Brothers,
I missed our Tuesday fast last week and now that I have gotten that off my chest, can we just move forward. Sorry! I got caught up with working a conference in Washington and next thing I knew I was chowing down completely oblivious to what day it was. Thanks for the reminder Bill and I'm definitely with you this week. I had a breakfast meeting planned for Tues. morning with Steve B. and I called him back and reminded him that Tue. is our day to fast. He quickly agreed that we should move our breakfast to Wed. morning. Praise God for brothers to hold us accountable and keep us pointed to His Word.
I have been reading the Psalms that Bill directed us to and I agree that there are deep riches beneath the surface. As we start another week on our journey, I'm focusing on a couple verses that stand out to me.
Psalm 17:13-15 "Arise, O Lord, Confront him, cast him down; Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword, With Your hand from men, O Lord, From men of the world who have their portion in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their possession for their babes.
As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."NKJV
I quickly see a picture of the comfortable Christian in these verses. Somehow the church has bought into the satisfaction that the world offers. It is a careful caution that we should never be satisfied with low-level Christianity. There is nothing wrong with getting joy from our children and enjoying the simple pleasures of this life BUT...I believe David is challenging us not to ever be satisfied with this what this world has to offer us. We can be completely lulled to complacency by the success and satisfaction that can come from our careers, the feeding of our appetites, and even the building of a good family. David seems to be saying that this hunger that each member of this prayer union struggles to put into words, is a very proper hunger that will only be satisfied when we awake one day and see our Saviour face-to-face. I pray that this hunger will build and fuel a burning heart for God that will continually drive us to our knees and deep into His Word. Let us enjoy our families, enjoy our food (except on Tuesday!), and enjoy our work. But....let us never allow these "good" things to satisfy us.
I am praying for you by name each day and I covet your prayers on my behalf. Let's keep praying for God to do His work in each of our lives and trust Him to take us deep.
Your brother in the fight, Steve C.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Fast, Pray and Meditate
Brothers, as we fast and pray today, I encourage you to find some scripture to meditate on throughout the day. I have been drawn back to Psalm 15,16 and 17 over the last week and have decided that I will read, pray and meditate on these scriptures today. I would appreciate if you get a chance today to read these and give me any thoghts that God may bring to your heart. There are many nuggets in there !! God WILL speak to us today.
REVIVAL IS COMING.
Praying for my bothers !
Bill
REVIVAL IS COMING.
Praying for my bothers !
Bill
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Welcome Alec !!
I want to welcome you Alec. I knew you were the right guy for this prayer union as I read your posting. Welcome to the "odd man" from Wales, from the "odd man" in Canada. I know that there are many more brothers that today , as they sat through another dry church service with a deep longing for more (any guesses on how I felt as I left my church this morning ?) , came home feeling like maybe God wasnt even there. Let us pray that the same God who will never leave us or forsake us will bring other hungry men together and will once again show himself and move amongst the people. That is what we are praying for isnt it ?
Alec, and all the members of the Canton Prayer Union, I want remind you of our committment to pray for one another. ( 1 Samuel 12 : 23 )
Even though I have a sense of frustration today, God has reminded me that HE is in control ( not me ). When I remember this , my frustration turns into calm , as I know that God will do a mighty work and my job is to seek after Him and to simply OBEY.
I want to quote from A W Tozers book "The Pursuit Of God". This helped me this week when I began to feel alone.
" Men do not Know that God is here. What a difference it would make if they knew.The Presence and the manifestation of the Presence are not the same..... On our part there must be surrender to the Spirit of God, for His work it is to show us the Father and the Son. If we co-operate with Him in loving obedience God will manifest Himself to us, and that manifestation will be the difference between a nominal Christian life and a life radiant with the light of His face...... Why do some persons "find" God in a way that others do not? Why does God manifest His Presence to some and let multitudes of others struggle along in the half light of imperfect Christian experiience?"
Brothers, let us strive to never be 'normal' . There is more. Tozer goes on to talk about what were the qualities that set apart many of the great saints of the past , and I would venture to be so bold to risk saying that if these qualities are not growing in us we will miss what we are looking for.
" What was it? .... the one vital quality which they had in common was spiritual receptivity.
Something in them was open to heaven, something which urged them Godward. ...... they had spiritual awareness and they went on to cultivate it until it became the biggest thing in their lives. They differed from the average person in that when they felt the inward longing they DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. They aquired the lifelong habit of spiritual response. They were not disobedient to the heavenly vision. As David put it neatly, " When thou saidst , Seek my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face Lord , will I seek." "
Brothers let us continue to " do something about it" !!!! I encourage you to not grow weary but to continue to press on. I covet your prayers. I will pray for all of you. Let us get out of the way and watch God work.
As I started to write today I began with frustration but as I close I am encouraged and hopeful. I have a God who is trust worthy and brothers who are praying for me. Thank you God .
The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.He will take great delight
in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing
Zephaniah 3 : 17
your brother in the battle , Bill
Alec, and all the members of the Canton Prayer Union, I want remind you of our committment to pray for one another. ( 1 Samuel 12 : 23 )
Even though I have a sense of frustration today, God has reminded me that HE is in control ( not me ). When I remember this , my frustration turns into calm , as I know that God will do a mighty work and my job is to seek after Him and to simply OBEY.
I want to quote from A W Tozers book "The Pursuit Of God". This helped me this week when I began to feel alone.
" Men do not Know that God is here. What a difference it would make if they knew.The Presence and the manifestation of the Presence are not the same..... On our part there must be surrender to the Spirit of God, for His work it is to show us the Father and the Son. If we co-operate with Him in loving obedience God will manifest Himself to us, and that manifestation will be the difference between a nominal Christian life and a life radiant with the light of His face...... Why do some persons "find" God in a way that others do not? Why does God manifest His Presence to some and let multitudes of others struggle along in the half light of imperfect Christian experiience?"
