5-things that happen when we pray:
1. Prayer personalises the burden:
It deepens our ownership of the burden and our partnership with God. As we pray we begin to become aware of how God might use us to answer our prayer, how He might involve us in ways we had not theretofore foreseen.
2. Prayer forces us to wait:
Prayer makes us to wait upon the Lord. God has three answers to prayers: Yes, no and wait. Yes and no are not tough to understand. But wait, that is tough. John MacArthur says: “There is a tension between boldness and waiting on God’s will. That tension is resolved by being persistent, yet accepting God’s answer when it finally comes.” Instead of getting frustrated that God is not on our schedule, prayer forces us to be on God’s timetable.
3. Prayer opens our spiritual eyes:
It enables us to get in touch with what God is doing and how He is doing it.
In (2 Ki.6) we can recall the story of when the Army of Israel was surrounded by their enemies and Elijah’s servant got nervous.
In (2 Ki.6:15-17): Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
Prayer opens our eyes, enabling us to see what God is doing, to see things we are blinded to without prayer. That’s because prayer is communication. We speak to God, God answers us, speaking to us, showing us.
4. Prayer aligns our heart with God’s heart:
Prayer makes adjustments, alignment, setting our thoughts, emotions, actions upon God.
5. Prayer enables us to move forward:
Prayer engages God, enables God’s people, and enlarges His kingdom. Jesus said, “without Me, you can do nothing.” Once we have prayed we are ready to do anything, until we have prayed we can do nothing, but once we have prayed we can accomplish anything. God cannot stop listening our sincere prayers.
III. Witness through our life: (4:5-7):
We must be wise in dealing with unbelievers. We have a responsibility to bring others to Christ. Our life should non-controversial and be a role model. Our talking must have allegiance with our walking. Our life should be an open book. Making most of every opportunity means we must be alert to use the opportunities God gives us for personal witnessing. “Redeeming the time” means buying up the opportunity(Eph 5:16). This is a commercial term and pictures the Christian as a faithful steward who knows an opportunity when he sees one. Just as a merchant seizes a bargain when he finds one, so a Christian seizes the opportunity to win a soul to Christ.
Our speech is supposed to “minister grace unto the hearers” (Eph 4:29). But it cannot do that unless we have grace in our hearts and in our words. “Speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15) is ideal for our conversation.
Paul says that “seasoned with salt.”Salt is used as a preservative as well as a seasoner. We must put the salt into our speech to make sure it is pure and properly seasoned. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth” (Eph 4:29). Our speech must be pure.
Salt was also added to the sacrifices (Lev. 2:13). Perhaps Paul was suggesting that we look on our words as sacrifices offered to God, just as our words of praise are spiritual sacrifices (Heb.13:15). It would no doubt help us to say the right things in the right manner if we remembered that our words are looked on as sacrifices to God.
It is unfortunate when a Christian speaks in a rude or coarse manner, particularly when the unsaved are listening. “Be ready always to give an answer to every man who asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Pet.3:15).