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It’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy of activity as we push hard to advance the Kingdom of God on earth and manage our work lives, family lives, church responsibilities, etc. If we use Jesus Christ as our example, as well we should, we see that His approach to advancing God’s agenda was first – to retreat. Retreating, not in the sense of acceptance of defeat; but rather, withdrawing from normal activity for a period in order to prepare for intense activity. Jesus began His ministry by withdrawing into the wilderness for 40 days of prayer and fasting. He continued that practice throughout His years of ministry. One verse that continually challenges us is found in Mark 1:35: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place to pray.” Let me ask you a very serious question. If Jesus, the Lord of the Universe, needed to get away to a solitary place, away from distractions, to be able to pray, who are we to think that we don’t need it, or that our busy schedules don’t allow that “luxury”? It is precisely because we have busy schedules that we need that time of withdrawal. Why retreat? Why not just a little extra prayer time at home? Is it necessary to go away to pray? Certainly we all pray in our homes, and that will remain the site of most of our praying. But Jesus saw the need to get out of the house (see Mark 1:35) and away from potential distractions. When I want to move into a time of extended prayer, I almost always need to get away – away from technology, day to day responsibilities, and especially from the clutter that pulls me away from prayer. For some, retreat may simply mean an extended walk where prayer becomes the main focus. For most, however, retreat means finding a place, usually near nature, where current cares and worries can be laid aside and serious prayer taken up. Whether for a day or a week, a carefully planned out retreat can revitalize your spiritual, emotional, and even physical well-being. Some may think of a retreat as only for crisis situations; a potential change in work or ministry…overload or burnout…marital and family problems…and the list could go on. A retreat can be heaven-sent during those times of crisis and decision-making, but that’s not its basic intent. A prayer retreat ought to be a regular part of the Christian’s spiritual walk. The reason is the amazing opportunities it provides for drawing near to God. Drawing near is not just a command for the believer. It needs to be the overwhelming desire of our hearts. Yet, though we may desire to be close to our heavenly Father and to walk in greater intimacy with Him, often the pressure of daily activities prevents us from spending the time necessary to quiet ourselves before the Lord. Going away from distractions and to a place of peace is often the needed element to restore and refresh us in our Christian lives. There are many possibilities when you look for a place to get away with the Lord for an extended time of fellowship with Him and for prayer. You could choose a place prepared just for that purpose. God seems to be leading many people to prepare places to minister to those who are ready to retreat and experience God’s refreshing presence. Look around the area where you live, and you may just discover one of these special places for retreat. However, not everyone can just drop everything and head to a beautiful piece of paradise somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. There are other possibilities. Several times I have gone to state parks and looked for secluded areas to spend time alone with God. Even tucking yourself away in a quiet corner of a hotel lobby is a good option if you can’t take a lot of time to travel somewhere. I have a friend who regularly goes to an abandoned farmhouse that he has received permission to stay at for his time alone. One day my wife and I went to the basement of a church to spend some extended time in prayer. It wasn’t a place of natural beauty, but it was quiet and private. Weather often dictates your location. How to Evaluate Your Need for a Prayer Retreat If you are feeling close to spiritual burn-out, you definitely need to spend some significant time seeking the Lord’s plan and purpose. If you are in the throes of a major decision, you will need time to seek God instead of trying to decide within the context of the busyness of your work or ministry. If you are beginning to feel stress in your work, and feel your schedule getting away from you, it is probably time to withdraw for some time alone in prayer before the situation gets worse. If you have a deep need/desire to draw closer to God and the cares of life continually get in the way. Many people, especially those in ministry, wait until they are badly damaged or extremely frustrated before taking a retreat. It is our hope that you will consider putting time for prayer retreat into your schedule and honoring it on a regular basis. This appointment should become more important than any other!

