Ministry Of Prayer Part 3 — Prophet Cherub Obadare

um, for today's Bible study. I want to thank God for what the Lord is doing in your life. Be exalted in Jesus name. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, Jesus. Um, we are going to be looking at the ministry of prayer, part three today. We started a study on the ministry of prayer um like two weeks ago. We started on We began to see how much God depends on us to change the world. We began to see the power of God through our prayer. The power of God can be channeled through our prayers. When we pray, God is um is giving the access to do something in our life and in the life of the people we are praying for. And so, it's important that we hold, you know, in uh together in prayer even in a time like this, it's important we we pray and use this opportunity to pour out our heart, pour out our heart unto the Lord in prayer. Today, we are going to be looking at uh a scripture in the book of Matthew chapter seven. We're going to be looking at um the principle under the ministry of prayer, the principle of asking, seeking, and knocking. Last week, we saw three reasons why the devil wants to keep you from praying. We saw number one, God depends on your prayer to change the world. It's one of the key reasons why the devil wants to stop you from praying. We saw what happened in Acts chapter 12, when they began to pray, the Bible says, and the angel of the Lord went into the prison and brought out Peter. But, you know, if they had prayed, James too would not have been killed, but they kept quiet. So, God depends, even with the present crisis that is going on, God depends on our prayer to make certain things happen. And if you don't pray, the enemy will see that as an opportunity. So, if God depends on your prayer to change the world, the devil depends on your lack of prayer to cause havoc in the world. Praise God. And we saw that the second reason the devil does not want you to pray is that um it's the biggest threat to the devil. Whenever the devil sees a believer going on his knees, the believer is the the devil is scared you know, so scared that he doesn't want you praying. As much as the devil wants to, you know, He wants to do everything to keep you out of prayer. Praise God. Hallelujah. And so, we saw that the third reason is that fellowship, prayer, it's a fellowship with God. The devil wants to keep you out of fellowship with God. He doesn't want you to be in fellowship. The Bible say in Acts chapter 13, it said, as the apostles ministered to the Lord and fasted, prayer is a ministration to God. So the devil don't want you to have any kind of fellowship, because fellowship with God destroys the activity and the power of the devil around your life. Praise God. And so today, we are going to be looking at Matthew chapter seven. I like you to open your Bible with me, very important. Matthew chapter seven. I'm going to be reading from verse seven. We are about to learn something that will transform your prayer life, very powerful. Um, in in our first teaching on the ministry of prayer, I told you how important it is to have a separate prayer Bible. Apart from the Bible you use for study, you should have a separate prayer Bible and the essence of having a separate prayer Bible is to have your prayer point stick to that prayer Bible, and it will enable you find scriptures when you are praying. You find scriptures that align with your prayer. So when you have your prayer Bible with you, you have your prayer request. As you are praying with that Bible, one thing I have always tell people is, don't always go into the place of prayer without Bible. Have your Bible in your hand. Because a word from the Lord can drop into your spirit. You will quickly go there, you know, and it's very prayer becomes so powerful and effective when you find a word that address your prayer. There's no weapon that is at as that powerful. When you find a word from the, you know, a rema from the Logos, the written word of God. When a a the light of God's word come upon you as you are praying and you quote that scripture, it's like releasing a you know, an arsenal in the spirit. It's make things so powerful and effective. Matthew chapter seven, I'm going to read from verse seven. Ask and it shall be given you. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeketh finds, and he him that knocketh, it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom his son asks bread, and will give him stone, or if he asks a fish, he will give him serpent. If then, if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father, which is in heaven, give good things to them that seek Him. Praise God. Now, I was studying this scripture, I think it was um this week, sometimes this week, and you know, a light I've been studying this scripture for a long time, a light came upon me. And what is the light? He said, ask. Anywhere you see ask in the Bible, it refers to prayer. He said, ask and it shall be given. This is a it's a principle in the spirit, that when you ask of God, you will receive. Now, it further says, seek and ye shall find. Now, that is not prayer. Most people have interpreted seek as a kind of prayer, that