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The National Prayer Accord is patterned after a rhythm of prayer established by Jonathan Edwards and churches in the colonies prior to the First Great Awakening in the United States. In more recent days, many prayer and revival ministries are encouraging believers and churches to adopt this ongoing rhythm of prayer in their own churches. It is presented here as a challenge for you to consider how you or your church can join with the hundreds of thousands of believers and thousands of churches who are currently a part of this rhythm. The National Prayer Accord In recognition of: Our absolute dependence on God The moral and spiritual challenges facing our nation Our national need for repentance and divine intervention The covenants of prayer that God has answered throughout history Our great hope for a general awakening to the lordship of Christ, the unity of His Body, and the sovereignty of His Kingdom We strongly urge all churches and followers of Jesus in America to unite in seeking the face of God through prayer and fasting, persistently asking our Father to send revival to the Church and spiritual awakening to our nation so that Christ’s Great Commission might be fulfilled worldwide in our generation. This voluntary agreement in prayer seems “good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15:28) in light of the promise of Jesus in Matthew 18:19 and the unity for which Jesus prayed in John 17. This prayer accord presupposes a spirit of freedom to adjust its component parts as local Christians see need. Though many are seeking God more often than this prayer accord outlines, calling millions of others around focused times of prayer is an urgent need. We resolve to promote as an ongoing “Rhythm of Prayer” . . . Weekly . . . . In private or small group prayer, which lends itself to a focus on the regular preaching and teaching of God’s Word, asking the Holy Spirit to light the fires of revival by anointing our preachers and teachers each week. Monthly . . . . In local ministry prayer gatherings, such as a mid-week prayer meeting, a Bible study class, a Sunday evening service, a home group, or one meeting of a college campus group, etc. for the exclusive purpose of prayer for revival. Quarterly . . . . In prayer gatherings among local ministries and groups, uniting churches in a community, college ministries in the area, businessmen’s groups, or radio listeners for an evening meeting, a luncheon, or a segment of airtime focusing on prayer for the community or region. Annually . . . . In prayer meetings designed to unite Christians nationally, such as The National Day of Prayer, the first Thursday of May, and Cry Out America, September 11 each year—occasions that call millions of people to pray together. Downstream in America we find the symptoms and signs of church irrelevance, fragmented relationships, cultural decay, moral decline, and love growing cold, but Upstream from such symptoms, we find hope in united prevailing prayer. “. . . but I have prayed for you and when you are restored strengthen others” (Luke 22:32).As certainly as Jesus prayed for Peter, He prays for us! “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes forever” (Hebrews 13:8). “He always lives to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25). “Christ Jesus is He . . . who also intercedes for us” (Romans 8:33). We resolve to promote as “Prayer Goals” the outpouring of God’s Spirit for . . . The Revival of the Church as Evidenced by the Indicators of Awakening in the Church: Increasing testimony of the manifest presence of God. Increased conversions and baptisms. Amplified participation in corporate as well as individual prayer, fasting, and other spiritual disciplines leading to more effective discipleship. A decrease in divorces and renewed commitment to marriage between a man and a woman in covenant relationship as God intends. Imparting faith to children and youth as parents are equipped by the church to become primary disciplers of their children. Among churches, a passionate pursuit for the well-being of their cities through the planting of new congregations, benevolent ministries, practical service, and focused evangelism. Commitment to radical generosity as evidenced by compassion ministries and global missions. Improved health among ministers as evidenced by their joy, decreased resignations, healthy loving relationships within their families, and an increased response among young people called to the ministry. Christians involved in bold witness accompanied by miracles, dramatic conversions, and Holy Spirit empowered victories over evil. Heightened expressions of love and unity among all believers, as demonstrated by the unity of pastors and leaders. The Advancement of the Kingdom as Evidenced by These Indicators of Awakening in the Culture: Breakdowns of racial, social and status barriers as Christ’s church celebrates together—Jesus! A restoration of morality, ethical foundations and accountability among leaders of church and government, business and politics. A transformation of society through the restoration of Christ’s influence in the arts, media, and communications. Increased care for the hungry and homeless, the most vulnerable and needy. Young adults, students, and children embracing the claims and lifestyle of Christ through the witness of peers who live and love as Jesus. Community and national leaders seeking out the church as an answer to society’s problems. Increased care for children as “gifts from the Lord” as the gospel addresses abortion, adoption, foster care, and child well-being. Righteous relations between men and women: decrease in divorce rates, cohabitation, same-sex relations, sexual abuse, sexual trafficking, out of wedlock children, and STDs. An awakening to the “fear of the Lord” rather than the approval of people, thus restoring integrity and credibility. Neighborhood transformation and an accompanying decrease of social ills through increased expressions of “loving your neighbor” in service, compassion, and unity. –Developed by America’s National Prayer Committee in partnership with OneCry and the Awakening America Alliance.

