Tag Archive | Bible

A prayer for Boston by Christ’s Kingdom Remnant Representative

Apr15

Father we give you praise today, on a day, which was not promised, and some sadly never made it through. We thank you that you still stand by us even in the midst of despair and through the wicked acts of those who continue to plan and plot the harm and destruction of our brothers and sisters!

Holy Spirit

Google Image

Father I pray and stand in the gap for my brothers and sisters in Boston who have had to experience the trauma of the calamities set by the wicked.

Father we ask you to have your way in protecting and guiding your children who hear your voice so they can avoid any and all danger and also alert others to what is ahead. Father we pray strength for those of us who have been personally affected by the events that have unfolded over the last 24 hours and we pray that you would continue to provide the peace that surpasses all understanding in the midst of tragedy, uncertainty and death and destruction in Jesus name.

Father according to the power and authority you have given us as your children we bind up the spirit of death and premature death in Jesus name. We bind up the spirit of violence and destruction, we bind up all calamities, all murderous spirits of malice and discord, all premeditated wickedness and assignments intended to hurt or destroy your children.

Father, we bind up all the plans of Satan to further steal kill and destroy.  We bind up jealousy and depravity, rage and anarchy in Jesus mighty name.

Father, we cancel every assignment against your children and we speak that every plot will be uncovered and exposed for your glory.  We come against and curse the root of all the demonic intentions of people trying to benefit from this disaster, Father delay and frustrate their plans of wickedness and control, shut down their operations and dismantle what they have already tried to do in Jesus name.

Father we bind the strong man over Boston right now in faith and according to the Holy Scriptures and we lose the angelic light from heaven into the lives of everyone affected and the Holy Spirits power into their hearts causing them to be strengthened supernaturally for your glory as we read this prayer on their behalf. Father forewarn your children who could possibly be in harm’s way in the aftermath of these events, give a stronger level of discernment to your prophets, intercessors and prayer warriors at this time so they can see what is ahead and warn others.

Father we thank you for your word that says that you never leave us nor forsake us. Thank you for being our only hope in times of death and destruction, uncertainty and wickedness Father, we love you and without your protection we are nothing, we give you the glory and the honor and in Jesus name we pray this prayer to you Jehovah God and in Jesus  name we pray.

Related articles

When GOD Doesn’t Answer Prayer How “We” Think HE Should by Olayemi E. Ogunbase

Jan26

I prayed, quoted Scripture, fasted, all things I thought would get God to move in the way I wanted Him to. I thought that having worship music going 24/7, attending the prayer meetings at church and joining prayer groups on Facebook would get Him to move how I wanted.

Re-read the last part of the previous sentence. “Get Him to move how I wanted”. And THAT was the problem. It was based on what “

God is patient and kind...

God is patient and kind…

Google Image

I” wanted, not His will. I (like many of us) found a Scripture that lined up with my particular want & latched on to it. Please understand me, there is nothing wrong with holding on to a Scripture & asking in faith. But what WE want cannot be more important than what HE wants.

He sees our situation through a lens and view that our minds cannot begin to grasp. He sees the prayer request and us through perfect eyes. In addition to that, He not only sees the immediate impact of granting/not granting the prayer request, but the long term, ETERNAL ramifications.

Imagine with me for a moment: You have a 16 year old, newly licensed driver who comes to you saying “Dad (or Mom…I’m a man, so I use “Dad”), for my first car, I would like a Porsche 911 Turbo.” You not only own a Porsche dealership and could easily make this request happen, but the joy that would spread across your child’s face would be a beautiful thing.

But, you know your child. Although there is nothing wrong with a Porsche 911 Turbo in and of itself, that same piece of machinery with an inexperienced driver behind the wheel has the potential to not only destroy the driver, but any passengers in the vehicle and other drivers/pedestrians out on the road.

Our Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. He also knows that many times we will pray for something permanent as a reaction to temporary discomfort, even if that discomfort is actually for our benefit, and will bring us something far better than what we want or THINK we want.

I remember recently praying for a particular job. I wanted this job because of the salary it provided, and also because I thought I would be able to handle working the overnight/graveyard shift, freeing me up for a 2nd part time job during the day. I would have grown sick of the duties in this job in rather short order, and probably would have had a nervous breakdown working a full time graveyard shift job and another job. But all I could see was the pay.

