The Opportunity Cost Of A Prayerless Life

Friends, greetings in Jesus Name! Today I will be sharing with you on what I title, “The Opportunity Cost Of A Prayerless Life”. In my first year in secondary school, my economics teacher taught us about opportunity cost. He said opportunity cost is an economic term meaning “alternative forgone”. In other words, it refers to a benefit that a person could have received, but gave up, to take another course of action. According to my teacher, if you are presented with a choice to either study for your exam coming up tomorrow or to go to a cinema and you decide to go to cinema, the opportunity cost of your action is the good preparation you should have given to your study to pass the exam. As a young boy, my teacher’s lecture on this subject taught me a lesson such that whenever I am presented with a choice to make, I always think of the opportunity cost of my actions. Today, many would prefer to watch movies rather than spend time in prayer. And the opportunity cost of their action usually shows in their spiritual emptiness. Is there anything wrong in watching a movie? Absolutely not! But you must understand there is time for everything. In Mark 14:37-38, “Jesus came and found His disciples sleeping, and He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch for one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Listen, if there is a time you or the church needs to pray, it is Now. There was nothing wrong for the disciples to sleep, but not at the time they were needed most to keep watch in prayer. The opportunity cost of their action is the time they should have fortified themselves in prayer against satanic onslaughts and temptations. If you noticed afterward, Satan struck. Jesus was taken away from them, the disciples were scattered, Peter denied Jesus three times, and they were gripped with fear. Beloved, we are in the very last days, and it is not a time to be lukewarm or sitting on the fence. You are either on one side or the other. There is no demilitarized zone. If you don’t pray you become a prey. I remember, many years ago when I was still in the university in Johannesburg. One night the Lord woke me up to pray. I tried to ignore that nudge to pray because it was winter period, very cold, and I was enjoying my sleep. But I noticed the Holy Spirit still pressing me to arise and pray, particularly for my country, Nigeria. When I looked at the time, it was past midnight, and I stood up and started interceding for my country. The following morning, I was preparing to go for my lecture class when the news came that the President of Nigeria is dead. This was June 8, 1998. I strongly believe there was a reason the Lord asked me to pray at that hour. Don’t sit back and watch the devil scattering things in your life and family. No! Open your mouth and issue a decree (Job 22:28). The bible says, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thes.5:17). Make prayer a lifestyle in this season. You are blessed. Fantastic week. With love, Elvis!