Introduction

King Ahaziah of Israel was sick and desperately seeking a solution to his problem. He believed in the philosophy that “the end justifies the means” in which what matters is getting the needs met, and how one does it is not important. So in his desperation, he sent for the gods of Ekron and wrote his own death sentence, (2 Kings 1:6).

Are you tempted to follow human methods and systems to get quick results? Have you found material sources of support which has taken away your dependence on God? Dependence on the word of God is the very culture of faith and trust in God. Prayer is not merely getting our needs met. It is a culture of dependence. It is a lifestyle of trust and total obedience to God’s will and purpose.

Self Dependence is Idol Worship

Contrary to this the world’s ultimate goal is self-dependence. Words such as independence, self-sufficiency, self-determination, sovereignty, self-governance, and self-supporting are frequently heard in our culture. They are the modern-day God of Baal-zebub, which Ahaziah was tempted to seek. Pride and arrogance are the results of worshipping such gods. Humility and submission are the key virtues of those who serve the Lord. The only lesson Jesus asked his followers to learn from him was his humility and meekness. (Matthew 11:29). God is attracted to the prayers of people of such humility to prove His power and strength. (Isaiah 57:15)

Prayer must be our top Priority

Paul’s writing to Timothy states that prayer should be “First of all” in the ministry of the church. (1 Timothy 2:1) Prayer must be first. Not the last or in between; it must be seen as the priority of every Pastor. To sacrifice prayer in order to depend on human methods will eventually cause us to fail like Ahaziah. Prayer protects us from the curse of falling into self-dependence. Many don’t heed the warning that trusting in a man like Ahaziah will eventually bring a curse on us. (Jeremiah 17:5) We trust men of influence, wealth, and power, and depend on them to help us, it will eventually take our hearts away from God. This is why we must keep prayer a priority in our lives.

A higher level of Authority

There is a level of authority in the prayer that a church exercises over a nation and its leaders which is still to be discovered. Paul says that this authority in prayer gives them the power to pray for kings and not just to beg from kings. What a great privilege? Men of prayer are men of authority who can exercise such power over nations. John Knox was a great protestant reformer known for his fervent prayer life who once cried out to God: “Give me Scotland or I die”. Such prayer and intercession turned the events of a nation that the Mary Queen of Scots is reputed to have said: “I fear the prayers of John Knox than all the assembled armies of Europe.” His prayer literally changed the course of history. God has called us to pray as a church to shape the history of our nation.

The Prayer Movement

Every church must develop a culture of dependence on God through prayer where we release authority over the rulers of the nation. We must know that prayer is not one of the ways of living but it is the only way for us. We can easily let our guard down by living a life of self-dependence which can lead to prayerlessness. The Pastor’s prayer life and example are vital for mobilizing prayer in the church. The corporate prayer power of the church is released only by the secret place of prayer of the Pastor. Even greater, the corporate prayer of all the intercessors in a nation can bring national revival and renewal.

Conclusion

In life, like Ahaziah, we too are tempted to take shortcuts or find alternatives that can bring immediate relief but can eventually take us away from God’s will and purpose. Christian Life and Ministry is a life of dependence on God. It is very easy to move away from a culture of self-dependence. Israel’s history was a nation that depended on God, from daily food to conquering nations, from crops to battles, from health to wealth, and every other detail of life; they were dependent on God. Jesus too was tempted by the devil to take short-cuts by surrendering His purpose to satisfy immediate needs by turning stones into bread. He defended his dependence and said, “…Man shall not live by bread alone…” (Matthew 4:4).

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