If You Are Too Busy to Pray Then You Are Too Busy
by Pastor Dag Heward-MIlls
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Daniel 6:10
Anyone who is too busy to pray is too busy. No matter who you are, you cannot allow yourself to become too busy to pray. You will notice from the Scripture above that Daniel prayed three times a day. An important phrase used in this verse is “as he did aforetime”. That means that Daniel had been praying these prayers on a regular basis. Daniel was not just praying because he was in trouble; he had a habit of praying.
Many times when people become prosperous they stop going for prayer meetings and eventually backslide. Not so with Daniel! He was the Prime Minister of his country, second in authority only to the king. He was a successful man who had risen from slavery to the high office of Prime Minister.
He was one of the most respected and feared men in the nation. He was a major politician of the day. He was a civil servant. Yet, he prayed three times a day, every day!
What were the principles that guided Daniel to have such an unusual and consistent prayer time? Here they are, read them and let them become your principles. You too can have the success that Daniel had. I want you to read through, study and analyze the following principles that I believe guided Daniel in his life.
Principle No. 1: Prayer Is Very Important
Someone once said that it is more important to know how to pray than to have a degree from the university. There are many things that are important in this life. A good education is important. Money is important. A good marriage is important. But, a good prayer life is most important!
Let this enter your spirit — in all your getting, get prayer! In all your activities, make room for prayer!
Principle No. 2: No One Is Ever Too Busy, Too Blessed or Too Successful to Pray
You may have a busy life style and you may be a very important person; however, I do not think that you are busier than Daniel was. Daniel was a Prime Minister, a leader in the nation. Many people think that Heads of State and Ministers of government have a relaxed and enjoyable life, flying all over the world. That is not true! I am the head of a large organization myself, and I know that people in high positions do not have an easy life. The higher you go, the greater the responsibility you have.
There is so much hard work involved in staying on the cutting edge of life and ministry. Did you know that successful executives like Daniel are so stressed out that they are prone to diseases like stomach ulcers and heart attacks? These conditions are more common with very busy people because of the hard work that they do.
Daniel was one such person. He was a Prime Minister, yet he felt that he was not too busy to pray three times a day. If you think you are too busy to pray, then you are deceiving yourself. If you do not pray, it is because you do not want to pray. It is because you do not think that prayer is important now! Daniel was successful, yet he prayed. Why was he able to pray three times a day?
People have grown out of poverty and into prosperity. When they were poor, they had a lot of time to attend prayer meetings. But when they became blessed, they felt everything was all right. No! Everything is not all right! Your prosperity is not the signal to stop praying.
Principle No. 3: Prayer is the Source of Our Power and Protection
You must realize that it is prayer which releases the power of God on our behalf. Jesus knew the power of prayer. That is why he spent long hours in prayer. Maybe you are a successful businessman, and you do not think that you need any of this spiritual “stuff”. Perhaps you are a politician and you think your protection must come from fetish or occult powers.
Let me tell you right now, there is power in prayer. We do not need any other power when we have the power of prayer. There is protection for us when we pray. The last part of the armour of God is prayer (Ephesians 6:18). In other words, prayer is an important part of your spiritual defence.
Many people become afraid when they prosper. Job was filled with fear when he prospered. Eventually he said, “what I feared greatly has happened to me”. Such people feel that somebody may use supernatural powers to try to kill them. You have nothing to fear when you are a prayerful person like Daniel. Many people wanted to kill Daniel. These people did not just think about killing Daniel, they actually tried to eliminate him. Through the power of prayer, Daniel was protected from the lions.
I see all the lions in your life scattering away in fear! I see your prayer power rising! I see you going forward because of a new-found prayer life!
…that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
Luke 3:21
I see the heavens opening over your life! Never forget this! The heavens opened when Jesus prayed. Both physical and spiritual blessings rain upon you when you are a prayerful person.
Principle No. 4: Prayer Is Important in Acquiring and Sustaining the Blessings of God
Do you have anything that you are proud of? Have you achieved anything in this life? Let me tell you that it is by the grace of God. By the power of prayer, you will achieve even greater things. It is by prayer that you will sustain what God has placed in your hands.
