Women Of Grace
Debbie Reddy
REVIVE YOUR PRAYER LIFE
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying . . . Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” – Acts 16:25-26
Many who read the above scripture are usually quick to grab the promises of prisons shaking, stubborn doors opening, and chains falling away. However, upon deeper study of this scripture, it is” in verse 26 was a direct result of the “Prayer”in verse 25. The scripture is very clear that Paul and Silas were busy praying, when they received their sudden breakthrough. When last did you pray an earth shaking, chain breaking, door opening type of prayer? Prayer is talking with God, which is not the same as talking to God. A mistake that we frequently make in prayer is to forget that God wants to talk back. Prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue. You cannot succeed as a Christian without an active and effective prayer life. Irrespective of how anointed, skilled, or gifted you believe you are, you simply cannot maintain a victorious position in life apart from prayer. Throughout the ministry of Jesus, we are reminded of His dependency on the Father. Scripture reveals that Jesus would often withdraw from the crowd to spend time with the Father in prayer. Luke 6:12 states that before Jesus chose the 12 disciples, He discussed the matter with His Father overnight in prayer. When Jesus was about to take a major step towards the salvation of mankind, it was prayer that helped Him overcome His flesh in the garden of Gethsemane. In Luke 3: 21, we read that Jesus was amongst the many who came to John to be baptised at the Jordan River. The difference between the multitudes and Jesus was that He was praying. Jesus connected to heaven and the heavens opened for Him. Many believers do not experience open heavens because of prayerlessness. Daniel showed us that prayer can shut the lion’s mouth. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego show us that with prayer, even the hottest flames will lose their power. What are you waiting for? Revive your prayer Life.
