#3 - The Possibility of Prayer - Pr. Opanda Wamalika | Morning Devotion

Uh, good morning, brothers and sisters. Welcome to today's devotion. May we pray? Our Father and our God, we thank you for granting us this morning and bringing us here so that we may listen to you. And now, speak to us through your word in Jesus name. Amen. Today, I'm talking about the possibility of prayer. Our key text that has been guiding us in our presentations, morning devotions this week is Ephesians chapter 6 verse 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplications for all the saints. I mentioned that, uh, you can extract seven privileges of prayer from that text alone. Don't forget the fact that that text has been extracted from a context of a war against forces of darkness. Praying always. Um, that's what we talked about yesterday. The, um, that's, um, not yesterday. We shall talk about it tomorrow. Um, that is the persistent of prayer. The persistent of prayer. With all prayer, that's possibility of prayer, which is, uh, the subject matter today. And supplication, which we dealt with yesterday, the petition of prayer. In the spirit, our first day we talked about the power of prayer. Being watchful to this end being watchful that is uh the precision of prayer. With all perseverance that's the perseverance of prayer and supplication for all the saints that is the the the purpose of prayer. So today we are talking about the possibility of prayer. And uh it is centered on 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 17. Pray without ceasing. The possibility of prayer. Romans 12 verse 12 says rejoicing rejoicing in hope patient in tribulation continuing steadfastly in prayer continuing steadfastly in prayer. Colossians chapter 4 verse 2 says continue earnestly in prayer. Being vigilant in it with Thanksgiving. Continue earnestly. Do you know what earnest prayer is? You know earnest prayer our preacher read yesterday from EGW 2 says pray as though everything in your life depends on it. These words which I've just read from the epistles appear more to refer firstly to the whole life being one of prayer. A life characterized by the forgetting of self and yielding ourselves to God to live for God and his honor. A life where we regard everything in the light of God and his will. A life of prayer is very serious. No wonder we were told yesterday which is a testimony of scripture that this sanctuary is called a house of prayer. More than it is called a house of sermonizing or a house of music. House of prayer. If you have tuned your mind within the perspective of prayer, everything that you see around you your life is one of prayer. This is a life where we instinctively recognize in everything around us the need of God's help and a blessing, an opportunity of his being glorified. When you enter a public service vehicle do you see an opportunity for prayer? Either instant or something that you know you'll pray for in the evening. When you are in that vehicle moving along and you look outside the window do you see some situations that require prayer? You will be surprised. Everything around you requires intervention through prayer. Is an opportunity for God being glorified. The glory of God. Look at what Jesus in John chapter 14 verse 13 and 14. When God answers prayer, glorifies his name. Look at what he said, "And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I'll do it." God answers prayer which has been offered in the name of Jesus. And that glorifies his name. That's what Jesus is saying. The believer knows that he's a watchman on the walls of Zion. As we like saying in this church, one through whom God does his will on earth. I pause there. God is very interesting. God has all power. God has all the power. And nothing can happen against his will. Yet, he would like to cooperate with us in doing his will on earth. We have a role to play, and he plays. The first and most important role that we have to pray to play is through prayer. There are certain things God cannot do unless you pray. He's able to do it, but he's waiting for you to give him permission to do it. So, we, his ministers, his servants, are the people who he is depending on in doing the will, his will on earth. His upward call therefore, that's the upward call of the minister, you and me, does touch and move the king in heaven to do what he would otherwise not be done. To forget oneself so as to live for God and His kingdom among men is the way to learn to pray without ceasing. Of course, obviously, to pray without ceasing does not mean that you are on your knees from morning to evening. Morning to evening. No. It simply means that you are sensitive. An opportunity for prayer will anytime make itself available and you grab it. I told you that I run a prayer ministry. I think one of the reasons was because in the past, even in the present, I have missed very many opportunities to pray for somebody. You are walking along the road, you meet somebody, and the way this person is appearing requires attention. But because you are moving very fast to go and preach or to do this or