Why You Must Pray

The outcomes of our life in this world are based on outcomes of judgements that are made on us at every second of our lives. We are faced with judgements by the good and evil counsellors.

We are daily judged by the actions and events that relate to us both directly and indirectly. Activities and actions by our family lineage before we were born and after we were born, and the actions and activities carried out by ourselves are the parameters used to judge us every day. The outcomes and destinies of our lives are based on the outcome of these judgements and also balanced by natural laws set in motion by Almighty God, the creator of the universe.

1 Peter 5: 8 lets us know that we must be vigilant and sober because our adversary is the devil and he is always walking around seeking who he will devour as a roaring lion. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”

So, while Jesus Christ is the counsellor and intercessor who is always defending us from the devil, the accusations and adversaries of the devil. Through Jesus Christ, we have a high priest, an advocate who is consecrated to nullify and invalidate every accusation and judgement the devil is putting across in order to bring punishment upon us.

Through Jesus Christ, we are always set free from every possible condemnation the devil is trying to invoke and enforce judgment on us.

Colossians 2:14( NLT) He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

Zechariah 3:1-2
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

Revelation 12:10
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

Knowing that life is like in a law court where we are the accused, satan is our accuser, Jesus Christ is our counsellor and great advocate and God is the righteous judge who considers his words above his name.

The devil knows that God is a righteous judge and does not change in his word, and that is why he is always bringing our sins before God to invoke the judgment of sin on us. The devil knows that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and he knows that God can also show mercy to whom he wishes to show mercy.

God in his infinite wisdom gave us Jesus Christ as a propitiation for our sins, as a way of escape from the wages of sin and judgements proclaimed as wages of sin. Satan’s work is always to make sure that man gets punished for their sin because he knows that such judgment and condemnation await him and his agents.

John 3:14-15 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.”

John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Knowing the battle we face every day is the reason why we must be praying every time so that we can be able to plead our case against our adversary knowing that we have the name that is above every other name.

Our prayer is like pleading our cause and reminding God of all his promises, silencing the voice of the devil who is daily accusing us and bringing our sin before God.

It is important to understand that God being a righteous judge also gives attention to satan according to his word because satan is also his creature whose final judgement has not been passed.

Job 2: 1-4 “On another day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satana also came with them to present himself before Him. Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan.”

“From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.”

“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”

Therefore, it is only through prayer that we can subvert and reject the judgements that are due for our sins, the sins of our lineage and environment which the devil always brings before God.

When we pray, we are also bringing before God our own case and reason to undermine whatever satan and his agents are planning or invoking against us.

Matthew 4:3-4 The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

When the tempter, the devil was bringing a case against Jesus, he also defended himself with the word of God thereby negating and cancelling satan’s argument. In that same manner, when we pray, we use the word of God to nullify and cancel every word of condemnation and judgement being invoked on us by the devil, satan and his spiritual and physical, human and demonic agents.

When you do not pray, you have made yourself guilty and vulnerable to every judgment the devil is invoking on you. You are accepting that you deserve every punishment the devil is putting on you, accepting to be guilty. In this case, the outcome of your life will be determined by satan and his agents except God’s grace intervenes on your behalf.

Isaiah 54:17a “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn.”

It is you that shall condemn the tongues that rise up against you in judgment. In Christ Jesus, God has given us the power and authority that supersedes the power and authority of the devil and his agents. We have an advocate and a high priest whose name is above every other name, and at the mention of his name, every knee shall bow.

John 14: 13-14 “And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.”

Imagine a courtroom scenario where you have a judge who is your father, your lawyer who is your friend and blood brother, and your accuser who is your enemy and you are standing in front of the judge.

The adversary, your accuser puts forward his accusations and reasons why you must be punished, he even quotes the laws from the constitution and reminds the judge who happened to be the one that wrote the law. The adversary then reminds the judge that he must uphold his words as a righteous judge.

Then the lawyer expected the one he was defending to narrate his side of the story and the judge was watching.

But the accused became mute and did not even say a word. What do you expect the righteous judge to do? He can either break his words and pass judgment against the accuser, or he will allow the accuser to have his way.

In this scenario, Jesus can intercede for us, but it becomes more stronger winning case for us if we open our mouths and remind the judge reasons why we are not guilty.

We can even claim rewards and compensations according to the words written in the book by the judge. The judge will happily and righteously justify us and reward us.

Job 22:28 “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.”

Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Your mouth can set you free even when you’re guilty, so always learn to use your mouth to pray. Praying is not anything else than using the name of Jesus to speak words concerning situations in your life, your family, your environment, the plans of God, or anything you that concerns you. The same way you speak, argue or shout in the natural life. The difference is that you are doing this with sobriety and seriousness, paying attention and knowing that you’re carrying out a spiritual exercise. Using the word of God and the name of Jesus Christ makes your prayer a high priority

Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

Luke 18:1 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint”

To God be all the glory!

By Obinna Ejianya @obinna_ejianya (9News Nigeria – Melbourne, Australia)

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