How to Keep Your Blessings from God: The Power of Prayer
Have you ever prayed for something and got it? Maybe you prayed for a promotion, a healing, a relationship, a breakthrough. But let me ask you this: What did you do after you got what you were praying for? Did you keep on praying, or did you stop? Did you thank God, or did you forget him? Did you honor him with your blessing, or did you ignore him?
God is good, amen? He is faithful to answer our prayers and bless us with his favor. But sometimes we forget to thank him and praise him for what he has done. We get so busy enjoying our blessings that we neglect our relationship with him. We stop praying, we stop reading his word, we stop attending church, we stop serving others. We act like we don’t need him anymore.
But let me tell you something, my friend. You need God more than ever when you get what you were praying for. Because that’s when the enemy will try to steal your joy, your peace, your health, your wealth, your family, your purpose. That’s when you will face new challenges, new temptations, new oppositions. That’s when you will need God’s grace, God’s wisdom, God’s protection, God’s guidance, God’s strength.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can handle everything on your own. Don’t let your blessings become a curse. Don’t let your success become a failure. Don’t let your victory become a defeat. Don’t let your breakthrough become a breakdown.
The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Notice that it doesn’t say pray until you get what you want, then stop. It says pray continually. That means keep on praying even after you get what you were praying for.
Why? Because prayer is not just a way to ask God for something. Prayer is a way to connect with God, to communicate with him, to fellowship with him, to worship him, to honor him, to love him. Prayer is a way to express your gratitude, your appreciation, your admiration, your devotion, your loyalty, your commitment to him.
Prayer is a way to acknowledge that everything you have comes from him and belongs to him. Prayer is a way to declare that he is the source of your life and the reason for your existence. Prayer is a way to affirm that he is the Lord of your heart and the King of your soul.
Prayer is a way to align yourself with his will and his plan for your life. Prayer is a way to receive his direction and his instruction for every situation you face. Prayer is a way to access his power and his provision for every need you have.
Prayer is a way to maintain your intimacy and your closeness with him. Prayer is a way to grow in your faith and your maturity in him. Prayer is a way to experience his presence and his peace in every moment of your day.
So don’t stop praying when you get what you were praying for. Keep on praying even more. Keep on thanking him for what he has done. Keep on praising him for who he is. Keep on asking him for what he wants to do next in your life.
Remember this: The same God who gave you what you were praying for can also take it away if you don’t honor him with it. The same God who opened the door for you can also close it if you don’t walk through it with him. The same God who lifted you up can also bring you down if you don’t stay humble before him.
So don’t take God for granted. Don’t ignore him or neglect him or forget him or forsake him. Don’t let go of his hand or drift away from his side or turn away from his face or walk away from his voice.
Stay connected to him through prayer. Stay dependent on him through prayer. Stay faithful to him through prayer.
Pray even after you get what you were praying for.
That’s how you show God that you love him more than anything else.
That’s how you show God that he is more than enough for you.
That’s how you show God that he is still number one in your life.
And when you do that, my friend, I believe and declare that God will do even more for you than you can ask or imagine. He will bless you beyond measure. He will favor you beyond reason. He will increase you beyond limits. He will enlarge your territory. He will multiply your influence. He will accelerate your destiny.
He will do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ever dreamed of.
Because he loves you more than anything else.
And he wants the best for you.
Amen?.