THEME: RULES FOR LIVING HAPPY
TOPIC: PRAY EVERYDAY
TEACHER: ASI POLYCARP (EVANG.)
INTRODUCTION
According to the KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon, Strong’s Number: 3107, the word translated “happy” is from the Greek word “Makarios,” pronounced as “mak-ar’-ee-os.” Makarios appears in a total of fifty times in the KJV in the following ways; blessed, 44 occurrences; happy, 5 occurrences, and happier, 1 occurrence.
Makarios is a prolonged form of the poetical “makar” (meaning the same); that is, supremely blest, by extension; fortunate, well-off.
As children of God, prayer is one way to remain supremely blessed, which in other words, translates to happiness. No wonder the inspired Apostle Paul, a soldier of the Cross of Christ, admonished the Thessalonians to pray without season (1 Thess. 5:17).
EXEGESIS OF THE WORD “PRAY”
1. Definition of the Word “Pray”
The word verb “pray” is a translation of the Greek word, “proseuchomai,” pronounced as “pros-yoo’-khom-ahee.” It means “to pray to God; that is to supplicate, and by extension, to make prayer.” Proseuchomai, is the combination of two Greek words namely “pros” and “euchomai.”
“Pros”, is defined as, “A strengthened form of ‘pro’ ” (a primary preposition; fore; that is, in front of). It has an occurrence of 725 times in the New Testament. “Euchomai” is a middle voice of a primary verb; hence, the meaning of the word is “to wish; by implication, to pray to God. It has 7 occurrences in the New Testament.
The Hebrew word translated “pray” is “palal.” Its basic meaning is “to intercede.” The noun word, “prayer,” is from the Greek word “proseuche” which means, by implication, “an oratory.”
2. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PRAYERS
One of the weapons of our Christian warfare outlined in Ephesians 6:18 is prayer. “…And our weapons of warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…” (2 Cor. 10: 4). Hence, prayer is mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.
Our ultimate epitome in prayer is Jesus the Christ who exemplified the unquantifiable need of prayer as the Son of God (Matt. 14:23, Mark 1:35 Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12).
SUMMARY
• We are to pray and not faint (Luke 18:1-2).
• We should pray that we should not be led into temptation, but be delivered from all evil (Luke 22: 40).
• We should pray for the things we desire, believing that we have received them (Mark 11: 24).
• We should forgive those that have offended us so that our prayers will avail (Mark 11: 25).
• We should pray with faith and not with doubt (James 1: 6).
• We shouldn’t be anxious for anything, but pray (Phil. 4: 6-7).
• We should be steadfast in prayers (Rom. 12: 12).
• We should pray in the Holy Spirit (Eph. 6: 18; Jude 1:20).
• Prayers of the righteous avail much (James 5: 16; Rev. 5:8, 8:4).
CONCLUSION
At this juncture, we have been thoroughly informed from Scriptures that as individual Christians, families, Church and members of the heavenly kingdom we need and ought to pray EVERY DAY. And as we strive in prayers and obedience to God’s word, may The Grace of God lead us to His safe Harbor in Jesus Name, Amen.