Pray Without Ceasing

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Prayer is a command from God to believers. Please see Luke Chapter 18 verses 1 to 8, 2 verses 36 to 38 and 1^st Thessalonians Chapter 5 verse 18, and Ephesians Chapter 6 verse 18. It is also a platform for making our requests to God.

The content of prayers is very important to God. I am sure that explains why Jesus Christ gave the Church a prayer template in Matthew Chapter 6 verses 5 to 15, Luke Chapter 11 verses 1 to 4 so that believers are not misguided when praying especially so when they are praying against people who hurt them, offended them and made them angry. Nowhere in the Bible did Jesus say that believers should pray against their enemies; asking them to die, be destroyed, or their properties destroyed. Also, the prayer template does not give room for self righteousness as in the case of the two men – the Pharisee and the tax collector who Jesus Christ described in Luke Chapter 18 verses 9 to 14. Jesus Christ commended the tax collector who humbly asked God for mercy.

Why Pray

God answers prayer. The Bible is replete with instances of the people of God praying to God and God in turn responding positively to their prayers. Additionally, God said so in His word. Please see Matthew Chapter 7 verse 7, Luke Chapter 18 verses 1 to 8, and Jeremiah Chapter 33 verse 3. The early Church prayed without ceasing in spite of the fact that the Apostle Peter was already on death row. God intervened and Peter was miraculously released from prison by an angel of God. Please read Acts Chapter 12 for details. Prophet Elijah prayed for the son of the widow of Zarephath and the young man came back to life. Please read 1^st Kings Chapter 17 verses 17 to 24. He also prayed for rain after a long period of drought in Israel. God honored his prayer and there was a heavy downpour. Please read 1^st Kings Chapter 18. The prophet Elisha prayed and the dead son of the woman of Shunem was brought back to life. Please read 2^nd Kings Chapter 4 verses 15 to 37.

Your Tongue can be a Healing Stream

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

The wise use of the tongue can ensure that your tongue becomes a healing stream. Please see Proverbs Chapter 15 verses 7, 23, 28, 14, 40, 4; 10 verses 11, 13, 20 to 21, 31 to 32; 12 verse 18, 16 verses 20 to 24; 15 verse 30.

One of the most pressing problems in the world today is the way people use their tongues. Hate speech is pervasive in spite of laws that have been enacted globally against the trend. People enjoy cursing; using four letter words, invectives at the slightest provocation. Unfortunately, this trend is fast becoming pervasive among Christians as some Christians are quick to use their tongues to make negative pronouncements against people who hurt them and abuse people who misbehave or are rude to them. This worrisome trend has assumed frightful dimensions as even some ordained Ministers of the gospel pronounce curses on people who offend or hurt them, use invectives against other people even from the pulpit. Beloved, this is not right.  The Scriptures do not permit such behavior. Please see Numbers Chapter 16 verses 12 to 35, 17 verses 1 to 7.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ consistently and always used His tongue as a healing stream just as God ordained for Him to do. Please Luke Chapter 4 verse 18 to 19, Isaiah Chapter 61 verses 1 to 3, John Chapter 6 verse 63. Severally, Jesus Christ used His tongue to bring healing, comfort, hope, life, deliverance and freedom from all kinds of oppression to great multitudes. Please see Acts Chapter 10 verse 38, Mark Chapter verses 17 to 27, Luke Chapter 9 verses 38 to 43 for details of His ministration to the epileptic boy; Luke Chapter 13 verses 11 to 16 for details of His ministry to the woman who was bent over for eighteen years; Matthew Chapter 9 verses 20 to 22, Luke Chapter 8 verses 43 to 48, Mark Chapter 5 verses 25 to 34 for details of the kind words He spoke to the woman with the issue of blood; Mark Chapter 5 for His ministry to the Gadarene demoniac. A number of other examples can be found in the gospels, Matthew through to John.

The Role of Prayer Cells in the Healing of the Nations

                                                Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

 Mary the mother of John Mark remains a woman of unrivaled beauty to me. Why, you may ask? She made available her home a place of prayer. Please see Acts Chapter 12. Many women whether believers or unbelievers make available their homes for unprofitable time wasting activities such as gossiping, sexual immorality as in the case of Potiphar’s wife,  centers of cannibalism as in the case of the foolish woman who agreed to kill her son for food and later regretted it because the person who urged her to do so refused to kill her own child; dens for trafficking and other forms of criminal activities.

But Mary used her home for divine purposes. She made it a place where the Church gathered together to intercede for the deliverance of Peter from the hands of untimely death through the evil intent of Herod who had found a new past time in killing the servants of God. God honored the prayers made in this home and Peter was released from the prison by an angel of God.

A prayer meeting can be held in any home that is made available for such a purpose and God will honor the prayers prayed in that home irrespective of the size, grandeur, opulence or insignificance and plainness. What is significant is the desire of the owners of the home to use their home as an altar of prayer to God; the hearts and the willingness of the people to pray. God is faithful and will always be present where two or three are gathered together in His name (Matthew Chapter 18 verse 20).