that, you just leave. Hi, Mom, are you sick? Pole. And you go. You realize you have missed an opportunity for prayer. But if you are sensitive, you'll discover that every time an opportunity for prayer will avail itself and you'll grab it. That's praying without ceasing. This life devoted to God must be accompanied by the deep confidence that our prayer is effectual. I would have underlined that point. When you are going to pray, believe that that about which you will pray will happen. Don't appear before God without being sure whether God will answer it or not. Or we love letting God do his will. So, you are coming before God to ask him to do his will. You're too general. You have to be specific. And to be sure that I'm going to pray and it will happen. When Jesus taught, "Ask and you shall receive." He meant count confidently on an answer. In proportion as this assurance masters us and it becomes a settled thing that our prayers do tell and that God does what we ask, our life becomes prayer. When we were doing theology, one time one lecturer told us that be careful when you are praying against your enemy. God will answer that prayer and you'll start crying again. And one student said talk to ladies because they are the ones who will quickly curse their husbands. And then the lecturer said, "God has not put the power to curse in the mouth of ladies. Otherwise, all men would be dead by now. All husbands would be dead. Thank God you have wives who don't have power to curse." >> [laughter] >> So, believe that what you are going to pray will happen. Do not let by our reasonings limit and enfeeble such free and sure promises of the living God, robbing them of their power and ourselves of the wonderful confident they are meant to inspire. I remember one day when we were youth, about 20 years ago, we went to preach in a crusade. And I was dealing with Bible study. After health, we were running four programs beginning 4:00 p.m. to uh around 7:30. So, when the health program was over, the wind came and it was disturbing. It was so violent it has to cause the speakers, those days we were using horn speakers, to fall. And so, what I did, I climbed very quickly on the podium and I said, "Let's pray asking God to stop the wind." So, I prayed and God stopped the wind immediately. So, in the evening when we were doing a postmortem of the program, one elderly preacher told me, "I want to counsel you. When you are praying, don't always be too sure of the answer. One day, God will not answer as you have said and you'll be embarrassed." >> [laughter] >> I told him, "I'll continue praying confidently until the day when God will embarrass me. Can you imagine more than 20 years later, God has never embarrassed me. Not even once. Just last month, nowadays the the weather is very unpredictable. Sometimes the rains come and they are pouring and then all of a sudden it stops. And for more than 2 weeks, no rain. Dry. And the maize is drying. So, I went to preach in a church. And then, people were complaining. I told them, I would like us to pray that it may rain. I That day it was very hot and there was no sign that it would rain. I told them, we are going to pray and it will rain after the prayer. Of course, yeah. I know you holy Christians how you behave when somebody says that. But, uh I've lived long enough not to care about your attitude or your response. So, I prayed. And then, I told them in the afternoon, the programs should be short because it will rain. And I could see they are not sure. So, when we finished the program, I wanted to go very fast because it will rain on me. So, I told the elder, "Elder, do you have any arrangement for I want to go fast." He said, "No, relax. There's somebody will drop you." I noticed these holy Adventists, they have no hurry. And I knew it is going to rain. By the time somebody took me, we didn't reach home. We were interrupted by rain. And something interesting, we didn't see the clouds. This rain I also wonder where it sometimes comes from. We didn't see the clouds. But when we went, the rain stopped us. All those holy members were rained on. The rain that was supposed to be a blessing became a terrible punishment, just because they didn't believe that God can hear at least my prayer. If he cannot hear theirs, then let them believe that my prayer they They could not believe those two things. Whether God will hear their prayer or even the pastor's prayer, that one. Now, I realize they would do what all other people would do. Every time we meet, "Pastor, it was a miracle. We didn't know what Eh!" Until I was also surprised. You mean people who can pray and miracles happen cannot look like me. They must be mysterious people. >> [laughter] >> They cannot look like you. That thinking is what prevents God from doing a miracle in your life. Do not let by our reasonings. You know, we reason. We reason until we block God from doing things. Not in God, not in His secret will, not in the limitations of His promises, but in us, in ourselves is the hindrance. We are not what we should be to obtain the promise. Let us open our whole heart