Prayer: Glorifying and Magnifying God

Prayer is synonymous with and an act of glorifying and magnifying God. We have been created to pray, both in this life and the life after. As recorded in scripture: everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. (Isaiah 43:7, NIV)

Unceasing Prayer: Outcome of Controlled Body

When the body is under control, the soul unceasingly magnifies and glorifies God with utmost readiness. The soul continues its duty towards God, irrespective of whether our body is awake or in deep sleep. As I have elaborated in the previous article, keeping the body under control to prevent it from falling into its weaknesses is prayer. But when the body goes out of control, falls into its weaknesses, and commits sin, thereby causing disruption to the readiness of the soul to glorify and magnify God, seeking forgiveness with true repentance is prayer.

The Dual Aspects of Prayer:

Can one truly claim to pray without fulfilling both aspects? Can anyone ride two boats at the same time? As Scripture reminds us: No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24, NIV)

God's Response to Hypocritical Prayer:

God speaks to those who fail to control their bodies and do not repent, as recorded in Scripture: When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. (Isaiah 1:15-16, NIV)

Obedience: The Essence of Prayer

Therefore, obeying God's commandments wholeheartedly, which means not committing sin, is prayer. As Jesus emphasized: If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. (John 15:10, NIV)

Truely Prayer vs. Hypocrisy:

If we attend church services, participate in prayer meetings, perform evening prayers, attend night vigils, and visit shrines, but fail to obey His commandments and repent for our wrongdoings, we do not truly pray.

Control and Obedience: The Heart of Prayer

To control our bodies, enabling our souls to freely magnify and glorify God unceasingly, is the essence of prayer.

Prayer: A Bridge to God's Love

Prayer unites us with God. As the Bible says in 1 John 4:8 (NIV), "God is Love."

Obedience and Love:

Therefore, Jesus says: If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. (John 15:10, NIV)

The Power of Remaining in Love:

Those who remain in love certainly remain in God, as God is love; their prayers, glorification, and magnification are never rejected. I sincerely request that you read Isaiah 1:11-20.

Jesus' Secret to Remaining in God's Love:

Jesus taught that obedience is the means by which He remained in God's love. Obeying God is possible only when the body is under control. An uncontrolled body, prone to weaknesses, cannot obey God's commandments.

Jesus: The Perfect Example

Jesus was born with a human nature, yet He continued to obey God by keeping His body under absolute control. As a result:

- His seeing pleased God
- His speaking pleased God
- His listening pleased God
- His thinking pleased God
- His walking pleased God
- His raised hands pleased God

In other words, everything Jesus did in His human body pleased God. This is why Jesus and the Father remain united, as recorded in Scripture: “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30, NIV)

Jesus' Unity with the Father:

Jesus remained united with the Father Almighty by obeying His commandments. As a result, Jesus consistently glorified and magnified God throughout His life on earth.

Mary's Obedience and Unity with God:

Similarly, Mary, Jesus' mother, consistently obeyed God's commandments throughout her life, thereby continually glorifying and magnifying Him. By doing so, she became filled with God's love in both her soul and body, as Jesus taught: Whoever does God’s will, is my brother and sister and mother. (Mark 3:35, NIV)

Mary's Spiritual Fruit:

By obeying God's commandments, Mary became united with God in both her soul and body. As a result, she bore spiritual fruit, giving birth to Jesus. As warned in scripture: I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, NIV)

Mary's Legacy:

By obeying God's commandments, Mary demonstrated that the spiritual fruit she bore, Jesus, is essential and valuable for all creation.

Humanity: Created to Bear Spiritual Fruit

We are all created to produce spiritual fruit, which can only be achieved by obeying God's commandments. Therefore, it is essential to keep our minds and bodies under control, preventing them from succumbing to their weaknesses. By doing so, we become the center of attraction for God, unite with Him, and become His relatives – brothers, sisters, and mothers. As Jesus taught: Whoever does God’s will, is my brother and sister and mother. (Mark 3:35, NIV)

God Searches for People to Produce Divine Fruit:

It is essential to understand that God produces divine, spiritual, and heavenly fruit only through those who are His relatives. Therefore, it is necessary for us, in our life on earth, that:

- Our actions be pleasing to God's sight
- Our words be pleasing to God's ears
- Our listening be pleasing to God's heart
- Our thoughts be pleasing to God's mind
- Our walk be pleasing to God's presence
- Our every act be pleasing to God

If we are able to please God through every act, our entire life will become prayerful, and our soul will be freed to glorify and magnify God with full readiness: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Thus, we will become His instrument, as He continues to search for such people to produce divine, spiritual, and heavenly fruit through them, as stated in Scripture: because she will be looking for those who are worthy of her, and she will find you wherever you are. She is kind and will be with you in your every thought. (Wisdom 6:16, GNT)

Therefore, Jesus warned, as recorded in scripture: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” (Luke 8:21, NIV)

Mary's Obedience Fetches Her Divine Honor:

Jesus' mother, Mary, obeyed God's commandments throughout her life. When Archangel Gabriel brought God's message to her, she easily surrendered her life with all her readiness. Thus, she demonstrated her readiness to obey God's commandments, earning the great spiritual honor of becoming God's virgin mother.

Obedience and Prayer:

Obeying God's commandments is a demonstration of obedience. This is the way to apply our soul to God's magnification and glorification with utmost readiness, praying to Him consistently and continually. Therefore, it is essential in our life to be careful and vigilant, ensuring none of our actions displease God or turn into disobedience.

Seeking Forgiveness:

However, in case of disobedience, seeking forgiveness with true repentance and confession is essential. These two actions are, in fact, prayer, as they keep our soul uplifted in readiness to magnify and glorify God, praying consistently and continually to Him.

Conclusion: Obedience, Forgiveness, and Continuous Prayer

Obeying God's commandments and seeking forgiveness with true repentance and confession are essential aspects of prayer. By being careful and vigilant, ensuring our actions align with God's will, and seeking forgiveness when we falter, we demonstrate our obedience and keep our soul uplifted in readiness to magnify and glorify God. This is the path to praying consistently and continually, cultivating a deep and abiding relationship with our Lord.

Key Takeaways:

Obedience and seeking forgiveness are essential ingredients of prayer, as they demonstrate our commitment to following God's will and our willingness to acknowledge and learn from our mistakes. By incorporating these elements into our prayer life, we can cultivate a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God, and experience the transformative power of prayer in our lives. In Summary:

1. Obedience and seeking forgiveness are essential ingredients of prayer. 2. These elements demonstrate our commitment to following God's will and learning from our mistakes. 3. Incorporating obedience and forgiveness into our prayer life deepens our relationship with God. 4. This transformative prayer life empowers us to experience God's power and presence.

What does Jesus' Taught Prayer Imply?

If prayer means pleasing God through absolute obedience to His commandments and seeking forgiveness with true repentance and confession in case of disobedience, then what does Jesus' taught prayer imply?

Continuing on Our Journey:

As we delve deeper into the concept of continuous prayer, we will explore Jesus' taught prayer and its relationship with unceasingly glorifying our Lord God.

To be Continued…..

==> Stay tuned for our next article, where we'll uncover how 'Prayer’ can transform our faith journey.

Amen!

Praise be to God, Thanks be to God.

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Peace to the whole world!!