There are people who have received thousands of dollars as gifts. Today, that money has disappeared into thin air. God may give you something but it also takes His grace to sustain that blessing. Are you the pastor of a great ministry? Let me tell you, it takes prayer to sustain you in the ministry. Why do you think Jesus kept running away to pray?
There is a law of degeneration at work in the world. Everything is decaying. Your business is decaying. Your church is decaying. Your very life is decaying. It takes the power of God, through prayer, to preserve everything that God has given to you.
Principle No. 5: For Prayer to Be Effective It Must Be Habitual
A man called Dostoyevsky said, “The second half of a man’s life is made up of the habits he acquired in the first half.”
Pascal said, “The strength of a man’s virtues is made up of his habitual acts.”
If you are going to be a great person in this life, you need to have good habits. An action becomes a habit when it is repeated many times; sometimes consciously, other times unconsciously. It becomes your custom!
Habits can be either good or bad. Remember that good habits are repeated as easily as bad habits. A good habit will lead to consistent breakthroughs even without you intending it to. Bad habits will also lead to consistent failure. If you decide to develop a habit of prayer, you are developing a habit for success. Jesus went to church on the Sabbath because it was his habit. The Bible tells us that Jesus had customs or habits.
…as his custom [habit] was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day… Luke 4:16
Daniel had a custom of praying three times a day. …he [Daniel]kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed… Daniel 6:10
Life in the secular world is not designed to include a prayer time. Work starts early in the morning and continues late into the night. Weeks may pass before you even think of prayer. For many people, it is only an impossible situation that reminds them of the need for prayer. Dear friend, it is important for you to include prayer in your life.
God is not a spare tyre! A spare tyre is something that is never used except in emergencies. God is no fool. Whatsoever a man sows, he will reap. If you have time for God on a regular basis, He will have time to bless you on a regular basis. Only the mercy of God makes Him listen to some of our prayers.
Develop your prayer life until it happens spontaneously. Develop your prayer life until you pray habitually without even thinking of what you are doing.
I Made Time to Pray
When I was a medical student, I was very busy with my coursework. There was no time to pray at all. But because I had made prayer a part of my Christian life, there was no way I could do without it! I had to somehow include it in my schedule. I decided to pray late at night. I was usually so sleepy that I had to walk about just to stay awake. Prayer was so important to me that I could not leave it out of my life.
One night, as I headed for my room after one of such prayer times, I actually fell asleep whilst walking! It was only when I walked into the Spanish Department building of the university that I woke up from my sleep! I believe that God saw my earnest desire to keep praying in spite of an impossible medical school schedule.
Principle No. 6: Prayer Must Continue Both in Troubled Times and in Times of Peace
Why do we wait for trouble before we pray? Would you take someone as a serious friend if he only called you when he was in serious trouble? In times of peace, he had no time for you. God is looking for someone who will fellowship with Him in both good and bad times.
The more I preach, the better I become at preaching. The more you pray, the better you will become at prayer. In times of crises, you will find yourself rising up to the occasion and delivering powerful prayers that bring results.
Principle No. 7: Every Nation Needs Lots of Prayer and Prayerful Leaders
There is no doubt that the world is ruled by wicked spirits in high places. The earth is filled with people who are at war with each other. Famine, war, epidemics and disasters abound! You just have to keep your eyes on the international news and you will hear about another major disaster.
Dictators of all kinds abound in many nations. Like snakes, which shed their skin, many dictators of yesteryear have a new “Democratic look”
Many national leaders are actually under the influence of evil spirits, and that makes them do the things they do. They cling to power instead of honourably allowing others to have a chance at leadership. Like vampires, they drink the blood of the nation’s wealth and stack it away in secret places.
Political leaders like Hitler lead entire nations into initial prosperity, and then eventual destruction. I always remember how things changed in South Africa after President De Klerk replaced President Botha. A new leader led to the release of Nelson Mandela and the end of apartheid. It is important for us to pray for these leaders so that our nation will prosper. The right person at the helm of affairs will make a lot of difference to our nation. I believe that the presence of a prayerful person like Daniel made a lot of difference to that nation.
Principle No. 8: It is Important to Pray for Long Periods of Time
Years ago, the only prayers I knew about were those that the priests read out to us in church. The longest I could pray was thirty to forty seconds and that was when I recited the Lord’s Prayer. There were three prayers I knew how to pray: The Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary and a Prayer to the Angel of God! However, as I grew in the Lord I learnt how to pray for myself. I can now pray for several hours at a time.
