Protecting your lot through praise and prayer

Today being the last Saturday of the month, the leadership would like us to meditate on the theme “Protecting your lot through praise and prayer”. I would like us to consider this using three major questions:

·         What is our lot?

·         Why is it necessary to protect it?

·         How does praise and prayer help us do this?

What is my lot?

In this context, lets us use the definition of a lot as that of a measured parcel of land or a piece of property. So, as children of God what then is our property? The verse that readily comes to mind is that of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 1:3…”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” . So with this mindset we recognize that as children of God and consequently heirs of the Kingdom, everything we have and will have, whether physical or spiritual is a property or blessing given to us freely by God. We are stewards of these blessings as explained in 1 Pet 4: 10 “ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 

Why is it necessary to protect it?

It is necessary to protect what you have been given because we are warned in 1 Peter 5: 8 “Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour” Again, Jesus in John 10: 10 reminds us that “…The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy…..”. Thus we are entreated to be consistently on our guard against the subtle influences of the enemy. So how can we protect our lot from the enemy? We have been given two strategies; praise and prayer.

Praise stems from a recognition that all we have been given is a blessing. Thus, by having an attitude of praise we are actively acknowledging the presence and the hand of God in our lives. As a result, our minds are focused on Him always, as we receive His strength to resist the devices of the enemy. An attitude of praise and gratitude helps us not to slip into the valley of anxiety and depression, a common tactic used by the enemy. By remembering through praise and thanksgiving, how far the Lord has brought us or how much the Lord has provided for us, we receive the encouragement and courage to move ahead regardless of the situation we may find ourselves. 

An attitude of praise and gratitude promotes a healthy detachment from the blessings we have been given by refocusing our attention to the giver of these blessings. The blessings we have received should not separate us from the Lord but rather should draw us closer to Him. Sometimes, if we are not careful, the enemy can use these blessings we have prayed for and received as a means of drawing us from the Lord. May this not be our portion. Let us employ the strategy of praise. Living a life of praise and gratitude enables us to walk by the Spirit as encouraged in Gal 5:16, by exhibiting daily, the fruit of Joy. You will agree with me that a joyful person is always an attractive person. Living a life of praise fills us with an inexplicable joy that has a way of drawing others to us and provides us with the opportunity of sharing the source of our joy with them. Consequently, we can protect our blessings from the prowling enemy in addition to snatching others from his grip.  An attitude of praise helps us to overcome difficulties. By exhibiting the fruit of Joy which is because of a life of praise, we gain the strength to move ahead even during difficulties, regardless of whatever the enemy may through our way.   

Today I pray that we will all begin to put on a garment of praise. As an aid, I would like to encourage us all to write down, during our spare times, 100 things that we are grateful for and let’s remember to give Him praise for them.

The second strategy, is that of prayer. Indeed, the need for prayer cannot be overemphasized. On numerous occasions in scripture, we see how Jesus is said to have gone by himself to spend time in prayer. He gives us a model to follow. The more we spend time with the Father, the more our hearts desires become like His and we receive strength in heart and mind to protect our lots from the advances of the enemy. 

To conclude I will like to remind us of Paul’s encouraging words in 1 Thess 5: 16-18 “Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. 

May we live lives of praise and prayer. Amen    

-Talk given on Ghana Charismatic Renewal North America Prayerline_29th April 2014