
So, it begins to open up to you now that you must at every point in time be raising specific prayer points during your time of prayer that are relevant to the burdens of your heart, that are relevant to your current pursuit, that are relevant to your heart's desire. So, Satan will do everything to distract you from praying those prayer points, those particular prayer points. You can rise up at midnight to 2 a.m. and pray, and an agent of darkness in your house is not disturbed. You can wake up every 12 midnight to 12 to 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. or 1 a.m. and you pray, and an agent of darkness is operating in witchcraft from the same house. It is until when you start raising at least a particular prayer point that counters the oppression of that agent of darkness that is when that agent of darkness will begin to feel and be affected by the impact of your prayers at midnight.
So, what do you take out from this? Midnight is an excellent time. Midnight through the window of midnight through 2 a.m. is an excellent time for spiritual warfare. However, you can pray at that same window of time, and an agent of darkness around you is still in operation. It is when you raise the appropriate warfare prayer points while you are praying that the spiritual benefit of engaging in midnight prayers as a counter to the operations of agents of darkness would be realized.
Another thing the enemy would do is that he will also distract you from praying certain prayer points at the best time, at the best time that you should have prayed them. So, what kind of specific prayer points should we always pray? I'll share on ten of them in this first part. We'll look at six of them, and in the second part, we'll look at the other points.
So, what kind of specific prayer points should you always pray? One, always have a list of thanksgiving prayer points. Always have a list of thanksgiving prayer points. You should always have a list of things to thank God for. We've sung that song many times: "Count your blessings, name them one by one." Do we really do that? You should always include your recently answered prayers on that thanksgiving prayer list. You prayed for six months, and God did it. At least for the next six days, for the next one week, for the next one month, let God also hear you thanking Him for that same thing you prayed over for six months, which He has now done. Because what usually happens in the place of prayer is that we come before God with different issues, and some of them, we prayed over them for a year, six months, four months. Some, we've taken it to another level through fasting, and then God, our Lord, is moved and responds to that call. Unfortunately, when God has done it, the best that comes from most people is that just the very day that thing was done, God will hear them say, "Thank you, Lord." And sometimes it's just an expression, not necessarily an intentional thank you being offered to God. Maybe you just heard the news that that thing has now come true. "I thank God." But by the next morning, you'll be surprised that that man, that woman, that God has just answered a prayer I prayed or she prayed for six months, may not now begin the day's devotion by saying, "Lord, I thank You for this thing that You have just done for me." And it will not be complete for you to just say, "Lord, thank You for so much You have done for me." No, that is a starting point. You would need to mention the particular thing that God has just done, which was settled yesterday. And sometimes God can see how grateful you are by the extension of your thanksgiving over a particular thing He has done. When you keep on thanking God for something He has done for so long, it is a reflection of how much you value that thing, how much you are relieved, how much you are happy and grateful to God for doing that thing for you. And I can tell you this: anytime God sees your heart being expressed in gratitude towards Him in this fashion, be ready. Whatever you have listed on your prayer list will equally receive speedy attention by God, and God will give you attention above other believers that are not as grateful as you are. I pray that whenever God is making reference to His sons and daughters who are always grateful and thankful, I pray that your name will be mentioned by the Almighty. Let the Lord hear you say, "Amen." So, you should always include your recently answered prayers, fulfilled prophecies, on your list of thanksgiving prayers.
Number two, always create specific prayer points. Always create specific prayer points for different things that you desire from God. Always create specific prayer points. So, if he asked for just one thing, God would have done it for him. If he asked for two, and in this instance, he asked for four specific things, God did do just those four things for him. And always have this in mind: if any of those four prayer points was for the husband, for the wife, for the son, for the daughter, for the father, for the mother, for a good, a close friend, a channel of blessing to his life, if one of those prayer points was also for someone else, the same way God honored his prayers, his prayer point for that other person would equally have been answered. In The Living Bible of the same verse 10, it says: "And God granted him his request." His request, not all his desires, but his request. So, you can see it was the specific things that Jabez asked for that God did for him. So, once you are convinced about something in particular that needs to be addressed or achieved, raise a prayer point for it and write it down. Write it down.
