Acts 9: 10 – 15 (KJV)
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Saul (Paul) was a terror to the Christian community at Jerusalem, he persecuted, imprisoned and killed God’s people. He supervised the martyrdom of Stephen. The persecution was so intense and was getting out of hand until the Lord himself stopped Him.
Saul, after his encounter with the Lord, was brought to Damascus. The Lord had appeared to a man named Ananias who is one of the believers in the city.
Ananias argued with the Lord about Paul’s wickedness against the church and the imminent attack against the church at Damascus. But unbeknownst to Ananias, his encounter with Lord has altered the trajectory of life.
Jesus had to re-introduced Paul to Ananias. This time, Paul has gotten a new resume. There are three remarkable things the Lord said about him (Saul).
Firstly, the Lord calls his name “Saul of Tarsus”, secondly “Behold, He prayeth” and thirdly “he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name“
Just a few moments ago, he was a sworn enemy of the church; but now, He had become a prayerful man and a vessel to be used by the Lord.
The striking statement in the scripture is “Behold, He prayeth. The Lord noticed that He prayed and told Ananias about it. This is remarkable. This was the beginning of Paul’s unusual ministry.
When the Lord looks out for you, will He find you praying? Will he meet you soaked in the glory of his presence?
The true weight of a believer or a church is their Prayer Life!
Jesus said “men ought always to prayer and not to faint” —— Luke 18:1 (KJV)
The opposite of PRAYERFULNESS is not PRAYERLESSNESS, it is FAINTING. If you are not praying, you are fainting.
The secret of successful prayer is in long hours of prayer. You can’t do business with God in a hurry. We must “TARRY”. We have learn the “STAYING POWER” in prayer
No man is greater than His prayer life. You can not taste the glory of God’s presence until you learn the art of “LONG HOURS OF PRAYER”.
We must surrender all like Saul (Paul) until God sends for us.
The Holy Spirit beckons on you today, to do the most important thing; to attend upon the Lord in prayer and fasting. Moses prayed, Elijah prayed, Jesus prayed, The Apostles prayed, Church fathers prayed! We must pray too!🔥
Prayer is our heritage, it is our top priority, it is our life assignment. We live to pray, and we pray to live.
It is time to REVIVE your Prayer Altar! It is time to BURN with Holy Fire! It’s a good time to pray now, go ahead and spend time with the Lord. Do it now, and make it consistent. Fight for it, fight to pray!
DECLARATION
I am given to prayer. I am not weak in prayer. I am active and alert in prayer. There’s fire burning on my altar. The spirit of grace and supplication is on me.
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
Hebrews 4: 16; 1 Thessalonians 5:17
HELP US BUILD A HOUSE FOR THE LORD