As online worship continues to take centre stage within the Christian folds, MFM General Overseer, Pastor Olukoya also engages his members and everyone on his weekly prayer broadcast shortly before the main online service on Sundays. On Sunday 26th of April, the man of prayer taught on the 50 enemies of prayers before the main service with some prophetic prayers.
“Today we are looking at the 50 enemies of prayers. A situation could arise when prayer may return to the bosom. In psalm 65:2, beloved, prayer is the greatest privilege on this side of heaven. prayer is the greatest expression of Gods power in the world. There is nothing that prayer cannot control. Prayer gives God’s blank cheques unto his children. God renews our strength through prayers. The more you pray, the stronger you become. Prayers is the root and the fountain of many blessings. Prayer is the master strategy that God gives to us all to defeat our enemies. It is God’s ordained way to give us uncommon miracles, uncommon testimonies. Prayer is the greatest of all forces. Prayer is the greatest blow sent to Satan. Satan trembles when we pray. Prayer makes dark cloud to withdraw. Prayer is more powerful than those who hold the planet in place because prayers can suspend the law of the universe, it has happened before.
There is no other power on earth that the enemy of our soul hates and fears as the powers of prayers but then prayers have enemies, enemies, because there are forces that prevent men from prayers, there are situations when heaven become like brass, there are situations where prayers look like hardwood. At times even prayer appears to bounce back, the greatest satanic power is not the power that kills, hinder preaching, drinks blood, hinder churches but they are powers that hinder prayers. The bible says my house will be a house of prayers. Let’s look at the following enemies of prayers.
(1) Asking amidst: asking God what should not be asked or asking what should not be put before God.
(2) Praying to change God’s decrees, changing what God had said
(3) Praying to make God act contrary to himself
(4) Unforgiveness, as far as you harbour unforgiveness in your spirit, your prayers will not be answered.
(5) Praying to avoid chastisement or discipline you deserve
(6) Praying when you do not want to do what the word of God is saying
(7) Praying based on selfish personal motives
(8) Praying when you listen to the word of God but you do not do it
(9) Praying meaningless prayers and vain repetitions
(10) Praying when you are not doing what God says.
(11) Praying when the word of God is not in you, not interested in bible study
(12) Praying without works, not taking actions
(13) Praying when you are a doubter
(14) Praying without faith in your heart
(15) Praying without confessing your known sin
(16) If your prayer is contrary to God’s will
(17) If you are shifting back from accepting your responsibility and pushing it back to prayers.
(18) Zeal without knowledge
(19) If you refuse to seek God with all your heart
(20) If you do not ask
(21) If you do not seek
(22) If you do not knock
(23) If you are the kind of Christians who refuse to bear much fruits.
(24) If what you are asking for is not for the father’s glory
(25) If your prayers are babbling words.
(26) Lack of love, you don’t love people, you have people you hate
(27) Gossiping and backbiting, same lips you are using in praising God should not be used to backbite
(28) If you give up
(29) If you are unthankful, an ingrate
(30) If you are serving other gods
(31) If you are a friend of the world
(32) If you lack the fear of God and you are praying
(33) If you continue in any known sin
(34) If you are not humble
(35) If you are not righteous
(36) If you are very bitter, bitterness in your heart against people
(37) If your tongue utter wicked things
(38) If you are not praying in reference submission
(39) If you are praying to be seen of men
(40) If you do not honour your wife, honour your husband and there are scriptures backing it up
(41) When your prayer becomes sin, psalm 109:7 says prayers can become sin, psalm 80:4, God was angry because the kind of prayer people prayed to him, psalm 35:13, it says prayers can bounce back. Proverbs 28:9, prayers could become abomination. It is a fearful fact that not all prayers are good. Wrong praying is a sinful as not praying at all.
(42) Praying with an idol in your heart
(43) Praying with your back towards God, showing love with your mouth but heart is far from God
(44) Public prayer without private prayer, Matthew 6:5, God denounce hypocrites who love to pray for show.
(45) Praying as a substitute for obedience.
(46) Selfish praying, prayer is meant to be God centered not self centered.
(47) Praying to yourself, Luke 18:11, broadcasting self esteem and image
(48) Praying to men than God
(49) Praying just out of duty, praying not expecting anything as a result, just praying to fulfil a duty. Don’t pray as a religious cerci se, routine, pray with expectation.
(50) Hypocritical praying, engaging in mindless mumblings, meaning glee repetitions
(51) Praying for the ears of men
(52) Praying while dodging responsibility
(53) Praying from an uncleared heart. This are enemies of prayer, I want you to understand that we need to defeat this enemies in our lives if we must pray. Some people know how to pray but don’t pray correctly. A lot of prayers bounces off the mouth. If our prayer must be a force then we must pray correctly, we must pray in the spirit. Spiritual praying is spirit bond, spirit-guided, sinful praying is praying in a human level. prayers acceptable to God is only possible by the power of the holy spirit. You need to cry out to God to teach you how to pray. We must conform our prayers with biblical patterns. There are certain things prayer can not do.
(1) Prayer can not change the word of God, psalm 33:11
(2) Prayer can not change the nature of God, Malachi 3:6.
-TAYO FAJORIN OYEDIJI
READ ALSO: HOW MOVIE PRODUCER, EMEM ISONG, LOST MILLIONS TO COVID-19
Send Us News, Gist, more... to citypeopleng@gmail.com | Twitter: @CitypeopleMagz