“Lord, teach us to pray” was a request of the disciples to Jesus 2000 years ago. It still seems to be a popular request of His disciples today. In spite of years of sermons and lessons on prayer, Christians are still saying, “I don’t know how to pray.” Often what is taught is more motivational and theoretical than practical teaching on how to pray. It is assumed that prayer is a spiritual discipline that all Christians will automatically do. I am finding, as I travel the country, that this is simply not the case. When a church first asked me to teach a seminar on “How to Pray,” I started looking at all sorts of techniques and methods. But as I prayed about it, I kept going back to Jesus’ response to the question posed by the disciples in Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” I’m convinced the key in knowing how to pray is in that model prayer that Jesus gave us in Matthew 6:9-13. It is commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer; however, I prefer to refer to it as the Model Prayer, or the Disciples Prayer, because it is for our instruction and benefit. Many authors have written about it, and many of us have studied all the various parts of this wonderful prayer, carefully analyzing each section. There is real value in that; however, I would like to take a fresh look at this text, trying to shed some new light upon God’s intent for our prayer lives. What can we learn about how to pray by studying this prayer outline of Jesus from God’s perspective? Perhaps it is time to discover what it is that God wants us to pray about. I suggest you keep your Bible open to Matthew 6:9-13 as we walk through the prayer. The Model Prayer instructs us to: 1.     Address the Father  (“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”). Verse 9 shows us how to offer our praise and worship to the One who desires it. This allows us to enter into the presence of God by being focused on Him rather than upon ourselves. If we are in His presence, we are more likely to be in tune with what He desires. Praying through the Psalms is a good way to do this because they help us to better understand the heart of God through knowing more about the character of God. It is vital for the Father’s children to know that the purpose of prayer is to bring glory to God! Worship that is focused on God is prayer! Psalm 145 is one that reveals much about who God is and gives us a robust vocabulary to utilize in addressing our Father. Pay attention to the One who is on the other end of our prayers – the One who sits on the throne! 2.   Pray about Kingdom issues  (“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”). Verse 10 reveals the place where God’s heart is! Jesus’ message was about the Kingdom–His Kingdom. In Matthew 6:33, He instructed His disciples to seek first the Kingdom, and then the things needed for this life would be provided. Growing Deeper in Kingdom Prayer Praying about the kingdom is often the most neglected area of prayer, and yet the nearest to the heart of God. Kingdom prayer is birthed in the heart of God, and the Holy Spirit reveals the desires of God to us! It’s amazing that God has chosen to work through human flesh to accomplish His purposes. To illustrate, look at the way Jesus phrased this subject in Matthew 6:10: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The Kingdom of God, the reign of God, happens when God’s will is done. This occurs in its perfect form in heaven where everything is done in exact accordance with the will of God. Jesus instructs us to pray that God’s Kingdom would advance on planet earth–that God’s will would be done here as it is in heaven, with all creatures and institutions perfectly submitted to the will of God. I’d like to suggest to you that this reign of God begins to take place on earth when two things happen: People submit their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ as a result of hearing the Gospel. The People of God (the Church) live out the life of Jesus on earth. Basically, then, we’re praying about two things: That every person on this planet will have the opportunity to hear about Jesus and respond to Him as Savior and Lord–the finishing of the task of world evangelization! That the Church of Jesus Christ will wake up and begin to take seriously what it means to follow Jesus–revival! It is particularly interesting that God’s Spirit is prompting believers all over the world to pray for these very things. Let’s look at some practical ways we can pray about these two topics: Finishing the Task Become a Prayer Missionary . The Great Commission was given to all of us; and, although we are all called to the mission field, we aren’t all called to missions in other nations – except in prayer! In order to be obedient, we must answer the call to prayer wherever God calls us, whether locally or globally. And, just like a missionary, we can make a commitment of a year, two years, or long term service. It means saying, “I will pray for the nation or