Number three, always raise prayer points based on divine revelation. Always raise prayer points based on divine revelation. Divine revelation can be received through the Bible, dreams, visions, the Rhema word, or through prophetic preaching and teaching. So, you will need to always raise specific prayer points based on divinely revealed information or direction, which could be about the past, it could be about the present, or it could also be about the future. Like we have emphasized from time to time, whenever you have a dream, two things are usually required of you: one is to raise a prayer, a prayer point that addresses what that dream was revealing, and then secondly, you may need to take a particular action relative to the meaning and message of that dream.
And number four, you will need to pray investigative prayer points. Investigative prayer points. David did these from time to time. And if you are involved in deliverance ministry and deliverance issues consistently, then of course, you must be praying this prayer on it on a consistent basis. In Mark 9:29, Mark chapter 9, verse 29, our Lord Jesus was speaking. He said, "This kind," referring to the spirit that was in a young boy for so many years, and that spirit had tried, according to the testimony of his father in Mark chapter 9, the father of the boy, he said the spirit had tried to kill him, got him killed in different ways over time. And this spirit was so stubborn and strong that even the apostles, who were already ministering to the sick and the oppressed at that time, tried to minister to this young boy, and they could not cast out the spirit until Jesus came down from the mountain where He was and asked what was going on, and they told Him, and He ministered to the young boy. And so they asked Him, "Master, why could we not cast out this devil in this young boy?" And our Lord Jesus said, "This kind cannot go forth, cannot be cast out, except through prayers and fasting."
So, that boy's problem was a spiritual issue. It was a spiritual issue. At certain times, you would need to raise prayer points asking for the secret of the problem to be revealed, asking for the cause of the problem, of the challenge, to be revealed. There is something not just right. We say this from time to time. The Spirit of God in you gives sickness. That something is just not right. But then, most times, God is expecting you to turn that thought in your heart into a prayer. I'm talking about the secret behind the problem. You see an example in Second Samuel chapter 21, verse 1. No rain in the land in the time of King David, but the problem was caused in the time of King Saul, whom he succeeded, and that dragged on for some time until they had to inquire from God, and God revealed the reason behind a closed heaven. It was because of this thing. And talking about the root cause of the problem, you see another instance in First Samuel chapter 1, verse 5, and then Second Samuel chapter 6, verse 23. So, you accept, you seek the face of God through a specific prayer point, asking Him to reveal the secret of the problem, to reveal certain things that cannot naturally be discovered. There may that issue must drag on for a while. So, sometimes you would also need to pray for the power behind the problem to be revealed.
In Daniel chapter 10, verse 13, Daniel decided to seek God's face, and from what the angel of God later shared with him, from the first day he prayed and fasted, God answered. And you know, when God answers our prayer, He also, one of the things that happens is that He gives us a signal in our spirit, and we just, we just have that feeling that the Lord has heard us, the Lord has heard this prayer, the Lord, I just have the feeling that the Lord has answered this prayer. Daniel obviously would have had that kind of feeling at the end of that first day. However, the answer he was expecting from God did not manifest because a very powerful demonic spirit, called the Prince of Persia, had blocked the second heavens, in the route of the angel that God specifically sent to bring the answer of Daniel's prayer to him. So, there could be a spirit like the Prince of Persia, in the case of Daniel, that is currently standing as an obstacle in the way of God's answer to your prayer. I stand as God's servant with you right now, and I pray with you that whatever spiritual opposition, whatever spiritual obstacle is standing in the way of God's answer to your prayer, we bind and we cast them out in the name of Jesus. We ask and we receive right now angelic intervention to bring forth a release in the physical realm of God's answer to that prayer, in the name of Jesus. Every stubborn spirit that is contending with a channel and instrument through which God has sent the answer to your prayer, we overthrow that spirit in the name of Jesus. We bind and cast out that demon in the name of Jesus. Receive God's answer to your prayer. Receive in the physical realm now God's answer to your prayer. That prayer in your spiritual life, receive the answer. That prayer concerning your ministry, receive the answer. That prayer concerning your health, receive the answer. That prayer concerning your finances, receive the answer. Receive the answer. That prayer concerning a dear and loved one, receive the answer in the name of Jesus. Someone say, "I will." Someone say, "I receive it now." In the name of Jesus. It is done. It is done. It is done. In the name of Jesus.