I always remember the first time I prayed for three hours. I was a student in Achimota School (Prince of Wales College). I was in the midst of a crisis and I needed the intervention of the Lord. I can also remember the first time I prayed for seven hours. I was a sixth-former in the same Achimota School. I prayed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. I enjoy praying for long hours.
Praying for thirty minutes is almost like no prayer to me. Do not misunderstand me; I am not saying that God does not hear short prayers. I am saying that I have developed the art of praying for long hours like Jesus did. Jesus prayed for three hours in the garden of Gethsemane.
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed… And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, COULD YE NOT WATCH WITH ME ONE HOUR? He went away again the second time, and prayed… And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Matthew 26:39,40,42-44
In this Scripture, Jesus was surprised that the disciples could not pray for one hour.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Matthew 26:40
Jesus prayed all night before he chose His disciples.
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
Luke 6:12,13
Long prayer may not be an explicit instruction in the Bible, but it is implicit throughout the Word. In later chapters I will teach you what to pray about when you decide to pray for long hours.
Principle No. 9: It is Important to Enter Your
Closet for Effective Prayer
Many Christians can only pray when they are in a group. They cannot stay in a room on their own and pray for one hour. That is a great handicap. There is a difference between praying alone and praying with a group of people. Both types of prayer are important. If you can pray for three hours on your own then you can pray for six hours with other people. It is easier to pray in a group. Each time, you expand your ability to pray alone, you are expanding your ability to chalk great achievements in prayer.
Principle No. 10: Everyone Must Develop the Ability
and the Formulae for Praying Four Times a Day
There are four important times to pray: morning, afternoon, evening and all-the-time.
Jesus prayed in the morning!
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Mark 1:35
What is so important about Morning Prayer? Prayer in the morning is very good because you meet God before you meet the devil. You meet God before you meet the circumstances of life. God anoints you to overcome every mountain that you will encounter in your life.
Prayer in the afternoon signifies prayer in the midst of activities.
And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
Mark 6:46
When you pray in the afternoon, it signifies that in the heat of the day and in the thick of the battle, you recognize God as the most important force in your life. God will bless you for afternoon prayer. I see you praying in the afternoon!
You can take a little time off your lunch break and pray. That prayer will do you more good than a plate of rice will!
It is also important to pray in the evenings. When the Bible says “watch and pray”, it does not mean keep your eyes open when you pray. What it actually means is, stay awake and pray.
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12
There is something about praying in the night that is different from praying during the day. It is a very different experience. I have heard that witches are very active around 2 a.m. in the night. Perhaps when you pray in the night you are tackling the forces of darkness in a different way. After all, they are called the forces of darkness (night).
The fourth important time to pray is “all-the-time”
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Prayer is intended to be a never-ending stream of communication with your Heavenly Father. He has given us the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gift of speaking in tongues. I pray all the time. My wife tells me that sometimes I pray in my sleep!
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
You can pray on the bus and on your way to work. You can pray softly to yourself when you are in the office. You can pray when you are in the shower. God is happy when His children are constantly in touch with Him.
I have a friend whose wife calls him on his mobile phone at least seven times a day. I have been in meetings with him when he received not less that four calls from his wife. Nothing important, she was just keeping in touch! I think it is a nice thing. She phones without ceasing!
You can also pray without ceasing! I see you praying in the morning and in the evening! God is changing your life because of your new-found prayer life! Your marriage, business and ministry will never be the same by the time you finish reading this book!
When, like Daniel, you decide to pray for long hours, you will discover that you will need to have a pattern or a formula for prayer. You need something that will guide you in your prayer life. In these next chapters, we will study the formulae for prayer.
Daniel’s Principles of Prayer
1. Prayer is very important.
2. No one is ever too busy, too blessed or too successful to pray.
3. Prayer is the source of our power and protection.
4. Prayer is important in acquiring and sustaining the blessings of God.
5. For prayer to be effective, it must be habitual.
6. Prayer must continue both in troubled times and in times of peace.
7. Every nation needs lots of prayer and prayerful leaders.
8. It is important to pray for long periods of time.
9. It is important to enter your closet for effective prayer.
10. Everyone must develop the ability and the formulae for praying four times a day.
by Dag Heward-Mills
Best selling African author
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Daniel 6:10
Anyone who is too busy to pray is too busy. No matter who you are, you cannot allow yourself to become too busy to pray. You will notice from the Scripture above that Daniel prayed three times a day. An important phrase used in this verse is “as he did aforetime”. That means that Daniel had been praying these prayers on a regular basis. Daniel was not just praying because he was in trouble; he had a habit of praying.