nations that God has called me to pray about.” It is hard work and it takes preparation, but the results are glorious. We can become prayer missionaries to one or more cities, countries, and/or people groups during our lifetimes. How do you decide what country or people group to pray for? Let the Holy Spirit guide you, just as He guides missionaries to their particular place of ministry. Begin praying for the needs of the world . . . watch the news and read newspapers. Pray about the nations or people groups mentioned. Read a book like “Operation World” and begin praying for the nations. God will begin to attract you to one particular group or city or region which you can  “adopt”  for prayer. Spend time researching the nation, tribe or city that you have chosen. Make a file or scrapbook about your people group. Learn to pray intelligently for these people for whom you have committed to pray. Learn to pray effectively for the world.  Bennie Mostert’s book, “Change Your World Through Prayer” is a wonderful help in learning to pray for the world. He suggests that there are four things which must be prayed for daily for your people group: 1.  For the workers already in the harvest field as well as for more workers in the harvest field (Matthew 9:38). 2.  For open doors so that the gospel may take its rapid course (Col. 4:2-3). 3.  For lasting fruit as a result of spiritual labor (2 Thess. 3:1). 4.  For the necessary funds to spread the gospel (Romans 10:14-15; Phil. 4:19). Take a prayer journey.  You may even be able to gather several others with you to take a prayer journey to your nation. This involves going and praying physically in that nation. It will give you a far better understanding of how to pray. Harvest Prayer Ministries takes a prayer journey to Israel regularly! Revival How do we pray for revival? There are so many good ways. Mostert’s book suggests 10 ways we can pray every day for revival, both for ourselves and for our own congregation of believers. Would you commit to praying daily for revival in your life and in your church? Lord, change us (Ps. 85:7).  Pray for renewal and change. Revival results in change and spiritual awakening. Lord, we humble ourselves before you (Is. 57:15).  Humbling ourselves before God is essential to a right relationship and to revival. Humility is an act of obedience before God. Fasting is an example of such an act. Lord, cleanse me (1 John 1:9) . Pray for deeper cleansing of sin that goes hand in hand with deeper confession of sin. Keep short accounts with God. Become spiritually sensitive to sin. Lord, heal us (James 5:13-16) . This certainly includes prayer for physical healing, but also for the spiritual recovery from emotionally hurtful events from the past. This is true for a whole congregation as well as an individual. 2 Chron. 7 relates revival to a healing of the land. Lord, make us holy (1 Pet. 1:16).  Pray for holy conduct in our lives that we might be different from the world around us. The way we speak, spend our time, and respond to people is what really makes us different. Lord, guide us (John 4:34).  Pray for the Lord’s daily guidance. How we need that as a congregation! Jesus is head of the Body. He ought to be making the decisions as to where we go and what we do as a Church. Lord, fill us (Eph. 5:18).  Pray for the daily filling of the Holy Spirit. Dwight L. Moody often preached on the need to be filled daily with the Holy Spirit. He was stopped one evening after a message by an irate woman who asked him why he needed to be filled with the Spirit more than once. Moody answered. “Because, Madam, I leak.” Lord, anoint us (Luke 4:18-19) . Pray to be equipped to serve the Lord not by might, but by His Spirit. Lord, use us (1 Cor. 12:12-30) . Pray for willingness to be involved in the congregation. It is time to lay the 80/20 rule to rest, where 20% of the members of a congregation do 80% of the work. Mentoring and discipleship is so needed in the church. Lord, send us (Matt. 28:18-20).  Pray for involvement in the expansion of Christ’s Kingdom. 3.     Pray about personal needs  (“Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”). Notice that the rest of the model prayer (Matthew 6:11-13) deals with one’s own life. God wants us to pray about our needs. He just doesn’t want them to be the only thing we pray about. Most Christians have little difficulty praying about personal needs. There’s nothing wrong with that, but how often do we wonder whether or not our priorities in prayer are God’s priorities? Often, our default mode of prayer is to go immediately to ourselves, or to those close to us. Here are some suggestions to help you with the three issues listed in verses 11-13: Daily bread/necessities of life.  Perhaps the most important thing here is the expression of gratitude; recognizing what God has done and always being grateful. I remember a number of years ago going to a church camp where there was no hot water. After several days of cold showers, I returned home to my nice hot shower. The prayer came almost involuntarily, “Lord, thank you for hot, clean water.” How often we take the blessings of God in our lives for granted. We need to thank Him for taking care of our daily necessities. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil. 4:6). Forgiveness.  In 1 John 1:9, the Word of God says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” One of the biggest hurdles in this area seems to be trusting God to do what He says He will do. We ask for forgiveness over and over again because we don’t feel forgiven. Trust God and His Word, not your feelings. Temptation and deliverance:  As Christians, we often forget that we are in a daily spiritual battle. We have an enemy who would like nothing better than to cause us to fall and to fail. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Fortunately, we have the power of God’s Word to stand upon and strengthen ourselves. For example, 1 Peter 5:9 says, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” Another example is found in James 4:7: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  Closing Thoughts Knowing “how to pray” will happen when we operate as Jesus taught us. First, we remember to “hallow His name” when we recognize that prayer is designed by God for the glory of God.  Next, we quit focusing first and only on our own needs and wants, and begin to pray about the things God wants to have happen “on earth as it is in heaven.” When we pray for the advance of the Kingdom, and the reign of God coming upon this earth, we demonstrate to Him that we are seeking His Kingdom first. And finally, these other things, the necessities of life, may properly be brought before our Father who delights in providing for us.

I love a good rain in the summer–especially after it has been awhile since we have had a downpour. Rain changes so much. There is a fresh, sweet smell that comes with it, a coolness in the heat, and all vegetation perks up and greens up. It makes one feel good. Rain is also a metaphor for the pouring out of the Spirit in our lives and churches. When our souls become parched and dry spiritually, we need something to fill them with fresh spiritual vigor. We need rain. What is the rain we so long for and need? Ultimately, it is the Lord’s presence. Jesus Himself spoke of the living water that we would need in our lives. The Scripture speaks of “times of refreshing” (Acts 3:19). Such a time as this is not so much an experience as it is a Person–waking up to the presence of Christ in our lives. The prophet Hosea spoke of this spiritual rain: “Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” (Hos. 6:3) “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you.” (Hos. 10:12) Whether we are asking for ourselves, our church, or our nation, Hosea chapter 10 gives us what we need to do to end drought and prepare for rain. 1. “Sow for yourselves righteousness.” Both Old and New Testaments teach us the spiritual principles that you reap what you sow. If you plant wheat, you do not harvest corn. If you plant immorality, you will harvest immorality. Many people, including us at times, sow greed, pleasure, immorality, and self-centeredness . . . and as a result, we reap the results of that. Unfortunately, it is all too easy for the church, and us as believers, to join with society in reaping the same damaging seed. God’s Word says to sow righteousness–sow right things. We must speak right things, watch right things, read right things, and do right things. The Bible becomes the means for us to see what those right things are. God’s Word gives us a standard for righteousness. Righteousness is not what seems right to a man, but what is right to God. If you want to move past spiritual dryness, check what you are sowing. If you are sowing damaging seed here and there, stop. Sow right things! 2. “Reap the fruit of unfailing love.” When righteousness has been sown, we will naturally begin to harvest the fruit of unfailing love. God loves everyone, but the fruit, the benefits of that love, come to those who are moving to establish God’s righteousness as the standard for their lives. There are many unclaimed blessings. One of the most neglected is the fruit of unfailing love. It only comes to those who have sown righteousness in their lives. As you sow righteousness, you should start to see clear signs of God’s love at work in your life. Recognize them, and praise the Lord for them. Watch what that does to your parched soul! 3. “Break up your unplowed ground.” Unplowed ground has a hard time receiving rain. Sun-scorched, baked earth forms a hard crust. When rain comes, it simply runs off hard ground rather than soak in to soften it. Unplowed ground is a picture of the unrepentant life. The rain of God’s righteousness will not soak in and change a life that is hard and unrepentant. So the command here is: “Repent! Change! Go a different direction!” That is always God’s call to those seeking revival. Today so many who