PREAMBLE
It is an established fact that a prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian. The importance of prayer in the lives of Christians cannot be overemphasized. A Christian who is prayerless reflects a deficit relationship with God. Lots of Christians however do not understand the concept of prayer and its efficacy.
In this book, Elizabeth Alves explores the basics of prayer, the essentials of powerful prayer, and the mysteries of spiritual warfare all of which are capable of transforming the readers’ prayer lives and creating prayer giants. From the standpoint of Isaiah 62: 6 – 7, Elizabeth likens the Biblical watchman to modern day intercessors who should watch and pray for the church.
The first section of Becoming A Prayer Warrior is divided into three chapters, titled Why pray? Teach me to pray and Types of prayer respectively.
CHAPTER 1 – WHY PRAY?
In this chapter, Elizabeth explores the different dimensions of prayer. She points out the fact that prayer is a responsibility and should reflect in the lifestyle of every Christian. It should be seen as a necessity because it is the means through which God communicates to Christians. It should be seen as an avenue of entering a relationship with God and therefore should not be seen as an obligation or an act to engage in only the time of need. Christians are advised to follow Jesus’ example by making prayer a priority.
Elizabeth Alves also explained the difference between prayer and intercession. She says that prayer differs from intercession in that prayer starts with you, and in bringing your requests to God while intercession starts and ends with God. She further reveals that prayer is capable of bringing changes to the world around us. Elizabeth Alves shares the same view with Dr. D.K. Olukoya in his book, The Power of Aggressive Prayer Warriors in describing prayer as a powerful weapon of warfare against the enemy.
CHAPTER 2 – TEACH ME TO PRAY
In the second chapter, Elizabeth Alves borders on how, when, where and how long our prayers should be conducted. She suggests that if commitment to prayer seems difficult, one can begin with 15 minutes a day and then strive to increase the prayer time. She also notes that we should pray until we receive an answer or assurance from God. Taking a cue from Luke 18, Elizabeth advises Christians to be as persistent as the widow in this Bible chapter.
Our time of prayer should be a set time agreed upon between you and God. The place of prayer is also important as we should also ask the Holy Spirit to show us where he wants us to meet with Him. The author further enlightens us on the various positions of prayer such as sitting, kneeling, standing, lifting up of hands etc. She sates that these positions should be a response to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Finally, we should do everything as unto the Lord and not make a ritual out of our worship to God.
CHAPTER 3 – TYPES OF PRAYER
The third chapter explores the various types of prayer; Praise and Thanksgiving through which we praise God and enter into His presence. Next is Confession and Forgiveness which is required in order to create an easy passage of our prayers to heaven. This serves as a prerequisite to effective intercession. Intercession is important as it is described as a love response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit for an urgent need. Lastly, Petition is a type of prayer that involves making a humble request for a specific thing from God.
Elizabeth Alves finally outlines several reasons for unanswered prayers. These reasons are all backed up with scriptural references, all of which should help Christians to exhibit the right attitude towards prayer.
Download the complete Part 1 review: Becoming A Prayer Warrior – Part 1
Watch out for Part 2 next month.
Prepared by
Book Review Team – Writers Club
MFM Int’l Headquarters Youth Church
Lagos, Nigeria.