We welcome you for today’s service in the most precious name of Our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

On behalf of the council and on my own, I would like to thank all of you members of St. Luke’s chaplaincy the Principal and management of Uganda Institute of Allied Health and Management Sciences for the great welcome & hospitality accorded to our beloved His Grace Archbishop and Diocesan Bishop of Kampala and the Diocesan team last Sunday as they visited us at UAHMS (AHAC). May God bless you abundantly. Mission and Evangelism team, thanks for the successful mission week + celebrations of St. Luke’s day.

Today we are sharing about prayer and purpose.

Prayer is defined as communication with God. As it is with all other forms of communication, it essentially involves talking and listening. Through the discipline of prayer, the Christ follower is expected to get into cordial and eventually deeper relationship with God the Father through the enablement of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ. According to John 14:12-14; Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because Iam going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name…” So, prayer; is asking and receiving, knocking and the door opening; and seeking and finding. It is an expression of our faith in God through Jesus Christ (see Mathew 6:5-15).

For what purpose is prayer? Why must we pray? The following are some of the purposes that prayer serves:

1. Through prayer we ask for God’s forgiveness when we have sinned against him (Psalms 51:1-11).
2. By praying we worship God as we pray for his mercy and goodness upon us (Psalms 100).
3. We pray to God to provide for our needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4;19)
4. Through prayer we ask for God’s blessings upon our lives, works and services (Numbers 6:22-27)
5. Since it is only God who can truly understand our problems, therefore, through prayer we have a means to pour our hearts to Him. (Psalm 100).
6. We pray in order to be healed by God; because it is Him who heals all our diseases. (Exodus 15:25-27).
7. We must pray because prayer gives us hope.
8. Through prayer God’s promises are fulfilled in our lives, we receive and appropriate them.
9. The only way to receive from God is through prayers. The comfort of the Holy Spirit is given to us when we ask God for it through prayer.
10. We are able to know God’s will for our lives when we engage with Him is prayer.
11. In order to receive salvation, we must ask for it through prayer (Revel 3:20, John 1:12, Romans 10:17).
12. It is through prayer that we fight the spiritual warfare and overcome Satan, sin and the world (Eph. 6:18)
13. Prayer is the most powerful and effective weapon the Christian believer has.

In conclusion;

Everyone must pray without ceasing (1Thess 5:17). God increases our faith as we exercise it by praying.

Blessings to you all in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Udongo Albert Festus (Rev. Canon)

Questions for Personal reflection and home cell discussion.

Read Psalm 51, Mathew 6:5-15, Nehemiah 1:1-11

1. What is prayer?
2. Why must a Christian believer pray? Imagine a life without praying!

Share testimonies of how prayer is working in your life.