Brothers, let us strive to never be 'normal' . There is more. Tozer goes on to talk about what were the qualities that set apart many of the great saints of the past , and I would venture to be so bold to risk saying that if these qualities are not growing in us we will miss what we are looking for.
" What was it? .... the one vital quality which they had in common was spiritual receptivity.
Something in them was open to heaven, something which urged them Godward. ...... they had spiritual awareness and they went on to cultivate it until it became the biggest thing in their lives. They differed from the average person in that when they felt the inward longing they DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. They aquired the lifelong habit of spiritual response. They were not disobedient to the heavenly vision. As David put it neatly, " When thou saidst , Seek my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face Lord , will I seek." "
Brothers let us continue to " do something about it" !!!! I encourage you to not grow weary but to continue to press on. I covet your prayers. I will pray for all of you. Let us get out of the way and watch God work.
As I started to write today I began with frustration but as I close I am encouraged and hopeful. I have a God who is trust worthy and brothers who are praying for me. Thank you God .
The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.He will take great delight
in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing
Zephaniah 3 : 17
your brother in the battle , Bill
Friday, July 20, 2007
Greetings to our brother in Wales
Greetings Alec and welcome to the Canton Prayer Union. We are thrilled to have you on board for this incredible journey. The next 95 days will fly by and we will soon be meeting face-to-face in Canton. Just to summarize our Union, here is a list of our current membership:
Bill S. (Ontario, Canada)
Billy D. (Richmond Virginia U.S.A.)
Steve B. (Rustburg Virginia U.S.A.)
Dave S. (Ontario Canada)
Steve C. (Lynchburg Virginia U.S.A.)
and now...Alec D. (Wales)
The people of Wales have experienced revival time and time again so we are privileged to have a son of this particulary blessed part of the world. The fact that the country now struggles in spiritual poverty should be a sobering lesson to us all. We cannot enter the difficult days ahead leaning on the spiritual victories or our heritage of the "Christian forefathers". We must desperately plead for a fresh outpouring of God's Spirit on our countries that His name might be magnified in our generation. Lord...please revive us again!
God bless you brothers...Steve C.
Bill S. (Ontario, Canada)
Billy D. (Richmond Virginia U.S.A.)
Steve B. (Rustburg Virginia U.S.A.)
Dave S. (Ontario Canada)
Steve C. (Lynchburg Virginia U.S.A.)
and now...Alec D. (Wales)
The people of Wales have experienced revival time and time again so we are privileged to have a son of this particulary blessed part of the world. The fact that the country now struggles in spiritual poverty should be a sobering lesson to us all. We cannot enter the difficult days ahead leaning on the spiritual victories or our heritage of the "Christian forefathers". We must desperately plead for a fresh outpouring of God's Spirit on our countries that His name might be magnified in our generation. Lord...please revive us again!
God bless you brothers...Steve C.
The Best
Dear Brothers in Christ,
My name is Alec, and I live in Wales, the land that has seen more revivals than any other country in the world, but is now far away from God. I have set up a prayer network, called The Interceders, to pray for revival and awakening in Britain, and for God to raise up preachers of righteousness like the revival preachers of old. We have committed ourselves, like the Punjab Prayer Union, to pray daily until God answers. That is why I feel at one with you, brothers, in praying for the Canton Conference. It is an honour and a privilege to join with you in this way. I started praying on Sunday, 100 days before the conference starts, and am looking forward to meeting you there, but even more, I am looking forward to meeting the Lord there, and seeing Him work in a new way.
Bill or Steve wrote that he didn`t ever want to become "normal," and I feel the same way. I am the odd one out in every church I go to. There is so little concern, so little heartache over the state of the Church and the state of the nation. That is why I am so thankful to have the fellowship of the Interceders and you men of the Canton Prayer Union. We all need each other. In The Interceders, we pray for each other every day, and I am now praying for you as well. Am I right in thinking that there are two Steves, two Bills and one Dave? May the Lord bind us together with cords that cannot be broken, and lead us on to the highest and the best that He has for us, individually, corporately and for Canton, and the best that He has for America, and for Britain.
I am praying for a mighty move of the Spirit that will shake our nations,(Hag.2:6), and make them again His heritage.(Ps.2:8) "Oh God, make us appalled at what we have lost, and how much we have betrayed you. Break my heart with all the things that break Your heart."
Let our tears flow like rivers. We will not get anywhere if we are dry eyed.
Your unworthy brother, Alec
My name is Alec, and I live in Wales, the land that has seen more revivals than any other country in the world, but is now far away from God. I have set up a prayer network, called The Interceders, to pray for revival and awakening in Britain, and for God to raise up preachers of righteousness like the revival preachers of old. We have committed ourselves, like the Punjab Prayer Union, to pray daily until God answers. That is why I feel at one with you, brothers, in praying for the Canton Conference. It is an honour and a privilege to join with you in this way. I started praying on Sunday, 100 days before the conference starts, and am looking forward to meeting you there, but even more, I am looking forward to meeting the Lord there, and seeing Him work in a new way.
Bill or Steve wrote that he didn`t ever want to become "normal," and I feel the same way. I am the odd one out in every church I go to. There is so little concern, so little heartache over the state of the Church and the state of the nation. That is why I am so thankful to have the fellowship of the Interceders and you men of the Canton Prayer Union. We all need each other. In The Interceders, we pray for each other every day, and I am now praying for you as well. Am I right in thinking that there are two Steves, two Bills and one Dave? May the Lord bind us together with cords that cannot be broken, and lead us on to the highest and the best that He has for us, individually, corporately and for Canton, and the best that He has for America, and for Britain.
