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INTRODUCTION
Audio Introduction of the Book
By Pastor Eric Morgan of Living Waters Christian Fellowship
This book was born out of my own personal quest and pursuit of the manifest presence of God. When I gave my heart to Jesus several years ago, I was told three things I must do in order to grow in the grace and power of God. First, was prayer; second, was praise and worship; and thirdly meditating on the Word of God.
I still remember, as if it were yesterday, my first encounter with the manifest presence of God. It was several weeks after I got saved, so hungry, so desperate to know God. One evening I was praying, singing praises and worshipping God in my living room, when all of a sudden an overshadowing presence invaded the room and enveloped me. A holy fear gripped my heart. I was thrilled and elated. It seemd as if I were standing in a heavy dew. A joyful sensation flooded my soul. While I was basking in this glory, the Scripture came to mind that says "God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; coupled with the Scripture where God says "if you will seek Me with all your heart, with all your strength, with all your soul, you will find Me." All I did was just seek Him, praise Him, worship Him, and God, true to His Word, showed up.
I realized that the lack of God's presence and power in a believer's life is due to a lack of not seeking God with all their hearts, soul and strength. The differences in the anointing and the grace one one believer's life compared with another, are found in their prayer life. A believer whose prayers are few, short and weak is surely a believer of low and weak anointing. On the other hand, a believer who seek God constantly and continually is a believer who will walk in a strong anointing of the Holy Spirit. A prayerless believer is a powerless one; while on the other hand a prayerful believer will be a powerful believer.
Faith is essential in prayer; for a person's prayer is as strong as that person's faith in God. For without faith it is impossible to please God. The prayers that God answers are believing prayers. Faith, therefore, becomes the channel through which we receive from God, and is the currency with which we obtain things in the realm of the spirit, just as we use money to buy things we need in the realm of the physical.
Essential to prayer also is desire. Desire in prayer is like the gun powder that propels the rocket into the orbit. True prayer must be full of strong desires. Burning desire, strong passion, that all-consuming, overwhelming, longing and yearning in the heart is the very soul of prayer. True prayer is an outward expression of the desires within.
The Scriptures says "Whatsoever you desire, when you pray, believe that you have received it, and you shall have it." All the enemy has to do is to attack and weaken our desire until we lose that burning desire to see changes in our situation and circumstances. As we walk with the Lord, it is possible to go through so many trials and troubles that tend to diminish and weaken our desire, our passion, our strength, and our faith. If you are at that point in your walk with God, I am here to tell you that God is able to restore a fresh desire, a fresh passion, a fresh fire, a fresh anointing in your life, if you would sincerely ask for it now.
The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. God's Word is vital to prayer because in it God Himself is speaking. Quote and speak forth the Word of God which relate to the situation or circumstances you are praying about. The Word of God in your mouth is a sharp sword, a flaming arrows, and it is a creative force. It is the instrument with which the Holy Spirit uses to create, and the angels uses to enforce your decrees.
Persistence and perseverance are strong influences in prayer. Half-hearted prayers have no place in the throne room of heaven. Elijah's persistent praying for the rain seven times caused the rain cloud to appear above the horizon and brought success to his prayer and the victory of his faith. Daniel pressed his case for three weeks before the answer and the blessing finally came. In Gethsemane Jesus presented the same petition three times with urgent and submissive persistence. The Widow was granted the justice she desired because of her persistence. Blind Bartemaeus's persistence wins even in the face of opposition and rebuke from the surrounding crowd. His persistence won where half-hearted indifference would surely have failed.
Tears shed in prayer are precious in the sight of God. A burdened heart, a soul crying out to God, is the very essence of passionate praying. Praying with tears is one of the most powerful forms of prayer ever known. For prayer that does not move you will not move God. God told King Josiah "because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you," says the Lord - 2 Kings 22:19.
