EXPOSITION:
Apostle Egyir Paintsil, the first General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, once said that the devil is not afraid of a dancing church or a singing church but a praying church. According to Dr. Robert Law, God will not answer a prayer that disturbs His will, denies His Glory, or delays His kingdom. Even Jesus had to modify His prayer topic to say, “Nevertheless not my will but yours be done.” Obviously, the Father would not have answered that prayer of the cup passing by because it would have disturbed His will, denied His glory, and delayed His kingdom.
We must know that we belong to the family of lions so we intentionally “roar” aright with prayers from the right motive for boldness and wisdom to preach the Word with signs and wonders accompanying.
The disciples of Jesus upon their release from prison simply joined their comrades and lifted their voices in prayer for boldness to preach the Word and to work signs and wonders in the name of Jesus. No wonder after Spirit-inspired prayers they were filled with the Holy Spirit and the grounds shook. They did not pray to kill their so-called “enemies.”
LIFE APPLICATION
Most Christians in our time only pray for themselves – marriage, finance, promotion, academic excellence and traveling abroad. Churches are full of members praying against their neighbours and killing so-called witches and even demons who resurrect the next Sunday to be killed again. The church of Jesus must pray but they must pray aright with the right motive to shake the very foundations of the kingdom of darkness.