to God's words of promise in all their simplicity and truth. Let's have a childlike like faith in them. I'm sorry, I'm using the illustration of rain most of the time. You will easily make me a rainmaker. No, this time round I was with students. I'm just using that illustration. Child Children are wonderful. Children trust. So, I was with students. I was just a teacher see the youth. We were moving around praying with students. It was in an Advent school, so we were praying in the dorms, teachers' houses. So, when we reached the principal's house, it started raining. Very heavily. So, after praying for the principal, we came and stood. There was a veranda there with the about five, six, seven students. And I noticed the rains are raining and you want to do God's work. So, I told the students, "Let's pray asking God to stop the rain, right?" So, I prayed, "God, stop the rain." As soon as we said, "Amen," the rain increased. Instead of raining, it started pouring. And you know what I did? I told the students, "Let's go." Students trust teachers. We entered the rain and it stopped immediately. Childlike faith. This union of strong desire and firm confidence is nothing but the life of the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, hides himself in the depths of our being, and stirs the desire after the unseen and the divine, after God himself. Because it is the spirit of God who prays in us and for us with groanings that cannot be uttered, our prayer must be heard. If God cannot hear our prayer, whose prayer do you think he can hear? Look at John 16:13 to 15. However, when he, the spirit of truth, has come, he will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are mine. Therefore, I said that he will take of mine and declare it to you. In her book, yes, The Great Controversy, page 530, chapter 32, Snares of Satan, Ellen G. White writes powerfully, "No man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer." We are talking about possibilities of prayer. If you open your eyes wide, you will see how innumerable the circumstances requiring prayer are. Though prayer is prayer, some circumstances require more concerted prayer efforts than others. Of course, for example, when you are praying for food, you don't pray earnestly, do you? Can you even pray before you know your mind's praying, "May God bless this food we are about to eat. Amen." >> [laughter] >> Imagine God hears that prayer, that we pray without being serious. How much more will he hear the prayer we pray when we are serious? The following excerpt from E. G. White highlighting are excerpts from E. G. White highlighting the circumstances in need of prayer. Now, I'm more specific here in what analogically can be equated to a child who likes playing around the Father without necessarily having any petition to him. E. G. White described prayer as the breath of the soul. She writes that true prayer is not a periodic ritual but a constant living connection and fellowship with God. If your child loves you, even when he's just praying playing, he'll just come and start playing around you. He just want to be close to you. Daily prayer is essential to growth in grace and even to spiritual life itself as is temporal food to physical well-being. We should accustom ourselves to often lift the thought to God in prayer. If the mind wanders, we must bring it back. By persevering effort, habit will finally make it easy. I don't know if you have ever had this problem of concentrating when somebody is praying in church. In the past, I would have that problem. We kneel. I only listen to the first three statements and then my mind starts wandering around. For example, if he says God help the sick, then I remember my mother was sick and then I look at my sister. I've left him. My mind is wandering. Then someone said help Kenya. Oh, then I remember that Kenya is having politicians who are careless and I leave him. So, I found that I'm not concentrating. What do you do in such a case? This is what I decided to do. So, the moment he starts praying, I start repeating what he is saying silently. So, we have to move with him. I have TO DEAL WITH MYSELF. I'm not concentrating. That's Ellen White is saying if your mind wanders, bring it back. By persevering effort, this is a spiritual war. Habit will finally make it easy. Morning, midday, and evening, your earnest prayers should ascend to God for his blessings and guidance. Another illustration, when I was teaching in high school many years ago, they give us a timetable you fill in. In the morning, 10:30, I'll be teaching CRE form two. 11:40, music form one. This form four, this this form four. We have spaces where you have to prepare. So, I would fill one of the spaces my personal time for prayer. So, 12:30, 12:10 to 1:00, prayer. I put off my phone and I hide somewhere praying. Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, or a day. It's a continual growth in grace. We know not one day how strong will be our conflict the next. Satan lives and is active, and every day we need to cry earnestly to God for help and strength to resist him. As long as Satan reigned, we shall have self to subdue, besetments to overcome, and there's no stopping place. There's no point to which we can come and say we have fully attained. Rulers and those who wait upon them, rulers often operate under unseen spiritual influences. This thing you have to know if you're a politician. Leaders, political leaders, are under unseen spiritual influences, both holy and mostly, if we judge by what we always see politicians doing, dark forces. Therefore, they they and those who wait upon them require special concentration, even at the spur of the moment, to secure wisdom to provide appropriate counsel. If there were more prayer in the councils of those bearing large responsibilities, more humbling of their hearts before God, we should see abundant evidence of divine leadership. Do you sit on a committee? Are you a leader? Is prayer just one of those formalities you hurry and get out of the way so you can work? "The Lord God of heaven is our leader," wrote E.G. White. "He's a leader we can safely follow, for he never makes a mistake." This is why prayer matters. Those in medical work, doctors. "Since without Christ we can do nothing, how can a physician or a medical worker engage successfully in his important work without earnestly seeking the Lord in prayer?" In Councils on Health, E.G. White counsels physicians and nurses, and probably surgeons, to pray for clear minds and sound judgment when making critical decisions for patients. She wrote, "Christ was the savior of the world. During his life on earth, the sick and afflicted were objects of his special compassion. When he sent out his disciples, he commissioned them to heal as well as to preach the gospel." Ben Carson says he viewed prayer as the cornerstone of his career as a neurosurgeon. He routinely prayed before every surgery to ask God for wisdom, guidance, and steady hands. Rather than relying solely on his technical training, he believed that true medical insight and positive surgical outcomes came directly from God. This is also true for other professionals. That lady is a teacher. Oh, it's clear. The next are engineers. Kenyan engineers, do you pray? Those who construct houses, do you pray before doing this work? And the other one, the judge. Judges, you are going to preside over a critical case. Do you pray? And who's that? A politician. Do these politicians pray? Yeah. Let politicians come to church. I love praying for them. If there are people in this country who need to be prayed for are politicians. Before you go and preside over a political rally, fast kesha the whole night. And that one is a Kenyan driver. Nairobi drivers need to pray. And upcountry drivers. What about the police force? >> [laughter] >> The police in Kenya should pray. Before you go, when you rise in the morning, kneel at your bedside and ask God to give you strength to fulfill the duties of the day and to meet its temptations. Ask him to help you to bring into your work trust, sweetness of character. Ask him to help you to speak words that will inspire those around you with hope and courage and draw you nearer to the savior. What about Gen Zs? I'm ending Gen Zs. While you pray, dear youth, that you may not be led into temptation. Remember that your work does not end with prayer. You must then answer your own prayers far as possible by resisting temptation and leave that which you cannot do for yourself for Jesus to do for you. He knew that you would be indifferent in regard to your dangers and would not feel your need of prayer. It was on your account that he poured his prayers to his father with strong cries and tears. Will you, young friends, arise and shake off this dreadful indifference and stupor which has conformed you to the world? Will you heed the voice of warning which tells you that destruction lies in the path of those who are at ease in this hour of danger? Parents, in every Christian home, God should be honored by the morning and evening sacrifices of prayer and praise. Children should be taught to respect and reverence the hour of prayer. It is the duty of Christian parents morning and evening by earnest prayer and persevering faith to make a hedge about their children. Who is remaining? None. We have to live by prayer. Possibilities of prayer are uncountable. Let us pray. Father in heaven, through prayer, you allow us to call labor with you to do your will. Forgive us because we come before you in prayer without assurance that you are going to answer those prayers. No wonder most of the prayers we give are unanswered. Why should you answer a prayer where the prayer the one praying is not sure? Forgive us and from today, help us to pray with assurance that you are going to hear our prayer. If that is your prayer, raise up your hand. Oh God, hear the prayer of your men servants and maid servants who have raised their hands that today they may start believing and being certain that you are going to answer their prayers because you have told us that you will answer our prayers so that your name may be glorified. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.