I will always remember November 11, 1997. It was a holiday, so my family and I went to Indianapolis to relax and to do some shopping. After a full day, we went to the airport to pick up some relatives and drive them back to Terre Haute. My mother’s brother was waiting there for us. He had driven to the airport to give us the news that my mother had suffered a major stroke earlier that day. Suddenly, getting back home was an urgent matter. We drove quickly home and went straight to the hospital. Certain things in life can bring a sense of urgency. It may be as mundane as hunger or thirst, or a crisis such as a medical emergency. When circumstances move together to create that urgency, suddenly everything changes. The normal things we do are laid aside and we focus all our attention on fulfilling that which has created the tension or crisis in our life. Urgency causes shifts in priorities and activities. Previously important activities fade into the background. The Time Is Short I believe God is calling the Church to a new sense of urgency. It is time to lay aside the normal routine. In one sense, this is the way the Church has been called to live at all times. In another way, this sense of urgency is for God’s people today. The Bible teaches much about time and the Christian’s wise use of it. One of the clearest teachings in Scripture regarding time is that it is limited for humans. We only have a relatively short time to live on this planet. Therefore, it is important that we “make the most of every opportunity.” Consider these passages: “We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope”  (1 Chronicles 29:15). “You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath”  (Psalm 39:5). “ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom”  (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Time is considered a gift from God and is intended to be used in a way that brings glory to Him. Ponder these texts: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”  (Psalm 90:12). “Be very careful, then, how you live  –  not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil”  (Ephesians 5:15-16). “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity”  (Colossians 4:5). Sometimes this shortness of time is expressed in relationship to the coming of the Lord to bring all time to an end:  “What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn as if they did not; those who are happy as if they were not; those who buy something as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away”  (1 Corinthians 7:29-31). Urgency in the Bible is sometimes connected to both the completion of a task and a passion that connects one to God. I believe the following passage speaks strongly to us today of that situation:  “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch”  (Isaiah 62:1). Isaiah had begun to sense God’s heart for his people. Through drawing near in prayer, the prophet’s heart was lining up with God’s heart. Many times the Lord had revealed His unfailing love for Israel and His desire for His people to return to Him. Isaiah began to pray the Lord’s agenda…and it was a prayer of passion and urgency. Making God’s Passion Our Own It is time today for the people of God to begin to hear God’s heart…so that we may pray with passion about that which God is passionate about. As we draw near to Him in prayer and in His Word, it becomes apparent that there are two things today that ought to bring a strong sense of urgency to the Church: 1) the revival of the Church, and 2) the completion of the task of world evangelization. God earnestly desires a Bride for His Son who is pure and spotless, and without blemish. This certainly will require a massive change on the part of the Church that could only happen through Heaven-sent revival. This Bride is to be comprised of people from every tongue, tribe, and nation. The revival of the Church and resulting completion of the task of world evangelization come from the very passions of God and require us to take up this task with urgency. It is time for the Church to begin to pray with the urgency and passion of Isaiah. This time, we pray for the new Zion, the new Jerusalem…the people of God. Like the prophet of old, we too say, “I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch”   (Isaiah 62:1). We must lay aside lesser things. The call is for today. It is a call for the people of God to urgently pray the heart of God for our generation. “Rise up, O Church of God! Have done with lesser things; Give heart and mind and soul and strength To serve the King of Kings.” –William P. Merrill

Recently I met with a pastor who shared that he had missed his customary morning prayer time with the Lord due to an unforeseen schedule conflict. He went on to tell me that this occurrence led him to question what it might be like for the people in his church when they, too, miss regular times of prayer. Would they struggle with feeling out of sync and slightly “off” for the day? As we mulled this over, we explored what the Lord might have to say. Must we experience a “disconnect” with ourselves or a sense of things not being quite right just because we occasionally miss our usual prayer appointment with the Lord? How can we remain connected all the time? One Formula that Works Whether or not we miss a set appointment with the Lord on any given day does not change the fact that Jesus came to live among us and to form a unique relationship with us. John 1:14 tells us, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” God did not simply send us a manual to live by. He sent us the living text in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. By the very nature of His relationship with us, He has set the stage so that you and I can remain vitally connected to Him. Relying on formulas can sometimes get us in trouble, but here is a promise from God’s Word that is simple, straightforward, and works without fail:  If we abide in Christ, He abides in us (John 15:4, NASB). The Greek meaning for the word “abide” is to remain, to continue, to stay. Abiding has to do with the concept of  being  rather than  doing,  which is not an easy accomplishment for overscheduled Americans or task-driven Type-A personalities. Let’s look a little more closely at what it means to abide: Definitions of “abide”: To wait for,  await To endure without yielding,  withstand To bear patiently,  endure To remain in one place Synonyms (strict and slang) for “abide”: To stay, dwell, remain To hang around, stick around Tarry In Silicon Valley where I live, “hanging out,” “sticking around,” or “tarrying” without an agenda is almost unheard of. If one wants to survive and get ahead, multi-tasking is the name of the game in most sectors of the population. In fact, “tarrying without an agenda” is another name for “loitering,” and violators may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law! A Relationship Renewed in Maui Abiding is about being in relationship with Christ, and the relationship is more important than the things we do or don’t do. This truth was driven home to me earlier in my Christian life when the Lord took my family to live in Maui for 19 months. We had just come off an intensive time of ministry where our lives had been filled with doing many good things for the Lord, but I was on the verge of serious burnout from the intensity and non-stop ministry commitments. When I first arrived in Maui, I immediately put into motion plans for getting involved in the work of the Lord. But something was very wrong. I began to enter a season of spiritual dryness such as I had never known before. It was as if I’d arrived in the wilderness instead of the place of peace and rest I associated with Maui. Accompanying this was a complete lack of energy that soon forced me to withdraw from everything I had signed up for. This was a harsh adjustment for me, and only when the swirl of activity ceased did I begin