seek revival, the rain from heaven, seem to want just good feelings or nice meetings. However, the good things of revival come only after times of tears and repentance. God’s command is to break up the hard, unplowed ground of your lives before you will see the rain of revival. Ask God to break up the hard ground of your heart. Repent of those things that keep your heart hard. 4. “It is time to seek the Lord.” Those in periods of spiritual dryness often go looking for answers in many places. But God’s Word directs us to the only place where we can experience renewal–the rain of heaven–and it is to seek the Lord. Hosea 10:12 gives great hope to us today. When we have broken up the unplowed ground in repentance and begin to seek the Lord with all our heart, then the promise comes. It is the Lord Himself who comes in response to a repentant, seeking heart, ready to shower His righteousness upon us. It is Jesus Himself in the midst of His people, receiving our worship, and showering upon us the blessings of His Presence. A simple, but continual remembrance–and practice–of these four steps can keep your heart always soft before Him. You will experience the rain of His Presence on a regular basis in your life. –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.

There is far greater spiritual significance to gratitude than many Christians realize. The Bible is filled with both command and example regarding giving thanks to God, and teaches that being grateful is a key to walking in right relationship with God and growing spiritually. While there are hundreds of Scriptural texts that relate to the issue of giving thanks, here are a few that give a good overview of the Biblical teaching on this subject: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28). “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Col. 3:15). “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Col. 4:2). “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done” (1 Chron. 16:8). “When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, ‘He is good; His love endures forever’” (2 Chron. 7:3). “I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks” (Neh. 12:31). “In that day you will say: ‘Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted’” (Isa. 12:4). What Happens When We Don’t Give Thanks to God? There is one very powerful verse in Scripture that approaches giving thanks from the negative aspect. What happens when we don’t give thanks to God? “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Rom. 1:21). The Apostle Paul literally links ingratitude to the whole progression in Romans, chapter 1, that shows man’s rebellion against God and the devastating results of that sin. Failing to give thanks is more than just bad manners. It is the beginning point for separation from God. Key to Humility Gratitude is so important to practical Christian living because it is a key to humility. Giving thanks for something puts us in the place of a recipient. I have received something from someone and therefore say, “Thank you.” A lifestyle of gratitude will instill humility deep inside us. We will begin to recognize that all that we have and all that we are comes from God. Gratitude helps teach us humility. True humility is the antidote to the devastation that pride brings to our walk with God. We can never grow deeper in our Christian life as long as pride dwells within us. Pride seeks to dethrone God. Pride puts self first and becomes the root cause of greed, hatred, envy, covetousness, and much more. Too often we try to deal with pride by putting ourselves down and feeling bad about ourselves. As we try this, we again and again find ourselves fighting back with thoughts of self-justification. It’s an endless struggle and is not only unsuccessful, but dishonors the person that God has intended us to be. There’s a more godly way to learn humility. It comes by recognizing our complete dependence upon God. In practical, daily ways, we are trained in humility through expressing gratitude. Saying “thank you” shows that, to some degree, I have learned that everything comes from God. It shows me that He alone is God and I am not. As the grateful creation, I give thanks to my Creator for my daily bread and everything else needed for this life and for eternity. Prayer My Father, I come before You with my heart absolutely filled with gratitude. For this day and each day that You give me, I bring You thanks. For family, ministry, friends, and provision I give You thanks. My Lord, there have been times of great loss and sorrow…yet in the midst of those times You stayed by my side. Thank You. Your Word tells me that You have given me every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies through Christ Jesus. Thank You! Such knowledge helps me understand that whether in times of plenty or want, peace or war, health or illness…what You ultimately have given me is the gift of Yourself through Jesus. For that I am and will be eternally grateful. Amen!

