Characteristics of Love: Love agrees in Prayer
Matthew 18:19 (NLT) “I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Introduction: I salute everyone in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Journey of a thousand miles starts with a step. We are to take a Forty-week walk looking at characteristics of God’s kind of Love so as to differentiate God’s Love from worldly love or valentine’s love. We looked at the 1st characteristic of God’s kind of Love after worldly celebration of valentines day in February 14 and hitherto Holy Spirit has helped us through Scriptures to consider thirty-six characteristics of God’s kind of Love.
🙏 The Grace of God will not be frustrated in our lives and marriages in Jesus name.
📎 The 37th characteristic of God’s kind of Love this week is: Love agrees in Prayer
▶️ God’s kind of Love exists between couples in joint constant prayers.
Jesus says from our text; “I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.
❓Why do you think that two is the minimum qualification number for prayer of agreement?
Mark 10:6 But God’s plan was seen from the beginning of creation, for ‘He made them male and female.’
🛑 God started family with two; male and female. The peace or disharmony of a nation is dependent on the kind of Love that exists in the family. That is why Satan is more interested in destroying Christian families by making fellowship of Christian couples with God ( bible study and prayer) to be nonexistent.
God’s kind of Love exists in Christian homes ONLY where Christian couples are in fellowship ( Bible study and prayers) with God.
Matthew 18:20 (NLT) For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them.”
🛑 Devil does not want God’s Love or presence to exist among Christian couples, therefore, he uses all arsenals (including what gives pleasure) in his possession to scatter the fellowship in order to prevent God’s love or presence. Therefore, in order to have and retain God’s love, kingdom or rulership in Christian marriage, there will be force and battles with the adversary as soldiers of Christ.
Matthew 11:12 (NLT) And from the time John the Baptist began preaching and baptizing until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people attack it.
▶️ Christian couples should be confident that God hears prayers that align with His will.
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
❓What are the conditions for answered prayers of Christian couples with God’s kind of Love?
🛑 Anytime there seems to be unanswered prayers among Christian couples, there is need for self-examination as there are conditions as written in the Scriptures:
1️⃣. Abiding in His words.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
We know to abide in Him is to remain a Christian.
❓What does it mean to abide in His words? What are the essential ingredients of Abiding in His words?
(a) God’s words must be in our hearts always.
Deuteronomy 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Proverbs 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Where the words of God cannot be retained in our hearts, Christ will be crucified the second time in our lives. What can you say occupy your heart? What is retained in your heart? Words of God or words of man? Words of God bring faith and life while words of men bring fear and death through sin.
John 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
Proverbs 10:24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
(b) God’s words must take preeminence in our lives
Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
❓What do you esteem in your life as a Christian? What God says in the Scriptures or what men say on social media? What is esteemed determines who is abiding in us.
(c) We must be delighted or excited in the Lord
Psalms 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
To be Delighted in the Lord is a function of how tasteful and sweet the words of God are to Christians. It is what interests and gives joy that we abide in. What is giving you pleasure? Remember Satan uses what gives pleasure to subtly remove God’s love from our hearts.
Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
(d) Abiding in His words gives knowledge of Him and power to overcome the wicked one.
1 John 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
Excuse me, can we boldly say we know Him to overcome the wicked one? This depends on the amount of His words in our hearts. When we are dominated by fear of all kinds, then His love is Not made perfect. We need to examine the level of His words in our hearts.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
2️⃣. Obeying His commandments.
1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
John 8:31(NLT) Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ” You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings.
This 2nd condition to answered prayers is very clear without ambiguity. No man displeases God and receives answers to prayers. King Saul tried to talk to God after he disobeyed God but God did not answer him. He ended up consulting witchcraft.
1 Samuel 28:6-7 (MSG) Saul prayed to God, but God didn’t answer—neither by dream nor by sign nor by prophet. So Saul ordered his officials, “Find me someone who can call up spirits so I may go and seek counsel from those spirits.” His servants said, “There’s a witch at Endor.”
Obeying fleshly desires against what the Spirit tells us will be hindrance to answered prayers and ultimately make ways to consult satanic agents.
3️⃣. Bearing Fruit.
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
🛑 Let it be clear that the Fruit to bring forth by the Chosen ones, and which MUST remain is primarily the Fruit of the Spirit NOT the souls won for Christ as Scriptures speak on the fruit of the Spirit that must be produced in Christians.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
🛑 God’s Love encompasses joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness and temperance. All these must manifest in the life of any Christian as a condition to answered prayers.
❓What practical steps are we to take as we walk in love this week?
▶️ Ask your spouse if you can begin praying together. Talk about the best time to do this, whether it’s in the morning, your lunch hour, or before bedtime. Use this time to commit your concerns, disagreements, and needs before the Lord. Don’t forget to thank Him for His provision and blessing. Even if your spouse refuses to do this, resolve to spend this daily time in prayer yourself.
✍ Finally brethren, collapse of Christian marriages nowadays is an indication that God’s kind of Love is nonexistent among Christian couples. God’s kind of Love exists among Christian couples in regular fellowship with God by His words. Their prayers of agreement are answered according to the will of God. His presence brings life, fulness of joy and everlasting pleasures.
Psalms 16:11(GNS) You will show me the path that leads to life; your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever.
✋ Maranatha.