I am praying for a mighty move of the Spirit that will shake our nations,(Hag.2:6), and make them again His heritage.(Ps.2:8) "Oh God, make us appalled at what we have lost, and how much we have betrayed you. Break my heart with all the things that break Your heart."
Let our tears flow like rivers. We will not get anywhere if we are dry eyed.
Your unworthy brother, Alec
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
A Body Buried
As we laid my 20-year-old nephew to rest yesterday, I thought to the day that I too will take that journey. How quickly life is passing us by! Every day we are one day closer to standing before God to give an account of our life. In this day, the preaching is full of forgiveness, love, mercy and easy acceptance. Let us never forget that "and, as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgement:" Heb.9:27 KJV
To be sure, Christ's atonement at Calvary paid the price for all of our sins...and yet, we will give an "account". What is this "account" that we will give? Could this be related to the parable of the stewards who were given varying amounts to keep pending their Lord's return? Could it be that we will give an "account" as to what we have done with the light we have been shown and the gifts and abilities that God has blessed us with? Twenty years ago, Bill and I were stirred by the writings of C.T. Studd. I close with a quote from this great missionary.
"Let us not glide through this world and then slip quietly into heaven, without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let us see to it that the devil will hold a thanksgiving service in hell, when he gets the news of our departure from the field of battle." C.T. Studd (former professional cricket player turned missionary to Africa)
Your fellow soldier, Steve
To be sure, Christ's atonement at Calvary paid the price for all of our sins...and yet, we will give an "account". What is this "account" that we will give? Could this be related to the parable of the stewards who were given varying amounts to keep pending their Lord's return? Could it be that we will give an "account" as to what we have done with the light we have been shown and the gifts and abilities that God has blessed us with? Twenty years ago, Bill and I were stirred by the writings of C.T. Studd. I close with a quote from this great missionary.
"Let us not glide through this world and then slip quietly into heaven, without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let us see to it that the devil will hold a thanksgiving service in hell, when he gets the news of our departure from the field of battle." C.T. Studd (former professional cricket player turned missionary to Africa)
Your fellow soldier, Steve
Friday, July 13, 2007
CPU's First Corporate Day of Fasting and Prayer
Greetings Brothers,
Bill's challenge comes at an opportune time as we are now only 102 days from Canton. 32 days ago we began this journey and for me it has been an incredible journey thus far. Thanks to the dedicated prayers of my brothers, I am walking closer to my Lord than at any time in recent history. This only creates a greater hunger for more of HIM. In considering Bill's challenge, I feel excited and anxious to get deeper in the battle. As we press in, the fighting will become more intense and the stakes even higher. Let's rededicate ourselves for the coming 100 day sprint to Canton to keep building spiritual muscle. PRAY MORE, feed your spiritual hunger and discipline your flesh ruthlessly. This group and our shared burden is growing more meaningful to me every day. I appreciate and love all of you for your investment in my life. Let's continue to hold each other up. Don't quit...even for a day!
We are in agreement that a day of fasting and our first Prayer Conference Call (PCC) will take place on Tuesday July 17, 2007. The PCC will take place at 4:30 a.m. and each CPU member will be contacted and given a toll-free number to call in. This will accomplish several things:
Bill's challenge comes at an opportune time as we are now only 102 days from Canton. 32 days ago we began this journey and for me it has been an incredible journey thus far. Thanks to the dedicated prayers of my brothers, I am walking closer to my Lord than at any time in recent history. This only creates a greater hunger for more of HIM. In considering Bill's challenge, I feel excited and anxious to get deeper in the battle. As we press in, the fighting will become more intense and the stakes even higher. Let's rededicate ourselves for the coming 100 day sprint to Canton to keep building spiritual muscle. PRAY MORE, feed your spiritual hunger and discipline your flesh ruthlessly. This group and our shared burden is growing more meaningful to me every day. I appreciate and love all of you for your investment in my life. Let's continue to hold each other up. Don't quit...even for a day!
We are in agreement that a day of fasting and our first Prayer Conference Call (PCC) will take place on Tuesday July 17, 2007. The PCC will take place at 4:30 a.m. and each CPU member will be contacted and given a toll-free number to call in. This will accomplish several things:
- It will be an encouragement to hear each other and communicate directly as we challenge each other to press on.
- The early morning hour will remove any potential conflicts with work, family...all except sleep.
- It will allow the ones who have not met to hear each other's voice
- It will allow us to share private struggles and battles we are engaged in that we may not want to publish online
- It will keep us sharp as we challenge each other to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance teh race that is set before us. Heb.12:1"
I will be in contact with Billy and Steve over the weekend to make sure all members are aware of this exciting opportunity. I can't think of a better group of men to be a part of.
I'm praying for each of you every day...please pray for me. Steve
Introducing CPU's Newest Member
Greetings Brothers,
We have our fourth official member in Pastor Steve from Rustburg VA. I met with Steve early this morning when I spoke of how God was moving us into deeper water he immediately said that this was exactly what he was hungering for. It is amazing how the Holy Spirit is moving in the lives of specific "regular" people and calling them to go deeper in their walk and devotion to Christ. Steve recently moved here from Georgia and he is a brother in every sense of the word. His genuine love for Christ and the deep hunger for a more intimate walk with Him is clearly visible. I am thrilled to having him onboard and committed to praying for all the brothers in this Union by name each day. He also covets your prayers on his behalf. He is pastoring Faith Baptist Church and is married with a 3-year-old daughter.
I will be getting him signed up very soon so he can start blogging with the rest of us. To deferentiate us, I will ask him to sign in as "Pastor Steve"....I'm just your regular Steve. Lord-willing, Pastor Steve will be joining us in October and I know you will be encouraged by his presence. Let's share the Canton Prayer Union with others as the Spirit leads.
