Prayer No: 7 (Prayer and Power)

By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 30 September 05)

Power without prayer is not power and prayer without power is not prayer. If you have power but you don’t recognize the authority of God or communicate with God, you don’t really have power. Solomon had power over a big kingdom but he needed specific time to spend with God to guide him and help him. Most people when they get authority (even if it’s just over a house) start to say, "this is mine and I have the right to do what I want". Whatever you are doing whether it is preaching or cooking, it must be escorted by prayer. If you want to be the best servant of God, talk to God all the time, tell God about your projects for the day.

When we have power we sometimes tell God we want to do this right now but God can say, "no, just wait and I’ll do it for you". You’ll receive those answers only if you have time to tell God and believe you have the power. Most of the decisions that we make are wrong because we are not praying.

Most of the time remember that God has power over you, even if you are someone who controls a whole company, remember on top of you is God and you have to consider God in everything, you have to pray every minute.

Sometimes when we cross hard situations we feel better if we see others suffering as well and if not we become jealous and think, ‘why not others, why only me?’ And sometimes when we pray we can tell God, ‘why can’t you do that to Catherine and not only me’ because it’s painful and we compare things. We try to show we are above others.

When we cross hard situations we have to know how to go back to God and tell Him about the situation. When some people are in a danger they will shout for neighbors to help them but they forget about God. When Jonah was inside the fish’s stomach he started to pray (Jonah 2:1-9), “I can’t control my life anymore, I’m weak I need strength and victory from You God.” Don’t resist God like Jonah did for so long because maybe God treated Jonah in a good way but maybe He won’t treat you in the same way (e.g. Lot’s wife was turned to salt for disobeying God). Whenever God tells you don’t do something, you have to know that after that something is coming and if you don’t take it seriously, consequences will be there.

Jonah went to Ninevah and souls were saved but he only did it because he didn’t want to go back inside the fish. How many times has God sent you to do something you don’t want to do? E.g. don’t be angry. Mark 11:25, if you don’t forgive you will never be forgiven. God knows the secret of your heart although you look nice in front of others. (God knew what was in Jonah’s heart).

Jonah complained when God took away his shade and how many times do we complain when God tries to teach us through difficulties? God can then remove the shade and we will really complain. Instead of complaining we should pray. Most Christians have the power of complaining and that makes our prayers useless. We can remember the negative things in people for the last five years and complain but not remember all their good things. If you want to be good in praying then change all your complaints into prayer subjects. When you see Zoe in a mistake instead of complaining tell God, ‘what do you think about it?’ and God will help Zoe. Sometimes it’s slow but there will be a change.

When you want to pray the first thing you have to ask yourself is, who am I? Many servants of God think they are alive and have power but that power is dead because they put aside the Word of God in their daily decisions. When you try to add something to the power that you think that you have, you’ll make your prayers sick and they won’t have a good smell or taste for God.

When God tells you a secret do you keep it? This is another sickness of the world today. E.g. Isabella tells you she doesn’t sleep because she eats too much and after talking to her you ring Colleen straight away and then Ange and if you won’t find anyone to talk to about Isabella you’ll become sick. When Isabella hears she will be deceived. Solomon asked for wisdom and this deception of above is just a lack of wisdom. To pray you need wisdom and to remember the Word of God and what God says in such situations.

As Christians we don’t have to say we live carefully and watch what we are doing but to say God is watching us and is our prevention.

Tell God what you are and who you are, frankly. If you think that your prayer occupies the first position (you are better than others) then your prayer will become useless. If you want to pray for something you have to look at yourself first. Think first, am I a sinner, am I ready to talk to God? Fix all your problems with others first then ask yourself, will God listen now? Is God close to me? Why/why not? Is God my friend? Friends can be hypocrites and show you that they are your friend to your face but inside there is zero and behind your back they talk negatively about you. Then they go in front of God and tell Him, ‘I love You’, but God will say you are cheating me. Before you can love God you have to love people who are next to you

You can only be an intercessor when the Spirit is leading you (an intercessor is not a title you wear like a shirt). When you are leading yourself you will make mistakes, that’s why today we see all types of mistakes in the church. .

We want to hear from people how powerful we are but forget where the source of that power comes from and that it can only come through prayer.


SUMMARY

1. Need power of God to pray and need to be led by the Holy Spirit
2. Need to communicate with God before making decisions (talk to God every minute)
3. Remember God has power over you
4. When you cross a hard situation talk to God first
5. Obey God
6. Turn your complaints into prayer subjects
7. Tell God who you are
8. Ask your self, am I ready to pray? Is God close to me? Have I sinned?
9. Keep secrets