PRAYER PROVOKES BLESSINGS – Friday July 10th 2015

 PRAYER PROVOKES BLESSINGS 

Memorise: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew 7:8

Read: Luke 1:5-14, Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 1-3, Luke 20:19-47

One great lesson from Jacob’s penile experience, documented in Genesis 32:24-32, is that prayer provokes blessing. A key part of this experience in Genesis 32:28-29 thus read:

“And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. and he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? and he blessed him there.”

After changing Jacob’s name to Israel, the Lord further blessed him. This tells us that having a new name is desirable, but securing a blessing that will empower the new name to achieve its prophetic meaning in the life of its recipient is even more preferable. Some people who once had negative names have changed them; this is good but don’t stop here. Ask that God will bless your new identity, so that your new name will speedily work for you and finally take you to your place of destiny.

Similarly, you will notice that a blessing was pronounced on Israel in the place of prayer, not at some other place. Blessings are attracted to you while you are praying. The blessings that manifest after your moments of concerted prayers were first delivered to you in the place of prayer. In Acts 12:1-17, it was while the children of God were taking turns to pray that freedom was delivered to Peter who had been incarcerated by the authorities. In addition, the gift of a baby boy, in the person of John the Baptist, was delivered to Zacharias while he and the people were praying in the temple. This gift manifested nine months later (Luke 1:65-66).

Effective prayer is like a collection basket for blessing. If you can pray, you will have a place where your required blessings will be dropped for you, but if you cannot pray, you can be certain that even when God decides to give you a particular blessing out of mercy, you will not have a receptacle to receive it. This is one reason why some blessings that are brought to people are returned to Heaven. Effective and sustained praying over an issue tells the heavenly hosts that you are truly prepared to receive what you are asking for. Prayer provides that landing platform for your miracles and blessings. You desire God to bless you; have you prepared the platform on which the answer to your request will be laid?

Key Point

Prayer is a platform for collection, and only those who engage in it will reap its dividends.