Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” We have all made this declaration thousands of times, and yet, there are so many insidious ways that the enemy of our souls finds to take our hearts off of God’s heavenly will for His kingdom on earth. When I first married my husband, I was so grateful to God that I unintentionally allowed Dave to become an idol in my life. This is, I believe, n

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “Nothing but the knowledge of God, as the Holy One, will make us holy. And how are we to obtain that knowledge of God, except in the inner chamber, our private place of prayer? It is a thing utterly impossible unless we take time and allow the holiness of God to shine on us.” ~ Andrew Murray Whenever Moses entered the presence of the Lord, his face shone: “It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Si

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries What is it we are asking for as we pray for revival? Ultimately, it is for the people of God to begin to experience the presence of Christ in a fresh new way. All other results flow from that. Changed lives in the Church as well as transformation in a culture come not from human effort, but the power of God made manifest in the lives of His people. This isn’t about praying for a better life or that things would

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Many churches struggle with helping people to connect with kingdom ministry when they are unsure of what God wants them to do. Training the Church in the intercessory ministry of Jesus can help most people gain a crucial connectivity to the power of God no matter what life stage or circumstance they are in. We are called to live like Jesus. In Romans 8:34, the one thing we know for sure Jesus is currently doing

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Every election season brings a certain degree of anxiety or uneasiness. It’s a big change when one leader steps down and another takes his or her place. Over the past few years, it seems there is a greater level of anxiety and even anger surrounding our national elections. Social media is a reflection of that. Try expressing an opinion on social media without someone becoming angry about your comments. Today, Ch

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Several years ago, I prayed with a young woman I had not previously met who was suffering many stresses in her young life: a struggling child, her grandfather’s recent stroke, a difficult ex-husband and a lack of peace. She was a strong believer in Jesus and deeply desired for God to move in her life. As we prayed through these issues one by one, I sensed the Spirit urging me to ask her if she had forgiven her e

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Spiritual and numerical growth for churches has been under the magnifying glass for many years. There have been multiple strategies put forward to remedy the struggles and deficiencies associated with drawing people to Jesus and His Church…and then growing them into fully committed disciples of Jesus. However, all one needs to do is study the book of Acts to find God’s solution: kingdom-focused corporate praye

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I love nativity scenes. The one I have at my office was made in Bethlehem, carved out of olive wood. It’s a full-service scene including Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepherds, donkeys, sheep, and even three wise men and their camels, although biblically they weren’t actually on the scene at that time! But there is something missing from my scene, and most others as well. It’s a Dragon. If you really want to be b

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “When you are able to create a lonely place in the middle of your actions and concerns, your successes and failures slowly can lose some of their power over you.” ~ Henri Nouwen, Out of Solitude Jesus would regularly separate Himself from the crowds, and even from the disciples, to go off to a lonely, quiet place to pray. It was in the place of solitude where Jesus met with His Father in deepest intimacy so that

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I have a confession. Sometimes I still get anxious before the Lord. And when I do, my words to Him are a bit like a baby’s cry. I don’t typically know why I’m anxious or upset, so I can’t always articulate it. It’s just a cry. It’s always uncomfortable and troubling. The psalmist speaks powerfully of the solution to this in Psalm 131:2-4: “But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries A few years ago, a dear friend went through a major health challenge. She walked through a lot of darkness and difficulty. Yet, in the midst of her struggle, she said to me, “I would not have chosen to miss going through every bit of this struggle because of all God did in and through me.” Knowing how much she had suffered physically, mentally and financially through an intensely dark time, this gift of grace to

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I work with many leadership teams, including pastors, prayer ministry teams, missions teams, etc. about hearing from God together for next steps…for decision-making and roadmaps into the future of kingdom work, etc. Of course, without each individual practicing the spiritual discipline of listening prayer first, the corporate exercise of listening cannot be fully realized. Lisa Swanson has defined listening pray

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “Why, O Lord, do You make us wander from Your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere You? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes that are Your inheritance” (Isa. 63:17). “Wander from Your ways” is powerfully descriptive as we consider how easy it is to move away from a right relationship to God. It does not take effort to drift. You just quit trying. You lose focus. Staying close to God requir

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Sometimes God just puts things into perspective and smacks me upside the head! I was struggling to write today…nothing was coming to mind, even as I prayed and searched the Scriptures for a jump start. I was beginning to get frustrated and was feeling a bit sorry for myself. And then – God intervened! A phone call came into the office from a desperate woman whose son has been missing for two days. She was weepin

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “But You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; You, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is Your name” (Isaiah 63:16). This scripture passage has a powerful and much-needed statement of faith. In spite of the poor spiritual condition of the nation and their estrangement from God, His people still spoke out by faith the truth that God was their Father. It was an ess

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “Where is He who set His Holy Spirit among them, who sent His glorious arm of power to be at Moses’ right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for Himself everlasting renown, who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord. This is how You guided Your people to make for Yourself

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Psalm 24:3-4). When my husband and I were preparing for a three month sabbatical in 2015, it was our sense that our most effective years of ministry lay ahead, and we felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to spend some time in rest and play…but a

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “Then His people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and His people–where is He who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who set His Holy Spirit among them…” (Isaiah 63:11). “Recalled” is a powerful word. Especially in this situation, the recollection of what God had done in the past led to a revival among the Lord’s people. It is so easy to forget the amazing works o

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries 2 Thessalonians has become one of my favorite books of the Bible. It is filled with blessings to pray for and over others! What I love about these verses is how simple it is to adapt each prayer for believers wherever they may be and whatever circumstance in which they find themselves. It is easy to change pronouns or put in the names of the person/persons you wish to pray for as you bring them to the throne of

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries There are many definitions for revival. For the Christian, they all revolve around experiencing the Presence of Christ in a fresh, new way. My friend, David Bryant, has often said that the Second Coming of Christ will be the greatest revival, because it will be the clearest expression of the Presence of Christ. Until that time, though, the Spirit of Christ will continue to stir us up to pray for an even greater

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries No matter how long I teach on prayer, I don’t think I’ll ever plumb the depths of the teaching of Jesus on prayer through what we call The Lord’s Prayer. In its simplicity it is packed with practical guidance for effective prayer. I believe that the focus of this prayer is the heart of Jesus’ other teaching as well…the Kingdom. Jesus’ lifestyle and teaching focused on the Kingdom of God. So it shouldn’t surprise

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Whenever I watch the news and see our nation erupting in pain, suffering and violence, my heart is grieved and my spirit aches for God to pour out revival in our midst – that there might be a great move of His Spirit, a re-establishment, restoration and renewal of the family…and hearts that are turned to Jesus resulting in Christlike obedience and behavior. Yet, without repentance on the part of God’s people, p

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I was recently recalling an occasion in my life when I spent a lot of time and effort trying to fix a situation in my own strength. The outcome, as you can probably imagine, was a disaster. My ideas, my wisdom, my experience and my advice were so filled with my own fleshly desire to see quick resolution of conflict and peace prevail that, to my shame, I neglected the Kingdom purposes of God…and indeed, God Himse

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries Over the past several months, I have found myself longing for more opportunities for solitude…for time with God that for this season of my life seemingly can only be found in the peaceful, set apart spaces. More than a quiet time, more than sitting alone in silence for a few minutes of the day…I need to make room for unhurried stillness so I can just be…and so I can hear God’s voice with greater clarity. I have