Regarding Bill's challenge for more prayer...Amen brother! I'll be happy to set up a conference call for our designated day of fasting. I'm suggesting 4:30 a.m. next Tue. so it doesn't mess with our schedules. I know all of my brothers are up for their quiet time anyways! Let's remember that our Saviour got up "a long while before daybreak" and went out alone to pray. Let's follow close to HIM. Thanks for the challenge Bill! I can't wait!
Your brother, Steve
We have our fourth official member in Pastor Steve from Rustburg VA. I met with Steve early this morning when I spoke of how God was moving us into deeper water he immediately said that this was exactly what he was hungering for. It is amazing how the Holy Spirit is moving in the lives of specific "regular" people and calling them to go deeper in their walk and devotion to Christ. Steve recently moved here from Georgia and he is a brother in every sense of the word. His genuine love for Christ and the deep hunger for a more intimate walk with Him is clearly visible. I am thrilled to having him onboard and committed to praying for all the brothers in this Union by name each day. He also covets your prayers on his behalf. He is pastoring Faith Baptist Church and is married with a 3-year-old daughter.
I will be getting him signed up very soon so he can start blogging with the rest of us. To deferentiate us, I will ask him to sign in as "Pastor Steve"....I'm just your regular Steve. Lord-willing, Pastor Steve will be joining us in October and I know you will be encouraged by his presence. Let's share the Canton Prayer Union with others as the Spirit leads.
Regarding Bill's challenge for more prayer...Amen brother! I'll be happy to set up a conference call for our designated day of fasting. I'm suggesting 4:30 a.m. next Tue. so it doesn't mess with our schedules. I know all of my brothers are up for their quiet time anyways! Let's remember that our Saviour got up "a long while before daybreak" and went out alone to pray. Let's follow close to HIM. Thanks for the challenge Bill! I can't wait!
Your brother, Steve
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Just some thoughts
Press on brothers. The days are going by so fast. God wants to (and will) do something big if we will just continue to surrender and "travail" in prayer. Pray, Pray Pray. The easiest thing for me to 'not' do is to pray. The greatest thing for me to do is to pray. The most important thing I can do is to pray. The most important thing for the enemy to do is to keep me away from prayer. I have been reading lots and thinking lots and talking lots, but the evil one will use all tactics to keep me from praying. I don't think the enemy is to concerned if I read or think or talk..... but oh the alarm bells go off in hell when a saint is on their knees before God. Brothers , we need revival in our lives. We need revival in our families. We need revival in our churches and in our towns and in our countries!!! Pray like we never have before !
I just want to share some things I have been reading that have helped me as I continue to take my prayer life to where it should be. I have so far to go.
My Utmost for His Highest- July 6 "...God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience. God... puts us thr0ugh fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the point where he can trust us with the reality of the vision..... yet over and over again we try to escape from the sculptors hand in an effort to batter ouselves into the shape of our own goal. .... If you have ever had a vision from God, you may try as you will to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never allow it "
The Necessity of Prayer-E. M. Bounds "The gift of the Holy Spirit in full measure and in richer experiance, depends upon loving obedience.....when faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live.... Obedience helps faith, and faith in turn helps obedience. "
Psalm 24 : 3, 4 " Who may ascend the hill of the Lord ? Who may stand in his holy Place ? He who has clean hands and a pure heart... "
I have just finished a couple of books that I would recommend. Tozer: The Mystery of the Holy Spirit. Leonard Ravenhill- Revival Gods Way . And an old book I found at my Grand Parents old cottage, When The Fire Fell-How Prayer And Revival Can Save Our Country. Also just bought today " the complete collection of E M Bounds ".
I really want to encourage you guys. This will continue to be a tough journey as we move forward. Be on your guard !! Pray more than you read, If that is possible with our busy lives, but pray like you never have before. I am so weak and in need of your prayers . In fact, I am depending on the prayers of my brothers.
We must pick at least one day of the week that we could fast together and commit to several specific times during the day that we could pray for one another at the same time. What do you guys think ? Tuesday or Thursday would be best for me. We could even have a conference call once a week to pray together since we are so far apart. Let me know what you think. Lets get serious.
Your brother in the battle,
Bill
I just want to share some things I have been reading that have helped me as I continue to take my prayer life to where it should be. I have so far to go.
My Utmost for His Highest- July 6 "...God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience. God... puts us thr0ugh fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the point where he can trust us with the reality of the vision..... yet over and over again we try to escape from the sculptors hand in an effort to batter ouselves into the shape of our own goal. .... If you have ever had a vision from God, you may try as you will to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never allow it "
The Necessity of Prayer-E. M. Bounds "The gift of the Holy Spirit in full measure and in richer experiance, depends upon loving obedience.....when faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live.... Obedience helps faith, and faith in turn helps obedience. "
Psalm 24 : 3, 4 " Who may ascend the hill of the Lord ? Who may stand in his holy Place ? He who has clean hands and a pure heart... "
I have just finished a couple of books that I would recommend. Tozer: The Mystery of the Holy Spirit. Leonard Ravenhill- Revival Gods Way . And an old book I found at my Grand Parents old cottage, When The Fire Fell-How Prayer And Revival Can Save Our Country. Also just bought today " the complete collection of E M Bounds ".
I really want to encourage you guys. This will continue to be a tough journey as we move forward. Be on your guard !! Pray more than you read, If that is possible with our busy lives, but pray like you never have before. I am so weak and in need of your prayers . In fact, I am depending on the prayers of my brothers.
We must pick at least one day of the week that we could fast together and commit to several specific times during the day that we could pray for one another at the same time. What do you guys think ? Tuesday or Thursday would be best for me. We could even have a conference call once a week to pray together since we are so far apart. Let me know what you think. Lets get serious.
