THE EFFICACY OF NIGHT PRAYERS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2022.

SUBJECT: THE EFFICACY OF NIGHT PRAYERS! 

Memory verse: "Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches pour out your heart like water before the face of the LORD. Lift up your hands toward Him for the life of your young children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.” (Lamentations 2 vs 19.)

READ: Matthew 13 vs 24 - 25:

13:24: Another parable He put forth to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, 

13:25: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away.

INTIMATION:

Praying in the night hours is considered the best timing since our prayers are usually interrupted during the day by the pressures of our daily schedules. In the night our concentration is highest, and our fellowship most effective. Night prayers arm us most effectively to overcome the overwhelming evils in the world. The evil doers usually perpetrate their evils in the night hours when most Christians are resting in their beds. They are like the father the devil—the Prince of Darkness, moving around in the night looking for who to devour.

In the passage we read today, Jesus told His followers a parable saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away......" (Matthew 13 vs 24 - 25.) "While men slept" the evil doers—men of the underworld—are up in their covens, in their shrines, to perpetrate evil under the cover of darkness. 

When you fellowship with the Lord in prayers in the night hours, you are in His presence; the place of maximum protection, and the glory of God expelling any form of darkness around you. The prince of this world and his cohorts cannot operate in His presence; ‘He disappoints their devices so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.’ (Job 5 vs 12.)

Jesus Christ, in His ministry on earth, has always gone up to the mountains in the night hours to pray—communing with the Father, and obtaining all the powers required for His exploits; charged up fully in the night hours of prayers in readiness for daily exploits. Then, in the day time, He only gives thanks to the Father that had always heard Him in their communion in the night: "Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God." (Luke 6 vs 12.)

Jesus has always chosen the night to isolate Himself to pray to the Father. His concentration in His fellowship with the Father in the night hours is at its max. No distractions of any sorts. This practice of fellowshipping with the Father and our Messiah Jesus, in the night hours, is very essential for every Christian to win our battles against the devil and his cohorts. Our battles with them are not physical, but spiritual; "For though we walk in the flesh! we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down strongholds," (Second Corinthians 10 vs 3 - 4.) 

The night, especially at midnight, people are most vulnerable to spiritual attacks. It is the hour when enemies lay siege and render people defenseless. It is also the time that you can launch a deadly, surprise attack on your enemies’ camp. From 12am-4am Christians should be vigilant in prayer. During this period the body immune system is at its lowest. Demonic creatures roam about with much anger during this time, making their patrols, and witchcraft is at its peak. 

Midnight is a time of transition, from one day to another. God can bring a transition in your life as you pray at midnight. It is a time of great spiritual activity, both good and evil. Destinies of men are shaped and interrupted at midnight. If you are not shaping your destiny at midnight, then somebody may interrupt your life at midnight. 

David, the man who never lost a single battle all his life, has this to say, “At midnight, I will rise and give thanks to You, because of your righteous judgments” (Psalm 119 vs 62). The great king knew when to win his battles in prayer, and engaged effectively at midnight amidst his daily busy schedule as a king. What excuse do you have? Do you say, “I wish I arise but I’ll be tired”? Do you have a busier schedule than that of King David (president of the nation of Israel)? I doubt you do. 

Praying at night is a sacrifice that will not go unrewarded. God sees your desperation through the sacrifices of your night’s rest that you make to in order to commune with Him in prayers. However, midnight is the best time to make serious intercessions, and expect results. Jesus emphasized this in a parable when He taught His disciples about prayer: 

“And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him;’ And he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give it to you’L.’ I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.” (Luke 11 vs 5 - 8)

Prayer: Abba Father, deliver me from spiritual laziness so that I may rise up at night to engage in prayer warfare against the devices of the devil and his cohorts. In the night hours I will come to You in prayer with my whole heart and being, and I am persuaded that my petitions will receive Your attention, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!