The Need For a Consistent Prayer Life- Servicing The Altar

The Need For a Consistent Prayer Life- Servicing The Altar

Hebrews 4:16 (AMP) Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].

Have we ever asked ourselves pertinent questions about why some other religions are so passionate about praying several times daily facing a particular direction? Has it ever crossed our mind why these religions repeat same prayers often and are never tired about the monotonous nature of their prayer routine? Have we ever seen them using various forms of religious relics while chanting prayers and asked why?

The children of this world are so wise in their own eyes, But Christians are not wise. They follow certain good principles with a very wrong mindset and are still achieving the results they desire.

Children of God who are not consistent in prayers won’t eat the good fruits of the kingdom. Children of God must be strategic and consistent in their observance of irreplaceable spiritual enterprise like prayer. Approaching the throne of grace (the altar) is not without strategy (boldness) and consistency (in times of need). Unbelievers believe they need to pray several times every day, facing specified direction to fulfil their religious ethos. But Children of grace disrespect their own Altar, they forget praying is a work and a walk. Praying is not just by grace but also by groan. No groaning, no grace. There is a great need for a consistent prayer life, and we can’t be consistent if we are not intentional enough. Intentional like allotting times for prayer every day. Without deliberate intention, you cannot be consistent.

I was in trouble many years ago. I ran into this trouble because I wasn’t consistent in my praying life. Truth be told, I lost a job which paid me 300k monthly in 2007. I was shocked and so disappointed. My friends advised me to look for another job, but I refused. I told a particular friend that I wasn’t ready to start searching for any job again, I wanted to go and reshape my prayer life. We lose a lot to the enemy not because we don’t pray, but because we don’t have an altar, and also because we are never consistent enough. This is because we give the enemy a chance to destroy the little we have built in prayers by not being consistent about finishing the building.

Prayers are like building a house. And until we finish building, we dare not stop. Some people have mixed the cement, put the cement down and the sand, and they left it like that until rain comes like a flood and clear them off or rendered them spoilt. The problem is not that we don’t pray, but we allow inconsistencies to sweep the prayers off. When the fire is lit, we refuse to fuel the fire consistently and soon the fire dies. A dead man walking is a Christian who is never consistent in prayers before the altar. Inconsistency in prayer makes us to have a vision that may never be accomplished. We receive a word from God and never know that the fulfillment is also in the place of prayer. You are like a bricklayer who has all materials needed to build a house within a week, but doesn’t have time to build consistently but haphazardly. The house may not finish till eternity. So also his problems will ever remain. Reason lot of us keeps repeating spiritual classes.

The Lord trained me in the bushes for 2 years. I was aware that is how He trains inconsistent people. Yes, I roamed in the bushes for two year praying consistently. The battle for my soul became tougher. I knew it was my inconsistent praying life that caused God to choose that type of training for me. And it’s because He loves me. If you are never consistent in your praying life, be prepared for a hard training. You may lose what is taking your time from being consistent. You may become vulnerable again. Yes, it’s God bringing you back to the altar, not any devil. I became a beggar like the poor Lazarus. I started genuinely asking people to feed me after much fasting. I wept in the bushes where I prayed. I learned the hard way. Then after 2 years the Lord answered my prayers. I got another job, and I never played with my consistency again. Who likes being trained by the Lord in the hard way? It is better I train myself in the good act of consistency than the Lord training me in the hard way. Brethren, if you are not consistent in your prayer life, just be ready for a hard training. Or a stagnant progress you call progress. Don’t ever deceive yourself if people around you are deceiving you. If you are too busy, you can’t receive from the Lord.

I decided last year to fully get committed in a mission training. I entered the field, and I discovered we are only allowed to sleep for just 2 hours 45 minutes in a day, the rest of the day is for training and prayers. Then I started to feel so bothered again why I found myself in a setting like this again. The Lord wanted me to learn consistency in a new dimension. I mellowed. You may be thinking you are consistent, but you will discover that the Lord wants to also take you to another level of consistency. Never ever think you are consistent already unless the Lord certify you so. He is the One training us, He marks our scripts.

How To Develop a Consistent Praying Life

1. You must first be saved. I believe I am talking to born again people. So if you are not born again, you are wasting your time. Grace and mercy is at the throne, so approach it for your salvation.

2.  Deal with laziness. It is wise to have an accountability partner to help you monitor your laziness level and team up with you till you develop a diligent spirit.

3. Have a time allotted to prayer. Don’t just pray always, also allocate time specially for personal meetings with God.

4. Have a special place where you will not be disturbed or disturb others. A place consecrated as your prayer altar.

5. Become addicted to praying the scriptures.

6. Learn discipline and utmost regards for your prayer time as exemplified by other religions. However, do not follow their monotonous style and Christ-less consecration. A good principle can be followed, not a bad motive.

7. Devise strategies for praying aright and make sure it’s a relationship and not just utterances.

Life testimony: Back to the earlier story about my sojourn in the bushes, I was sleeping on a “pako” (wood bench) groaning to God. Two men came to me and prophesied my manhood is restored. They said I will bear twins. A year later, my wife delivered twins. That’s one of the benefits of consistency, especially when it’s the Lord that is training you the hard way. This is an evidence of what God does with men. Many of our challenges are not to kill us but to make us become giants in the faith.

8. Obey His communications to you during prayers. Don’t think you can keep talking to him like unbelievers.

9. Teach others about practical consistency. Let them see you practicing what you preach. This makes God happy to unleash more grace upon you.

10. Always enter into His presence with praise. The devil will want to fight your consistency, and you can only win the fight with praise.

In conclusion, Service the altar of your prayer life consistently and your journey in life and eternity will become profitable to the Lord. It might be hard in the beginning, but once you enter into it, the grace keeps increasing from God’s throne. If you want to start this journey of consistent prayer life, don’t wait until tomorrow but start now and the Lord will give you grace.