Spiritual Effect of Fasting
Any one can pray, but few pray with power. What is it that changes ordinary praying into a powerful praying? The answer most assuredly, is fasting. Fasting adds power to our prayer and give us speedy victory over the devil. This is the account of the disciples trying to cast a devil out of a demon-possessed boy. Frantically they prayed and commanded the dumb spirit to come out of the boy, but they couldn't. When the father of the boy asked Jesus for help, He stepped forth and cast the devil out of the boy. Afterward, the disciples came to Him and asked Him privately, "why could not we cast the devil out"? Jesus told them the secret to spiritual power. He said, "this kind can only come out by prayer and fasting." When you face some stubborn situation, circumstances, strongholds, generational curses, perpetual lack, or chronic pain or terminal disease, you need to add some fasting to your praying, and see longstanding stronghold crumbles before your eyes. John Wesley believed so much in fasting that he refused to ordain young men into ministry who would not fast two days a week.Prayer and Worship
Prayer flies on two wings - praise and worship. Let your time of prayer begin with praise and worship. That is why the first three chapters of this book are dedicated to prayer of adoration, come into His presence telling Him how wonderful He is, how kind He has been to you. The Psalmist says "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name." Psalm 100:4. Praise is as essential to powerful praying, as air is to our breathing. Praise is the means of entering into the presence of the Lord. When we are in His presence, the next thing to do is to worship Him.Worship brings forth God's glory. The glory of God will descend like a dew, like the rain shower, like a gray or yellow smoke, like fire in your prayer closet, in your home, in your church when he is truly worshipped. That glory will trasform you, from glory to glory. It transformed Moses so much that his face was shinning like the brightness of the sun, until the people could not behold his face. On the mount of transfiguration, the disciples saw a strange glow on Jesus' feature; as He continued in prayer, the glow became brighter and brighter; it grew until His whole feature was dazzling like a bright summer sun. That strange glow was nothing else but the glory of God, that glory will overshadow you, envelope you, permeate and saturate you, until you are highly charged and fully clothed with the power of God so much that when you walk into a room, demons will start to flee through the windows, and when you walk into a place full of demoniacs, witches and wizards, they will start to act funny. This will happen, if you will give yourself to constant prayer.
"The pure in heart shall see God." Purity is power. The Psalmist said "if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me." Nothing destroys more than sin. Sin destroys our fellowship with God and our fellowship with others, it destroys peace of mind, hinders prayer, and bring darkness over the soul. Holiness of thought, deed and act, is a must for powerful praying. The book of Hebrews says "pursue peace with all men and holiness without which no eye shall see the Lord." True praying must come out of a clean heart, a heart full of love; a heart that holds even its enemies in loving consideration; a heart from which all bitterness, revenge, jealousy and envy are purged. We simply cannot talk strongly and confdently to God unless we are living for Him, faithfully and truly. Holiness give us a confidence and good standing in prayer before God. A honest Christian is a confident Christian, and is the only one that can come boldly to the throne room of God to obtain mercy in time of need. For it is the prayer of holy men that pleases God, work wonders, and wrought miracles.
There Is Power in Prayer
God was set on destroying Israel, and the prayer of Moses changed the purpose of God and save the nation. God sent Isaiah to say to king Hezekiah "set your house in order, for you shall die and not live" so Hezekiah prayed and wept sore, and God sent Isaiah back to say, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold I will add to your days fifteen more years." Jabez was born with a curse on his life, everything he does failed, until he cried unto God, and God turned his cursed life into a great blessing. "Yet, forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" was God's warning by Jonah, but Nineveh cried mightily to God, and God changed his mind concerning the destruction He wanted to bring on them. Peter kneeled down and prayed besides dead Dorcas, and she opened her eyes and sat up, and Peter presented her alive to the mourning and wailing crowd. Jacob's praying changed Esau's murderous hate into a brotherly embrace and kisses. Hannah's praying brought life into her dead womb and carried one of the greatest prophet of the old testament. The angel was sent to Cornelius, and the gospel was opened through him to the gentile world, because his "prayers and alms had become a memorial before God." Solomon was given a wise heart in answer to prayer. What more shall I say, time and space will fail me, to mention, Elijah who prayed and fire fell from heaven and consume the sacrifice, licked up the water, and burnt solid stones into ashes.Prayer Exploits
Through the power of prayer and faith, men of old had subdued kingdoms, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, put death on hold, cured diseases, rescued citities from destruction, stopped the sun in its course, out of weakness were made strong, made invincible in battle, called down fire from heaven, unlock the cabinet of the womb, brought the dead back to life, shut and unlock the floodgate of rain, forced open the prison doors and the irons gates.As you pray the prayers in the pages of this book, my prayer for you is that God will rekindle and ignite a fresh fire, a fresh passion, a fresh anointing, and an unquenchable spirit of prayer, supplication and intercession in your life that will propel you to walk in a higher dimension of glory and power. Amen. Are you ready to pray? Arise, for the glory of the Lord has risen on you right now.
To the only true and wise God, the immortal and invisible, to the Eternal Spirit who sits on the throne of the universe, who inspired and motivate me to write this book, be glory, honor, power and all dominion from now and throughout all the ages to come. Amen.
Remain blessed and rapturable.
Shalom!
Daniel Igomodu