My Father in Heaven answered this prayer with a resounding NO on a Wednesday. I tell you…I was UPSET! Have you ever seen a 31 year old man throw a temper tantrum? God did that day. It was not the finest moment of my walk. I calmed down, and began looking online. I looked for the next four days. On that 4th day, a Saturday, I was scouring job postings and found one that I had missed. I did a double take, because the position for this particular posting paid MORE, offered greater stability and fewer hours. On top of all that, I instantly knew (based on the description) I would like it far more than the previous job I just “HAD to have”. I prayed, put it in His hands, applied, interviewed and GOT THE JOB. I have been with this company since October 8, 2012 and have NEVER enjoyed going to work as much as I do now. Each day, I don’t “have to go to work”. I GET to go to work! I know the Lord blessed me with this position, but also the joy that comes with diligent work unto Him. To top it off, the company called a meeting the other day where they announced “We’ve decided to give you (the staff) 9 additional days of paid time off”.

The point is this. Had the Lord answered my prayer my way, He could have orchestrated it for my good. It could have been okay. But when He answered my prayer for stable employment in HIS way, it was, is and has been “exceedingly and abundantly more than all I could ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

I close with a command. Get your Bible and go to Proverbs chapter 3, verses 5 and 6. Memorize them and believe in the truth of those words MORE than you believe in gravity.

I love you.

In Him,
Yemi

Related articles

 

Knowing God Speaks

Jan15

2 Chronicles 7:15 “Now my eyes shall be open, and my ears attentive unto the prayer that is made in this place.”

It is so important to be in purpose as a child of God and to know God’s voice.  In this world of leadership, everyone will come with what God said and what he did not say. Moreover, if you do not know What He’s saying then you will become confused.

God Speaks

Google Image

I was talking with another leader the other day and she mentioned, “Many people has prophesied over my life and today I don’t think I can deal with anyone else prophesying over my life.”

Why?

The prophesies are far from the truth that God has for her.

This brings me to the place of asking the question do we frequently hear from God.

How does he speak?

In addition, what do we do when He is not speaking?

All the above happen at different stages of our walk in the Lord. Sometimes we hear him on a regular basis. Other times He is silent or he is speaking through unfamiliar medium and channels.

Therefore, if we are looking for him to be in a bond fire we might miss him in the tiny spark. We might be looking for a mighty roar and miss the still small voice.

As Christians, we need to develop a healthy walk with the Lord and this walk is one where we are spending quality time in his presence. This includes reading the word, listening, fasting, and praying, but not excludes other Godly practices that the Holy Spirit will reveal as the relationship grows and gets deeper.

Holy Spirit

Google Image

When we do this, we hear him clearly and he speaks softly. He will create moments for us to become familiar with his voice in small and big things.  So for example He will say go right and then doubt creeps in and one goes left. In the wrong turn, His voice will say I say right (training). On the other hand, he will show a situation and say speak this or pray this and if one is not quick then he will ask someone else and then there is a reminder that “God” has spoken.

In my opinion, I think he does this for us not to doubt when he speak and for us to act swiftly in the spirit. Another thing is that God is always speaking and when he is not he has already spoken and the answer remains the same. In that moment, he teaches patience and gives rest while we wait.

If our relationship with him is shaky and we are not in fellowship with him then it will become frustrating for us to be hearing others say God said, this or that.

It is easy to hear from God but it takes discipline to form the right behaviors to be in a place to hear and to move past the noise. God is looking for us to have a relationship with him.  He is looking to commune with man like in the olden days. He wants to speak but most of the time we are doing all the speaking.

What is getting in the way of us hearing God?

There is a “peace” about when he speaks and when we walk in obedience. God will use people to speak to you but he wants to speak directly to you too. Be proactive about the kind of life you want to live for Jesus.

Someone encouraged me a few years ago to start reading my bible regularly, create a time and a specific place where I meet the Lord daily. Replace ungodly behaviors with godly behaviors, find a mentor to hold your hand as your grow.

Now it is my time to pass it on… I urge you today to do the same. God is waiting to talk with you and more so to share secrets with you.

Amen

Related articles

Stepping Out of Our “Comfort Zone” by Trudy Ross

Dec24

Matthew 14:22-33 (NIV)

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Step Out

Google Image

It has been over a month since the Prayer Works Evangelism Outreach Street Ministry has been launched.  Watching God move has been an eye-opening and humbling experience for me.

The peace that comes with doing the will of God is another experience that words cannot explain.  All I know is that there is an inner peace that takes over your and if I should be honest “that peace” sometimes evades us.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are too busy to think of anything else but you, and what concerns you?  Or have you ever told yourself “That’s not for me, I cannot do that!”

God has a way to shift us from that place of comfort that we sometimes find ourselves “ok” with.

Being involved in this Ministry has enabled me to step out of that place I called “Normal”. The reality of what is involved in ministering to the needy is such that while in the moment there is no room to zone in on “My Issues”. They become obsolete.