Many times when people become prosperous they stop going for prayer meetings and eventually backslide. Not so with Daniel! He was the Prime Minister of his country, second in authority only to the king. He was a successful man who had risen from slavery to the high office of Prime Minister.
He was one of the most respected and feared men in the nation. He was a major politician of the day. He was a civil servant. Yet, he prayed three times a day, every day!
What were the principles that guided Daniel to have such an unusual and consistent prayer time? Here they are, read them and let them become your principles. You too can have the success that Daniel had. I want you to read through, study and analyze the following principles that I believe guided Daniel in his life.
Principle No. 1: Prayer Is Very Important
Someone once said that it is more important to know how to pray than to have a degree from the university. There are many things that are important in this life. A good education is important. Money is important. A good marriage is important. But, a good prayer life is most important!
Let this enter your spirit — in all your getting, get prayer! In all your activities, make room for prayer!
Principle No. 2: No One Is Ever Too Busy, Too Blessed or Too Successful to Pray
You may have a busy life style and you may be a very important person; however, I do not think that you are busier than Daniel was. Daniel was a Prime Minister, a leader in the nation. Many people think that Heads of State and Ministers of government have a relaxed and enjoyable life, flying all over the world. That is not true! I am the head of a large organization myself, and I know that people in high positions do not have an easy life. The higher you go, the greater the responsibility you have.
There is so much hard work involved in staying on the cutting edge of life and ministry. Did you know that successful executives like Daniel are so stressed out that they are prone to diseases like stomach ulcers and heart attacks? These conditions are more common with very busy people because of the hard work that they do.
Daniel was one such person. He was a Prime Minister, yet he felt that he was not too busy to pray three times a day. If you think you are too busy to pray, then you are deceiving yourself. If you do not pray, it is because you do not want to pray. It is because you do not think that prayer is important now! Daniel was successful, yet he prayed. Why was he able to pray three times a day?
People have grown out of poverty and into prosperity. When they were poor, they had a lot of time to attend prayer meetings. But when they became blessed, they felt everything was all right. No! Everything is not all right! Your prosperity is not the signal to stop praying.
Principle No. 3: Prayer is the Source of Our Power and Protection
You must realize that it is prayer which releases the power of God on our behalf. Jesus knew the power of prayer. That is why he spent long hours in prayer. Maybe you are a successful businessman, and you do not think that you need any of this spiritual “stuff”. Perhaps you are a politician and you think your protection must come from fetish or occult powers.
Let me tell you right now, there is power in prayer. We do not need any other power when we have the power of prayer. There is protection for us when we pray. The last part of the armour of God is prayer (Ephesians 6:18). In other words, prayer is an important part of your spiritual defence.
Many people become afraid when they prosper. Job was filled with fear when he prospered. Eventually he said, “what I feared greatly has happened to me”. Such people feel that somebody may use supernatural powers to try to kill them. You have nothing to fear when you are a prayerful person like Daniel. Many people wanted to kill Daniel. These people did not just think about killing Daniel, they actually tried to eliminate him. Through the power of prayer, Daniel was protected from the lions.
I see all the lions in your life scattering away in fear! I see your prayer power rising! I see you going forward because of a new-found prayer life!
…that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
Luke 3:21
I see the heavens opening over your life! Never forget this! The heavens opened when Jesus prayed. Both physical and spiritual blessings rain upon you when you are a prayerful person.
Principle No. 4: Prayer Is Important in Acquiring and Sustaining the Blessings of God
Do you have anything that you are proud of? Have you achieved anything in this life? Let me tell you that it is by the grace of God. By the power of prayer, you will achieve even greater things. It is by prayer that you will sustain what God has placed in your hands.
There are people who have received thousands of dollars as gifts. Today, that money has disappeared into thin air. God may give you something but it also takes His grace to sustain that blessing. Are you the pastor of a great ministry? Let me tell you, it takes prayer to sustain you in the ministry. Why do you think Jesus kept running away to pray?
