The Right Order of Prayer
Reading Scripture: Matthew 6:31-33
Verse to Memorize: Matthew 6:33 Reference: Psalm 66:18; Matthew 6:26-28 Goal: to help believers understand the right order for prayer and how to offer up God-pleasing prayer While you are praying to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, angels gather and put the aroma of your prayer in golden censers.
The censer is not deep but it is wide at the base and its size is different from person to person. This is because each one's fragrance, thickness, and concentration of prayer is all different according to how much they have achieved the heart of God and how great their measure of faith is. The aroma of some believers is offered up thickly like a waterfall whereas others' is thin. If you pray with your heart in faith and love, your fragrance of prayer will become thick and strong and it will be fast for the censer to be filled and for you to get answers.
However, if you pray with evilness in your heart your fragrance of prayer will be thin and it will be slow to receive answers. Thus, we need to unceasingly offer up the fragrance of prayer that is of goodness and acceptable to God. What then is the right order of prayer and what kind of prayer should we give to receive answers quickly?
- 1. The prayers of Repentance, Driving away the Enemy Devil and Satan, and of Thanksgiving
To offer the prayer that is delivered to God, we should start by praying with the prayer of repentance, then the prayers to drive away the enemy devil and Satan, followed by the prayer of thanksgiving. Although these prayers may be for just a few minutes, you have to look back upon whether you had done something improper in the sight of God or not destroy the wall of sins before God. This is because if we pray with sins, the fragrance will not be offered up to God. It is just said in Psalm 66:18, which reads, "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the LORD will not hear." You have to look back upon your day and check if you burst out into anger, lied, slandered, had any thoughts and deeds that are not in accordance with God's will.
Next, you need to pray to drive away the enemy devil and Satan in the name of Jesus Christ. That is to say, you should pray in this way: "In the name of Jesus Christ I command, enemy devil and Satan, and all evil spirits and rulers of the kingdom of the air, go away! Their servants go away! With angels and the heavenly army and with Your blazing eyes protect me with the fiery hedge of the Holy Spirit!" Afterwards, you should offer up the prayer of thanksgiving. In the prayer, you give thanks for being protected by God during the day, receiving good things from Him, being provided with the way to avoiding afflictions, and everything's working together for good.
As mentioned above, you have to repent, pray to drive away the enemy devil and Satan, and give thanks in prayer above all other prayer titles. If you finish the prayers and pray for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, your prayer will be accepted by God more quickly.
- 2. Prayer for God's Kingdom
Matthew 6:31-33 reads, "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." It means that you need to put your priority on the kingdom of God and His righteousness in prayer rather than seeking your own need or your family's affairs. Then, God will not only offer your clothes, food, and drink and fulfill other needs, but also satisfy our hearts' desires more quickly.
Then, what is the prayer for the kingdom of God? In other words, it refers to the prayer for souls' salvation, that is, the prayer to evangelize unbelievers, accomplish God's kingdom, and extend it. The church serves as a passage towards God, namely, that is leading souls to God who are dying without knowing Heaven and Hell. Therefore, all prayers for the ministry of the church are for God's kingdom.
First for the ministry, we should pray for our shepherd who is achieving the will of God the Father as a leader of the church. The Israelites could come out of Egypt because there was Moses, and they could enter the land flowing with milk and honey, Canaan, because there was Joshua.
In the same manner, the shepherd ministers to the church and leads the people to Heaven, so in this way his role is significant. Thus, we should pray for the shepherd with all our hearts.
Secondly, you need to pray for the construction of the sanctuaries. This is because we need the sanctuary of God for those of us who are believers to gather and to fulfill the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We pray for details including the finance needed for the construction, various relevant conditions that must be met, and legal procedures.
Thirdly, we have to pray for pastors, elders, senior deaconesses, full-time workers and church leaders who help with the shepherd's ministry.
The order is as follows: pastors who tend the flock of the church, elders and senior deaconesses, and full-time workers.
Fourthly, we have to pray for church leaders who have been devoted to the church revival and development. We pray for district, sub-district, cell leaders, mission presidents, group leaders, and small group leaders.
Fifthly, if your church has branch churches you should pray for pastors ministering to the churches, and the church members. Moreover, we should pray for the world mission, overseas missionaries, pastors, and believers. Also, you should pray for publication ministry and broadcasting ministry.
