Day 5

Psalm 19

Jesus is the Word! The Bible is God's written account of the Living Word (John 1:1, John 5:39-40).

Jesus is the greatest pray-er in the Bible; He is our pattern (Mark 1:35). His Spirit is our Power (Ephesians 6:18, Romans 8:26-27).

Jesus teaches us these things about prayer:

1. Precedence - Prayer precedes everything in our walk with Jesus. It is the oxygen that invigorates us to action (Matthew 4:4,7,10). Jesus prayed/fasted 40 days before His public ministry and used the Word of God to combat Satan's temptations. Jesus prayed all night before designating His apostles (Luke 6:12-13). "Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure!" - Moody

2. Priority - (Mark 1:35) Jesus made it His habit to pursue His Father early every day; first things first! He had to converse with His Father. "Prayer is not monologue, but dialog; God's voice is its most essential part. Listening to God's voice is the secret of assurance that He will listen to mine." - Murray

3. Practical - Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, not preach. If they knew how to converse with God, they would easily be able to converse with men (Matthew 6:9-13).

4. Place - Jesus habitually found a place of prayer (Luke 9:28-29, Luke 22:39-41, Matthew 6:6). "The secret of praying is praying in secret!" - L. Ravenhill. "The place of private prayer is the key, the strategic position, where decisive victory is obtained." - A. Murray.

5. Petition - Jesus asked the Father to glorify His name and He audibly answered yes (John 12:27-30). Jesus asked the Father to take this cup from Him but the Father said no (Luke 22:42-44, 1 John 5:14-15, John 15:7-8). "Answered prayer is the interchange of love between the Father and His child." - A. Murray

6. Perseverance - Jesus prayed for 40 days. The persistent widow kept asking for justice(Luke 18:1-8). Jesus tells us to ask, seek, knock (Matthew 7:7-8). It is faithful prayer that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). "Prayer is not the preparation for the battle, it is the battle!" - L. Ravnehill.

7. Power - Power of the Spirit is the fruit born where the seed of prayer was sown (Luke 4:14-15). The power of the Holy Spirit filling the believer after a season of prayer can do mighty things! "We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the heavenly world, and can bring its power down to earth." - A. Murray

8. Participation - Jesus invites His disciples to share in His and the Father's presence/plan; what was once a mystery has now been revealed to them/us (John 14:12-21, 23) We have mutual indwelling - He is in us and us in Him! Joy of the Lord is the reward! (John 16:23-24) In His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). "The greatest happiness of my life is that I am loved by the Lord Jesus and can fellowship with Him daily." A. Murray

9. Personal - Pray the scriptures over your own life and others when appropriate. Personalize His promises to yourself and others. For example, pray Romans 12:1-2, and offer yourself as a living sacrifice. Or pray Ephesians 6:10-18, and put on the armor of God.

Let's follow the pattern of Jesus (the Word) and use the written Word of God to pray in power in 2024.

By: Bill Myrick