As we already know, 2024 was designated by the Holy Father as the Year of Prayer in preparation for the Jubilee Year of Hope, 2025. We might be tempted to ask what we need another special year for, especially since we are deeply religious people and prayer, unceasing prayer has become the hallmark of the life of many of us. 

Well, a little nudging here and there is not out of place. As life become complex and hard for many people, the temptation is to become engrossed in eking out a living for ourselves that we inadvertently relegate God to the periphery of our lives. Yet. God holds the fabrics of our life, and we must maintain a close contact with him. Prayer helps us to keep this in focus always.

As Nigerians, while we have heaped up enormous prayers in the past, the challenges of our life today does not exempt us from further prayers.

In fact, that things have not worked out well for us might be an indication that we have not prayed well, or that we have not presented the right prayers or that our attentions to rightful prayers and fervent prayers have been wrong. All these therefore challenges us to approach prayer in a new manner and with better disposition and dynamism. 

 

Certain elements must become integral to our prayer life. These have been summed up in the acronym ACTS, Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving and Supplication. 

Prayer is an act of dependence; we are creatures of God and so we owe him our life. We thus depended on him for life and sustenance. When we feel we can do it all by ourselves, then we cut ourselves off from the one source that means life for us. Prayer leads us back into that warm embrace of God where we occupy our rightful place and defer to God. It is our act of trust in God’s goodness and providence.

As humble children then, we first acknowledge the greatness of God in a worthy adoration and once we enter into this divine ambience, we ask God to purge us of our sins by engaging in a heartfelt contrition. 

As you know, sin is always an obstacle in our relationship with God, but through sincere sorrow and firm purpose of amendment, we receive forgiveness and are able to stand in right relationship with God. “The one we go to is the one who justifies us.” The one we offended in the past, is still the one that makes us righteous. 

As we stand in this right relationship with God, we are well positioned to make any request and have them granted. Thus, an act of thanksgiving is fitting at this moment even if we have not made any request. We give thanks to God for all that He has done in the past and for all that we continue to enjoy and for the request we know He will grant when we make them.

These three moments are necessary and should not be missed before we enter the last moment which is supplication. Unfortunately, this is where most Christians are found. In fact, many Christians believe wrongly that supplication is the only type of prayer, and they engage in it more than in other forms of prayer. Our prayer is never complete when the other moments are lacking.

The last moment in our prayer routine is supplication, at this moment we make our request known to God. We ask for all that we need, such as our daily bread, good health, protection, even deliverance from our enemies. This form of prayer is also called prayer of petition. This is an important Christian act, and it is also a testimony to the quality of our faith that we trust God enough to believe that He is able to answer our prayers and grant our requests. 

Yes, God Answers Prayers (GAP), this is true even if we do not get exactly what we have asked for. God, being a loving father will not give us what will harm us, so that we do not receive what we asked for is still a good response from God. God Answers Prayers, Christians must therefore, pray in season and out of season or put differently, Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH). 

This is also an act of faith, it means we know that God operates on his own realm and time, and we are going to wait until the appointed time, known only to God. It takes a person of faith to pray thus. Is this the way you pray, or have you formed the habit of commanding God to do your bidding? Are you one of those who decree and command? Go to Jesus and learn the habit of true and effective prayer. This is the time to pray and there are lots of things to do in prayer. Enter into these moments of prayer and let yourself be transformed.