Then, you need to pray for your parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, workplace, and co-workers' evangelization, national evangelism, and the world evangelism. This is because the kingdom of God becomes prosperous to the extent that many souls reach salvation. If you have love for the kingdom of God, you will pray for the church, the shepherd, and souls with tears. In addition, you will sow the seeds of blessings with deeds such as working more faithfully, serving the members, and giving offerings with your heart.
- 3. Prayer for God's Righteousness
After we accept Jesus Christ and become God's child, we receive the Holy Spirit as a gift and learn the Word of God. We come to understand sins, righteousness, and judgment. We become a person who practices the Word of God in the guidance of the Spirit. To pursue God's holiness and act according to His will is 'Achieving the righteousness of God'.
So, to seek God's righteousness is referred as to prayer for our own souls' prosperity. Many parts in the Bible say that God's children must resist in their striving against sins to the point of shedding blood, abstain from every form of evil, and become a holy and perfect child who resembles God just as written in Matthew 5:48, 1 Peter 1:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, and 3 John 1:2. There are some believers who say that they have been very busy fulfilling their duties and that there is only time for them to pray for their sanctification, so they don't perform their duties for souls' salvation and are just focused on changing themselves. They say that in doing it in this way they are seeking the righteousness of God.
But when we try hard to save souls, God will give us strength so that we can achieve the righteousness of God quickly. While praying to accomplish the kingdom of God, evangelizing souls, and trying to serve other souls, we can discover our shortcomings more quickly. So we naturally gain the ability to pray more earnestly to achieve the heart of the Lord and are blessed for our souls to be prosperous and for us to enjoy good health.
- 4. Prayer for Our Daily Bread God said that
He would fill us with what we need when we seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness above all else. If you still worry about what to eat and wear and where to live, it shows that you don't believe in the omniscient and omnipotent God. Matthew 6:26-28 reads, "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin." God the Creator feeds the birds of the air and grows the lilies of the field. Don't you think such God will answer His beloved children's prayer?
Thus, I urge you to seek God's kingdom and righteousness with faith in God the Almighty. Then, pray for what you need in your life at home and in workplace such as financial blessing. God the Father will see you obeying and He will take responsibility for all your problems as well as all your necessities.
Mpangilio Sahihi wa Maombi
Usomaji wa Maandiko: Mathayo 6:31–33
Mstari wa Kukariri: Mathayo 6:33
Rejea: Zaburi 66:18; Mathayo 6:26–28. Lengo: kuwasaidia waumini kuelewa mpangilio sahihi wa maombi na jinsi ya kuomba kwa namna inayompendeza Mungu. Unapomwomba Mungu Baba katika jina la Yesu Kristo, malaika hukusanyika na kuweka harufu ya maombi yako katika chetezo cha dhahabu.
Chetezo hicho si kirefu, bali kina upana kwenye sehemu ya chini, na ukubwa wake hutofautiana kati ya mtu na mtu. Hii ni kwa sababu harufu ya maombi ya kila mmoja, unene wake na mkusanyiko wake hutegemea jinsi alivyoupata moyo wa Mungu na kiwango cha imani yake. Harufu ya maombi ya baadhi ya waumini huinuka kwa wingi kama maporomoko ya maji, lakini ya wengine ni hafifu. Ukiomba kwa moyo, imani na upendo, harufu ya maombi yako itakuwa nzito na yenye nguvu, chetezo kitajaa upesi na utapokea majibu. Lakini ukiomba huku ukiwa na uovu moyoni, harufu ya maombi yako itakuwa hafifu na majibu yatachelewa. Kwa hiyo, tunapaswa kuendelea kumtolea Mungu harufu ya maombi mema yanayokubalika Kwake. Mpangilio sahihi wa maombi ni upi, na tunapaswa kuomba namna gani ili kupokea majibu upesi?