Your brother in the battle,
Bill
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
104 Days to Go...How Much Are You Sleeping?
Greetings Brothers,
A word of caution...if you value your sleep, definitely stay away from anything written by E.M. Bounds. I have been reading Power Through Prayer and am suddenly seeing so clearly the absolute necessity of making prayer a priority in my life. My heart is so cold that I congratulate myself if I can spend a few minutes in concentrated devotion and prayer each morning. What a pitiful joke! If we truly desire to be men of God, it is essential that we give not only significant time in private to prayer, but that we first and foremost learn the importance of prayer. Unless we grasp the significance of communicating regularly and passionately with God, our efforts are wasted and we simply give lip service to our hunger for a deeper walk with Christ.
How is it that we can read of our Saviour spending entire nights in prayer, and getting up long before daybreak to go out alone to pray, and yet we somehow expect a few hurried minutes each morning to suffice? There is a definite connection between our powerlessness and our lack of prayer.
Let's consider the average Muslim. Billions of followers stop their activities five times every day to focus on their god. How would our world change if every Christian would stop five times daily to commune with the one true God? Of course, that sounds too much like legalism right? I have learned on my own journey that the cry of "legalism!" is the first tactic my flesh uses to fight against a deeper walk with God.
Prayer is hard work and whether in the physical or the spiritual, my flesh despises hard work. Therefore we comfort ourselves in the knowledge that we are not bound by any legalistic rules but can simply fritter away our bland and powerless lives, wishing for the day when we will finally be rescued from this world. I fear we will be dreadfully ashamed when we look back on our lives and see how little we prayed, how little we hungered for this deeper walk we talk about. Are we willing to walk the talk? Here is a closing quote from E.M. Bounds:
"No man can do a great and enduring work for God who is not a man of prayer, and no man can be a man of prayer who does not give much time to praying."
How would our lives change if we truly grasped the power of prayer?
Praying for you....more! Steve
A word of caution...if you value your sleep, definitely stay away from anything written by E.M. Bounds. I have been reading Power Through Prayer and am suddenly seeing so clearly the absolute necessity of making prayer a priority in my life. My heart is so cold that I congratulate myself if I can spend a few minutes in concentrated devotion and prayer each morning. What a pitiful joke! If we truly desire to be men of God, it is essential that we give not only significant time in private to prayer, but that we first and foremost learn the importance of prayer. Unless we grasp the significance of communicating regularly and passionately with God, our efforts are wasted and we simply give lip service to our hunger for a deeper walk with Christ.
How is it that we can read of our Saviour spending entire nights in prayer, and getting up long before daybreak to go out alone to pray, and yet we somehow expect a few hurried minutes each morning to suffice? There is a definite connection between our powerlessness and our lack of prayer.
Let's consider the average Muslim. Billions of followers stop their activities five times every day to focus on their god. How would our world change if every Christian would stop five times daily to commune with the one true God? Of course, that sounds too much like legalism right? I have learned on my own journey that the cry of "legalism!" is the first tactic my flesh uses to fight against a deeper walk with God.
Prayer is hard work and whether in the physical or the spiritual, my flesh despises hard work. Therefore we comfort ourselves in the knowledge that we are not bound by any legalistic rules but can simply fritter away our bland and powerless lives, wishing for the day when we will finally be rescued from this world. I fear we will be dreadfully ashamed when we look back on our lives and see how little we prayed, how little we hungered for this deeper walk we talk about. Are we willing to walk the talk? Here is a closing quote from E.M. Bounds:
"No man can do a great and enduring work for God who is not a man of prayer, and no man can be a man of prayer who does not give much time to praying."
How would our lives change if we truly grasped the power of prayer?
Praying for you....more! Steve
Friday, July 6, 2007
What to Pray for? Thoughts from R.A. Torrey 1856-1928
Bill's question continues to stir my thoughts and I came across a very helpful instruction in my devotions this morning. When I pray for each of you and others on my list, I must admit that most of my prayers originate in my flesh and what I "think" would be most helpful for you this day. I pray for your physical protection and health for you, your wife, children and grandchildren, I pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you with His wisdom and power, I pray that you would be protected from our enemy and empowered to overcome temptation.
R.A. Torrey writes the following on the subject of how to approach your prayer time when you are making requests to the Father.
"The Holy Spirit has the power to teach us how to pray. In Jude 20, we read: "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit." And again in Ephesians 6:18: "Praying always...in the Spirit."
The Holy Spirit guides the believer in prayer. The disciples did not know how to pray as they should, so they came to Jesus and said, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). "We do not know what we should pray for as we ought" (Romans 8:26), but we have another Helper right at hand to help us (John 14:16-17). "The Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses" (Rom. 8:26).
True prayer is prayer "in the Spirit" (Eph. 6:18), the prayer the Spirit inspires and directs.
When we come into God's presence to pray, we should recognize our ignorance of what we should pray for or how we should pray. With this awareness, we should then look to the Holy Spirit and cast ourselves utterly on Him to direct our prayers.
Rushing heedlessly into God's presence and asking the first thing that comes to our minds, or what someone asks us to pray for is NOT praying "in the Spirit" and is not true prayer. We must wait for and surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit. The prayer that the Holy Spirit inspires is the prayer that God the Father answers.
From Romans 8:26-27, we learn that the longings the Holy Spirit creates in our hearts are often too deep for utterance; too deep, apparently, for clear and definite comprehension on the part of the believer himself, in whom the Holy Spirit is working. God Himself must search the heart to know "what the mind of the Spirit is" (v.27) in these unuttered and unutterable longings. But God does know "what the mind of the Spirit is." He does know what those Spirit-given longings mean, even if we do not.
