OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 07/05/2014 - TALKING TO JESUS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

TALKING TO JESUS

MEMORISE

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

Matthew 7:7

READ

Matthew 6:5-13

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

MESSAGE

Prayer is talking to Jesus. There is nothing as sweet as talking to Jesus because the Most High loves to hear our voices. Prayer is the soul of man talking to God. It is worship addressed to God the Father, in the Name of God the Son, through the power of God the Holy Spirit. John 14:13 says:

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

Prayer consists of at least four parts: these are adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. Adoration denotes praises and worship of God for who God is. For example God is good, merciful, powerful and just. When you praise God for who He is, rather than for what He has done for you, it is true worship (Psalm, 95:6-7). The second part is confession or repentance from every known sin (Psalm 32:5). This will be followed by washing in the blood of Jesus Christ. If you are sanctified and have no sin to confess, wash in the blood all the same; you cannot be too clean. Thanksgiving is the third division of prayer. Be thankful for anything and everything that God has done (Philippians 4:6). The fourth division is supplication. It is at this juncture that intercession, requests, petitions and desires are addressed to God in the Name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Timothy 2:1). God answers prayers and you can pray anywhere (1 Timothy 2:8). Just as you can pray anywhere, you can also pray at anytime. You should pray daily (Psalm 86:3), and you should pray always (Luke 18:1). You can take any posture in prayer. It is not only when you are on your knees with your eyes closed that you can pray. You can pray as you drive to work, while at work or while resting. A question many people ask is, ‘What am I to pray for?’ Many people cannot pray for long because their prayer is selfish, that is, they pray only for themselves. Prayers should not be selfish. You can pray for the sick (James 5:13-16). You can pray for all men: for the President, Governors, Pastors, Church Workers, the children, the youths and the elders (1 Timothy 2:1-4). You should also pray for your enemies (Matthew 5:44). Pray for wisdom and understanding (1 Kings 3:9). Pray for personal safety and for the safety of others (John 17:15); pray for the second coming of Christ, that you may be able to do the will of the Lord. You can also include specific individual requests. By following these guidelines, you will be able to pray without ceasing. We should be guided by the Holy Spirit in our prayers (Romans 8:26-27). You must pray with humility and faith

ACTION POINT

Using the suggested prayer points, pray persistently for thirty minutes.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Genesis 11:10-14:24;

Psalm 101