There is a law of degeneration at work in the world. Everything is decaying. Your business is decaying. Your church is decaying. Your very life is decaying. It takes the power of God, through prayer, to preserve everything that God has given to you.
Principle No. 5: For Prayer to Be Effective It Must Be Habitual
A man called Dostoyevsky said, “The second half of a man’s life is made up of the habits he acquired in the first half.”
Pascal said, “The strength of a man’s virtues is made up of his habitual acts.”
If you are going to be a great person in this life, you need to have good habits. An action becomes a habit when it is repeated many times; sometimes consciously, other times unconsciously. It becomes your custom!
Habits can be either good or bad. Remember that good habits are repeated as easily as bad habits. A good habit will lead to consistent breakthroughs even without you intending it to. Bad habits will also lead to consistent failure. If you decide to develop a habit of prayer, you are developing a habit for success. Jesus went to church on the Sabbath because it was his habit. The Bible tells us that Jesus had customs or habits.
…as his custom [habit] was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day… Luke 4:16
Daniel had a custom of praying three times a day. …he [Daniel]kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed… Daniel 6:10
Life in the secular world is not designed to include a prayer time. Work starts early in the morning and continues late into the night. Weeks may pass before you even think of prayer. For many people, it is only an impossible situation that reminds them of the need for prayer. Dear friend, it is important for you to include prayer in your life.
God is not a spare tyre! A spare tyre is something that is never used except in emergencies. God is no fool. Whatsoever a man sows, he will reap. If you have time for God on a regular basis, He will have time to bless you on a regular basis. Only the mercy of God makes Him listen to some of our prayers.
Develop your prayer life until it happens spontaneously. Develop your prayer life until you pray habitually without even thinking of what you are doing.
I Made Time to Pray
When I was a medical student, I was very busy with my coursework. There was no time to pray at all. But because I had made prayer a part of my Christian life, there was no way I could do without it! I had to somehow include it in my schedule. I decided to pray late at night. I was usually so sleepy that I had to walk about just to stay awake. Prayer was so important to me that I could not leave it out of my life.
One night, as I headed for my room after one of such prayer times, I actually fell asleep whilst walking! It was only when I walked into the Spanish Department building of the university that I woke up from my sleep! I believe that God saw my earnest desire to keep praying in spite of an impossible medical school schedule.
Principle No. 6: Prayer Must Continue Both in Troubled Times and in Times of Peace
Why do we wait for trouble before we pray? Would you take someone as a serious friend if he only called you when he was in serious trouble? In times of peace, he had no time for you. God is looking for someone who will fellowship with Him in both good and bad times.
The more I preach, the better I become at preaching. The more you pray, the better you will become at prayer. In times of crises, you will find yourself rising up to the occasion and delivering powerful prayers that bring results.
Principle No. 7: Every Nation Needs Lots of Prayer and Prayerful Leaders
There is no doubt that the world is ruled by wicked spirits in high places. The earth is filled with people who are at war with each other. Famine, war, epidemics and disasters abound! You just have to keep your eyes on the international news and you will hear about another major disaster.
Dictators of all kinds abound in many nations. Like snakes, which shed their skin, many dictators of yesteryear have a new “Democratic look”
Many national leaders are actually under the influence of evil spirits, and that makes them do the things they do. They cling to power instead of honourably allowing others to have a chance at leadership. Like vampires, they drink the blood of the nation’s wealth and stack it away in secret places.
Political leaders like Hitler lead entire nations into initial prosperity, and then eventual destruction. I always remember how things changed in South Africa after President De Klerk replaced President Botha. A new leader led to the release of Nelson Mandela and the end of apartheid. It is important for us to pray for these leaders so that our nation will prosper. The right person at the helm of affairs will make a lot of difference to our nation. I believe that the presence of a prayerful person like Daniel made a lot of difference to that nation.
Principle No. 8: It is Important to Pray for Long Periods of Time
Years ago, the only prayers I knew about were those that the priests read out to us in church. The longest I could pray was thirty to forty seconds and that was when I recited the Lord’s Prayer. There were three prayers I knew how to pray: The Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary and a Prayer to the Angel of God! However, as I grew in the Lord I learnt how to pray for myself. I can now pray for several hours at a time.