to understand that this dry season had its particular purpose and that  where I was  would be vital to  where I was going. A shocking first revelation was that God, in removing me from ministry for a season, was removing  from  me a false sense of security—one based on ministry accomplishments. He hadn’t at all minded that I drew great satisfaction from my teaching, writing, and various other gifts and abilities, but He drew the line at seeing the shift to my trusting in these things as the source of my self-worth. He wanted to be the focal point, the centerpiece of my life. Thus He began to firmly root my security in Him. I settled into life on Maui which, by most peoples’ standards, was enviable. I managed a small resort with the ocean right outside our door, and spending my days caring for the lovely grounds provided a much-needed tonic for my weary body, soul, and spirit. Long, leisurely walks on the beach and meeting people from around the world worked miracles of rejuvenation. Without the external demands of ministry, I fell into a new rhythm with the Lord that was filled with a joyful flow of continuous communication. As long as I  abided  with Jesus and kept my eyes fixed on Him, my life on Maui was nurturing and healing. A new level of intimacy was developing with my Lord. Even so, something happened regularly that was perplexing to me. At some point in my daily communications with the Lord, He would ask, “Am I enough?” Without hesitation I would reply, “Yes, Lord, You are enough.” This exchange became a daily ritual for us. Needless to say, I was puzzled. One day, many months into my stay on Maui and when I was feeling stronger and more spiritually revived, I asked the Lord, “Why do You continue to ask, ‘Am I enough?’ Haven’t I answered that question to your satisfaction?” Surprisingly, He answered with yet another set of questions that revealed His longing for me to understand what it actually means that He is with me at every turn, in every situation in life. “Ginny,” I heard, “am I enough for you if I do not return to you any of your former gifts, talents, and abilities?  Am I enough for you if I do not return you home?” “Am I enough,” He continued, “if I do not restore your friendships or your ministry—or your marriage?” This time there was only silence on my part. I had no quick answer, but I finally understood the depth and meaning of His questions. I was to look deep within and ask myself, “Do I really believe He is sufficient for all my needs? He calls Himself the “I AM.” What does that mean to me?” I knew He hoped my answer would be, “Lord, You are whatever I need at any point in my life, and I long to know and stay connected to You at a deep heart level. I want to experience more and more of how  enough  You are.” And that would eventually be how I answered Him. Do-Able Prayers for Abiding During my times of meditation and contemplation on Maui, I learned to offer up very simple d o-able  prayers that helped keep me in the place of a biding . Frequent reading of His Word restored a “moisture” to my life, keeping me refreshed and encouraged. We are not to be peddlers of God’s Word, but people of sincerity who are commissioned by Him. And when we have found our place of  abiding  with Christ, the fragrance of Christ is spread by us, for we are to God the aroma of Christ and we carry the fragrance of life (2 Cor. 2:14–17). Here are some do-able prayers that I offered up frequently during my stay on Maui. Lord, have mercy on me (Ps. 86:3). Lord, impart Your thoughts to me (1 Cor. 2:10, Isa. 55:8). Lord, help me to take every thought captive to You (2 Cor. 10:5). Lord, test and examine my ways (Lam. 3:40, Jer. 17:10). Lord, make my desires Your desires (Ps. 37:4). Lord, help me to be faithful in small things (Luke 16:10). Lord, show me which way I should turn today (Isa. 30:21). Lord, keep me in Your dwelling place (Ps. 84:1). Lord, keep me on track today (Phil. 3:12–16). Lord, give me Your mind (1 Cor. 2:16). Lord, help me to set my mind on things above (Col. 3:2). Lord, help my speech to be gracious (Col. 4:6). Lord, keep me in Your shelter and give me Your rest (Ps. 91:1). Lord, more of You and less of me (John 3:30). Jesus, Our Ultimate Model Jesus is our ultimate model for  abiding.  He was always in the place of abiding with His Father when He was on earth. At one point, when His anxious parents were looking for Him, He asked, “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49)? Truly, one can only be about God’s business if they are in a place of  abiding . At a recent Pastors’ Prayer Breakfast we broke into small groups to pray for one another. As I was praying for one of the pastors, the Lord brought to my mind’s eye an image of the Pool of Bethesda. You may recall this pool from John 5 and how it was renowned for its curative powers. As I continued to gaze into this mental image in prayer, I could see the pool located right next to the left arm of this pastor. In fact, the pastor was as close to the pool as he could possibly be without jumping right in. As I allowed the Lord to increase my understanding of this image, I could see the Holy Spirit busily stirring the waters and welcoming the pastor in. I saw that the pastor’s right side was conducting his ministry work uninterrupted while at the same time his left side, which was barely touching the water, was receiving all the refreshment and benefit needed. There was no need for him to stop what he was doing for this to happen. We can see in this vision a great present day application for ourselves because of the intercession of Jesus. Did you know that He is interceding for us all the time? Yesterday, today and tomorrow? The prophet Isaiah referred to the Messiah’s intercession in Isaiah 53:12 and He continues in intercession for each of us individually stirring up the waters of our faith. He is speaking into the Father’s ear on our behalf around the clock. Yes, even now (Heb. 7:24–25, Rom. 8:34)! Step into the Stirring Waters Just as the Holy Spirit was engaged in rousing the curative powers in Bethesda’s waters, Jesus is busy stirring up the waters of faith and life for us with His continuous intercession. And even as we go about our day-to-day responsibilities, we can enter into that miraculous place of  abiding  and receive the full benefits of the water of life He is moving for us right where we are! Abiding in Christ is not about performance or what we can do for Him; it is about a relationship that we engage in on an ongoing basis. We can be in relationship with Jesus at all times, even in the hectic pace of a given day.  Jesus is interceding for us 24/7, stirring up the waters of life and faith for us to step into in any given moment. When we a bide  in Christ, His fragrance emanates from our life to those around us. –This article is adapted from  Do-Able Prayer  © 2012 Ginny Kisling. Used with permission.

Here are ten ways to pray for your pastor(s) so they will see their churches become houses of prayer for all nations! Pray for your pastors to be: people who seek intimacy with God and who have discipline and passion regarding fasting and prayer in family life and ministry. models of prayer, demonstrating prayer as the basis from which all other ministries develop and grow. diligent in planning dynamic and creative prayer experiences. preachers and teachers on the subject of prayer. receptive to prayer partners/intercessors as ministry partners. prayer allies with other local pastors. seen as giving priority to prayer in church board, business and staff meetings. people of vision who will mobilize and organize people to pray toward specific kingdom goals. involved in community-wide, national and global prayer initiatives. encouragers and equippers of church people whose ministries are prayer and/or prayer mobilization. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind other ways He wants to guide you in prayer for your pastor(s)!