These longings are "according to the will of God." (v.28), and He grants them. He is "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask, or think, according to the power that works in us" (Eph. 3:20). Other times, the Spirit's leadings in prayer are so plain that we "pray with the Spirit, and...with the understanding" (I Cor. 14:15).
From How to Obtain Fullness of Power, by R.A. Torrey
So brothers, I see once again that a deep spiritual life is impossible when I try to cram my prayer time into a hurried 10 or 15 minutes. While it is certainly better than no prayer, when I rush and depend on my own flesh for the source of my prayer, I am far from the clear biblical directions for how I am to pray. Listening for that "still small voice" requires time, quiet, and calm...these tend to be in short supply in my daily life. Before going to bed last night I committed to rising at 5am to seek God and have quiet time for reflection and prayer. Even this hour of the day is apt to get busy with all the worldly "stuff" that is anxiously waiting for the day.
I must set aside ample time to be still...to be quiet...to be undisturbed, if I am to truly uphold my brothers in prayer that is Spirit-led and not Steve-led! It makes perfect sense that the Holy Spirit knows what awaits each one of us in the coming day. He knows what woman may cross our path to tempt us, what television show or internet page our flesh will be drawn to, and what part of our family or marriage the enemy is most likely to attack. Since the Spirit knows this, should I not first and foremost seek to pray "in the Spirit" and trust His leading?
Have a blessed day brothers and stay strong!
Steve
R.A. Torrey writes the following on the subject of how to approach your prayer time when you are making requests to the Father.
"The Holy Spirit has the power to teach us how to pray. In Jude 20, we read: "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit." And again in Ephesians 6:18: "Praying always...in the Spirit."
The Holy Spirit guides the believer in prayer. The disciples did not know how to pray as they should, so they came to Jesus and said, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). "We do not know what we should pray for as we ought" (Romans 8:26), but we have another Helper right at hand to help us (John 14:16-17). "The Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses" (Rom. 8:26).
True prayer is prayer "in the Spirit" (Eph. 6:18), the prayer the Spirit inspires and directs.
When we come into God's presence to pray, we should recognize our ignorance of what we should pray for or how we should pray. With this awareness, we should then look to the Holy Spirit and cast ourselves utterly on Him to direct our prayers.
Rushing heedlessly into God's presence and asking the first thing that comes to our minds, or what someone asks us to pray for is NOT praying "in the Spirit" and is not true prayer. We must wait for and surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit. The prayer that the Holy Spirit inspires is the prayer that God the Father answers.
From Romans 8:26-27, we learn that the longings the Holy Spirit creates in our hearts are often too deep for utterance; too deep, apparently, for clear and definite comprehension on the part of the believer himself, in whom the Holy Spirit is working. God Himself must search the heart to know "what the mind of the Spirit is" (v.27) in these unuttered and unutterable longings. But God does know "what the mind of the Spirit is." He does know what those Spirit-given longings mean, even if we do not.
These longings are "according to the will of God." (v.28), and He grants them. He is "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask, or think, according to the power that works in us" (Eph. 3:20). Other times, the Spirit's leadings in prayer are so plain that we "pray with the Spirit, and...with the understanding" (I Cor. 14:15).
From How to Obtain Fullness of Power, by R.A. Torrey
So brothers, I see once again that a deep spiritual life is impossible when I try to cram my prayer time into a hurried 10 or 15 minutes. While it is certainly better than no prayer, when I rush and depend on my own flesh for the source of my prayer, I am far from the clear biblical directions for how I am to pray. Listening for that "still small voice" requires time, quiet, and calm...these tend to be in short supply in my daily life. Before going to bed last night I committed to rising at 5am to seek God and have quiet time for reflection and prayer. Even this hour of the day is apt to get busy with all the worldly "stuff" that is anxiously waiting for the day.
I must set aside ample time to be still...to be quiet...to be undisturbed, if I am to truly uphold my brothers in prayer that is Spirit-led and not Steve-led! It makes perfect sense that the Holy Spirit knows what awaits each one of us in the coming day. He knows what woman may cross our path to tempt us, what television show or internet page our flesh will be drawn to, and what part of our family or marriage the enemy is most likely to attack. Since the Spirit knows this, should I not first and foremost seek to pray "in the Spirit" and trust His leading?
Have a blessed day brothers and stay strong!
Steve
Thursday, July 5, 2007
God and Country?
I have read Bill's post and have started several times to respond but wasn't sure I had the necessary focus to answer the all-important question: What am I specifically praying for? Up until this day we have agreed with the focus spelled out in the qualifications for membership listed to the right of this column. When I review those 5 requirements, one sticks out as being very much unlike the others, almost out of place.
Requirement #3 states "Will you pray that you may not be ashamed of Christ?"
While each of the others relates to praying for revival and a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, this one speaks to the importance of lifting up Jesus Christ as the focal point of all we say and do. On July 1 I attended an event entitled "Celebrate America: God and Country". About 20,000 people attended this event that was billed as a celebration of America's Christian heritage. This event was organized by Thomas Road Baptist Church and is an annual event that draws people from throughout the area. After an afternoon of playing a mix of Christian and secular country music (yuck!), the choir sang some patriotic hymns and the message began. The first five speakers were all state or federal politicians that spent the better part of an hour talking about how they and their political colleagues were standing up for Christian values in Richmond, or Washington and how they had done this, that, or the other thing to strengthen families, fight homosexuality, etc., etc. It actually turned into a mutual admiration society where each speaker extolled the greatness of the others on the platform. The final speaker was a pastor who talked or America's great Christian heritage and how incredibly God has blessed this country. The session closed with a curious selection...a famous gospel singer did his rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA." (a catchy but very unpatriotic song)
So what does this have to do with our journey? I awoke several nights ago out of a deep sleep with a strange phrase on my lips that I don't recall reading or hearing anytime in the recent days: "Christ must be preeminent." As soon as I spoke these words (I don't know if I spoke them audibly or internally) I felt an incredibly comforting wave of energy or power sweep through my body. I have felt this same sensation several times in the past and always in conjunction with a spiritual breakthrough or answer to a spiritual question. I went back to sleep after a short time of prayer and have repeatedly thought about that phrase in the days since. I went to my dictionary and looked up "preeminent" and found that it means: eminent above or before others; superior; surpassing. "Eminent" means: lofty, high, or prominent.
