PRAYER!

A few weeks ago I found a sheet of typing paper, yellowed with age, on which I had evidently copied from an article on Prayer.  At the top of the page where there should have been a title, there was only a date -- "1978".

     "Prayer is the dynamic of all real progress in the work of kingdom building.  Basically, prayer is communion with God and requires regular seasons of privacy.  There is a time and place for public prayer, united prayer, and family prayer, but these can never be a substitute for private prayer!  It is the neglect of the quiet time with God that marks the beginning of backsliding.  The shut door, the open heart, the bended knee is the way to satisfying joy and effective service. 

      Beyond the seasons of daily devotion when you get alone to pray and read God's Holy Word, which the child of God must maintain at all costs, there is the necessity of further unhurried seasons of protracted prayer.  Effective prayer demands time.  It is costly, but richly rewarding.  All the genuine movements of the Holy Spirit in mighty revival have been brought about by the persevering, protracted, prevailing prayer of a faithful and burdened few.  Let Jesus show you the way to spend unhurried time in the presence of the Father.

      Intercessory prayer demands the full powers of our bodies, minds and hearts.  Cold, indifferent hearts cannot pray this kind of prayer.  It can only be done by those whose hearts are aflame with love for God and weighted down with the burden of the tragedy of a perishing world.  Passionate prayer engages in a battle with the powers of hell.  Affection, emotion, desire, sorrow, and pain all combine in mighty intercession that overthrows demonic powers and confuses satanic plans, and wins great victories for God! It persists until the answer is assured.  Only prayer with "groanings that cannot be uttered" can release the power of the Holy Spirit to change rebellious defiance to humble and willing obedience. Satan will try above all things to prevent us from passionate praying.  He does not mind our plans, our work, our preaching, our teaching, our witnessing so long as there is no dynamic of the Holy Spirit in them (so very true)!!  Prayer is the only way in which all our service can be electrified into life-giving, devil-defeating, world-conquering power!"

And now, 39 years later, our Lord is still looking for men and women who will follow Him into the Gethsemane of passionate, God-glorifying prayer.  Can He count on you and me?