How does prayer actually work?   The best and simplest answer we have ever heard to this question involves a wonderful graphic developed by Dr. Alvin VanderGriend. Follow the directions below to get a good visual as we walk through the amazing miracle called prayer! Do this quick exercise with a paper and a pencil or pen: 1. Draw a circle on your paper. 2. At the top of the circle write GOD. 3. Going clockwise, to the right of the circle write HOLY SPIRIT. 4. Continuing clockwise, at the bottom of the circle write BELIEVER. 5. Continuing clockwise, to the left of the circle write JESUS Next, we will work our way around the circle beginning at the top : 1. God – All prayer originates in the mind and heart GOD, for He is the Creator. His word says that God desires for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). He created us, and created prayer as the way for us to have intimacy with Him and to communicate with Him. God wants us to seek His kingdom and righteousness first and then all of the rest will be added (Matthew 6:33). God cares about what we need, and hears the desires of our hearts. However, He wants us to focus our prayers on seeking His kingdom first…and then He will add the rest as it lines up with His kingdom plans and purposes. So, if prayer is about what God wants to have happen in His kingdom FIRST, how do we learn to pray the kingdom way rather than to focus on ourselves first? Here is where the Holy Spirit comes into the process of prayer as we move around our circle. 2. Holy Spirit – In our humanity, we cannot know the mind of God. But the Holy Spirit knows the mind of the Father.1 Corinthians 2:11 says: “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.” The Holy Spirit brings what is on the heart of God to the believers, so that we can pray the will of God. If we will pay attention to the Spirit, we will be able to pray effectively for the things God wants to accomplish on earth as it is in heaven. We have an important role in prayer! 3. Believers – The Holy Spirit, having heard and knowing what is on the heart of God, brings the desires of the Father to God’s people – the Believers. This can come through the word of God, the prompting of the Spirit moving in our hearts, and through others who have heard from the Spirit. Always test anything you think you hear from the Spirit by making sure it aligns with and agrees with God’s word. Just because another person tells you he or she has heard from God, doesn’t mean they have heard correctly. It is the same with our own prayers. Be sure that what you think you hear doesn’t go against what God teaches. Sometimes we need to be submissive to the things we do not know, and recognize that we may be praying selfishly (“My will be done on earth” instead of “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”) God’s best outcome is often outside of our knowing, which is why the Holy Spirit comes alongside of us to help. To punctuate this point, Romans 8:26-27 (TLB) says, “And in the same way—by our faith—the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying. For we don’t even know what we should pray for nor how to pray as we should, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying as he pleads for us in harmony with God’s own will.” Isn’t it good to know that the Holy Spirit will help us pray what is on the heart of God when we don’t have the words, or when we aren’t sure how to pray in certain situations? Jesus Himself tells us, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (1 John 5:14-15). This passage compels us to believe that those things which we know are on the heart of God are things He wants us to pray. He states clearly that He will answer these kinds of prayers. Here are a few that prayers we can pray with full confidence that God wants to answer: • Father, we ask that all people will have an opportunity to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ: “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then, finally, the end will come (Matthew 24:14). • Lord God, I pray that Your people would be one, just as Jesus prayed: “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me” (John 17:22-23). • Father, please help me to love others as You have loved me: “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you (John 15:12). Our prayer ascends to the Father through Jesus Christ: 4. Jesus – When we have aligned our prayers with the will of God, and have put our hearts in a posture of submission to the Holy Spirit, we can confidently take our prayers to God through the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we now have direct access to God the Father. This compels us to trust what God’s word says: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16). Praying “in the name of Jesus” isn’t a magic formula and doesn’t mean tacking on five words at the end of every prayer. It doesn’t mean that if we don’t say these words, God won’t hear our prayer. It does mean that we are taking our prayers directly to God our Father through the power of the Risen Christ because we are His followers and believe the words of Jesus. When we pray, we stand before our Father’s throne of grace and He hears us because we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. We believe that Jesus and the Father are One. Here are two scriptures to help us understand what Jesus means: • “Then you will present your petitions over my signature! And I won’t need to ask the Father to grant you these requests, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from the Father “(John 16:26-27). • “Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you” (John 16:23). Where is the weak link in prayer? What’s so amazing for us to realize is that prayer is three-fourths GOD, interacting with the one-fourth that is…us! The Trinity is actively involved in prayer, and we, as the believers, have been invited into the process by our Creator, who made us in His image to commune and to communicate with Him. So, if prayer breaks down on some level, where is the weak link in the cycle? If you said, “Me!” or “Us!” you are correct! Many times we try to do everything on our own – to be the answer to our prayers apart from God, but “we do not have if we do not ask” (James 4:2). Sometimes our last resort instead of our first response to needs or situations is prayer…we try everything else first. This should compel us to spend more time praying! Prayer is not simply something we are supposed to do because we are Christians. It is something God has told us we MUST do, and that He desires us to do. Sometimes prayer is our worship (loving on God). Other times, it is just sitting in His presence enjoying His company. It can also be listening to discern what the Holy Spirit is telling us about the heart of God, and what He wants us to pray about. Once we align ourselves with His will (plans and purposes), we can feel confident approaching God at this point to intercede (praying for others and situations) and petition Him (praying for our own needs). Seek first the kingdom of God a Understanding this cycle of prayer will help you as you gain confidence in praying! Soon, connecting with God in prayer will be second-nature and you will be able to come to His throne of grace with boldness!