- 1. Maombi ya toba, kumfukuza adui Ibilisi na Shetani, na shukrani
Ili kutoa maombi yanayofika kwa Mungu, tunapaswa kuanza kwa kutubu, kisha kuomba kumfukuza adui Ibilisi na Shetani, na baada ya hapo kutoa sala ya shukrani. Hata kama maombi haya yatachukua dakika chache tu, tunapaswa kujichunguza kuona kama tulifanya jambo lisilofaa mbele za Mungu na kuondoa ukuta wa dhambi uliopo kati yetu na Mungu. Tukiomba huku tuna dhambi, harufu ya maombi yetu haitatolewa kwa Mungu. Zaburi 66:18 yasema, “Kama ningaliwaza maovu moyoni mwangu, Bwana asingesikia.” Tafakari siku yako na ujiulize kama ulilipuka kwa hasira, ulisema uongo au kumsingizia mtu, au ulikuwa na mawazo na matendo yasiyolingana na mapenzi ya Mungu.
Kisha omba kumfukuza adui Ibilisi na Shetani katika jina la Yesu Kristo. Unaweza kuomba hivi: “Katika jina la Yesu Kristo, namwamuru adui Ibilisi na Shetani, roho zote mbaya na wakuu wa anga waondoke! Watumishi wao na waondoke! Malaika na jeshi la mbinguni pamoja na macho Yako ya moto wanilinde kwa ukuta wa moto wa Roho Mtakatifu!” Baadaye toa sala ya shukrani. Mshukuru Mungu kwa kukulinda mchana, kwa kukupa mema, kwa kukuonyesha njia ya kuepuka taabu, na kwa kufanya mambo yote yatende pamoja kwa wema.
Kama ilivyoelezwa, kabla ya maombi mengine tunapaswa kutubu, kuomba kumfukuza adui Ibilisi na Shetani, na kutoa shukrani. Tukimaliza maombi hayo na kuomba kwa ajili ya ufalme wa Mungu na haki Yake, Mungu atapokea maombi yetu kwa haraka zaidi.
- 2. Maombi kwa ajili ya ufalme wa Mungu
Mathayo 6:31–33 yasema, “Msisumbuke, basi, mkisema, Tule nini? Au Tunywe nini? Au Tuvae nini? Kwa maana hayo yote Mataifa huyatafuta; kwa sababu Baba yenu wa mbinguni anajua mnahitaji hayo yote. Bali utafuteni kwanza ufalme Wake, na haki Yake; na hayo yote mtazidishiwa.” Hii inamaanisha kwamba tunapaswa kutanguliza ufalme wa Mungu na haki Yake katika maombi badala ya kutafuta mahitaji yetu wenyewe au mambo ya familia. Kisha Mungu hatatupatia tu mavazi, chakula, kinywaji na mahitaji mengine, bali pia atatimiza matamanio ya mioyo yetu upesi zaidi.
Maombi kwa ajili ya ufalme wa Mungu ni maombi ya wokovu wa roho: kuwaombea wasioamini waokolewe, kuujenga na kuupanua ufalme wa Mungu. Kanisa ni njia ya kuwaongoza kwa Mungu watu wanaoangamia bila kuujua Mbinguni na Motoni. Kwa hiyo, maombi yote kwa ajili ya huduma ya kanisa ni maombi kwa ajili ya ufalme wa Mungu.
Kwanza, tuombee huduma ya kanisa na mchungaji wetu, anayetekeleza mapenzi ya Mungu Baba akiwa kiongozi wa kanisa. Waisraeli waliweza kutoka Misri kwa sababu Musa alikuwepo, na waliweza kuingia Kanaani, nchi iliyotiririka maziwa na asali, kwa sababu Yoshua alikuwepo.
Vivyo hivyo, mchungaji hulihudumia kanisa na kuwaongoza watu kuelekea Mbinguni, kwa hiyo jukumu lake ni muhimu. Tunapaswa kumwombea mchungaji kwa moyo wetu wote.
Pili, tuombee ujenzi wa madhabahu. Waumini wanahitaji mahali patakatifu pa Mungu pa kukusanyika na kutimiza ufalme wa Mungu na haki Yake. Tuombee mahitaji ya fedha za ujenzi, masharti mbalimbali yanayohitajika na taratibu za kisheria.
Tatu, tuwaombee wachungaji, wazee wa kanisa, mashemasi wakuu, watumishi wa muda wote na viongozi wa kanisa wanaosaidia huduma ya mchungaji.
Mpangilio wake ni huu: wachungaji wanaolichunga kundi la kanisa, wazee na mashemasi wakuu, kisha watumishi wa muda wote.
