Thy will be done Week 20, 2026

 

I don’t understand what you mean by this statement: Stop using prayer as a tool to get what you want from God and turn it into the tool to make you what God wants.

Yes. I want us to make prayer a labour for the will of God. For some, skilful training in prayer knocks out God’s will, God’s timing, and narrowly seeks to bring on the flesh.

Explain in clear terms please.

I will. Consider 2 examples. Mk 10:35-38(ISV)  James and John, the sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus and told him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you." He asked them, "What do you want me to do for you?" They asked him, "Let us sit in your glory, one on your right and one on your left." But Jesus told them, "You don't realize what you're asking...”Their motivation was selfish and they were using prayer (and their mum used worship) to try to get what they wanted. That’s not how it should be.

So what is wrong with that? They had a conversation and the Lord corrected them.

When the motive is wrong the grace to handle it is absent. The prodigal son knew how to ask for what he wanted. Lk 15:12(ISV)  The younger one told his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So the father divided his property between them. He wasn’t asking for his brother’s inheritance. His own share. But you see he couldn’t handle it. Lk 15:13 (ISV)  A few days later, the younger son gathered everything he owned and traveled to a distant country. There he wasted it all on wild living.  Getting his request simply resulted in leaving his father’s presence and squandering the resources. When he repented his prayer was different. He no longer said “Give me”. It was “Make me like one of your hired servants” Lk 15:19(MKJV). Use prayer to make you into what God has planned.

So our prayers should not specify our wishes, just simply say “Thy will be done”?

Far from it. Very far from it. When one asked Jesus for mercy he asked for specifics. Lk 18:38, 41(ISV)  So he shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, I want to see again!" I don’t ask “Thy will be done” when hungry or having bills to settle. I know what His will is. We must have a mindset that God is good and wants the very best for us. 1Tm6:17(ESV)  God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. In repenting the prodigal realised his father was very generous even to servants, unfortunately the elder son saw him as stingy! What a contrast. Make prayer a tool of making you what God wants. He wants holiness, so you seek it. He also wants your needs met, including having something to set for your guests, so you seek it. We must find out from the scriptures and waiting on God what is the plan. purpose and timing of God. Then based on that we go ahead to ask. I know God wants me healthy so I boldly ask. 3Jn 1:2(ESV)  Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.  When faced with choices not explicit in the bible as marriage, location, employment etc prayer is my tool in bringing my mind and soul subject to the Spirit of God so as to know what to choose. I am sure whatever He says will be the best. . Is 48:17(GW)  This is what the LORD, your Defender, the Holy One of Israel, says: I am the LORD your God. I teach you what is best for you. I lead you where you should go.  You see we can never have anything better than the will of God.

The purpose of prayer Week 19, 2026

 

It was a short clip. I don’t know the producer, but what was said caught my attention: The first purpose of prayer is intimacy, not requests. When intimacy is established, other matters follow. Ps 27:4(ESV)  One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. Do you recall the father’s words when the elder son said, “ You have not given me even a goat to celebrate with my friends”? And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours Lk 15:31(ESV). You are always with me. The presence and intimacy were first, and come before material possessions. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Mat 6:33(ESV)  was taught in the context of prayer, you know. We need to practice that in prayer, really.

But asking is very important, and we must not get disciples to believe that once they worship and give thanks, there is no real need to make requests. Giving the impression that the truly spiritual man makes no request, just worships, and those who request are carnal! You do not have, because you do not ask. Jas 4:2(ESV) 

Yes. That is correct. Jesus specifically commands us to ask; that is the way to receiving.  Jn 16:24(ESV)  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. And those who are very intimate with God and manifest the fruit of the Spirit in great abundance still need to ask. Jn15:16(ESV)  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. I agree, but when intimacy is established with God, how and what we ask for changes - in their order and in their content. And we become transformed the more into His image.

What exactly do you mean?

You see, those who were commanded to pray for labourers in Mt 9:37, 38(ESV)  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” are sent out as labourers in Mt 10:5(ESV)  These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go...” As they prayed, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth,” by praying for labourers, they were sent out to be the labourers. Transformation is taking place in them.

And are their needs met when they are thus?

Have you considered Solomon’s prayer? His request to God centred on purpose. God’s purpose for bringing him to the throne. 1Kgs3:9(ESV)  Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” Now that pleased God, and God granted him things he didn’t ask for. 1Kgs 3:13(ESV)  I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. God doesn’t have favourites. He will do the same with you.  Stop using prayer as a tool to get what you want from God and turn it into a tool to make you what God wants. Ps 37:4(ESV)  Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

Prayer points Week 18, 2026

 

“When I left this country, my prayer life really diminished. The things we used to pray for had been removed! Here you would pray for electricity, pray for the roads, pray that the vehicles come in on time for you, pray for a good vehicle on your journey that will not break down on the way,” a brother said something like this in a meeting last year.  During a lecture last month, a sister commented, “In Nigeria, we pray when we get to the hospital to meet a doctor who knows what he is doing, not to meet quacks or a midwife who will beat you and say, 'Madam. Push!” I am all for praying, but these prayers are not done when we leave the shores of the country, and there our prayers are less.” Something like that.

In essence, our prayer needs are far less in a well-ordered society down to the point that we sometimes see little need for prayer. I believe this is because we are looking at a narrow aspect of necessary prayer. Lk 11:2, 3(ESV )  And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread," is the pattern for prayer. If our prayers are fewer and we hardly find things to pray when we are in well-ordered societies with vibrant, fully functioning social services, then it means we have missed God’s own prayer needs when our body’s needs were sorted out. No, I don’t mean God is not a partner in our needs. No. Whatever good anyone does to us is received by Him as having been done to Him. But God has peculiar issues He commands us to pray for, which are encapsulated in “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.” and they come first. And they abound in every nation.

Mt 9:37, 38(ESV)  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Jesus has commanded us to pray for labourers; people who will love others, proclaim the message, and nurture new believers. Among church-goers, among Muslims, among kidnappers and bandits, among the LGBTQ community, and so many other fields He has. How exactly does God want us to pray for ourselves, the labourers? Act 4:29(ESV)  And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, Col 4:3, 4(ERV)  Also pray for us. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message. I am in prison for doing this. But pray that we can continue to tell people the secret truth that God has made known about Christ. Pray that I will say what is necessary to make this truth clear to everyone. I am convinced we need to be praying this way per institution, per people group, and even for persons. 

What of God’s commands to pray for revival? Ps 2:8(ISV)  Ask of me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the ends of the earth as your possession. 1Tm 2:1, 4 (ERV)  First of all, I ask that you pray for all people. God wants everyone to be saved and to fully understand the truth. There are aspects of prayers that actually increase when we leave the country. Justin Welby, the immediate past Archbishop of Canterbury, revealed in 2023 that he was twice summoned to parliament and the church of England threatened in a bid to force same-sex marriage on her. If that is not persecution, we are simply hiding our faces in the sand. Pray for our leaders. Perhaps transformation and true revival have tarried because our requests focused almost exclusively on Give us each day our daily bread