The Gap

Ephesians 6:¹⁸ “Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.” (ERV)

Prayer is a conversation; you speak to God, and you are spoken to by God. So, prayer is not just talking, prayer is also listening, and hearing. But God says always pray in the Spirit, never stop praying, never give up. So, when do we listen, and when will we hear Him? That is why the gift of praying in the Spirit is such an amazing gift. Praying in tongues is a complete prayer gift; it is as much a hearing gift as it is a speaking gift. And the more you speak in other tongues, the more your spiritual ears open. 1 Thessalonians 5:¹⁷ “Never stop praying.” One of the major barriers to prayer is offense. People get offended easily and that is a challenge.

You are offended because someone did not acknowledge your presence or greet you in church. So, you are offended? Offense is a major barrier to prayer. Some people say they just want to go to church, listen to the Word, and say Amen to the prayers. They do not want to be useful to God or serve anybody, they just want to be served. Why? They say, ‘You have to be careful of church people’. Have you heard such statements? ‘You have to be careful because the last time I tried, people were talking about me, telling my business to others, and gossiping about me’. I will have you know that in God’s Favourite House, we do not do gossip. Yes, we know that people are growing, and some are still on the fringes. But as soon as we spot gossip, we shoot it down because we have zero tolerance for gossip.

So, because of their experiences in church, many people have become offended at God. Some others just want to get even — an eye for an eye. God does not approve of taking revenge — it is in the Bible, vengeance is mine says the Lord (Romans 12:19, Psalm 91:1). God says, forgive those that have offended you. You cannot get ahead if all you are worried about is how to get even. You need to forgive because you can never get ahead by getting even. All you can get is to get even, you cannot get ahead. And prayer is so important to your destiny that you cannot afford to allow anyone hinder your prayers. Prayer is so important to your destiny that you have to forgive because prayer can be hindered by unforgiveness.

Like in the illustration, sometimes, we are at level A struggling whereas level B is where God wants us to be. Note that only God can take you from level A to level B. However, the gap between level A and level B can only be filled by prayer. The gap between where you are now and where God can take you to can only be filled by prayer. Prayer is the difference between you fighting for God and God fighting for you.

Prayer: Father, I ask for the grace to never stop praying, to pray in the Spirit continually, and to be free of offense, in Jesus Name. Amen!