Luke 15: 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘
Here are more points from prayer of the prodigal son that I will like to further share with you sequel to the points earlier enumerated
Point number 3– After asking, you need to learn to receive. Matthew 7:7 says ‘ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you. So what is the essence of prayer without receiving? I have come to understand that the problem is not with God answering our request but it is with us receiving the answers to our request. From the parable you will notice that the father divided his inheritance into two but only the younger one received. The older brother did not receive because he did not ask and was not expecting. Asking should build your expectation to receive. You will notice also that the older brother prefer to remain in the place of prayer even when the request has been granted. He accused the father of not giving him a calf when in actual fact the whole remaining flock has been given to him. People enjoy the spiritual experience of praying and remaining in the place of prayer and not attending to the importance of receiving the answers.
Point number 4 – When you get the answer, do not depart from the source less you be in want again. Psalm 23:1 says the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want. The son did not become prodigal because he asked for his lot but because he departed from his source and wasted his lot. A prodigal person is he who spends, or has spent, his or her money or substance with wasteful extravagance. The relationship comes before the prayer and if this is your attitude with the father, you will not abandon the relationship after getting your desires met. A lot of people place more value on their needs being met than the relationship with the father and this informs their decision to abandon the relationship for a season until such a time when they are in need again. Praying like Jesus requires a constant and continuous fellowship with the so as this is the only way you can sustain and guarantee a continuous flow of resources to meet all your needs now and in the future.
Point number 5: Prayer is a decision that you need to make no matter what state you are in. In verse 18 when the son realized he has missed it, the bible says and he came to himself and said ‘I will arise and go to my father’. You can decide to pray or to faint, You can decide to remain in that state or to arise from that state, You can decide to live a pitiful life or a prayerful life, You can decide to go to the father or stray from the father, You can decide to go home or stay away from home. What ever you do, you have made a decision. To do nothing is a decision in itself. The choice is still yours but one thing is certain, you must make a decision on what you want to do to change your situation. Jesus said men always ought to pray and not to faint. Make a decision now to pray no matter how bad the condition is, it is not beyond redemption. If he could give you his only begotten son, there is nothing he cannot give to you as long as it is within the bounds of his will. You can pray yourself out of whatever situation if you can only decide to pray to the father and not faint at your problems. All you need to do is PUSH! (Pray Until Something Happens)
Further scriptures to study
Job14:14, psalm 118:5, psalm 20:1, Matthew 7:7
Personal declaration for the day.
I will pray in faith and will receive by faith
I make a personal decision now to pray and not to faint.
Questions for you to reflect on
Do you know that God is move by fervent prayer and not fervent emotional display?
Do you know that by not making a decision to pray, you have made a decision for things to remain un-changed?
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