I always remember the first time I prayed for three hours. I was a student in Achimota School (Prince of Wales College). I was in the midst of a crisis and I needed the intervention of the Lord. I can also remember the first time I prayed for seven hours. I was a sixth-former in the same Achimota School. I prayed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. I enjoy praying for long hours.
Praying for thirty minutes is almost like no prayer to me. Do not misunderstand me; I am not saying that God does not hear short prayers. I am saying that I have developed the art of praying for long hours like Jesus did. Jesus prayed for three hours in the garden of Gethsemane.
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed… And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, COULD YE NOT WATCH WITH ME ONE HOUR? He went away again the second time, and prayed… And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Matthew 26:39,40,42-44
In this Scripture, Jesus was surprised that the disciples could not pray for one hour.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Matthew 26:40
Jesus prayed all night before he chose His disciples.
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
Luke 6:12,13
Long prayer may not be an explicit instruction in the Bible, but it is implicit throughout the Word. In later chapters I will teach you what to pray about when you decide to pray for long hours.
Principle No. 9: It is Important to Enter Your
Closet for Effective Prayer
Many Christians can only pray when they are in a group. They cannot stay in a room on their own and pray for one hour. That is a great handicap. There is a difference between praying alone and praying with a group of people. Both types of prayer are important. If you can pray for three hours on your own then you can pray for six hours with other people. It is easier to pray in a group. Each time, you expand your ability to pray alone, you are expanding your ability to chalk great achievements in prayer.
Principle No. 10: Everyone Must Develop the Ability
and the Formulae for Praying Four Times a Day
There are four important times to pray: morning, afternoon, evening and all-the-time.
Jesus prayed in the morning!
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Mark 1:35
What is so important about Morning Prayer? Prayer in the morning is very good because you meet God before you meet the devil. You meet God before you meet the circumstances of life. God anoints you to overcome every mountain that you will encounter in your life.
Prayer in the afternoon signifies prayer in the midst of activities.
And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
Mark 6:46
When you pray in the afternoon, it signifies that in the heat of the day and in the thick of the battle, you recognize God as the most important force in your life. God will bless you for afternoon prayer. I see you praying in the afternoon!
You can take a little time off your lunch break and pray. That prayer will do you more good than a plate of rice will!
It is also important to pray in the evenings. When the Bible says “watch and pray”, it does not mean keep your eyes open when you pray. What it actually means is, stay awake and pray.
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12
There is something about praying in the night that is different from praying during the day. It is a very different experience. I have heard that witches are very active around 2 a.m. in the night. Perhaps when you pray in the night you are tackling the forces of darkness in a different way. After all, they are called the forces of darkness (night).
The fourth important time to pray is “all-the-time”
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Prayer is intended to be a never-ending stream of communication with your Heavenly Father. He has given us the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gift of speaking in tongues. I pray all the time. My wife tells me that sometimes I pray in my sleep!
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
You can pray on the bus and on your way to work. You can pray softly to yourself when you are in the office. You can pray when you are in the shower. God is happy when His children are constantly in touch with Him.
I have a friend whose wife calls him on his mobile phone at least seven times a day. I have been in meetings with him when he received not less that four calls from his wife. Nothing important, she was just keeping in touch! I think it is a nice thing. She phones without ceasing!
You can also pray without ceasing! I see you praying in the morning and in the evening! God is changing your life because of your new-found prayer life! Your marriage, business and ministry will never be the same by the time you finish reading this book!
When, like Daniel, you decide to pray for long hours, you will discover that you will need to have a pattern or a formula for prayer. You need something that will guide you in your prayer life. In these next chapters, we will study the formulae for prayer.
Daniel’s Principles of Prayer
1. Prayer is very important.
2. No one is ever too busy, too blessed or too successful to pray.
3. Prayer is the source of our power and protection.
4. Prayer is important in acquiring and sustaining the blessings of God.
5. For prayer to be effective, it must be habitual.
6. Prayer must continue both in troubled times and in times of peace.
7. Every nation needs lots of prayer and prayerful leaders.
8. It is important to pray for long periods of time.
9. It is important to enter your closet for effective prayer.
10. Everyone must develop the ability and the formulae for praying four times a day.
by Dag Heward-Mills
Best selling African author