Nne, tuwaombee viongozi wa kanisa waliojitolea kwa ajili ya uamsho na maendeleo yake: viongozi wa wilaya, vikundi vidogo na seli, marais wa misheni, viongozi wa vikundi na viongozi wa vikundi vidogo.
Tano, ikiwa kanisa lenu lina matawi, waombee wachungaji wanaohudumu katika makanisa hayo na washiriki wake. Pia tuombee misheni ya dunia, wamishonari wa ng'ambo, wachungaji na waumini. Tuombee pia huduma ya uchapishaji na matangazo.
Kisha tuombee wokovu wa wazazi wetu, ndugu, jamaa, mahali petu pa kazi na wafanyakazi wenzetu, uinjilisti wa taifa letu na uinjilisti wa dunia. Ufalme wa Mungu hustawi kadiri roho nyingi zinavyookolewa. Ikiwa tunaupenda ufalme wa Mungu, tutawaombea kwa machozi kanisa, mchungaji na roho za watu. Pia tutapanda mbegu za baraka kwa kutumikia kwa uaminifu zaidi, kuwahudumia waumini na kutoa sadaka kwa moyo.
- 3. Maombi kwa ajili ya haki ya Mungu
Baada ya kumkubali Yesu Kristo na kuwa watoto wa Mungu, tunapokea Roho Mtakatifu kama zawadi na kujifunza Neno la Mungu. Tunafahamu dhambi, haki na hukumu. Kwa mwongozo wa Roho tunakuwa watu wanaolitenda Neno la Mungu. Kutafuta utakatifu wa Mungu na kutenda kulingana na mapenzi Yake ndiko “kuitafuta haki ya Mungu.”
Kwa hiyo, kuitafuta haki ya Mungu ni kuomba roho zetu zistawi. Sehemu nyingi za Biblia zinasema kwamba watoto wa Mungu wanapaswa kupigana na dhambi hata kumwaga damu, kujiepusha na kila namna ya uovu na kuwa watoto watakatifu na wakamilifu wanaomfanana Mungu (Mathayo 5:48; 1 Petro 1:16; 1 Wathesalonike 5:23; 3 Yohana 1:2). Baadhi ya waumini husema wana shughuli nyingi za kutimiza wajibu wao na wana wakati wa kuomba tu kwa ajili ya utakaso wao, kwa hiyo hawatimizi wajibu wa kuokoa roho na hujikita tu katika kujibadilisha. Hudhani kwamba kwa kufanya hivyo wanatafuta haki ya Mungu.
Hata hivyo, tunapojitahidi kuokoa roho, Mungu hutupa nguvu ili tufikie haki Yake upesi. Tunapoomba kuujenga ufalme wa Mungu, kuhubiri injili na kujaribu kuwatumikia wengine, tunatambua mapungufu yetu haraka zaidi. Hivyo tunapata uwezo wa kuomba kwa bidii zaidi ili tuupate moyo wa Bwana, na tunabarikiwa roho zetu kustawi na kuwa na afya njema.
- 4. Maombi kwa ajili ya riziki yetu ya kila siku
Mungu amesema atatupatia mahitaji yetu tunapotafuta kwanza ufalme Wake na haki Yake. Ukiendelea kuhangaikia chakula, mavazi na makazi, inaonyesha kwamba humwamini Mungu ajuaye yote na awezaye yote. Mathayo 6:26–28 yasema, “Waangalieni ndege wa angani, ya kwamba hawapandi, wala hawavuni, wala hawakusanyi ghalani; na Baba yenu wa mbinguni huwalisha hao. Ninyi je! Si bora kupita hao? Ni nani kwenu ambaye akijisumbua aweza kujiongeza kimo chake hata mkono mmoja? Na mavazi, ya nini kuyasumbukia? Fikirini maua ya mashamba, jinsi yameavyo; hayafanyi kazi, wala hayasokoti.”
Mungu Muumba huwalisha ndege wa angani na kuyakuza maua ya mashambani. Je, hamfikiri Mungu huyo atajibu maombi ya watoto Wake wapendwa?
Kwa hiyo, ninawasihi muutafute ufalme wa Mungu na haki Yake kwa kumwamini Mungu Mwenyezi. Kisha ombeni mahitaji yenu ya nyumbani na kazini, kama baraka za kifedha. Mungu Baba ataona utii wenu na kuwajibikia matatizo yenu yote pamoja na mahitaji yenu.