Today’s culture is desperate for a fresh infusion of extraordinary love. The Lord’s Church has been uniquely designed to provide it. Yet many of us are distracted or even paralyzed by the negative, angry, polarizing climate surrounding us. This prayer guide examines what Scripture says about love, and then encourages God’s people to pray and boldly demonstrate that extraordinary love in action. May we as believers be known as people who love completely and without reservation or hesitation so that many will be drawn to Jesus, the source of such great love. Pray that you would love God completely so that you can love others completely. “Jesus said: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:37–39). Many of us agree wholeheartedly with these two commandments. However, living them out with integrity, purpose, and humility is often difficult. We need great courage so we do not shrink away from actively and passionately pursuing this mandate from the Father. My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, when You were asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” You didn’t hesitate. You gave us two! Show me what it means to love this much. Teach me how to love You so well that love for others naturally flows from Your heart into mine—and then into the lives of the people all around me. Pray that you would love your enemies with supernatural love. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. . . If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” (Matt. 5:43–46). Scripture tells us clearly that our enemy is not other people: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). We must fight the right battle by refusing to hate those we perceive as enemies. Instead, although it’s completely countercultural, God says we are to love them and pray for them. My Prayer:  Father, I struggle with some of the people in my life who have set their hearts against me, or who have wronged me or someone I love. Remind me daily that these people are not my enemies. Show me ways to pray for them so that my heart will soften and change. Nurture within me a heart filled with forgiveness, and remove any bitterness. I know that in my own flesh I can’t love them extraordinarily, but with You all things are possible. Please give me a supernatural love that transcends my feelings and emotions. I trust You to love through me even when it is difficult! Pray that you would love others without condition. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love” (John 15:9–10). We may casually throw around the words unconditional love yet still put conditions upon loving, such as “if you agree with me, I will love you,” or ”if you look like I do, I will love you.” This happens often in families and friendships. People are emotionally blackmailed into changing their points of view, lifestyles, or thought patterns to make peace or to receive the love of others. However, if God is love—and He is—His followers must unconditionally extend love to others because He first loved us and commands us to love as He loves. My Prayer:  Heavenly Father, You created each of us uniquely, and I know You want us to love one another no matter the circumstances surrounding our relationships. Teach me what it means to “remain” in Your great love so that You can show me how to supernaturally love those who think, act, talk, or respond differently than I do. Fill my heart with love that overcomes my temptation to marginalize or separate those who are unlike me. Help me to learn to love with a no-strings-attached love that comes from You, the One who is love. Pray that you would love with the genuine love of Christ. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Rom. 12:9–10). It is much easier to say we love someone than to demonstrate it in a tangible way. We do not have to compromise what is right and good in order to love. We are compelled as Christ-followers to love genuinely: to hate the activity of the devil while still loving even those who carry out his work. Our love for others is to be faithful and fervent, and we are to bless and honor others above ourselves. My Prayer:  God of Grace, sometimes I feel as if I have a heart of stone instead of a heart of flesh (Ezek. 36:26). Please awaken the Spirit of the Living Christ in my heart so that I might love with a sincerity that is true. Show me the evil I need to abhor and the good I must honestly embrace. Establish within me a deep humility so that I can honor others above myself. Pray that you would love through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. “I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me” (Rom. 15:30). Jesus is God’s ultimate gift of love! Jesus lives to intercede for us. He is our continual mediator before God: “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25). Every prayer Jesus prays on our behalf is the perfect will of God for us. It is His gift to us and the example of how we should continually pray for one another. My Prayer:  Father, it amazes me to think that Jesus, who lives in me, also intercedes before You on my behalf. Your great love for me resulted in the birth, death, and resurrection of Your own Son so that I might live forever. Please awaken within me the love of the Spirit so that every prayer I pray is one I offer from a heart of love in Jesus Christ. Pray that you would serve others in love, not out of obligation or duty. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Gal. 5:13). “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Eph. 4:2). When everything we do and say is from the loving heart of Jesus, it becomes extraordinary, supernatural love. When we love well, it changes everything about our attitudes in serving others. My Prayer:  God of Love, I could spend the rest of my life plumbing the depths of Your amazing love. I’m grateful for how specific You are in teaching me through Your Word what love is like. Jesus, I want my love to look like Yours. Give me the grace to embrace the kind of love that “never fails” so that I can serve others in humility. Pray that you would love others in a spirit of unity. “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Phil. 2:1–2). The world needs to see the great love believers have for one another. If the world is to take Christianity seriously, believers must demonstrate how such love compels them to go out into their culture. It is then that we become the answer to the prayer Jesus prayed in John 17:22–23: “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” My Prayer : Righteous Father, show me what it means to be united in love with those who love You. We are all different in so many ways, and yet You call us to a higher level of love— the kind of love that brings all Your followers together as one in Spirit. Help me, in turn, to demonstrate that life-giving love to a lost world. Take time to seek ways God wants you to experience His love, and then extend the love He has given you beyond yourself to others.