Before a breakthrough there is always struggles and if you are not Spiritually equipped you will quit before you begin. Every Sunday when it’s time to step out into the outreach arm of the ministry, the fight that comes and the pressure that builds up is one that would have you giving up.

We literally have to push past this feeling.

Today we packed the car, as usual, we pulled up and it was time to do what we set out to do.  We prayed again and stepped out. The minute we stepped out of the car you could feel God’s hand on what was about to take place.

First, it was one person and within five minutes or less it was a line as far as we could see.  The look on the faces of the people we saw, was one of complete happiness and hope, even if it was for just a time, THAT TIME, the joy of being ministered unto was something you could actually touch.

Not for a minute did I remember that this was not my “comfort zone” anymore, he had taken me to a new “normal”.

In closing let me ask you this. What is God asking you to do that you have questioned HIM so many times over if he is sure he got the right person?

Try this, step out of that comfort zone.  Let go and let GOD!

Related articles

Legalizing Homosexuality by Madge Nosworthy

Dec10

Romans 1:21-32 (NIV) 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

grance and forgiveness

Google Image

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

The question of legalizing homosexuality has reached the Supreme Court. The onus is on the nine members to revise the Constitution, which upholds the Bible Principles that the union of a marriage is between a man and a woman.

A woman came forward to say that she was married to another woman for forty-three years.  It took a woman to take the Bible from the classroom and prayer out of society.

The big question is; are we going to stand and allow another woman to go against God’s law?

Act 2:24 states that we ought to obey God rather than man and Romans 2:21-32 gives a clear picture of the consequences of such actions.

America is the only nation founded on Christian principles.

How soon do we forget?

Let us stop being men pleaser and worship the Creator in truth. Remember our pledge, “One nation under God with liberty and justice for all”

We have to join forces and pray against such evil corruption of legalizing homosexuality. It is no wonder our nation is heading south because we have turned our backs on God. To have equal justice for all is one thing but to legalize a sin is outright lawlessness, which opens the door for the devil to take over and reign.

Related articles

Food For Thought Blogging Award

Nov12

Thank you, http://pastorchrisjordan.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/food-for-thought-blogging-award/, for nominating me for the Food for Thought Blogging Award!

A little bit of history:

Citizen Tom created the Food For Thought Award.  Here is his explanation: “What’s The Food for Thought Award? How can we combine The Super Sweet Blogger Award with The Thought Provoking Blog Award? Well, when a Christian blog offers visitors wisdom from the Word of God, isn’t that blog providing its visitors food for thought? Ah ha! Thus was born a new award.”

Here are the Rules:

  1. Post the award on your blog.
  2. Thank the one who nominated you and link back to their blog.
  3. Share seven of your favorite Bible passages. For extra points, (Perhaps our Father in heaven will award them), explain why each of these seven passages is a favorite.
  4. Nominate seven other bloggers you admire and enjoy! Why seven? In the Bible, seven symbolizes completeness.
  5. Inform each person that you have nominated them.

SEVEN OF MY FAVOURITE BIBLE PASSAGES:

This was a definite challenge because the Bible has 66 books,1189 chapters and 31,103 verses in a Bible. Beside that, about 137 more verses are actually unnumbered giving 31240 verses altogether. Therefore to pick seven favorite was very difficult. Having said that here is my seven for today:

  1. Lamentations 3:23 (NLT) “Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. “They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” I pick this verse because every moment I am reminded of his mercies and his faithfulness.  The reason behind writing and sharing is the gift of salvation.
  2. Luke 18:1-8 (NIV) “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town that kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary….” I pick this scripture and particularly verse one again because pray does works. I have proven and seen how my life has changed because of praying and reading.
  3. Deuteronomy 4:24 “I am a consuming fire and a jealous God”.  I love this scripture because every moment it helps me to put God first and through the help of the holy spirit to eliminate idols from my life…
  4. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This scripture guard against doubt and insecurities in my life. Whenever I feel hopeless or I start believing lies I would quote this scripture and get back to my centering in Christ.
  5. Romans 6:23 (KJV) “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This one is my favorite too.  When I am out on the mission field and I get tired this helps me to keep going because souls are dying in sin because they have no one to tell them about the gift of God that brings eternal life. I am here because someone broke it down for me. Someone was  probably tired but patient.
  6. Galations 5:19-26 (KJV) “16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” I love this passage of scripture because it helps me in my daily walk with the Lord.
  7. Psalms 27:1-2 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.” I love the entire passage because when the evil days are upon me, man I find refuge and safety in this passage…

Related articles

Angel in a Wheelchair

Nov9

Lamentations 3:23 (NLT) “Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. “They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”

Daily Scripture Blog

God you are awesome. Thank you for all you’ve done for me. I have so much to be grateful for. I am overjoyed by your works and your faithfulness.