So, the cause and power behind the problem must be identified and overcome decisively through specific prayer points. In Matthew chapter 12, Matthew chapter 12, verse 29, Matthew chapter 12, verse 29, King James Version, it says: "Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his house?" And what do you take out of that? For certain victories to be secured, the strong man behind the problem must first of all be decisively dealt with. So, specific prayer points against the power behind the problem must be decisively addressed during prayers.
Number five, always pray for God's guidance and direction. Always pray for God's guidance and direction. You should always prayerfully find out the mind of God on various issues before you take a major decision, before you make an important choice, or before you take a major action. In Joshua chapter 9, verse 14, Joshua chapter 9, verse 14, the New International Version, it says: "The Israelites sampled, referring to the Gibeonites. Now, some put their provisions, but did not inquire of the Lord. Did not inquire of the Lord." It is instructive to note that this agreement with the Gibeonites turned out to be very deceptive, very deceptive, and was a serious mistake by the elders of Israel. So, always inquire about God's mind and approval on sensitive issues before you take a final decision. For example, King David always inquired of the Lord before embarking on any military battle. He always inquired from the Lord. So, before getting involved in certain agreements, ask God in prayer. Before agreeing to a long-term commitment, long-term partnership, or close relationship, especially the choice of a spouse, ask God specifically in prayer. And when it comes to issues of marriage, don't ever, don't ever go into marriage without you personally having a conviction from the Lord, even if the person proposing to you is a pastor that you respect so well, credible, and yes, from God. When it comes to the issue of marriage, the implications of marriage on the life of any man or woman and your destiny is so far-reaching that you cannot afford to commit yourself into the hands of any man or woman without you personally also hearing from God. Before engaging, embarking on major investments, major investments, pray. Pray, "Lord, should I?" Others may be making so much money from that same business, from that same kind of investment, but in your own circumstance, maybe something was going to happen, and it may not necessarily work out for you, or you may not actually be cut out for that kind of business. So, before also embarking on a major relocation, you need to seek the face of God. It may be God's will for somebody to relocate, but be sure about the location. Be sure about the location, so you don't relocate from where eventually turns out to be better off than where you have relocated to.
So, you need to prayerfully find out God's preferred choice. When it comes also to the selection of people, in the part of getting it right with God's perfect will, mature believers will always prayerfully ask God, "Who is that person that You prefer to be chosen or selected for this particular thing?" Mature believers will always prayerfully ask the Lord, "Who would You prefer to be appointed? Who would You prefer to be promoted?" Ecclesiastes chapter 10, verse 10. Ecclesiastes verse 10 says: "Wisdom is profitable to direct." So, many breakthroughs will become a reality as God gives us direction on how, where, when, and who we need to enter into the realization of such a hard desire. Praying for divine direction about how has to do with God's approved strategy, the best approach, method, or specific details on how to go about it. Praying for divine direction about where has to do with God's approved location, organization, or institution. Praying for divine direction about when has to do with God's preferred timing, the best time, or the right time. And then praying for divine direction about who has to do with the right choice of human instruments.
And then finally, for this first part of the message, point number six: You would need to pray with proactive and preventive prayer points. You would need to pray with proactive and preventive prayer points. In Proverbs chapter 22, verse 3, Proverbs 22, verse 3, Living Bible: "A prudent man foresees, foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them. Foresees the danger ahead, foresees the problem ahead, foresees the challenge ahead, and prepares for them. But the unwise man goes blindly on and suffers the consequences." So, your prayer points should be proactive. You must learn to strategically pray certain prayer points on time or ahead of time. There are times when the timing of your prayers could affect the results and desired effect of your prayers. The perfect timing of when prayers and intercession are offered to God goes a long way to guarantee God's timely response to such prayers, to such prayer requests. So, at certain times, if you don't pray with a relevant prayer point on time, you may not get the results on time.
Praise the Lord. So, there are quite a number of issues that play out in life that for you and your loved ones to be delivered from such things, you will need to pray ahead. Make have prayer points that pray that God should keep you and your loved ones from such negative experiences or evil. And once you have already prayed ahead, God Almighty would then do the needful, in the name of Jesus Christ.
In the second part of this message, we'll then look at the other four points and some closing insights that will help you to get the best in the time of prayer using strategic and specific prayer points. Praise the Lord.