The Lord has really been telling me to pray more, through the Bible as well as through sermons and various articles. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to "pray without ceasing." Our main objective is to draw ever closer to God, and to do that we need to communicate with Him in prayer and thereby develop a close, personal, and intimate relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. He wants to fellowship with us. You cannot get to know a Person unless you spend time with Him. Not only can we do that through prayer, but also by reading and studying the Bible, His Holy Word and Love Letter to us. God speaks to us through His Word.
Another benefit of much prayer is our resulting sanctification or consecration. Sanctification means being set apart for holy use; to make holy or to purify. This should be the goal of every true believer. Sanctification comes from the Latin word "sanctus". which means holy or to consecrate.
Someone has said, "In Hebrews 10:20, the word consecrate comes from a Greek word that means to dedicate. .... You could say the Lord's death consecrated us by making us perfect in His sight and this opened the way into the Holy of Holies for us."
Hebrews 10:19-20 says, "(19) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, His flesh; "
So we may boldly approach the Heavenly Father because Jesus made the way for us to do so when He shed His blood at Calvary, redeeming us who believe on Him and His resurrection.
Back to prayer now, although you cannot have prayer without consecration. They work together.
"Prayer leads up to, and governs consecration. Prayer is precedent to consecration, accompanies it, and is a direct result of it." - E.M. Bounds.
If my memory serves me right, I believe it was Charles Spurgeon that said something to the effect that "A prayerless life is a Christless life." We will never grow in our spiritual walk if we do not pray. How can we, for that matter, if we don't cultivate a true, powerful relationship with our Lord?
To be consecrated or sanctified we must be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. This happens when you are saved. Holiness does not happen all at once and you are not instantly mature spiritually when you first come to the Lord in faith. It takes time to grow in holiness, a lifetime. And we will not be perfect until we are in heaven.
"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." - 2 Peter 3:18
"But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." - Acts 6:4
The more you pray, the closer you grow to the good Lord. And the more you know Him, the more you grow in His likeness. As you pray and pour over His Word, you will grow in holiness and you will be less inclined to sin. You will grow in your love for Jesus, and you will not want to do anything to grieve the Holy Spirit.
Yes, it takes prayer - much prayer.
"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." - Romans 12:1-2
We cannot be holy and be worldly and carnal at the same time. That is why we need to renew our minds with God's Holy Word and spend our time doing His will and being among His people. If you are worldly or a "carnal Christian", then you most likely were not truly born again. There is no such thing as a carnal Christian. Repent and pray for forgiveness and turn to God with all your heart and soul and strength and mind.
"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." - Jesus at Mark 12:30
Remember that prayer is powerful !
"No prayer, no power; much prayer, much power."
I am reminded of the account in Exodus 32 where the Israelites made a golden calf to worship and Yahweh was extremely angry and told Moses in verse 10, "Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation." Moses prayed to Him not to destroy the Hebrews, and verse 14 tells us, "And the LORD repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people."
Yes, there is power in prayer !
Following is a 16 minute reading of Andrew Murray on the subject of consecration. It is an encouraging discourse.
And below is another reading of one of Andrew Murray's books on the subject of prayer. It is a short 21 minute reading . I pray you listen to it.
"The first great end of consecration is holiness of heart and of life. It is to glorify God, and this can be done in no more effectual way than by a holy life flowing from a heart cleansed from all sin." - E.M. Bounds
"But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." - 1 Peter 1:15-16
"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;" - Colossians 4:2
"Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." - Philippians 4:6
