I stared at the filthy bathroom.
It needed a good intense scrub. I desired to clean it. I felt uncomfortable with the filth, the stench. Plus that bacterium multiplies a million per minute, I needed to dive in and salvage it. Though willing and enthusiastic, I stopped. I looked at around, at what I needed to tackle and where I ought to start. A daunting task. What could I do? I checked the cabinets and found them empty. How should I clean the bathroom? Should I pour water everywhere with the hopes the water will wash the filth away? Water will make the place wet, but not clean. I had nothing but water to use to get the place clean and that alone does not get the job done.
Tools. Yes. I needed work tools.
I strolled out of the bathroom, went to the kitchen to get a drink and a snack. I settled in front of the TV to take a wee break, and hours later I questioned my earlier wish to clean the bathroom.
The next day as I dashed into the supermarket, I got to the cleaning aisle and I got excited. I grabbed the needed cleaning products. I even got a pair of gloves, apron and scarf to go with it.
When I got home, I got even more excited. The filth remained the same. The wish to clean remained unchanged. What gave me the extra gusto were the tools I had gained. I could clean and achieve a fragrant and sparkling clean bathroom. I had the gloves, the apron, the scarf and a bucket full of cleaning tools. I was ready and equipped to destroy the dirt.
I cleaned. A simple detergent and a sponge cleaned most surfaces, but I needed bleach for the tougher stains. I enjoyed the sweaty task because of the result I achieved. I hit the mark. Pun intended. Without the correct cleaning tools I could never achieve my desired result.
Imagine if I love/need to pray but I never read the word. It might be okay, for a while. But without the right tools, the word of God, prayer will be emotional babbles.
“We equip ourselves with the word of God to pray on target. The applied knowledge and understanding of the bible is what sets us free; not the multitude of words we utter in prayer.”
We pray amiss when we don’t pray the will of God, that is, God’s word. The word of God, expressed, in prayers works wonders. Any other type of prayer is mere religious rhetoric . The devil doesn’t quake at religious activities. He loves it because he understand how futile they are against his activities. He hates it when we know the truth; that it is the word of God that delivers answers, demolishes strongholds and creates those things that be not as though they are:
“…God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
Romans 4:17b NKJV
The most effective tool for answered prayer is the word of God. It is the arsenal of offense against troubles and issues. Prayer is the vehicle that carries the word of God to its desired end. We need both prayer and the word. They go hand in hand.
The power of prayer is the word of God.
The content of prayer should be the word of God. The enemy of our soul fears the word of God, because of its potency. No matter how much water I pour on a dirty bathroom, it will be wet but not clean. Bacteria will still thrive and multiply. I stop the dirt when I scrub with a sponge and detergent. That’s how it works in prayer. You apply the word of God. When the dirt is deep, I apply bleach or a stronger detergent and leave it to soak for some time. Some issues need longer periods of prayer and an added fast before we can see the result.
When you pray, find the scripture that is appropriate for what you want to pray for and release the trigger. God responds to His word. He has a high regard for His word:
“I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your loving kindness and Your truth; FOR YOU HAVE MAGNIFIED YOUR WORD ABOVE ALL YOUR NAME.” Psalm 138:2
