Prayer: Speaking the Language of Heaven

When we crossed over into the year 2025, many of our churches began the year with prayer and fasting. Some of us had three days, some of us had seven days, and some of us had 21 days. And I am proud of everyone who set aside time to seek God and dedicate themselves unto the Lord for the brand new year.

Prayer is us invoking our authority as sons and daughters of God, engaging with the heart and mind of God, and a transaction of faith as we declare His kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Beyond the start of a new year or a major milestone, prayer should be our daily practice. And I don’t mean just praying at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Prayer is the language of heaven. Prayer is us invoking our authority as sons and daughters of God, engaging with the heart and mind of God, and a transaction of faith as we declare His kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Let’s dive into key truths about prayer. In Mark 1:35-39, we read of how Jesus got up ‘very early in the morning while it was still dark’ to pray. Jesus got up to pray not because he was an early riser. He had an extremely busy day before. He taught in the synagogue, healed the sick, and cast out demons. Yet Jesus chose to get up and out while it was still dark – to pray.

Jesus recognized the importance of prayer, of being in the presence of the Lord to know His heart and mind and direction.

Prayer precedes the Ministry. The first thing we choose to do in the morning speaks a lot about our priorities and what we consider important. When something matters to us, we intentionally rise early for it. Just look at how easy it is for a child to wake up early when it’s to go have fun. Jesus chose to get up early instead of sleeping in more because prayer was priority to him. Prayer was utmost for him. Before embarking on work. Before any ministry begins. Prayer was his starting point and launch pad. Jesus recognized the importance of prayer, of being in the presence of the Lord to know His heart and mind and direction.

Prayer directs the Mission. It is interesting to note that Jesus changed plans after spending time in prayer. Logically, there was more to be done in Capernaum, especially after great teaching and moving in miracles. The crowds in Capernaum still wanted him there, in fact, “everyone was looking for him” (Mark 1:37). Yet, Jesus said to Simon in Mark 1:38 “Let us go somewhere else”.

Imagine the shock of the disciples. They were resting in the victories of yesterday, ready to do the same-O-same-O today – but the master says pack up and move on. How easy it is to function logically and sequentially but forget ‘why we do what we do’. It’s easy to operate in the natural and familiarity, void of God’s leading. But when that happens, we operate in our own wisdom, missing the next move that God is directing us to. Jesus recognized the importance of seeking the Father to direct his steps. If Jesus needed his steps to be directed, what more us!

Understanding God’s call for your life happens through prayer.

Prayer reveals the Mandate. Jesus explained to his disciples, “That is why I have come.”  Jesus’ mission wasn’t just the city of Capernaum. Jesus’ mission was bigger than Capernaum – it was the entire region of Galilee. Understanding God’s call for your life happens through prayer. God’s mandate found in Matthew 28:18-19 is for all of us. It’s not just for the chosen few who have the gift of evangelism. Our alignment to God’s mandate connects us to Heaven’s resources.

Prayer releases the Manifestation. Mark 1:39 records that Jesus continued “preaching and driving out demons”. Miracles were a normal affair. In the Lord’s prayer, the disciples were taught to pray “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. In heaven, there is no sickness. In heaven, there is no limitation of any form. Heaven has unlimited resources for us! We need to lay hold of it and declare it through our prayers of faith. So that heaven is manifested here on earth, in our nation, in our churches, our families, and our lives.

Don’t let prayer be relegated to just the start of the year. Let prayer be a constant engagement with the Holy Spirit for daily breakthroughs in our lives and ministries. The breakthroughs we envision for our lives and ministry cannot and must not remain as words written in our journals. The breakthroughs we desire to see in every Assemblies of God church cannot and must not remain as a good message preached in our churches at the start of the year.

God is the God of breakthroughs. He invites us to tap into Heaven’s resources. He calls us to actively partner with Him in prayer to see multiple breakthroughs happen. Let us fan a movement of prayer – declaring “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

Let prayer be a constant engagement with the Holy Spirit for daily breakthroughs in our lives and ministries.