One of the most neglected aspects of our prayer lives–whether individual or corporate, is the need for confession and repentance. We all know that we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all know that when we ask for forgiveness with a truly repentant heart, it is freely given to us by the grace of God through the blood of Christ. So, if we as Christians know this and believe it….why are we so negligent in practicing it? Why is confession so often overlooked or glossed over in personal and corporate prayer? Is it, perhaps, that the weight of guilt from certain sins sometimes leaves us paralyzed and unable to act? Is it because so many “little” sinful acts are not considered important enough to bring before God? The “white lie” or the “little bit of gossip” or the “fleeting thoughts” have become so insignificant that we don’t even look upon them as sin. Our culture has left us desensitized to the “little sins.” We are daily becoming more morally corrupt–one “minor” sin at a time. When we can continually stretch what we will allow our minds to absorb and our eyes to take in from our social media, televisions, movies, the books we read, the people we are around, etc. we are becoming more and more a part of the world and less and less a part of the kingdom of God. If we would just stop to think how the Lord of the Universe, who lives in us, views the things we consider “acceptable,” our mind-sets would change drastically. If we would continually ask the question, “Is this pleasing to God?” we would have no difficulty discerning what we need to stay away from. Instead, we gradually begin to look more like those who are in the world rather than reflecting the image of Christ. Dick Eastman, in  The Hour That Changes the World , says, “Confession is a heartfelt recognition of what we are. It is important to God because it indicates that we take seriously our mistakes and failures. Of course, God does not ask us to confess our sins because He needs to know we have sinned, but because He knows that we need to know we have sinned.” Many of us, when we do confess, take a matter-of-fact, less-than-contrite approach. We expect God to immediately forgive us for saying the right words…like when we were children apologizing only to keep from being punished or only because we were caught–not because our hearts were repentant. “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit” (Psalm 32:2); “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). What God wants from us is holiness–which can only come from a truly repentant heart. The Lord has called our hearts to purity and moral uprightness–under whatever circumstances we find ourselves. Bending God’s standards for our lives is never acceptable, and yet over and over we rationalize them to please others, or to be accepted. E. M. Bounds has said, “Men do not love holy praying, because they do not love holy living.” Settling for less than God’s best for us allows the enemy to chip away at our moral character. When we let our guard down –as individuals and as the Church–the enemy is waiting to advance, and to take advantage of our weakness. God’s people need to be holy as He is holy. Holiness doesn’t “settle” for small amounts of sin. Any sin grieves the Father who loves us. Our standards should never be set by others–only by God, whose standards are clear and commanded. He is under no obligation to answer our prayers if we have sin in our lives. Dick Eastman has some wonderful insights into the necessity of confession in prayer. He says, “My prayer life will never rise above my personal life in Jesus Christ. If my personal life touches too much of the world, my prayer life suffers.” “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). Eastman continues, “According to Scripture there can be no effective prayer life where sin maintains its grip in the life of the believer. This is why confession is critical to our praying and should be implemented early in prayer. It clears the conscience of faith-killing guilt and opens the heart to truly believe God will hear our petitions.” Confession gives God access into our hearts and removes any hindrances to effective prayer. Harold Lindsell, in his book,  When You Pray , describes confession as a type of spiritual surgery when he says, “It (confession) works healing to the wound incurred in the heart. Just as the surgeon lances a boil to permit the infection to drain and to heal from the inside, so confession opens the sore, drains the poison, and heals from within.” Our sins, large or small, should grieve us enough to desire never to do them again. “No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him” (1 John 3:6). Let’s not wait until the burden of our sin drives us to our knees (Psalm 32:3-5). Instead, let’s go to God regularly, willingly asking Him to examine our hearts and “see if there is any offensive way in us” (Psalm 139:23-24). We should make a prayer habit of “keeping short accounts” with God. According to John Allan Lavendar, “Before you pray for a change in circumstances, you should pray for a change in character.” As we confess before Him, and true repentance takes place in our hearts, then fruit will be the result. “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance….” (Luke 3:8). God is waiting to pour out revival on a repentant, earnestly praying Church. He is waiting for the prayers of His people who are grieving over the moral condition of this nation and this world. “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Coming into God’s presence with repentant hearts in the act of confession paves the way for His grace in the act of forgiveness, and frees us for the ultimate goal of prayer: glorifying God with world-changing prayer!