knocking is a is another level of prayer. No, no. Let me explain what the Holy Spirit told me. Asking has to do with prayer. It's it's a principle. If you go to verse nine, you you will see what he said there. He said, or what manner or what man is there of you whom his son asks bread, will he give him a stone? He did not mention find and knock again. A part from verse 7 and from and verse 8 where he mentioned, ye shall when ye when ye when ye seek you shall find, when you knock it shall be opened unto you and verse 8 where he said, for everyone that asks receive, and he that seek find, and he him that knock it shall be opened. Now, you will look if you go further, he didn't mention find, seek, he didn't mention seek or knock again. Now, meaning the seeking to find and knocking for the door to be opened was referring to something different. And we are going to see it now. Now, he said, for as many that ask, they will receive. Mind you, the Bible say in the book of Mark, if you look at Mark chapter 11, let's open the book of Mark chapter 11, there is a way to ask. There's a way. You don't just ask anyhow. There's a way you ask from the Lord. Mark 11 and from verse 22, and Jesus answering said unto them, have faith in God. Verily, I say unto you, that whatsoever, whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he say shall come to pass. He shall have whatsoever he sayeth. This is talking about asking, and this is talking about prayer. That if anyone, whosoever will say to this mountain, mountain mean like an obstacle, something that is not allowing you, you know, see the other side or have a breakthrough to the other side. He said, if you will say in prayers, verse 24 say, therefore I say unto you, what what things soever ye desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and ye shall have them. Now, look at it. One of the things he mentioned here is faith. Faith is a factor when it comes to asking. Faith is a factor. The Bible say there is no double-minded man that will receive anything from the Lord. He said if anyone, James chapter 1 verse 5, let me show you. James chapter 1 verse 5, equally talks about asking and it talks about prayer. He said, if anyone lack wisdom, let him ask of God. This place too is talking about asking. And anywhere you see asking God, anywhere you see the scripture say, asking God or ask God, it is prayer. It's talking about a kind of prayer. Now let's look, look at it. He say, that giveth to all men liberally. How does God give? God is so generous in giving. God is extravagant. That word liberal means he he has a way of lavish upon you answers to your prayers. Yeah. Because you how you see God will determine how you receive from God. Now, look at it. He say, but let him ask in faith, not wavering. Now, now, now, James 1:5, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally. And upgraded not, he does not withhold from people. Yeah, God does not do that. And he shall be given him. But let him ask in faith. Now, when he say ask in Matthew chapter 7 verse 7, when the Bible say ask, it shall be given unto you, when he said that, he is saying, when you ask, you should ask in faith. You don't just ask, you ask in faith. Say ask in faith. Now, he says, let him ask in faith, not wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord. Let the man not think he will receive anything from the Lord. So, there are a lot of people who ask, you see people, you know, do all kind of prayer exercise in listen to me, if you like, cry, shout, roll on the floor, if this factor called faith is missing, your asking will not have any result. Praise God. So, let's go back to Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7, from verse 7. I want us to see Matthew 7 from verse 7. Ask, and it shall be given unto you. Seek, ye shall find. Now, we have been able to see um what asking means. It means Jesus was talking to them about prayers. When he say ask, he was giving them a blank check. That statement is a statement of Christ giving us a blank ask and it shall be given. It's like somebody give you a blank check and say, write any amount you want. Number one thing that will make you believe him is his integrity. Number two, his substance, is he capable? If somebody write, there are people in this country that will give you open check. You will not ask questions before you go to bank. Because you know the stuff they are made of. You know how well they are. You know, you know, you know there are some kind of checks you request and when the person gives you a blank and say sign and you say no, no, I don't want to be arrested. I I know I don't want to involve myself in all this criminal activities because you are not sure of this economic, you know, prowess of the person. But this is Jesus speaking here. We can bank, I dare you to bank on whatever Jesus tells you. This is a blank check here. Ask, it shall be given. A scripture in the book of Philippians chapter 4, he said, he he said, let's see Philippians chapter 4. Let me show you something. In Philippians chapter 4, this is a Bible study. I want us to see. Philippians chapter 4, very important. He says, look at verse six. Be careful for