PLAN YOUR PRAYER_

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Dsc. Dsc. DD.

```Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear… (Ecclesiastes 5:2 MSG).```

When it comes to prayer, you must realize the importance of planning your prayer or your praying. Prayer isn’t something you do half-heartedly; it requires reverence, understanding and careful preparation. Ecclesiastes 5:2 in the KJV says, *_“Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”_*

When we pray to the Lord, we must do so with purpose and clarity. Planning your prayer means recognizing the greatness of God and acknowledging that He is the Almighty. It involves preparing your heart, setting your mind on the things you want to discuss with Him, and articulating them with precision and sincerity.

Recall again what He said in the latter part of Ecclesiastes 5:2, *_“...let thy words be few”;_* that means summarize your prayers. It reminds of what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:7, *_“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”_* But how can you summarize your prayer if you haven’t planned it?

This doesn’t imply minimizing the time you spend in prayer but rather being deliberate, purposeful and Spiritled. Thoughtless words and hasty utterances have no place before the King of Glory. Plan your words. When you prepare your prayers, you’re actively engaging your mind and spirit to align with God’s will. You’re positioning yourself to speak words that are filled with faith and power.

It’ll help to always take a moment to write down the things you want to talk to the Lord about. Think about the areas of your life where you desire His guidance, intervention and blessings. Also, consider the thoughts and insights He might have already stirred in your heart. Then, you speak in tongues. Through speaking in tongues, you articulate divine mysteries and gain insight into realities beyond human comprehension.

*PRAYER*

_Dear Father, I thank you for the privilege of prayer and for the wisdom of your Word. I pray with reverence and purpose, guided by your Spirit to speak words that are filled with faith and divine insight, making my words in prayer effective. Thank you for the assurance of answers, for you hear me always, in Jesus’ Name. Amen._

*FURTHER STUDY*

*|| Matthew 6:5-7 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. ||*

*|| Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. ||*

*|| Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ||*

*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:*

Romans 2:1-29 & Psalms 38-41

*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:*

Luke 11:27-36 & Judges 1

*We trust you have been blessed by this devotional. We invite you to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life by praying thus:*

*_“O Lord God, I believe with all my heart in Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. I believe He died for me and God raised Him from the dead. I believe He’s alive today. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life from this day. Through Him and in His Name, I have eternal life; I’m born again. Thank you Lord, for saving my soul! I’m now a child of God. Hallelujah!”_*

Let us know that you made that declaration by sending a mail to info@rhapsodyofrealities.org