Holiness might be considered a strange topic by many to be addressed at the beginning of the third millennium after Christ. In our culture today, it’s almost a forgotten topic.  It is given brief consideration but not taken seriously by many. The reason lies in the fact that many aren’t living holy lives and have very little to say to others about holiness. I want to say at the outset to those who may get uncomfortable about the topic of holiness, that the doctrines of grace and freedom in Christ are absolutely true. But when those absolutely essential doctrines are taught without the balancing view of God’s holiness and the intended holiness of the believer, we swing way out of balance. Most Christians today could testify that they would have avoided a great deal of harm in their lives had they been taught more of holiness and practiced more of it in their lives. Let’s lay it out very clearly.  God not only commands us to be holy, but He has provided for us a way to holiness and therefore leaves us without excuse. We cannot blame our society or culture for our unholiness.  Believers in New Testament times were in a society as immoral as can be imagined…. yet were taught and expected to be holy. Listen to the commands of God’s unchanging Word: “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Cor. 7:1). “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb.12:14). “For it is written: Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives” (2 Peter 3:11). “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:7). Since I have been given a ministry of prayer, I typically write concerning prayer. This article too, is ultimately about prayer. We will not have powerful, effective prayer lives until we get serious about living a life of holiness. God’s Word teaches us that God does not normally answer the prayers of those who are not walking in holiness: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). “Your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God, his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob” (Psalm 24:3-6). Regardless of our prayer skills or lack of, we will not become a mighty people of prayer until we begin to develop a passion for the holy life. I believe that the scriptures we have just looked at show us the way to live a life of holiness. The key to our holiness is nothing less than the holiness of God Himself. We are to be holy because He is holy! Look at what the scriptures say of His holiness: “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you–majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). “And they were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). “Who will  not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:4). Holy . . . set apart . . . different . . . unique . . . perfect. That’s the God we worship. The key to our holiness is to remember that we worship a Holy God. And He has called us to be holy, as He is holy. How can that be? How is it even possible that we sinful creatures can even aspire to holiness? It’s because God says so! It’s really a matter of family characteristics. It is our Father’s nature to be holy. Christians have been born again into God’s family. His genetic structure for holiness has been given to us because of Jesus. When Jesus became Savior and Lord of our lives, we experienced the new birth. The Holy (and I really mean Holy) Spirit came to dwell within us. We still have much of the sin nature within us, but there is also a new nature–a new genetic code if you will–a code of holiness that comes straight from our heavenly Father. Holiness then, becomes a possibility, where before it was an impossibility. The problem arises when we leave it here at the level of theological truth. If we’re not careful we can end up believing that our holiness consists only of the imputed righteousness that comes from Jesus. That can lead us to worry less about sin, because after all . . . we’re forgiven in Jesus and made right through His death and resurrection. This however, is not where God leaves us–a holiness that is not a real holiness at all. Instead you find in scripture the truth that holiness can never be accomplished by any of us by just trying hard. Jesus’ death is absolutely essential for us to experience the new birth and new life in Christ; and it is His righteousness that is now at work in us . . . AND it IS at work in us! God’s Word is clear that He expects us to long for and strive for practical holiness in lifestyle. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 7:1 that we are, “perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” To perfect holiness means to work on it or to strive for it. The motive Paul gives for doing this is out of reverence for God. Developing holiness is wanting to be like our heavenly Father. There’s no greater compliment to a Dad, than when a son or daughter wants to be like him. We give God pleasure as we long for and strive for holiness–to be like our Heavenly Father. The author of Hebrews writes in Hebrews 12:14, “Make every effort…to be holy.” This is not just a passive acceptance of something. This striving for holiness is not to be confused with your salvation. You accepted Christ’s gift of salvation by faith…but now there is effort involved if you want to live a holy life. Paul would say it this way: “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Why with fear and trembling? Because we are doing this under the eye of a Holy God. Without Jesus, there is no possibility of holiness for us. With Jesus, we have been born again into the family of God and God’s holiness has been placed within us. Now we strive with everything within us to live out that life of holiness as we keep our eyes on our Holy God. Peter said it this way in 1 Peter 3:10-12: “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.” And then Peter turns to answered prayer: “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” So how do we live holy lives? We make the Word of God our foundation. We strive to do what it says and to flee from all that it forbids. We keep our mouths from gossip, and our hands from mischief. We seek to do good and not harm. Paul wrote these practical words to the Thessalonians: “Live in peace with each other. And we urge you brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:13-18). God is waiting for His people to pray! But the prayers that He hears come from the lips of a holy people–a people set apart and dedicated to God.

“How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near Your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You. Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on Your anointed one. Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in You.” Psalm 84 is a prayer of pilgrimage for those who are traveling to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. As such, it is a fitting model for those of us who find ourselves on a pilgrimage through this world. The Apostle Peter describes us as  “strangers in the world”  (1 Peter 1:1). We move through this life recognizing that, according to Jesus, we are in the world, but not of the world. One of the major distinctions between the Old Testament pilgrims and the New Testament saints is that we are no longer making a physical journey to a specific building to encounter God. Though we continue to grow “toward” God, the most amazing fact of our pilgrimage is that we are journeying “with” God. Through His Spirit, God Himself has come to dwell in us and lead us through this life. This does not mean that we do not need to seek after God. The vast majority, if not all believers struggle to walk in that continual awareness of the Lord’s presence in our lives. We must still keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. Learning to pray Psalm 84 with a New Testament mindset can give us great help on our pilgrimage. Here is one way to pray this powerful Psalm: Lord, I can hardly fathom the beauty of where You dwell. Nothing I have experienced on earth can adequately prepare me to experience Your glorious house. But I do know this: I long to see Your house. I am almost weak with my desire to experience Your presence. Everything in me cries out for You, my God!  