nothing, in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. Be careful. That word be careful means, don't worry about anything. Why? Matthew 7:7 has given you blank check. There is nothing to worry about. He said, be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer, meaning, instead of worry, pray. Instead of anxiety, pray. Be careful for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests, that word request, address Matthew 7:7, ask, be made known unto God. Look at what verse 7 says, and the peace of God, what usually follows when you obey that principle is the peace of God. When you go into the place of prayer, and one grace that comes upon you, he say, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, meaning, that passes human comprehension, shall keep your hearts and minds, minds through Christ Jesus. Praise God. Ask your neighbor, say, you have an open check in Christ. How many of you remember that scripture in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, from verse 19, all the promises of God in Christ, they are yes and amen. Meaning, any open check from Christ cannot bounce. Any open check. Matthew 7:7 is an open check. Now, 7 Corinthians 1 from verse 19 say, all the promises of God. Meaning, whatever he gives you as a promise, as a bill, as promise, as an open check, it cannot bounce. They all the promises of God in Christ, they are yes and amen. Meaning, there is God's signature on it. A name has been given unto him that is above all names. I in the at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. Say, open check in the name of Jesus. Yeah. Matthew 7: 7 is an open check. You are to fill in the way what you ask is what you feel in the check. So, mind what you ask in prayer. Some of us don't we the way some people see God is that they are bothering God with their needs. That's the way that's their approach and perception about God. And you know, they come to God like, God, you know, I don't want to bother you, but if you can, if you can just help me, let me just have a place where No, no. No, no, you don't say that. You don't say that. If you visit a multi-billionaire and he gives you an open check and he says, sign and enjoy whatever you want. You want to buy house, you want to build whatever. Right? It will be an insult on on the on the on the status of that multi-billionaire for you to say, you know, I don't want to bother you. And like 5,000 is okay. You are telling him he's not capable of meeting your need. That's about what how much more God. The Bible say the cattle on a thousand hills belongs to him. Hagai chapter 2 and verse 8 says, silver and gold, God speaking, they are mine. Material spiritual things are are of God. Praise God. So, use this period that you are at home to ask God. Insist you are coming out of this lockdown with something great. Yeah. Insist in prayer. Now that I will not be locked at home and come out like a prisoner. I will not be locked down at home and come out stiff You begged before lockdown. You want to come out and beg after lockdown? You struggled before the lockdown started. You want to come out again and beg? No, no, no. Insist. The Bible says, and Jacob locked himself with an angel. The angel came into his environment. He said, I will not let you go. Now listen to me, let me show you a scripture again about prayer before we go further. Matthew chapter 6 and from verse 6. Let's read from verse 5. Matthew chapter 6, let me show you. And when thou prayers, meaning when you ask in prayer, thou shall not be as the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in synagogues in the corner of the streets, that they may be seen of men. This is a religious prayer. Yeah. He's talking about, he said, don't let your prayer be religious. Where you are trying to pray to put up an impression, we are Christians, we are not religious people. He said, don't be religious. Don't make prayer a show off. There are people who make prayer a show off. They are now during this lockdown, some people be praying, they won't allow their neighbors to sleep, they're the only people in their environment are in trouble. You won't allow that's that's the Bible call it religious prayer. I have issue with people like that because when you talk to them, they see you as canal. They are spiritual because they are praying loud. So, during this lockdown, praying does not mean you should disturb people around you. So don't be like them. What try to give an impression they are they are super spiritual. The Bible call it religious pretense, hypocrisy. Now look at it. He said, that they may be seen. Verily I say unto you, they have their rewards. Verse six says, but thou, when thou prayers, enter into thy closet, lock down, has really helped you. You are already many of us are in our closet already. You don't need to enter. Many people are not going to work. You are already in your closet. So you are fulfilling the scripture now. And when thou shouts the door, yeah, when thou this is locked down. So, even the Bible recommends that you should lock down when you want to pray. Thank God, the situation has helped you lock down. So, look at what he said now. Then shut the door, pray to the Father. So, this is this…