祷告：说天上的语言

迈入2025年，许多教会以祷告和禁食开始了新的一年。有些教会禁食三天，有些七天，还有些二十一天。我为每一个愿意摆上时间寻求神，在新的一年把自己献给主的人感到骄傲。

然而，我们不单要为新的一年或某个重要里程碑而祷告。祷告应该是我们的日常习惯。我指的不仅仅是早餐、午餐和晚餐时的祷告。祷告是天上的语言。祷告是我们作为神的儿女行使权柄，与神的心思意念互动，并通过信心的行动宣告神的国降临，神的旨意行在地上如同行在天上。

让我们深入了解有关祷告的关键真理。在马可福音1:35-39中，我们读到耶稣在“天未亮的时候”起来祷告。耶稣早起祷告并不是因为他习惯早起。他前一天其实非常忙碌，在会堂里教导人、医治病人并赶鬼。然而，耶稣仍选择在天未亮时起身祷告。

祷告先于事工。早晨我们选择做的第一件事，能清楚反映我们的优先次序以及我们认为哪件事重要。当我们觉得某件事情重要时，我们会刻意早起去完成。孩子们在出游当天容易早起，就说明了这一点。耶稣选择早起而不是多睡一会儿，因为祷告对他来说是第一优先。祷告对他至关重要。在开展任何工作之前，在任何事工开始之前，祷告是他的起点和出发台。耶稣深知祷告的重要性，祂知道祷告就是进入神的同在，领受神的心思意念和指引。

祷告引导使命。值得注意的是，耶稣在祷告后改变了计划。按理来说，在迦百农还有许多工作要完成，特别是在他教导了群众和行了神迹后。迦百农的群众仍然想把他留下，“众人都找”他（马可福音1:37）。然而，耶稣对西门说：“我们可以往别处去。”（马可福音1:38）

试想象门徒们有多震惊。他们正沉浸于昨天胜利的喜悦中，准备今天重复昨天所做的，但主却说：收拾行李，前往别处。我们易于按逻辑和顺序行事，重复熟悉的工作，却忘记“我们为何而行”。在自然和熟悉中运作，不跟随神的指引是很容易的。然而这样做时，我们便只依靠自己的智慧，错过了神所指引的下一步。耶稣深知寻求天父指引脚步的重要性。如果连耶稣都需要天父来指引他，我们就更需要了！

祷告揭示使命。耶稣向门徒解释说：“我是为这事出来的。” 耶稣的使命不仅限于迦百农，他的使命远超迦百农——是整个加利利地区。通过祷告，你能明白神对你生命的呼召。神在马太福音28:18-19中的大使命是给我们每一个人的，而不仅仅是给那些被拣选得布道恩赐的人。当我们与神的使命对齐时，我们便与天上的资源连接起来。

祷告释放天国的彰显。马可福音1:39记载，耶稣继续传道、赶鬼。神迹成为日常之事。在主祷文中，门徒被教导祷告说“愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。” 在天上，没有疾病，也没有任何形式的限制。天上有我们可用的无限资源！我们需要凭着信心的祷告宣告，并抓住这些资源，使天国彰显在地上，临到我们的国家、教会、家庭和生命中。

不要让祷告仅仅停留在新年的开始，而要让祷告成为我们与圣灵持续的互动，为生命和事工中的每日突破而祷告。我们在生命和事工中所期望的突破，不能也不应仅仅停留在写日记中的话语里。我们在每个神召会教会中所期望的突破，亦不能也不应仅仅停留在年初讲道中的一段好信息里。

我们的神是突破的神。祂邀请我们获取天上的资源，并呼召我们通过祷告与祂积极同工，见证一次又一次的突破发生。让我们点燃一场祷告的运动，宣告“愿你的国降临，愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。”