I am so grateful that I do not have to wait until death to dwell in Your house. You have come to dwell in me through Your Spirit, and oh how amazing – now I can choose daily to live in Your presence. How blessed are those who dwell in Your house. Our lives will overflow with praise as we continually gaze upon Your beauty. My Father, though You allow me to dwell, even now, in Your house, still I live in a world that is filled with danger, toil, and sin. I need Your strength to walk through this world with my eyes on You. My Lord, I commit myself to the journey toward You, daily experiencing more of Your grace and mercy, and finding myself transformed by the power of Your Holy Spirit.  As I travel daily through the dry places of this world, places of tears and travail, may Your Spirit within me well up as a mighty river of life that flows from me and makes this world a better place. May those who find themselves in places of desperation experience Your joy, peace, and strength because You have somehow led me into their lives. Not because of anything in me, Lord, but because of Your mighty power at work in me. Keep my feet on the right path, Lord. As I make this journey through life, help me to grow in strength and intimacy with You. May the end be better than the beginning. I long to appear before You in Zion, my God, because of the grace of Jesus Christ. Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almighty. I am so serious about this request. This is my heart’s desire. As You listen to this prayer, please hear it as coming from the heart of Your beloved Son, my Lord, my Savior, my Shield – the Lord Jesus. I want so much to dwell in Your house with You, that I would even be content to just hold the door for others to enter. Just that proximity to You would be joy. I’d rather stand by Your door as a servant than live in the greatest of mansions in this life. I’m so grateful that Your house is available to me even now. In the midst of the darkness of this world, You give light and protection. You shine bright as the sun, changing my life, and allowing me to walk in Your light, warmth, and life-giving power. Lord, You do this for everyone who has been made blameless in Your sight through Jesus Christ. Thank You for that amazing blessing of Your presence and power. I want You to know, Lord, that I turn from dependence upon anyone or anything else other than You. My trust is in You – not just for heaven some day, but for everyday life now. Thank You for the gift of faith that opens up the blessings of Your house for me this day. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

With all that has been happening in our nation and around the world, it eventually becomes very easy to allow our attention to be diverted back to what we call “normal.” Unfortunately, “normal” often means life without God and without a dependence upon Him in prayer. I believe it is vital for us to hold on to our first response – – the response of prayer. The Church desperately needs to both issue and respond to a new call for extraordinary prayer. Extraordinary prayer goes beyond the normal expectations of the past. It is prayer that can bring God’s power to bear on a whole new world facing us–a world that often includes uncertainty, fear and war. The Bible records times of extraordinary prayer like this. One good example occurred in the Book of Esther. The crisis there concerned the lives of every Jew held captive in Babylon. A decree had been issued that would result in genocide for the Jews. Queen Esther was going to risk her life by going to the King on behalf of her people; however, before she went, she called her people to three days of prayer and fasting for her mission. Extraordinary prayer brought about extraordinary deliverance. The Book of Ezra gives another good example of extraordinary prayer. Ezra was preparing to lead a group of the exiles back from Babylon to Jerusalem. The king had even offered troops for protection on the perilous journey. But Ezra had refused the troops, pointing out that God Himself would protect them. As the people gathered, Ezra began to realize how dangerous the trip would be and that they should not merely presume upon God’s protection. So he called the people to humble themselves and pray and fast over the journey. God heard their prayers and gave them safe passage to their destination. There are many examples of this in more recent history. The great British preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon, was used by God to bring many into the Kingdom and in the process, a large church was built in London. He challenged his people to extraordinary prayer if they wanted to see God’s hand at work in their church. He wrote, “Dear Friends, we do not know what God may do for us if we do but pray for a blessing of the Holy Spirit… Have we not tried to preach without trying to pray? Is it not likely that the church has been putting forth its preaching hand but not its praying hand? O Dear friends! Let us agonize in prayer, and it shall come to pass that this Music Hall shall witness the sighs and groans of the penitent and the songs of the converted. It shall yet happen that this vast host shall not come and go as now it does, but little the better; but men shall go out of this hall praising God and saying–It was good to be there; it was none other than the house of God, and the very gate of heaven. This much to stir you up to prayer.” In the United States, the revivals known as the Great Awakenings came in response to Christians gathering for extraordinary prayer. Often called “Concerts of Prayer,” God used these times of prayer to bring awakening to His people. Robert Bakke in his wonderful book, The Power of Extraordinary Prayer, writes, “It (the Concert of Prayer) was born out of convictions that say with certainty that, regardless of how bright or dark the hour we live in, God is about to do something greater than He’s ever done before. Furthermore, it said that God would not move forward with His ever-increasing and ever more marvelous plans until Christians agreed with Him and agreed with each other about what He was going to do. A great and lucid vision of Christ’s earthly reign was before their eyes–with every nation, people, tribe and tongue united as one company before the throne of God, Christ the Son, and the sevenfold Spirit. It was a compelling vision that would not let Christians rest or let go of God until the rule of God held sway in every aspect of life.” (Pg.133) Read again that last sentence from Bakke: “It was a compelling vision that would not let Christians rest or let go of God until the rule of God held sway in every aspect of life.” Have you ever made a decision to pray like that? Not merely God bless us or even God protect us–but a life-changing commitment to pray until the “rule of God held sway in every aspect of life”? This should not just be a response made only by individual Christians. Has your church made a decision to pray extraordinarily for the working of God’s power? The key to the Concert of Prayer was for Christians to gather together for times of extraordinary prayer–as was the practice of the early Church. We are living in times that are not “normal.” What has been normal for us in our prayer life and experience of Christianity will not suffice for this hour. God is calling us to extraordinary prayer! How will you respond? Dave Butts (1953-2022) was the co-founder and president of Harvest Prayer Ministries. His popular prayer guide, Asleep in the Land of Nod has been used by hundreds of churches to help their congregations pray for revival.