I have been so very focused on my need of more of the Holy Spirit, and yet I must admit I am very weak when it comes to my boldness to proclaim Christ. Could it be that as we intentionally focus on requirement #3 above, and begin to lift up the name of Jesus Christ with boldness, that it is then that the Holy Spirit's power will flow unhindered through us?
Is this what Paul is referring to in 1 Cor. 2:2-4 "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."
I too am hungry for more of God...but not the god that was lifted up at "Celebrate America." I am not hungry for my own creation of god, but I am hungry for a relationship with the one and only God of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Paul, etc. Without a right relationship to Jesus Christ, there is no way for me to approach this "Consuming Fire." God's chosen people, who had just seen multiple miracles that proved God's love for them cried out in terror when they glimpsed his fierce presence on Mt. Sinai. Why did God seek to instill this fear in His people? Exodus 20:20 "And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear: for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." A proper understanding of God's holiness will radically change our behavior.
Brothers, do we truly know and fear God? God warned that if any but Moses approached, they would instantly die, simply because the had glimpsed His presence. When I read Exodus 19 I understand why Christ must be preeminent. Without Christ I am in the same position as the Israelites and the glimpse of God that I hunger for would mean only one thing...instant death! The holiness of God is strange and defies simple classification. What would you do if God told to to take one of your boys and sacrifice him on an altar? If I received that revelation I would quickly dismiss it because my god is loving, kind, compassionate, and therefore, this must be a message from Satan. And yet, Abraham KNEW the true God in such a real and intimate way that despite his own love for his son, he knew that this was God speaking and he obeyed. Why does God tell the Israelites conquering the Promised Land to kill women, children, and even the animals and yet as the book of Jonah closes, God reveals his love and concern for not only the wicked people of Ninevah, but even concern for their animals. This God defies our human logic and cannot be neatly contained.
I fear that over the years I have carefully created my own god that neatly fits into my box and who lives only to shower me with blessings and rescue me in times of trouble. This does not appear to be the God of the Bible. I am praying first and foremost that I might in some way understand the true God and have the boldness to lift up His Son in every area of my life. Christ must be preeminent!
In Micah, God's prophet foretells the coming destruction of Israel and later Judah. Destruction would be delivered by a godless horde of Assyrians who would arrive on the scene 10-20 years after Micah gave his prophecy. Micah tells parents to shave their heads and mourn for what will befall their children who are destined for captivity. Sadly, despite the heartfelt prayers poured out to God, Micah says it is too late...God will not only ignore their prayers, but he will even hide His face from them because of their evil deeds. 3:4 What was the foundational evil that Israel had committed in Micah's time. It can be summed up in one word: MATERIALISM. Read this incredible small book and see if you agree that everything described by Micah applies to North American society today.
My prayer for all of us is that we would know the one true God and that we would be empowered by His Holy Spirit by making Christ preeminent in every area of our lives.
110 days until we meet in Canton. Stay strong!
Your brother in the battle, Steve
Requirement #3 states "Will you pray that you may not be ashamed of Christ?"
While each of the others relates to praying for revival and a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, this one speaks to the importance of lifting up Jesus Christ as the focal point of all we say and do. On July 1 I attended an event entitled "Celebrate America: God and Country". About 20,000 people attended this event that was billed as a celebration of America's Christian heritage. This event was organized by Thomas Road Baptist Church and is an annual event that draws people from throughout the area. After an afternoon of playing a mix of Christian and secular country music (yuck!), the choir sang some patriotic hymns and the message began. The first five speakers were all state or federal politicians that spent the better part of an hour talking about how they and their political colleagues were standing up for Christian values in Richmond, or Washington and how they had done this, that, or the other thing to strengthen families, fight homosexuality, etc., etc. It actually turned into a mutual admiration society where each speaker extolled the greatness of the others on the platform. The final speaker was a pastor who talked or America's great Christian heritage and how incredibly God has blessed this country. The session closed with a curious selection...a famous gospel singer did his rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA." (a catchy but very unpatriotic song)
So what does this have to do with our journey? I awoke several nights ago out of a deep sleep with a strange phrase on my lips that I don't recall reading or hearing anytime in the recent days: "Christ must be preeminent." As soon as I spoke these words (I don't know if I spoke them audibly or internally) I felt an incredibly comforting wave of energy or power sweep through my body. I have felt this same sensation several times in the past and always in conjunction with a spiritual breakthrough or answer to a spiritual question. I went back to sleep after a short time of prayer and have repeatedly thought about that phrase in the days since. I went to my dictionary and looked up "preeminent" and found that it means: eminent above or before others; superior; surpassing. "Eminent" means: lofty, high, or prominent.
I have been so very focused on my need of more of the Holy Spirit, and yet I must admit I am very weak when it comes to my boldness to proclaim Christ. Could it be that as we intentionally focus on requirement #3 above, and begin to lift up the name of Jesus Christ with boldness, that it is then that the Holy Spirit's power will flow unhindered through us?
Is this what Paul is referring to in 1 Cor. 2:2-4 "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."
I too am hungry for more of God...but not the god that was lifted up at "Celebrate America." I am not hungry for my own creation of god, but I am hungry for a relationship with the one and only God of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Paul, etc. Without a right relationship to Jesus Christ, there is no way for me to approach this "Consuming Fire." God's chosen people, who had just seen multiple miracles that proved God's love for them cried out in terror when they glimpsed his fierce presence on Mt. Sinai. Why did God seek to instill this fear in His people? Exodus 20:20 "And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear: for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." A proper understanding of God's holiness will radically change our behavior.
Brothers, do we truly know and fear God? God warned that if any but Moses approached, they would instantly die, simply because the had glimpsed His presence. When I read Exodus 19 I understand why Christ must be preeminent. Without Christ I am in the same position as the Israelites and the glimpse of God that I hunger for would mean only one thing...instant death! The holiness of God is strange and defies simple classification. What would you do if God told to to take one of your boys and sacrifice him on an altar? If I received that revelation I would quickly dismiss it because my god is loving, kind, compassionate, and therefore, this must be a message from Satan. And yet, Abraham KNEW the true God in such a real and intimate way that despite his own love for his son, he knew that this was God speaking and he obeyed. Why does God tell the Israelites conquering the Promised Land to kill women, children, and even the animals and yet as the book of Jonah closes, God reveals his love and concern for not only the wicked people of Ninevah, but even concern for their animals. This God defies our human logic and cannot be neatly contained.
I fear that over the years I have carefully created my own god that neatly fits into my box and who lives only to shower me with blessings and rescue me in times of trouble. This does not appear to be the God of the Bible. I am praying first and foremost that I might in some way understand the true God and have the boldness to lift up His Son in every area of my life. Christ must be preeminent!
In Micah, God's prophet foretells the coming destruction of Israel and later Judah. Destruction would be delivered by a godless horde of Assyrians who would arrive on the scene 10-20 years after Micah gave his prophecy. Micah tells parents to shave their heads and mourn for what will befall their children who are destined for captivity. Sadly, despite the heartfelt prayers poured out to God, Micah says it is too late...God will not only ignore their prayers, but he will even hide His face from them because of their evil deeds. 3:4 What was the foundational evil that Israel had committed in Micah's time. It can be summed up in one word: MATERIALISM. Read this incredible small book and see if you agree that everything described by Micah applies to North American society today.
My prayer for all of us is that we would know the one true God and that we would be empowered by His Holy Spirit by making Christ preeminent in every area of our lives.
110 days until we meet in Canton. Stay strong!
Your brother in the battle, Steve
Monday, July 2, 2007
Refreshed, but with questions for us !
Brothers, I am back. I have had a great time of refreshing and renewal with my Lord. My family and I have returned from a short break up north on the lake. I want you to know that I am praying for you guys every day and more often when the Spirit reminds me of how important this prayer aspect of our lives is. How quickly I can forget. Thanks be to God that he has given us his Holy Spirit to " take the things of Christ and make them known to us ", to lead us, purify us, instruct us and to teach us.
The question on my heart these days has been , what am I specifically praying for in regards to this revival conference. I do not want to ask God for some magical moment in Canton. First of all I am not lookig for a "moment", but for a life . Secondly, I do not want to wait for Canton. I want God now. WHAT IS IT YOU ARE PRAYING FOR BROTHERS ? Is it more of God ? Is it less of me and my selfish desires ? I want to be revived !! I desparetly want to know more of my Lord. I want More of God if there is more to be had. God must empty me before he can fill me. Oh Holy Spirit do a work in me and my brothers. Show yourself today. Show us what there may be in our lives that would hinder your Spirit.
We must pray. Even more as the days pass. Prayer and faith go hand in hand. Without faith it is imposible to please God. We must have faith in Gods promises in his word. He means what He says. Do you believe that brothers ? Do we have a reverant fear of the almighty God ? ( I am really asking these questions of me because I know how weak I am and how desparate I am for God to come ) Are we ready to join the angels in crying all day and night with our faces hidden, "holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty "
Brothers, these are a few of the things on my heart. I am ready to move on. How about you. Clear up ANYTHING that may be hindering the Holy Spirit, and then we can press on towards Canton. I pray that we all experiance a fresh out pouring of his Spirit before that day. If not , I will wait upon my Lord.
I look forward to your thoughts. What is God speaking to you about these days ?
Your brother in the battle,
Bill
The sheep must stay close to the shepherd. The wolf is not afraid of the sheep, but only yhe shepherd.
The question on my heart these days has been , what am I specifically praying for in regards to this revival conference. I do not want to ask God for some magical moment in Canton. First of all I am not lookig for a "moment", but for a life . Secondly, I do not want to wait for Canton. I want God now. WHAT IS IT YOU ARE PRAYING FOR BROTHERS ? Is it more of God ? Is it less of me and my selfish desires ? I want to be revived !! I desparetly want to know more of my Lord. I want More of God if there is more to be had. God must empty me before he can fill me. Oh Holy Spirit do a work in me and my brothers. Show yourself today. Show us what there may be in our lives that would hinder your Spirit.
We must pray. Even more as the days pass. Prayer and faith go hand in hand. Without faith it is imposible to please God. We must have faith in Gods promises in his word. He means what He says. Do you believe that brothers ? Do we have a reverant fear of the almighty God ? ( I am really asking these questions of me because I know how weak I am and how desparate I am for God to come ) Are we ready to join the angels in crying all day and night with our faces hidden, "holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty "
Brothers, these are a few of the things on my heart. I am ready to move on. How about you. Clear up ANYTHING that may be hindering the Holy Spirit, and then we can press on towards Canton. I pray that we all experiance a fresh out pouring of his Spirit before that day. If not , I will wait upon my Lord.
I look forward to your thoughts. What is God speaking to you about these days ?
Your brother in the battle,
Bill
The sheep must stay close to the shepherd. The wolf is not afraid of the sheep, but only yhe shepherd.
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