Visions, Revelations and Messages
In this vision, I was awake and all of a sudden, the Lord showed me a golden praying hand. I understood it even as I was seeing it. The Lord was telling me to pray. This happened around the time, immediately after I gave my life to Christ. At that time, the Lord mostly passed messages to me in form of visions. However, after a while, He started talking to me and I heard His voice clearly – a very calm, distinct male voice!
After many years, He asked me to pray to have dialogues with Him and I did. That was when He started talking with me. I would talk to Him and He in turn, would talk back to me. This happens when He comes upon me and I go into a trance. This is also prayer but prayer, fellowship and communion on a more intimate, personal level.
My Thoughts
At the beginning of my walk with Christ, I did not know how to pray. The Lord then started taking me on this journey of prayer. I will also call it journey to the mountain top of the glory of God. With bit by bit instructions, He taught me about the victorious life in Christ. In this vision, I did not hear a word, all I saw was a beautiful, golden praying hand. That hand is actually the hand of Christ, but of course I did not know this at that time. This was about 26 years ago.
Prayer is so vital but a lot of believers have underestimated the power of prayer. A lot of people are even confused about prayer. They do not know how to pray or what to ask for. Ask yourself this question – how did pray? Also ask yourself, how did Jesus live? Therein lies the secret to our success. Jesus came to show us the way. He started with prayer and ended with prayer. He lived and breathed prayer, obedience and sanctification.
Paul never met Christ physically, but he imitated Christ so well. He was so confident about his imitation of Christ that he actually advised us to imitate him. He tried to be Christ’s mini me and we should too. We are Christians, so we should be Christ like.
And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1
There is no short cut. There have been all sorts of deceptive, seductive doctrines introduced into the Church to entice and seduce us away from the way of life that actually pleases God. The truth is that those who are not looking for short cuts are not seduced and those that are looking for short cuts get seduced and enticed by lies, doctrinal mischiefs and seductions.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:10 – 6:11 NKJV)
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV)
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13 NKJV)
praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints – (Ephesians 6:18 NKJV)
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds 2 Corinthians 10:4
in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 2 Corinthians 6:7
Prayer, worship, sanctification and obedience will usher is into the moutaintain top of the glory of God. Prayer comprises of worship, thanksgiving, praise, petition, supplication and confession. The armor of God should be worn when going into prayer. They are weapons of prayer and weapons of our warfare. The warfare is prayer and Satan introduces all sorts of distractions and confusions in order to reduce or stop our prayers. Prayer should also be accompanied by virtues like patience, humility, steadfastness, tenacity, fortitude and perseverance.
Do you see how everything is tied together? It is not as simple as starting with confessions and ending with confessions. The latter one is a new age doctrine. That latter one mimics the pattern of mantra and enchantments adopted and practiced by pagans. We should think, live and pray the way that Jesus and Paul thought, lived and prayed.
You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. Deuteronomy 12:31
Now, some people have erroneously replaced prayer with so called “faith” alone or what they call confession. Notice in what I wrote earlier that confession is part of prayer. You can’t throw away all the other variables of prayer and expect to please God. Wear your armour and pray all manner of prayers not just one type of prayer. Look at the lives of Jesus, Paul and David. They had complete prayer lives. Do not worship God the way that pagans worship their gods. He hates that!
God is looking for men and women of honor who are willing to imitate Jesus in holiness and prayer to manifest His presence on earth. Are we willing?
May great grace be upon us in Jesus name. May grace, mercy, and peace be ours in full measure. Amen.
More Scriptures
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one (Ephesians 6:14 – 6:16 NKJV)
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17 NKJV)
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