Text: Matthew 6:5-8
Memory verse:
“Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Sometimes I hear some people give excuse for not praying or for their weak prayer by saying, “God already knows what I need”. Yes, as true as that statement is, God didn’t tell you not to pray either. In fact, God didn’t make prayer an optional spiritual exercise, that is, something you can do or not do but something you should do, that is, a necessity. He said, “When you pray” and not “If you pray”. The phrase, “When you pray” was repeated three times, one in each of verses 5, 6 and 7 of our text. It is therefore normal to pray and abnormal not to pray.
Even though God knows all that you need before you pray, yet He has chosen the channel of prayer as His means of passing those needs to you. Having told the disciples that our Father in heaven knows all that they needed, Jesus said, “In this manner, therefore, pray …”. He didn’t say, “Therefore, you don’t have to pray again”. Rather, He went ahead to teach them how to pray. Prayer puts you in agreement with God. God can’t do anything unless you agree with Him. He wants your open heart, open mind and open hands. He will fill the mouth that opens (Psa 81:10). Prayer is your open heart before God that He fills with His favour, goodness, power and abundance.
God has enough resources for everyone of His children. He can never be exhausted. He is the more-than-enough God. Most often, we beg, lust, covet, fight, and war because we don’t pray. Why would you be jealous of someone when you can also have what he or she has? “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”
‭‭(James‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬).
Having committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband, God sent this message to David through prophet Nathan. “I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more!” ‭‭(II Sam‬ ‭12‬:‭8‬). God was saying to David that, he would have simply asked more from Him, if he needed more, instead of coveting Uriah’s wife and then killing him.
Friends, prayerlessness can lead to fretting, lust, covetousness, jealousy, envy, strife and all evil works. God is ready to pour out blessing on you but He needs you to agree with Him and draw the blessing through the channel of prayer.

Prayer points
1. Father, please, teach me to always pray about every need rather than fretting or coveting in Jesus name.
2. Father, please, help me to make prayer something I have to do and not something I may do, in Jesus name.

Prayer points
1. I don’t covet what others have, since I also have access to God who gave them.
2. God knows what I need but I agree with Him and draw the needs by praying.

Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng