Pray Network Forum

I love listening to some of the great Bible teaching available on Bott Radio. While I don't believe listening to this teaching is a replacement for my personal Bible study or meeting with my church family for solid Bible teaching and fellowship, it is a great supplement during my commute or even while I put on my makeup in the morning.

One of James McDonald's lessons that I remember vividly from May, 2010 was based on the story of Elija and the widow in 2 Kings 4:1-7. You probably remember this miraculous event where the widow poured what little oil she had into borrowed vessels and ended up with enough oil to sell and pay off her debts.

This woman was distraught because of her indebtedness. What has you distraught today and seeking a solution? Pastor James' statement (as well as I can remember it, if not word for word) really spoke to me:

"God will fill anything we bring him.  If we're not being filled it's because we haven't brought him any more empty vessels."

Despite the fact that I have a regular time with the Lord, I am often so focused on intercession for others that I fail to bring myself before Him for filling. I fail to come humbly say, "I need thee, O I need thee." Or I fail to clean my vessel so that it is truly empty for His filling.

Father, I thank you that you can fill anything I willingly put before you. Keep reminding me of my great need for you and then remind me to clean my vessels and put them before you.

"I need the, O, I need thee.

Every hour I need thee.

O bless me now my Savior,

I come to thee."

Annie S. Hawks

When last we left Jonah, he was in the belly of the great fish. He was in a bad fix and a bad way. To paraphrase Samuel Johnson, “Nothing clears the mind like the certain knowledge that you will be shot in the morning."

That’s obviously true.

If a man knows he is going to be shot very soon, it has a way of clearing the mind of trivial details. You don’t worry about washing the car if you know you’re going to be shot at sunrise. Someone else can wash the car. You’ve got bigger things to worry about.

So it was for Jonah. But first he has to come to his senses.

I had the chance to spend some time with a man involved in ministry to students. Occasionally he is faced with difficult disciplinary decisions when the young people break the rules of the group. “I’ve dealt with everything you can imagine. Every sort of sexual sin. Cheating. Breaking the law. You name it, I’ve seen it,” he said. This particular organization has an established set of procedures in place to deal with those who get in trouble. And very often they are able to help the young people make amends and set their lives on a new path.

During our discussion the man made two comments that stayed with me. First, he has learned that lying has almost become a non-issue today. Everyone lies, and they lie all the time. It’s almost as if it’s not a sin to lie anymore. Perhaps it is a sign of postmodern relativism that we have come to accept that lying isn’t wrong. Or perhaps it is just a fulfillment of Romans 3:13, “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” After discussing how people routinely lie to cover up their sin, he offered this conclusion:

You can’t help a liar.

You can help anyone struggling with any sort of sin as long as they tell the truth. But you can’t help a liar because you can’t trust anything he says.

The situation is compounded by the fact that when most of us get caught, we confess as little as possible. And that leads to the second key point. The man said that it’s always a good sign when “they tell you something you didn’t already know.” If you knew A-B-C, but the person then adds D-E-F, you know their repentance is deeper than just “I’m sorry I got caught.” True repentance always involves coming clean, and coming clean means owning up to the whole pattern of wrongdoing, not just to the thing you happened to get caught doing.

Three Hard Words

Proverbs 28:13 declares that “he who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." The Bible also says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). God desires “truth in the inward parts” (Psalm 51:6) or as Eugene Peterson puts it, “truth from the inside out.” It is very hard for most of us to come to this place of total honesty with God and with others. Most of us face a continual battle to be transparent in all our dealings, especially when we have sinned. You can make a good case that the three hardest words to say are “I have sinned."

No one wants to say that. We would rather do anything, including lying, to keep from saying those words. We’ll make excuses, we’ll rationalize, we’ll twist the facts, we’ll blame others, and we’ll say, “It’s not my fault” or “She told me to do it"or” So what? Everyone else is doing it."

The excuses never seem to end.

Let’s lay down a marker here at the start of this message. It’s a good mark of spiritual health if it is becoming easier for you to say, “I was wrong.” That’s a good sign because it means you are taking responsibility for your own actions. It means you are ready to get your life right with God. It means you’re ready to start growing again.  

They say that every sermon should have an application so let me give you mine even before we get to our text. Here’s what I’d like you to do. Take a Bible plus a notebook and a pen and find a quiet place. Then pray this simple prayer: “Lord, show me the truth about myself.” Those seven words are all you need to say.

Then wait for God to speak to you.

When we pray that way, the answer will begin to come from heaven. Little by little the Holy Spirit will show us our weaknesses, our faults, our mistakes, our bad attitudes, our foolish words, our pride, our arrogance, our need to be in control, our need to tell others what to do, our desire to have our own way, our anger, our bitterness, our lack of mercy, our lack of love, and our lack of compassion. I know from personal experience that if you wait long enough, the Lord will always reveal the truth to you.

It’s hard to do this. God knows that so sometime he forces the issue. Sometimes God puts us in places where we have to face the consequences of our own stupid choices.

He won’t take sin in stride.
He won’t say “Boys will be boys.”
He is passionate for holiness.
He loves us too much to let us go on in sin forever.

That’s a truth Jonah found out the hard way.

In Jonah 2 the disobedient prophet finds himself in the belly of a great fish. We don’t know what sort of fish it was. We do know that the Lord appointed the fish to catch and swallow Jonah alive. It was a divine miracle that the fish appeared at just the right moment in just the right place, with just the right appetite to swallow Jonah but not to kill him or maim him in the process.

Can you imagine what it was like inside that fish?  It’s dark, you can’t move around very much, the fish is swimming constantly, salt water washes over you, seaweed wraps around your body, and unidentified objects knock against you. One other thing. The inside of a fish really stinks. Plus it’s greasy, slippery, and the fish is trying to digest you.

Jonah’s Psalm

Jonah 2:1 says, “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God." While he is inside the fish, he composes a beautiful prayer that takes the form of a psalm.

First, he cries to God for help. “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry” (v. 2). No boasting here. He knows that if God doesn’t save him, he will never get out of the great fish alive.

Second, he confesses that God put him where he is. “You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas" (v. 3). Notice that Jonah doesn’t blame the sailors for throwing him into the deep nor does he blame the storm or the great fish. Jonah sees clearly that behind the ship and the storm and the casting of lots and the raging sea and the great fish, behind all of it stands the Lord of the universe. Jonah bows before God and says, “I’m here because you put me here." It is a great advance spiritually to stop blaming others for your problems. Jonah knows he must answer to the Lord alone.

Third, he feels like he is going to die in the great fish. “The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head” (v. 5). There’s no way out unless the Lord brings him out. Apart from God, he’s Sunday lunch for the big fish and there’s nothing to be done about it.

Fourth, he remembers the Lord is his only hope. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord” (v. 7). Finally Jonah is acting like a true believer. After all the running away, after all the disobedience, after all the prodigality, after all the self-centered living, God has Jonah’s undivided attention.

God will do whatever it takes to bring us to the place where we remember him. He’ll stop at nothing. That includes calamity, sickness, loss, repeated failure and heartbreak.

Whatever it takes to get us on our knees is good for our spiritual growth. Jonah is saying, “Lord, I’ve been running from you for a long time, and now at last you’ve got my full attention.”

Fifth, he vows to serve the Lord. “But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good" (v. 9). You can see the spiritual progress he’s making in this psalm. First, he acknowledges that God put him where he is. Second, he accepts God’s discipline. Third, he thinks he’s going to die. Fourth, he finally remembers the Lord. Then and only then does he vow to serve the Lord.

He comes to the great conclusion in verse 10: “Salvation is of the Lord." This is the hardest lesson for any of us to learn. Salvation starts with God and it ends with God. Some of us struggle a lifetime to learn that. Most of us have learn it over and over again. Some people never learn it at all. But there is no salvation, no deliverance, and no getting better until we realize that if God doesn’t save us, we will never be saved.

That’s the advantage of being in the belly of a great fish. It clears the mind so you can think about what matters most. Most of us would probably improve spiritually if we spent a few days in a great fish, or at least someplace without TV, radio, or the Internet. In the terrifying darkness inside the fish, Jonah realized the folly of fighting against God. As the wise man said, your arms are too short to box with God. He’s going to win every time.

What We Know So Far

Let’s wrap up the message with a few observations about Jonah’s journey so far.

1. Although he was a prophet, it had been a long time since he had talked honestly with God.

It’s amazing and frightening how easy it is for church people to go through life without talking to God. Why do you think Jonah prayed in the great fish? For one thing, there was nothing else to do. Without the regular distractions of life, Jonah focused on the Lord. People say to me, “Why doesn’t God speak to me?” To which I answer, “He speaks to you all the time, but you won’t slow down long enough to listen.” The loud clamor of life and the constant pressure to get things done, to meet our goals, and to cross off items on our to-do list, all of it conspires to keep us from hearing the still, small voice of the Lord.

But God knows how to speak to us. And he certainly knows how to get our attention.

It’s a good thing to be desperate if desperation turns your heart to the Lord. I can imagine few things worse than being in the belly of a great fish for three days and three nights. But it is better to be in the fish and talking to God than on dry land boasting about your big plans.

You pray inside the great fish because if God doesn’t do something, you will die there.

But notice this. It’s not that the belly of a fish is inherently more dangerous than living in a luxury suite in a high-rise hotel. You can get into trouble anywhere. An earthquake can strike, a tornado can come, a car can veer off the road, catastrophe can strike at any moment. You can be singing a tune one moment and have a stroke the next. It happens every day. No one is immune to trouble, and there is nowhere on earth where you are truly safe from heartbreak, sadness, disease, danger and death.

2. God had to stop Jonah in his tracks in order to get his attention.

Notice the progression. In chapter 1 Jonah acts and keeps messing things up. In chapter 2 Jonah prays and things start getting better. Often our greatest problem is slowing down enough to hear God’s voice.

3. God delights to deliver his people from impossible situations.

Being trapped inside a great fish for three days and three nights is an impossible situation. Even after Jonah gets right with God, he’s still inside the fish. He’ll never get out on his own. So God works an amazing deliverance. Look at verse 11 of Jonah 2:

The Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

The same Lord who appointed the fish to catch him now tells the fish to let him go. By the way I checked out the Hebrew word translated “vomit” and it means . . . vomit. That’s a very good translation.

Some of you have heard of “projectile vomiting.” That’s what happens here. Jonah took a ride on the “regurgitron.” One moment he’s wedged in the belly of the fish, the next he’s flying through the air, and the next he lands on the shore, covered with shrimp cocktail.

All of it meant to teach him and us that salvation is of the Lord.

The Famine Always Comes

Jesus told a parable (Luke 15:11-31) that fits with the story of Jonah. A young man came to his father and said, “Give me my share of the inheritance.” So the father did, and the young man took the money, left his family, and journeyed into the far country where he spent his money on wild living. One translation calls it “riotous living.” He spent it all on wine, women and song. It all worked out until the famine came.

By the way, you can mark it down. The famine always comes sooner or later. You can have your fun and spend your money and live any way you like. You can throw off all restraint. But the famine comes eventually. When the money runs out, you find out that your so-called friends won’t return your phone calls. They were happy to party with you when you had cash in your pocket and a credit card to cover everything else. But when you tap out, your party buddies suddenly disappear.

Now he’s feeding the pigs, hoping to catch a little from the slop bucket. The Bible says when the prodigal son came to his senses, he said to himself, “Back home my father’s servants have plenty to eat. I will arise and go to my father and say, ‘I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ Make me one of your hired hands.”

He began the long, slow, difficult journey home.
Ashamed and embarrassed of what he had done.
Wondering what his father would do.

He needn’t have worried. Jesus said that the father saw his son a long way off. That means he had been waiting, waiting, waiting for his son to come home. Don’t you know the folks in the village made fun of him. “Come on in, old man. That son of yours is gone forever. Don’t waste any more time on him. Give it up.”

But he wouldn’t give up. The father said, “I will not come inside. I am waiting for my son to come home.” Day after day, he waited, watching and hoping for a sign his son was coming home.

One day he saw it. A tiny speck on the horizon.

The father ran to meet his son while he was still far away.
He didn’t say, “Let him come all the way and then I’ll talk to him.”
He ran after him.
He couldn’t wait to see his son again.

Once a Son Always a Son

After his father had hugged and kissed him, the son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” That was the speech he had rehearsed. He was going to say, “Make me like one of your hired hands.” But he never got those words out. The father wouldn’t let him say it.

Why? Because once a son always a son.

A son at home, a son far away, a son in the pigsty, and a son on the way back home.

That’s why the father said, “Go get the sandals. Go find my best robe. Get the golden ring. Kill the fatted calf. My son who was lost has been found. My son who was far away has come home. Let’s get the party started.”

I’ve got some good news. The lights are on in the Father’s house, and the door is always open. The Father stands waiting for his prodigal sons and daughters to come back home. And he doesn’t say, “Clean yourself up first.” He just says, “Come on home. We can’t wait to see you again.”

He doesn’t say, “Prove that you are worthy,” because no one is worthy of the Father’s love. He just says, “If you are tired of living in the far country, if you’re tired of running away, if you’re ready to come home, the door is always open to you.”

What’s the hardest part about coming home? It’s that first step. Oh, how hard it is to take that first step back home to God. Prodigals are scared to take that first step because they are afraid of what awaits them on the other end of the journey.

What if there is no one to meet them?
What if no one is glad to see them?
What if they are greeted with a torrent of angry words?

Jonah and Jesus

They don’t understand that Jesus has paved the way home in his own blood. His death is so great and his resurrection so complete that nothing can be added to the value of what Christ did for us 2000 years ago. That’s why when Jesus himself spoke about this, he called his own resurrection the “sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matthew 12:39-40). As Jonah was in the belly of the great fish, even so Jesus was in the heart of the earth. As Jonah came out of the fish, even so Jesus came out of the realm of death.

The story of Jonah points us to Jesus, and the story of Jesus tells us how far God will go in behalf of guilty sinners. He sent his Son to the lowest place on earth, to the bloody cross of Calvary, the emblem of suffering and shame. And out of that shame he fashioned our salvation.

Now the door to heaven has been thrown wide open. Now all the reluctant Jonahs of the world can find their way home to God. Sometimes we sing “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” I wonder if we shouldn’t change just one word to get the full impact of this story:

Outrageous grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.

The grace of God is not just amazing. It’s outrageous! It welcomes the worst sinners into the courts of heaven. It makes a way for even super-religious people to be forgiven of all their sins. And for the rebel who today languishes in the far country, feeling alone and forgotten, God’s grace reaches out and says, “Jesus has paid the price. When you are ready, you can come home to God.”

Father, we thank you that we don’t have to be perfect because if we did, who among us would qualify? We thank you that we don’t even have to scrape off the dirt of our own foolish mistakes. We couldn’t do that if we tried. All we have to do is turn and come home.

Lord Jesus, you are the Friend of sinners. We are so glad because you are the Friend and we are the sinners. Thank you, Lord, for this story because if Jonah can get a second chance, there’s hope for all of us.

Give us grace to come and courage to take the first step. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer is my Passion Intercessory Prayer Ministry Daily Intercessory Prayerline will be Launched on Monday, August 1, 2011


Our Prayerline Conference Access Number: 1-218-632-0650

Conference Passocode: 8888#



Our Prayerline is open Daily 7 days a week for Intercessory Prayer and also to receive Prayer request.

Hours of Operation:
Early Morning Prayer 6am Eastern, 5am Central, 4am Mountain or 3am Pacific

Monday - Friday


Evening Prayer 10pm Eastern, 9pm Central, 8pm Mountain or 7pm Pacific

Monday - Friday


Evening Prayer 11pm Eastern, 10pm Central, 9pm Mountain or 8pm Pacific

7 Days a week



August 2011 3rd Watch Prayer Schedule:

3am Eastern, 2am Central, 1am Mountain or 12am Pacific

August 1st Monday

August 6th Saturday

August 12th Friday

August 15th Monday

August 22nd Monday

August 29th Monday

August 31st Wednesday


To Contact us or to Submit a Prayer request you may email us at:

prayerismypassion@blessedmail.com

Yours in Kingdom Building,
Pastor Lisa Martin aka Virtuous Lady
Visionary and Overseer of
Prayer is my Passion
Intercessory Prayer Ministry

I have had the opportunity to present this workshop in many venues. Recently I presented this during the, Christian Leadership Alliance (CLA) conference in, Dallas, TX. The evaluations were outstanding and I consider it an honor to be able to share what the Lord has deposited on the inside of me.

Earlier today during my time of prayer, the Lord encouraged me to share this with others. Therefore, I am posting this blog on the "Pray Network" under the leading of the Holy Spirit. If this is something you or others may have interest please contact me. I would love to come and present under the anointing of, God. 

This workshop was developed based upon my book, Ready to Pray ~ A Spiritual Journey of Prayer and Worship.

Here's the information:

Scripture References:

I Timothy 2:21 reads, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for
everyone.”

“…are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Mark 14:37 NIV

Ephesians 3:14-19 says, “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.”

Description:

In our culture today the intentional prayer of the believers are absolutely critical if we are to see any real change in the lives of people who so desperately need the presence of Christ. Many people have the desire to go deeper in their prayer life, but unsure how to connect with God’s heart. “Ready to Pray” equips you in how to develop and build a powerful prayer life – living out your personal testimony of a life transformed by the power of prayer and having a heart of worship. We will cover the following:

• 
  
• Prayer is an intimate relationship with God.  
• 
  
• Prayer is speaking a love language from our lips to God’s ears.
• 
  
• Prayer is seeking God on behalf of others.
• 
  

Each participant will be able to answer the questions: As leaders…

1. How can we be more intentional in our prayer life?
   
2. How do we connect with the heart of God?
   
3. How can we uncover ways to become more compassionate and committed to a lifestyle of effective prayer?
   
4. How do I press through when I do not feel like praying?”
   

I recently led a prayer gathering for elementary school-aged kids that was filled with refreshingly simple, pure prayers. We put an open microphone in the center of the room and watched as the children, who at first felt a little shy and self-conscious, one by one gained the courage to pray aloud in front of the entire group. Soon the line to the microphone was long as the children would pray a short prayer and then run to the back of the line to wait their turn again. Their prayers ranged from “Jesus, I worship You” to “God, please be with all the children who don’t have dads at hone.”

For the next 45 minutes the kids prayed with simplicity and abandonment. Afterward several of them stated it was the most fun they had ever had praying and pleaded with me to use the microphone again at the next prayer gathering.

One of my favorite meetings at the Lord’s Table is with Allison, a precious little girl whose parents adopted her into their family.  When she was not yet three years old, she already was serving communion with her mom. She would say to me, “You need prayer. I want to pray for you. I want to put oil on you.” She would smear oil on my forehead, then lay her fingers there and pray. The last time she prayed for me, a migraine I had been suffering with for several days disappeared in the space of about one minute. In our fellowship, children have led us on a path to healed hearts and bodies. We are taking the prayers and ministry of children seriously. 

I am writing you today to invite and urge your partnership for Orlando 2011: A Leadership Consultation to Revitalize & Reshape Evangelism and Missions in the U.S..  Pastor Phil Miglioratti, Coordinator of the National Pastors Prayer Network (NPPN) is providing significant leadership for Orlando 2011.

Orlando 2011 will take place April 4-6, 2011, in Orlando, FL.  See more at http://www.missionamerica.org/Brix?pageID=23811. 

Internationally respected prayer leader Steve Hawthorne from Waymakers (http://waymakers.org/) and myself are serving Orlando 2011 by planning and leading the prayer "consultation" team as we review and identify strategies for mobilizing prayer that will influence prayer evangelism for the next decade.

Here's how you can help:

1.  Serve on the Prayer planning team to help finalize plans for the Prayer consultation sessions.

2.  Attend Orlando 2011 and lend your expertise to the Prayer consultation sessions.  See more information at http://www.missionamerica.org/Brix?pageID=23810

3.  Pray for Orlando 2011.

4.  Share this invitation with others with a passion and interest in prayer.

Andrew Murray said, "The man who mobilizes the church to pray will have the greatest impact on world evangelization than anyone in history."  Together, we can make a tremendous impact for good in our nation.

Please reply today to let me know how you will partner with us in seeing our nation turn back to God.

See more current information on Orlando 2011 and what God is doing across the nation below.  Contact me with questions at tbush@visionsd.org.  Blessings, Thomas

Thomas Bush| Prayer Coordinator San Diego SBA and San Diego Regional Prayer Network
   4608 Gardena Avenue, San Diego, CA 92110

    Cell: (619) 742-8694
    Office  619.275.2550

may NOT BE racism, sexism, denominational-ism, doctrinal differences, and etc. It may be the division between the "watchmen" and "gatekeepers."

Old Testament walled cities had massive gates, with gatekeepers; and watchtowers on either side of the gates, with watchmen. The purpose of the watchmen, not surprisingly, was to watch. The purpose of the gatekeepers, was to open and close the gate. The problem? The gatekeeper couldn't see over the wall and the watchmen couldn't open and close the gate. They were co-dependent on each other. Not only that, but the entire city was at the mercy of their partnership.

What has that to do with us?

In our book, "Intercessors & Pastors: The Emerging Partnership of Watchmen & Gatekeepers," we liken the intercessor (Christian whose primary mission is prayer) to the OT watchman; and pastors to the OT gatekeeper. It may surprise you to know that there tends to be a division between these two roles around the world. Of course, there are a small percentage of pastors who are intercessors. And it's true, to one degree or another, they appreciate each other's roles, but rarely do they operate in a strategic partnership. Why is that?

Eighty-five percent of the adult members of the last church we served as pastors were intercessors. Prayer was our primary purpose. Prayer meetings were our most exciting events. People, even pastors, from other churches attended our church's prayer meetings. One pastor said, "I come because when you people pray, things change in our city." We understand the significance of this partnership.

The first assumption is that the separation between intercessors and pastors it's because they are so different. After all, there are more female intercessors and more male pastors. True, perhaps, but that isn't the primary reason. Think about it. Opposites would attract, wouldn't they? Remarkably, the primary reason for this division is because they are so similar! Intercessors are actually quite pastoral. Who knew!? <smile>

Example:  Intercessors care for people. Why else would they commit so much time praying for them?

So then, what's the problem?

Intercessors tend seek information. They often ask their pastors about the direction of the church and needs of certain people and circumstances. Their pastor may think they are nosey, when the truth is, INFORMATION is the FUEL for INTERCESSION. Pastors need to know how to inform their intercessors properly. They need an effective communication system.

Intercessors may appear to be "independent." That's true of some. Some have never learned the interdependent nature of the church. There are immature intercessors just as there are immature pastors. They must be "pastored" (equipped for their ministry.) Pastors should know that intercessors are not only pastoral, they tend to be visionaries. They need focus. If their pastor fails to clearly communicate the vision of the church, they will be drawn to their own focus, or to someone else's.

These are just a couple of many issues that we discuss in our strategically important book, "Intercessors & Pastors."

• What do intercessors need from their pastors?
• What do pastors need from their intercessors?
• What does the partnership look like?
• Why is it critical to the mission of the church?
• What is the kingdom dimension?
• What does the future hold?
• How does this partnership relate to end times?

Don't miss this book! This is the fourth updated version and the first time we've produced it also as an ebook. Order the ebook version and read it mere minutes from now! Get yours here:

eBook $14.99 USD:

http://www.prayerbookstore.com/Intercessors-Pastors-eBook-Version-IPeBook.htm

pBook $14.99 USD:
http://www.prayerbookstore.com/Intercessors-Pastors-Intercessors-Pastors.htm

How can a pastor "do what he (she) sees the Father doing?" (John 5:19) For one thing, Jesus said that the Father rewards openly those who pray to Him in secret! Most pastors know their elders and their deacons. They know their home-group pastors, Bible teachers and others. Sadly, too few can even name their intercessors, let alone are they rewarding them openly, as the Father does. Get the book! Your church, your city and the Kingdom depend on this partnership.

Kingdom Greetings Intercessors and Watchmen,

I am very excited to Announce the Launching of the Prayer is my Passion Intercessors Prayer line on Monday, August 1, 2011. We will be covering the 7 Mountains of Prayer Daily @11pm Eastern 7 days a week. Prayer is our Passion!

The 7 Mountains of Prayer is a Prayer Focus Guide:

1. Church/Religion

2. Business

3. Government

4. Family

5. Education

6. Media

7. Arts/Entertainment

The Prayerline will be open to receive Prayer request also. We are still in need of Seasoned Intercessors to Moderate the Prayerline. If you are available for 1 hr a week or more and interested in Early Morning Prayer, 3rd or 4th Watch Hours of Prayer please inbox me.

We would like to have a Moderator for Early Morning Prayer between 5 to 6 am EST. 3rd Watch Hour of Prayer is between 12am - 3am and 4th Watch Hour of Prayer is between 3am - 6am. Please only serious inquiries inbox me. Moderator Training will be provided weekly in July  and a Certificate of Completion will be received. There is Power in Prayer and Prayer is our Passion!

Yours in Kingdom Building,

Pastor Lisa Martin aka Virtuous Lady

Visionary of Prayer is my Passion

Intercessory Prayer Ministry

http://prayerismypassion.socialgo.com

www.freshmannaministries.net

Partners in the Harvest: 

Would you set aside time this week (Apr 4-7) to pray daily for Orlando 2011: A Leadership Consultation to Revitalize & Reshape Evangelism and Missions in the U.S..  As we see the condition of our culture and the shift of populations to cities, we know that we must cry out to God to build His church for this generation.

Orlando 2011 will take place April 4-7, 2011, in Orlando, FL.  See more at http://www.missionamerica.org/Brix?pageID=23811.  God has drawn an overflow of over 700 leaders to Orlando 2011 from around the nation to meet with Him and each other.  (The attendance goal was 500)

Prayer Requests:

Would you invite those you know to call out in prayer from Joel 2:16-18 - so that He would "spare His people", "redeem His name," and "guard and honor His land"? (See passage below)

Pray for each one of the 28 Leadership Consultation teams.  Steve Hawthorne from Waymakers (http://waymakers.org/) and I would appreciate your prayers for the prayer "consultation" team on Tues and Wed afternoons as we review and identify strategies for mobilizing prayer that will influence prayer evangelism for the next decade.

Special Note:  You can also connect with any of the affinity groups including the "Reaching/Transforming U.S. and Global Cities" affinity group with your own account at: www.servingbettertogether.com.

Thanks in advance for your prayers!  Blessings, Thomas for Orlando 2011

"Gather all the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room. Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar.  Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord! Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say, Has the God of Israel left them?’” Then the Lord will pity his people and jealously guard the honor of his land."  Joel 2:16-18 The Message

Thomas Bush (and Steve Hawthorne) for the Orlando 2011 Prayer Affinity Consultation Team

 
 "Prayer is responding to God's invitation to come into His presence."

While I struggle to pray as much as I intend to pray for family, I was reminded recently, that God hears any and all of our prayers. I have prayed the briefest of prayers for the company sales staff. "Lord be with ..... " naming each "today as they go about their job." Sometimes I add more, but mostly it is just that.

And God hears and answers the prayers I have prayed because He impressed me to pray for them. Sometimes it feels like I should be much more wordy, elaborate and just more everything, but it struck me how very simply I pray for the sales staff and how I keep hearing we continue to hold in a failing market.

Then I thought about the Lord's Prayer. So simple. "Give us this day our daily bread" No flagellation, just a sentence recognizing that our provisions are from God. A simple prayer of "thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever" recognizing God's sovereignty. Jesus spoke about not being like the Pharisees with their many words and prayers on the street corner.

Obedience to the command to pray before trying to impress anyone (including self) with fine, fancy flowing words.

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA 
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Obama talks openly about his personal faith in Jesus Christ
Speaking at the 2011 National Prayer Breakfast, the President talks about how he came to embrace Christ ‘as my Lord and Savior’

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

WASHINGTON, DC (ANS) -- President Barack Obama took the opportunity of set the record straight at the 2011 National Prayer Breakfast held on Thursday, February 3, 2011, about his personal faith.

President Obama speaking at the 2011 National Prayer Breakfast

He surprised the crowd of about 4,000 faith-leaders at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in the Hilton Washington International Ballroom, by speaking about his Christian faith in a most personal way.

In his most unusual speech, Obama called that faith “a sustaining force” in his life and he acknowledged persistent questions about his religion and offered what many believe were his most detailed comments about his spiritual beliefs and practices.

In his speech, the President said, “A call rooted in faith is what led me, just a few years out of college, to sign up as a community organizer for a group of churches on the south side of Chicago. And it was through that experience, working with pastors and laypeople, trying to heal the wounds of hurting neighborhoods that I came to know Jesus Christ for myself and embrace him as my Lord and Savior.”

The Obamas at a previous National Prayer Breakfast

Obama went on to say, “My Christian faith, then, has been a sustaining force for me over these last few years, all the more so when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time. We are reminded that ultimately what matters is not what other people say about us, but whether we’re being true to our conscience and true to our God. ‘Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you, as well.’”

Prayer Life

Obama then revealed that “When I wake in the morning, I wait on the Lord, and I ask him to give me the strength to do right by our country and its people. And when I go to bed at night, I wait on the Lord, and I ask him to forgive me my sins and look after my family and the American people and make me an instrument of his will.”

Obama went on to say, “Fortunately, I’m not alone in my prayers. Pastor friends like Joel Hunter and T.D. Jakes come over to the Oval Office every once in a while to pray with me and pray for the nation. The chapel at Camp David has provided consistent respite and fellowship. The director of our Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnership’s office, Joshua DuBois – a young minister himself -- he starts my morning off with meditations from Scripture.”

Then, on the subject of personal prayer, Obama said, “While I petition God for a whole range of things, there are a few common themes that do recur. The first category of prayer comes out of the urgency of the Old Testament prophets and the Gospel itself. I pray for my ability to help those who are struggling. Christian tradition teaches that one day the world will be turned right side up and everything will return as it should be. But until that day, we're called to work on behalf of a God that chose justice and mercy and compassion to the most vulnerable.”

He also said, “I pray that God will show me and all of us the limits of our understanding, and open our ears and our hearts to our brothers and sisters with different points of view; that such reminders of our shared hopes and our shared dreams and our shared limitations as children of God will reveal the way forward that we can travel together.”

Father Played No Role In His Faith Journey

With the controversy that has swirled around him since he became the 44th President of the United States [and the first African-American to hold that office], which has mainly concerned rumors that he was a Muslim, he explained his relationship with the Lord and the role his father, who was said to be Muslim, did not play a role in his decision to follow Jesus Christ.

“My father, who I barely knew -- I only met once for a month in my entire life -- was said to be a non-believer throughout his life,” said the President.

The young Obama with his mother

“My mother,” Obama continued, “whose parents were Baptist and Methodist, grew up with a certain skepticism about organized religion, and she usually only took me to church on Easter and Christmas -- sometimes. And yet my mother was also one of the most spiritual people that I ever knew. She was somebody who was instinctively guided by the Golden Rule and who nagged me constantly about the homespun values of her Kansas upbringing, values like honesty and hard work and kindness and fair play.

“And it’s because of her that I came to understand the equal worth of all men and all women, and the imperatives of an ethical life and the necessity to act on your beliefs. And it’s because of her example and guidance that despite the absence of a formal religious upbringing my earliest inspirations for a life of service ended up being the faith leaders of the civil rights movement.”

Twists and Turns

President Obama talked about how his “faith journey,” has had its “twists and turns.”

He stated, “It hasn’t always been a straight line. I have thanked God for the joys of parenthood and Michelle’s willingness to put up with me. In the wake of failures and disappointments I've questioned what God had in store for me and been reminded that God’s plans for us may not always match our own short-sighted desires.

Abe Lincoln’s Words

“And let me tell you, these past two years, they have deepened my faith. The presidency has a funny way of making a person feel the need to pray. Abe Lincoln said, as many of you know, once said, ‘I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go.’”

Obama noted that the godmother of his two daughters, Kaye Wilson, had formed prayer groups all around the country as he campaigned for the White House bid. He acknowledged his own prayer life, waiting before the Lord in the morning and evening. The president recognized the need for humility, and jokingly said his wife Michelle was the catalyst to that answered prayer. As “debates have become so bitter,” Obama noted that “none of us has all the answers.”

The president went on to say, “The challenge I find then is to balance this uncertainty, this humility, with the need to fight for deeply held convictions, to be open to other points of view but firm in our core principles. And I pray for this wisdom every day.”

He also stated, “When Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time, we are reminded that ultimately what matters is not what other people say about us, but whether we’re being true to our conscience and true to our God.”

Obama had been largely private about his beliefs and religious practices, following controversies during the campaign about his Chicago minister. He and his wife have attended church services in Washington only a handful of times in the past two years. When at Camp David, they attend the private Evergreen Chapel.

Mark Kelly

The Giffords during happier times

NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, the husband of Representative Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona Democrat who was seriously injured during last month’s shooting rampage in Tucson, also spoke at the breakfast and gave the closing prayer and which he remarked about her steady improvement and he urged the national to keep her in its thoughts and prayers because “it's helping.”

He said, “Every day, she gets a little bit better. The neurosurgeons and neurologists tell me that that's a great sign. The slope of that curve is very important.”

Giffords, was injured on Saturday, January 8, 2011, when a gunman opened fire during a constituent event in Tucson. Six people, including a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl, were killed, and 13 others were wounded. Giffords, whose condition was upgraded from serious to good last week, is undergoing long-term rehabilitation at a hospital in Houston, where Kelly lives and works.

“I was telling Gabby just the other night, two nights ago, that, you know, maybe this event, this terrible event, maybe it was fate,” he said. “I hadn't been a big believer in fate until recently. I thought the world just spins, and the clock just ticks, and things happen for no particular reason.”

Kelly told the crowd, which included a representative from the ASSIST News Service, that he has come to believe, however, that things happen for a reason, “that maybe something good can come from all of this. Maybe it's our responsibility, maybe it's your responsibility, to see that something does.”

Hospital officials say Kelly has been a constant presence at Giffords' bedside.

Three Trips to Space

On Thursday, he made reference to his three trips to space and the humbling feeling of looking out on “the Earth as God created it in the context of God's vast universe.” He described a realization that struck him one day as he gazed on a makeshift memorial that had sprung up in front of the Tucson trauma center where Giffords was initially taken for treatment.

“That reminded me that you don’t need a church, a temple or a mosque to pray,” he said. “You don't even need a building or walls or even an altar. You pray where you are. You pray when God is there in your heart. And prayer isn't just asking. It's also listening for answers and expressing gratitude, which I've done a lot lately.”

He closed with a prayer that Giffords’ rabbi spoke in her hospital room the day of the shooting.

“In the name of God, our God of Israel, may Michael, God's angel messenger of compassion, guard over your right side. May Gabriel, God's angel messenger of strength and courage, be on your left. And before you, guiding your path, Uriel, God's angel of light. And behind, supporting you, stands Raphael, God's angel of healing. And over your head surrounding you is the presence of the divine.”

Note: The National Prayer Breakfast is a yearly event held in Washington, D.C., on the first Thursday of February each year. The founder of this event was Abraham Vereide and is actually a series of meetings, luncheons, and dinners that have taken place since 1953 and has been held at least since the 1980s at the Washington Hilton on Connecticut Avenue N.W.

Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 47 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 200 countries. You can follow Dan on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link.Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available here

In order to teach about spiritual disciplines and come across as knowledgeable and believable, the teacher must first journey through the lessons she will teach.  In Ready to Pray, Gail Dudley shares the life lessons that the Lord has poured into her life through her spiritual journey with Him.  Whether these were seasons of joy, seasons of sorrow, seasons of want or seasons of plenty, the Lord has been working in Gail’s life for many years, teaching her the disciplines of prayer and the power that comes through the life of someone who is obedient to calling on Him during all of life’s challenges.  Gail has first-hand experience in how to develop and build a powerful prayer life; her life is a living testimony of a life transformed by the power of prayer and having a heart of worship.

In Ready to Pray, Gail pours her heart into the pages of this book, sharing the intimate and hard lessons that God has taught her – the very circumstances that brought her to her knees before the Lord – the very lessons that taught her about prayer, the power of prayer, the need for prayer and the joy and freedom that is found in worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ.

Order a copy today at www.lulu.com ISBN: 978-0-557-90787-8 you may also download a copy as well at www.lulu.com

I was recently with several of men who went to a Korean brother to ask about how to stir our churches to pray for our city. We were impressed with the prayer emphasis in Korean churches. Large numbers gather for prayer at 6:00 a.m. or earlier, seven days a week.

This brother was silent for a moment, and then answered, “We do not pray unless we are desperate.”

From there he began to tell us about the roots of revival among Korean churches. This movement of God began with heart broken repentance. One of the elders of the church in Korea stood up at a meeting and publicly confessed that he had stolen money from a missionary. This confession produced a season of repentance in churches throughout the country.

Over the years the Korean people faced hardships of poverty and oppression. The harsh Japanese occupation crushed the people. Then came the communist invasion and the Korean War. Millions of people died. Several hundred thousand families were displaced and divided. People turned to God in those terrible days. Those years of desperate prayer are bearing fruit to this day.

Finally, our Korean American brother pointed out that God has begun to send signals to America concerning our need for prayer. Are we desperate enough to see the signs of God’s judgment and grace before it is too late? Can you list some reasons God is giving us to call us to serious prayer? __________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Word from Jesus

A seven day meditation on the letter to the Angel of the church in Leodicia

(These excercises are designed to cultivate desperate prayer.)

Jesus gave the words of Revelation 3:14-22 to a church that needed to recognize its spiritual condition. Studying and meditating on these verses may prepare our hearts to turn to God in this hour of spiritual need. These exercises are set up to take one week. You may benefit by taking more than a week to study and meditate on them.

DAY ONE

1. Begin by committing these verses to memory. It is worth the struggle for God to pierce your soul with His word. Spend at least 24 hours going over these verses, thinking about them in every spare moment. Record in a journal or make notes in your Bible the things God impresses on your heart.

DAY TWO (Verse14)

2. What is the significance of Jesus saying, “These are the words of the Amen”? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why does Jesus identify Himself as “the faithful and true witness”? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Is Jesus still the ruler of all God’s creation? ___________________________

5. What authority for your life should you recognize from these words of scripture?_______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DAY THREE (Verse15)

6. In verse 15 Jesus says, “I know your deeds.” How thoroughly does your Lord know your heart and life? _________________________________________ Ask Him to reveal things He wants you to see about yourself. Record some of them here. _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Rate your spiritual condition on the temperature scale below.

_____ Cold

_____ Hot

_____ Lukewarm

(Verse16)

8. What does the Lord mean when He says, “I am about to spit you out of my mouth? What might that mean to us today? ___________________________ _______________________________________________________________

(Verse17)

9. Jesus accused this church of saying they were rich, but they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. Take some time to describe what Jesus meant as He applied each of these words to the church.

Wretched ___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

Pitiful _____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

Poor _______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

Blind ______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

Naked _____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

DAY FOUR

(Verse18)

10. Jesus counsels us to buy from Him “gold refined in the fire.”

1 Peter 1:6,7 says we can rejoice even though we suffer grief in all kinds of trials. “These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

A Peculiar Blessing

The Lord sends difficulties to purify our spiritual lives. All of us face these things from time to time. Unfortunately, we sometimes miss their benefit. Here are four principles for getting God’s blessing from crises.

1. Recognize God’s hand in difficulty.

We often miss the benefit of trials because we do not see them as the hand of God. Hebrews 12:7 commands, “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.”

We always think troubles are evil, but the Bible teaches that God will use them for good. What troubles came to you today? _________________________ _______________________________________________________________

Did you recognize the gracious hand of God in them? ______

2. Submit to difficulty as God’s grace.

When troubles come we kick and scream, and resist them. Our Lord did not. In the garden before He was to be crucified Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Paul recognized in 2 Corinthians 12 that his physical trial was given to keep him from being conceited about his spirituality. Paul had prayed three times for the “thorn in his flesh” to be removed. The Lord answered, “My grace is enough for you.” So Paul said he would rejoice in weakness, because it meant God’s grace would rest on him.

Do you need to stop resisting something God wants to use in your life? ______________________________________________________________

3. Depend on difficulty to bear fruit in your life.

Romans 8:28 says “We know” that God will work all things together for good in our lives. Hebrews 12:11 promises that discipline produces righteousness and peace in those who have been trained by it. Will you trust God to use trials to produce spiritual fruit in your life?

What do you think God wants to do through the trials you are now facing?______ _____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

What do you think God might be doing with the trials your family or your church faces?_______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

4. Rejoice in God’s discipline.

James chapter 1 tells us to consider trials to be pure joy because of what God will use them to do in our lives.

What is your attitude toward the things God is using in you life? ________ __________________________________________________________________

Are you offering a joyful witness to people around you of God’s grace in the midst of trials? ____________

DAY FIVE

11. (Rev.3:18, continued) Next Jesus counsels us to buy white clothes to cover our shameful nakedness.

What should you be ashamed of before God? _____________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you remember what Adam and Eve did when they realized they were naked in Genesis chapter 3? They tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. But God made coverings for them out of animal skins. You cannot cover your own spiritual shame. Only God can cover your sins with His righteousness. In Revelation 7, an angel identifies people wearing white robes as those who come out of the great tribulation with their clothes washed in the blood of Jesus.

Take some time to confess what you need Jesus to cleanse in your life. You can trust God to forgive and cleanse you from any sin (1 John 1:9).

12. We need eye salve to heal our spiritual eyes. In Psalm 119:18 David prayed, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” Spiritual blindness is a common problem in the church. And tragically, we often don’t even know we cannot see. Many things keep us from seeing what God is trying to show us. We don’t see because of pride. We do not see because of sin in our lives. We do not see because of our desires that blind us to God’s will. What keeps you from seeing God’s will and work around you? ______ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Note that all three of these things are to be purchased. We must desire them enough to pay whatever they costs us.

What will it cost for your spiritual eyes to be opened? ________________ __________________________________________________________________

While grace is free, it will cost you something to receive it. It cost Jesus everything to take away your sins. What will you have to give up to seek His forgiveness? _______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

Are you willing to endure hardship, for God to work in your life? _______

DAY SIX

14. “Be earnest and repent.” (Verse19)

Are you serious enough about the things God has been telling you to make adjustments in your life. What is the first thing God wants you to change? __________________________________________________________________

(Verse 20)

16. Jesus is knocking at the door of your church. His presence can be frightening. You will no longer be in control. What do you think intimacy with Him will mean to your church ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DAY SEVEN

(Verse21)

17. What will you have to overcome to walk in fellowship with Jesus? ________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. What will it mean to share His throne? _______________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Verse22)

19. What does it mean to have spiritual ears? _____________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. This letter was directed to the angel or messenger who would speak to the church in Laodicea. Jesus concludes by saying “Let anyone who has ears, hear.” Do you know someone who might be willing to hear what God has been saying to you? Are you willing to talk to them about this?

After you have done this seven day meditation You may wish to lead a small group to pray together over these verses. Here is a guide you may use to pray through a scripture passage.

1. Say to the people, “Listen for a word, concept, or verse that strikes you as this passage is read.”

2. Read the scripture aloud.

3. Have each person share what struck them in these verses.

4. Have the people listen as the passage is read a second time. (It is good to have a different person read this time.) Tell the participants to think about what God would have them pray.

5. Go around the room again letting the people share what they think God would have them pray. After each person shares, ask the person before to pray for that person. Explain that they are not necessarily to pray for that persons requests but for the person.

6. After the one before has prayed, ask the person pray for the concerns that came to mind in the passage.

7. After each person prays, ask if anyone has a prayer to add to that persons prayer. Often another person’s prayer will speak to someone in the group. Let them pray before you go on to the next person.

8. After everyone has prayed, lead the group to sing something quiet and worshipful.

9. Finally, ask people to share what they believe God is saying. This will help them confirm God’s word to His people.

December has been a very challenging- but rewarding month. God is taking me on apersonal journey and while it's exciting, it's also very draining andemotionally difficult sometimes. During my quiet time, I felt led to studyActs. It seemed I needed to remind myself of my roots (Acts is the 1st book ofthe Bible I studied verse by verse), as well as the roots of what"church" is really supposed to be. I started with Saul's conversionin Acts 9, and never made it past verse 22. Specifically, I parked on verses10-17:

 ¹⁰In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in avision, "Ananias!"
      "Yes, Lord," he answered.

 ¹¹The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for aman from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. ¹²In a vision he hasseen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore hissight."

 ¹³"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all theharm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And he has come herewith authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on yourname."

 ¹⁵But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carrymy name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. ¹⁶Iwill show him how much he must suffer for my name."

 ¹⁷Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said,"Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you werecoming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the HolySpirit."

God used this familiar passage to reassure me that we don't always know what wethink we know. (Yeah, I realize I should've figured that out a long time ago!)Ananias was prepared to hear God- when he heard his name in a vision, Ananiaswasn't like Samuel; Ananias knew immediately that it was the Lord calling him.He answered right away, "Yes, Lord?" (I think it's worth noting thathe said that instead of "What now, God?")

God gave clear instruction, and while Ananias didn't refuse or directly offerexcuses like Moses did, he still wanted to be sure God knew what He was askingAnanias to do. "But God, you do realize this guy wants to kill people whofollow you, right? And God, this isn't just me being paranoid- everything I'veheard and seen tells me this is a bad idea. It's NOT a good situation. Do yourealize how badly this idea of yours might turn out, God?"

That's kind-of my M.O.- not to defy God and tell Him what I won't do, I justwant to be sure He understands MY perspective. MY fears. My reasons forthinking He's asking me to do something that doesn't make much sense.

So how did God respond when Ananias voices his concerns? "Go!"("Ananias, what you don't know is that this man is already changed. Thesituation is completely different than what you're expecting. I've chosen touse this very man you think will destroy my church- and you. I know what isgoing to happen. I know what he's done to my people, and only I know what he'sgoing to face as a result. Thanks for the concern, Ananias, but I've got thisone under control.")

The thing that struck me most is this: when I have similar conversations withGod, I am acting just like Ananias did. I assume that I see the entiresituation, I presume to understand who, what, where and how. Like Ananias, Ioverlook the fact that God is always working behind the scenes: softening hearts,changing the variables, working in all things for the good of those who loveHim. However, like Ananias, I can trust that when God gives me specificinstruction it's because He's been working specifically to make a place for meto be effective.

Why is it so easy to forget that God never sleeps, that God is always at work,that nothing is impossible with God? Why is it so easy to presume that what wethink we know is all there is to know? Why do we act like "walking infaith" means knowing exactly what is in our future? Faith is not only"being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see,"faith is trusting that God is in control and we can walk in places where weknow we do not see the entire situation or understand the details of what God isorchestrating.

We will never be able to comprehend, or even imagine how God works in everysituation, understands every variable and knows ahead of time every possibleoutcome, and ultimately chooses the best possible one from an eternalperspective. We just need to walk in faith, knowing that God loves us and Hewon't set us up to fail Him. He's working in ways we can't imagine, usingunlikely people to do extraordinary things. The really cool thing is that wemight just be that unlikely person He's chosen!

It's no wonder so many people (and even pastors) are discouraged with prayer. Instead of a genuine encounter with God, prayer is little more than a grocery list of requests. Maybe you, too, seek God's hand rather than His face.

My newest book, Transforming Prayer - How Everything Changes When You Seek God's Face, we discover how to:

• Pray to seek God's face NOT just His hand.
• Pray with your heart fixed on God's glory NOT just for personal satisfaction
• Pray from the treasure of God's word NOT simply from a list of your own ideas
• Pray according to the Spirit's instruction NOT only from human reason
• Pray with a heart completely surrendered to His will NOT with a hurried personal agenda
• Pray in anticipation of living triumphantly in the war-zone NOT with a satisfaction with the comfort zone.
• Pray that God would change you NOT that He would simply change things.

Transforming Prayer presents life-changing truths and practical handles to get you started in a fresh adventure in your time with God. You will enjoy "trophies of transformation" throughout the book as individual stories of life-change are told. Discussion questions for each chapter are contained in the back of the book, making this a great tool for your next small group or Sunday School study.

For brief video introductions to each chapter, free downloads, and more information about the book, please visit www.transformingprayerbook.com.

Click to view this email in a browser

	IMPACT December 2010
Good News! One of the means of provision for IRM this year has been the release and publication of the book, “Living Prayer: the Lord’s Prayer Alive in You.”  All of the proceeds of this book have gone to IRM. And I have been very blessed and encouraged by the responses I have received! Here are three unsolicited notes I have received in just the last couple weeks. "I am part of a group of men who are studying your book under the leadership of our pastor. Absolutely seeing open doors that always were available. To say we are blessed is one of those obvious understatements! "   "Your book opened up divine lessons from the pattern Jesus gave us…one I have failed to look at for 19 years as a believer. Thank you so much Dennis. Your book should be read by every believer! "   "We received your new book in the mail this week. I'm on Chapter 5 and I LOVE it!." SPECIAL OFFER Donate $25 to IRM in December and receive a gift copy of Living Prayer: The Lord's Prayer Alive in You.    There are two ways to donate: Paypal or Check by Mail.   PAYPAL LINK:  DONATE $25 NOW    Or please mail your $25 donation to us and please write "Special Gift" in the memo area of your check:   International Renewal Ministries Attn: SPECIAL GIFT 1400 NE 136th Ave Suite 201 Vancouver, WA 98684
	8th Annual NW City Impact Roundtable Monday and Tuesday of this week, we were able to help host nearly 90 leaders from 25 cities across the Northwest gathered here in Vancouver, WA at the 8th annual Roundtable. There is not nearly enough room here to report all of what took place there. Let me mention just two stories.   From the first worship song as we began these 25 hours together, it was very clear that we were very “present.” People were there ready to worship, grow, learn, receive, and give to one another. The purpose of the CIR is to provide ongoing support and encouragement to those who know they are called to be part of a healthy, praying, serving, united church which will impact its community. These people came hungry, stayed focused, and gleaned much. On several occasions as Prayer Summits were mentioned as a key part of their city’s progress, I reflected on Dr. Joe’s original vision and rejoiced again to see it being more and more fulfilled.   At the end of the time, as we asked for input, one brother said, “Our team has been coming to this CIR for 7 years. What encourages me is to see that many of the things we talked about 4-5 years ago are actually being lived out in several of the cities.” From Dennis and Marilyn Marilyn and I are very grateful to each of you who pray for us and support this vision through your finances. Frankly, as we moved through this year, we have seen God provide for this ministry in some very unexpected and wonderful ways. Please rejoice with us!   As we look toward the celebration of Jesus’ birth, we wish your family an increase of the awe, the peace, and the joy of this wonderful season. Intercessors Note There are no IRM acitivies between now and the 1st of the year.  This month please pray that many more people would know and love the Savior through this Christmas season. Thanks again for your prayers.  If you click here I will know that you have taken these requests before the Throne. (This will take you to a page thanking you for your prayers and we will be able to see who clicked on this link)   Many blessings,   Dennis

International Renewal Ministries 1400 NE 136th Avenue Suite 201 Vancouver, Washington 98684 US Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

Hi!

Every Friday night from 10pm to midnight we're traveling from church to church to pray for revival and unity, and to pray for wild blessing over the pastors, staffs and their vision.

We'd love to connect with you (or your pastor)!

Check out the site at www.revivallab.com and you can request a date for the team to pray in your church.

Here's the plan:

There’s an increasing hunger in the body in Detroit for a move of God, and our heart is simply to gather these people together and to pray. I had the privilege to give leadership to a similar prayer movement in Colorado Springs and the impact was truly amazing. Every Friday night we’d be in a different church in the city, and at times we’d pack 150 people or more into a tiny church building—people whose only motivation was to bless God and bless the church.

The protocol is intentionally simple:

1.       After I give a short briefing for those who have never been to theLab, we spread out and pray fervently in tongues for around an hour and a half.

2.       I will give direction at times throughout the night as we focus on different issues. For example, I may call everybody together to pray over the church’s leadership, or we may move outside and pray for homes and businesses in the area.

3.       We will close with 20-30 minutes of reading scripture together.

Here are some points that will help in understanding the vision of this ministry and the flow of the evening:

1.       We chose the 10pm-midnight Friday time so as to ensure everybody in the Detroit region is free to participate. We’ve found that’s almost always a wide open spot on people’s calendars.

2.       A primary call is for pastors and ministry leaders in Detroit to travel with us every Friday night as we move from church to church. What a powerful statement of unity it is when pastors from other church devote two hours a week to pray for blessing together over another church!

3.       We are believing for 1000 intercessors to develop through this ministry. People from churches all over the city are being positioned to simply pray together for revival in Detroit. Can you imagine seeing 1000 people show up to pray together in Detroit every Friday night?

4.       During the time when we’re praying in the Holy Spirit, we don’t allow time for prophetic words to be shared. We simply pray. However, we do encourage post-event reports to be sent in through a contact form on the website. Also, when we are reading scripture, we don’t include commentary along with the passage. We simply read the scripture. No teaching, no preaching, just the Word of God.

5.       We ask that you have the doors to your property open by 9:45pm the night of the event.

6.       Please have every interior room (classrooms, sanctuary, etc.) open so we can pray in them. We pray over the children’s ministry, over the worship department, etc.

7.       If possible, please have a microphone available for me so I can be clearly heard as I give direction.

8.       Invite your entire church to participate, and ensure your leadership team is there so we can pray for them.

9.       Plan on joining us the following Friday at the next church, and then the next and the next!

Here's an article published by Pray! Magazine regarding the prayer movement in Colorado Springs:

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO—Faced with dwindling attendance at prayer meetings, many church leaders address the problem by publicizing more, trying to find more “convenient” times to meet, and just plain coaxing. But a Colorado group has done the opposite. They picked what many people would consider an inconvenient meeting time—10 p.m. until midnight every Friday—and they don’t publicize at all. The results have been remarkable.

“It has the feel of an underground movement,” said Pastor John Burton, who coordinates the meetings. “We all show up in the middle of the night at a church we’ve never been to—there’s a certain mystique about it,” he said.

“Secret Prayer,” as it’s called, began almost a year ago when several pastors who believe God is sending revival to their community decided to pray with and for one another. “What we want to see more than anything is unity,” Burton said. “We need to love each other a lot. That’s what God is going to use to bring revival more than anything else, and prayer does that. It’s hard to hate anyone when you’re praying for, loving, and blessing each other.”

The format is simple. Each week a different church is targeted to receive prayer. Intercessors show up at that church, read Scripture and pray however the Holy Spirit leads. Usually they pray through the church, blessing and interceding for the various ministries that take place in each area.

Attendance varies, but is usually anywhere from 50 to 200, Burton said. It’s a very diverse group of pastors and lay people, with representatives from different denominations, ethnicities and church sizes. The largest participating church has more than 10,000 members; the smallest only a couple of dozen.

The biggest result is that people are always encouraged, Burton said. One story that particularly sticks out to him is of a little Baptist church the group prayed for late one Friday night. It had only about 30 regular attenders. But within two or three weeks of the Secret Prayer meeting, attendance had doubled.

Although many churches request repeat visits, and sometimes the group will do that, Secret Prayer more typically aims to pray in a different church each week in order to reach as many churches as possible, Burton said. Churches and intercessors find out about the meetings mostly by word of mouth, although there is a website and they have made up business cards to hand out to people who inquire.

We can’t wait to pray with you!

John Burton
theLab