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We are
living in a very critical time. We are at a tipping point - politically,
socially, economically. How we need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to touch
hearts today! There is much need for prayer - prayer not only to sustain us, but
to touch the hearts of others. May I encourage you, in your times with the Lord,
to ask even as I do, "Lord, help me to pray!"
The
testimony of Sister Dabney, a lady who "prayed through" is shared in a tract,
"What It Means to Pray Through," published by the Free Tract Society. Her story
begins in a church building almost empty; three and one half years later, she
describes gatherings marked by the fragrance of the Lord as she stands on the
balcony, watching people coming from all directions for early morning prayer. In
her writing she says, "Preaching is good. Teaching essential. But praying is the
secret." Maybe this is why the disciples said in Luke 11:1, "Lord, teach us to
pray!"
When
praying, there is no power in mere words alone. However, reading a prayer given
to us by another can be effective - if it touches something within us, going
from our heart to our heavenly Father's. Whether a song or a prayer or another
expression, it is that which comes from the heart that touches God's heart. In
the Amplified Bible, James 5:16 speaks of "earnest (heartfelt, continued)
prayer." It is the fervent, heartfelt prayer of a righteous man that avails
much.
I love to
listen to scripture; as I hear it or later meditate on what I've heard, prayers
often come. How wonderful to hold God's word in our hearts as we talk to our
Heavenly Father! At times, I experience the same flow of prayer while listening
to anointed teaching, especially if it is a teaching I have heard before. I find
myself praying into the truths being shared, as my spiritual understanding is
enlarged and anointing is flowing through my spirit.
There are many examples of the effectiveness of continued prayer in
scripture. May we, too, be ones who not only pray, but continue in
prayer. As we pray, may we also remember to make room for quiet times with the
Lord, listening prayer, that there might come an impartation of His heart into
our heart, a deeper revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, where not only do we
express our thoughts, but we listen to His.
Luke 18:1
says "men ought always to pray, and not to faint." I remember Hattie Hammond
saying, "Pray, or you will faint!" The life of Christ shows a pattern of
spending time apart in prayer. He trained His disciples in the same way. We,
too, must make room in our lives for quality times apart in the Lord's presence
if we are going to have spiritual strength and vigor.
An old
Nigerian saying I once heard: "You can't put a load on a running donkey!" How
busy we can become! Yet today, the Lord is looking for those who will spend
quality time with Him, making room for an impartation of spiritual substance,
the very life of the Lord Jesus Christ, within our lives.
We are
living in a very critical time. We are at a tipping point - politically,
socially, economically. How we need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to touch
hearts today! There is much need for prayer - prayer not only to sustain us, but
to touch the hearts of others. May I encourage you, in your times with the Lord,
to ask even as I do, "Lord, help me to pray!"
Upcoming Parousia Ministries Gatherings: September 10, 2016, Steve
Porter will be ministering at the Parousia Prayer Chapel in Maryland. November
5, 2016, there will be a Parousia Gathering in Oakton, Virginia. More
information is available on our website.
The 2nd Saturday of each month, we have Tea, Coffee &
Prayer at the Parousia Prayer Chapel. If you live nearby and would like to
come, please contact me for more details and also to confirm, in case there are
schedule changes. It also helps us plan lunch! For those who are a further
distance away, this would be a great time to visit the Prayer Chapel, if you
would like to arrange a visit!
The Lord
has really pressed on my heart the importance of speaking blessing over those we
care about. As I close, may I speak the blessing of the Lord over you, your
life, and all that pertains to you. "The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord
make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His
countenance upon you, and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
May
He bless you, as He continues to draw you ever closer to Himself. May you
increasingly prosper, both spiritually and in your life circumstances, beyond
all that you have experienced in the past, and may you be blessed in life, in
health, and in all that is before you.
Prayerfully
yours,
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