Thank you Lord.

I had an angelic encounter today. Lord I thank you for Gustavo. “Angel in a wheelchair”. My car was down and out. My tires were flat and while waiting on him I mentioned I have no idea how I was getting home.

He asked why? I told him. Not thinking that he would be the one to help.

Again being a human I was looking on the “outward appearance and physical capabilities”.

Need I say anything more my tyres have been replaced totally free.

God you sent help just in time. You are a on-time God.

I pray for Gustavo’s healing and deliverance.

Father I pray that because of his obedience he will know no evil, no sorrow and no disappointment. I pray that peace and help will be his daily portion from you. I pray that he will be planted and anchored in you and that he will be a force to be reckoned with because of the supernatural unlimited favor that will be upon him. Release wisdom in his life. Amen

Related articles

The Steps of the Righteous by John L Hemphill III

Nov4

Psalm 37:23-27 (KJV)23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

Google Image

Evening has come; with it comes the end of the Sabbath and the preparation of worship for Sunday. Today rather than preaching let’s just talk and think about the world we live in and our own lives. Think about the memories we have about our childhood.
In life we see a lot of things that we see. We see and hear things that we think our right and we see things that we think are wrong. What makes us want to do right and wrong? Well, it stems to the Garden of Eden which speak about the knowledge of Good and Evil.

However, if we are living the right way then how do we know it? And also what occurs with those who live right versus those who do wicked.
Proverbs 29:27 “An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.”
This tells us that those who live wrong or do not abide by the ways of God or right are disgusting to those who do live a pleasing life to God. Likewise, if you are living the way that God approves of then you can be sure that those who are rebellious to the Lord or living in a less than pure way will hate you for it. Have you ever seen someone talk about a person that is living right and they don’t have a realistic reason to talk negative about them? Have you ever seen a person not like you simply because they don’t like the way you look when you are trying to live right? This is a good example.
Listen, if you live right then you will find those who live wicked as being detestable. If you don’t find a person who is living wrong as being detestable then that should be a warning sign to you that we should go to God in prayer about you own life; humble ourselves to the Lord and let Him change us. Likewise, if everyone likes you; even those who don’t live right the something is wrong because if you are living right then those who live wrong won’t like you.
But ask yourself the question; how do you know your living right; how do you know God approves of you? Well, its not how you feel or what you think because that can be programmed by how you grow up. If you are raised up to be prejudice then your conscience will operate around it so you can’t trust how you feel.
Listen, when it comes to programming everyone is right in our own eyes. Look at Proverbs 21:2
Proverbs 21:2 “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.”
We will always think we are right and ladies and gents that includes me yet it is God you decides what is right which is why we can not justify the evils of one person over another. The Lord, or in this word for God; Adonai or Master; our God and Master ponders our heart, our feeling, our emotions and He considers what we are approving of or who we approve of.
So we know we want to be right; we know that if we are right then we will see what is wrong as being wrong; we know that those who are wrong will hate us if we are pleasing God; but we also have to be careful because its easy to think we are right if we don’t use the word of God to measure what is right and wrong. When we are not right but we base it on ourselves it is easy to think our wrong is right; everyone is in danger of this truth; I am; a pauper who begs for change or the President; if God is not the standard of righteousness we fall short and we will be punished for it because we bring it on ourselves.
Proverbs 25:26 “A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.”
In this case here it shows the danger of those who are Christians who support anything that is evil no matter what it is; you place your testimony on danger just like a troubled spring. Image if you were starving on a hot day and you just wanted a cold drink because you’ve been in 100 degree heat; and imagine you went to a water fountain and you looked for relief and found the fountain isn’t working; that is what type of testimony you would be living; those who see you and expect you to uphold the gospel and the truth of God; the moral standards that God has set will see you as being a let down and you don’t want that do you? It wouldn’t make sense to go that way so why not use God as the foundation.
So often people say they believe in God but they justify wrong because they believe everything that God says except what they want to overlook and then you fall in the danger of this verse. Proverbs 28:4
Proverbs 28:4 “They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.”
We have to be careful who we praise and speak well of and support because we must deny what God puts in us; the knowledge of right and wrong and we can find ourselves praising someone who is wicked or praising actions that are wicked. However, Ladies and Gents, if you are living right and you use God’s word; the Holy Bible to guide your life then your life will contend with the wicked; you will be at odds with those who live wickedly; as a matter of fact you can’t help it because you will be moving against the grain of those who are wicked.
There is joy however to come from this for those who depend on the Lord and use the word of God to guide there lives spiritually, morally, ethically, and physically. You will see the wicked and the wicked policies come to an end; you will see those who uphold wrong ways come to an end because you will outlast them if your foundation is on the Lord, not race, not social stances, not clubs, not even personal ideas based on how we were raised; but on the righteousness of God.
Proverbs 29:16 “When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.”
Ladies and Gents, we live in a time when like a decade ago our people are being murdered in our cities; schools aren’t teaching people right and wrong but only what they want to instead of what they need; we see an immoral push to try to turn away the very fabric of what a family is away from Americans by mocking marriage and by doing so mocking the salvation work of Jesus Christ who loves us as a husband should love a wife; they mock the very righteousness of who God is by trying to call homosexuality a civil right when it is a mockery of the divine and the hope of everyone, even them who mock of how a God can restore us all out of love. We are under attack by Hollywood who hope to force Americans to reject Jesus and the Bible and what it teaches for immorality and its not just Hollywood but now even the very Democratic Party.
We are under attack, on Television, in Music, in the Movies, on the Radio, how then can you wonder how years ago we had the strength to see children play outside or people having dignity in where they lived but now they don’t; it’s been a slow steady attack. Christians we are at war; we need to be proud of who we serve; Jesus Christ; and we need to stand up for what we believe by using the Holy Bible to determine what is right and rejecting wrong.
Related articles

Praying for God’s Will

Sep30

Philippians 4:6 (KJV) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Google Image

  1. My friend will be doing an interview tomorrow.  she needs prayer for God favor and for his will for her life.
  2. Young woman is asking for prayer because she has been sick and the doctor’s cannot find what’s wrong with her.
  3. Young Man is asking for prayer because his wife has an extramarital relationship.  as a result he feels like killing himself.

Dear Lord we thank you for answering all our prayers, in Jesus name Amen!

Related articles

Patience In Prayer

Sep8

While I was in my devotion and seeking God for the direction for Prayer Works Café and sensing in the spirit that some members were perhaps at the end of the rope, feeling rejected and like God has somehow forgotten their situations, I came upon this article. The night before, I was up very late talking with members from the group and speaking life into various situations that seem dead in the lives. It came to me that everything is possible with God and no matter what our circumstances are we should trust God and persevere in prayer. Hence, I feel the need to share this article with you.

My intension is for you to understand the purpose of preserving in prayer. In prayer there is a certain posture that is delineated in the writer’s comment and I quote “Prayer in its highest form and grandest success assumes the attitude of a wrestler with God” and as praying believers, we should assume this position and preserve. This is powerful. Enjoy!

“God rewards persevering faith. For example, Samuel’s mother Hannah persevered in prayer, and God gave her a son. Faithful to her promise, she gave her son back to God. Without continuance the prayer may go unanswered. Importunity is made up of the ability to hold on, to press on, and to wait with unrelaxed and unrelaxable grasp, restless desire and restful patience. Importunate prayer is not an incident but the main thing, not a performance but a passion, not a need but a necessity.

Prayer in its highest form and grandest success assumes the attitude of a wrestler with God. It is the contest, trial and victory of faith; a victory not secured from an enemy, but from Him who tries our faith that He may enlarge it, who test our strength to make us stronger. Few things give quickened and permanent vigor to the soul as a long exhaustive search of importunate prayer.

It makes an experience, an epoch, a new calendar for the spirit, a new life to religion, a soldierly training. The Bible never wearies in its pressure an illustration of the fact that the highest spiritual good is secured as the return of the out-going of the highest form of spiritual effort. There is neither encouragement nor room in the Bible religion for feeble desires, listless efforts, lazy attitudes; all must be strenuous, urgent, and ardent. Inflamed desires, impassioned, unwearied insistence delight heaven. God would have His children incorrigible in earnest and persistently bold in their efforts. Our seasons of importunate prayer cut themselves, like the print of diamond, into our hardest places, and mark with ineffaceable traces our characters. They are the salient periods of our lives, the memorial stones which endure to which we turn.

Pray and never faint is the motto Christ gives us for praying. It is the test of our faith; and the severer the trial and the longer the waiting, the more glorious the result. How long do you hang on when it comes to praying for a specific need or desire? Do you give up of do you persevere? Try keeping a list of what you pray for and when, and how God answers and when?

Supporting scriptures: Psalm 5:1-3, 40:1, 55:17, 116:2, Luke 11:5-10, 18:1-8, Ephesians 6:18″ (Max Lucado el al)

Related articles