I remember as a young man reading the classic by E.M. Bounds,  The Power of Prayer . The author told story after story of great men and women of prayer who would often spend hours and hours in prayer each day. I was excited about the prayer lives of these amazing prayer warriors, yet something that so intrigued me, also disturbed me. These great prayers, after spending hours praying, would often cry over their prayerlessness and lack of devotion to prayer. I remember thinking, “If these people are guilty of prayerlessness, then who would not be guilty of such a sin?” Most of us feel as though we do not pray enough. Whether we are praying for five minutes a day or an hour, it is not unusual to feel terribly inadequate in this vital part of our Christian life. But is prayerlessness sin? Though it is not listed specifically as such in Scripture, James, the brother of Jesus, said,  “Anyone , then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins”  (James 4:17). An argument may be made then that prayerlessness, as a lack of action, could indeed be considered a sin of omission. Without a doubt we are commanded to pray. Jesus told His disciples to pray and not give up (Luke 18:1-8). Paul commanded us to  “pray continually”  (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Peter wrote that we are to be self-controlled so that we can pray (1 Peter 4:7). James commanded us to pray for each other (James 5:16). If failing to do something we are commanded to do is sin, then prayerlessness is surely a major sin for believers. There are some very specific ways to help us move away from this sin and into greater praying. Perhaps the most foundational issue here is that prayerlessness is a declaration that we do not need God. Ronnie Floyd, in his great book,  How to Pray , said there are two critical statements about prayer that we must understand: “Prayer occurs when you depend on God” and “Prayerlessness occurs when you depend on yourself.” Failing to pray is also an indicator of a lack of love for the Lord. Prayer, at its heart, is communicating with God. What does it say to Him when we fail to find time to talk with Him? Do we say by our lack of prayer that we are not at all interested in spending time with the Lord or hearing anything from Him? When we do not pray, we move away from any possibility of intimacy with Christ. When prayerlessness is prevalent in our lives, we are also guilty of failure to love one another. There is scarcely any greater way to demonstrate love than to pray for someone. In godly intercession, we lift the needs of another to God and watch as He moves to meet needs and provide for the one we are praying for. Through prayer, bodies are healed, families are knit together, individuals are saved, and churches are revived. When we withhold prayer on behalf of others, we demonstrate hardened hearts and a failure to love them enough to bring their needs before a loving Father. Failing to pray is an indicator of our lack of concern for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom on earth. Throughout Scripture and church history, spiritual breakthroughs occurred when the Lord’s people got serious about prayer. From the days of Moses standing on a hill interceding for Israel as they fought in the valley below, to the focused intercession in Romania that brought down the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and opened the door for the free proclamation of the Gospel, prayer has been the weapon that God has placed in the hands of His people to advance His purposes. When we refuse to pray, and that is what prayerlessness is, we turn our backs on what God desires to do on planet earth in our day. The prophet Samuel certainly viewed prayerlessness as a sin. When he confronted the people of Israel with their sin of rejecting the leadership of God by wanting a king, they cried out under conviction, “Please pray for us.” His response is compelling for us today:  “As for me, far be it from me that I sin against God by failing to pray for you”  (1Sam.12:23). Samuel’s responsibility as a leader of the Lord’s people required that he shepherd them through prayer. Failing to do so was sin for him. Is it not so for Christians today as we consider those whom God has placed around us, either in close relationship, or as those for whom we are responsible? Pastors and church leaders must take seriously the call to pray for their flocks. Fathers and mothers must pray for their children. Children must be taught to pray for their siblings as well as their friends. Christian employers must be challenged to pray for their employees. Church members must pray for others in their congregation.  “Pray for one another.” Brother or sister, are you convinced yet that to fail to pray is a grievous sin against the Holy Spirit, who  “…Himself intercedes for us with groans that words can not express”  (Romans 8:26)? Can we look to the Scriptures that point us to the Savior who is even now interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25) and fail to see that He is calling us to join Him in this priestly ministry of prayer? We are never closer to the heart of the Father than when we have joined Him in prayer. How much should we pray to avoid the sin of prayerlessness? Here is where it becomes most difficult because we all want someone to give us a specific guideline such as, “Pray for fifteen minutes a day and you are okay.” The trouble with such a statement is that someone else will come along and say, “Oh no…..fifteen minutes is completely inadequate. You must pray at least an hour a day.” And then someone else will say…well, you get my meaning. Prayer is not measured by minutes or hours, but by the attitude of the heart. We are not responsible in this matter to another Christian with a stopwatch, but to the Father who knows our hearts and the depths of our desires. The young believer may need to simply begin a regular daily time of prayer, even if just for five minutes a day. The saint who has walked with the Lord for 50 years should far exceed this mark, simply because of a deepened level of intimacy with Jesus. The issue for most of us is to take another step forward along the journey of prayer. Whether it is adding several minutes a day, or beginning to pray for those you have never considered praying for, you can begin to respond to the stirring of the Holy Spirit within you to become a person of prayer. Ultimately, God is calling us all to a life of prayer. It is a life lived in close proximity to God. We learn to “pray as we go,” whether we are driving a car or studying in school. As we learn to live out the truth of Colossians 1:27,  “Christ in you, the hope of glory,”  we will begin to understand more how the Apostle could command us to  “pray without ceasing.”

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” (Isaiah 62:6-7). “Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with Me for one hour?’ He asked Peter. ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak’” (Matthew 26:40-41). A Watchman’s Story The young watchman stood silently at his post on the wall. The cool Judean night caused an involuntary shiver. It had been a quiet evening…a few latecomers were allowed through the pedestrian gate, but nothing else. It was almost time for his shift to end when his eyes caught a glimpse of something glowing over the nearest hill to the north. Peering into the darkness confirmed that something was amiss not too far from the city. It could be a movement of enemy troops with their torches betraying their position. Of course, it could just be the campfire of travelers…but why now in the middle of the night? Whatever it was, the young watchman’s orders were clear…he was to sound the alarm. Raising the trumpet to his lips, he sounded the three short blasts that would bring his superiors to the wall. Within minutes, the quiet sentry post was filled with soldiers. An armed scouting party was sent to the general area of the fire. The glow from beyond the hill died down and soon the soldiers returned. A shepherd’s hut had caught fire when a gust of wind blown across the sleeping shepherd’s coals had ignited the thatch. Though the fire was not a danger to the city, the watchman was commended by his commanding officer for his sharp eyes. It could easily have been a threat that would have been stopped by the watchful eyes of the young man. This was the very reason why the watchmen were in place. Watchmen of Today There is a movement of prayer taking place all over the planet that is firmly rooted in Scripture. It is the call of God to His people to take their places on the wall as watchmen. Whether we look to the Old Testament or the New, we find that God is calling us to watch and pray. Our modern culture does not readily identify with the ancient concept of watchmen on the walls. To accept the Lord’s call to this great movement of prayer then, we will need to train ourselves in what it means to be a part of this great company of the “alert.” The Isaiah 62 passage, quoted above, helps us greatly in this task. It is clear that the job of a watchman is a continual commitment. It is not sporadic or dependent upon our feelings. Because of the life or death nature and constancy of the watchman’s task, it is an assignment for the many, not just the one. Believers working in tandem, sharing shifts of prayer, will be the most effective. Isaiah 62:6-7 describes an intensity that must be shared…day and night…never silent…give yourself no rest. Only groups of committed believers who band together in watchful prayer will be able to stay at their post. Notice also in Scripture that it is God who posts the watchmen. This is a divine assignment, not just the latest prayer fad. To stand on the wall as a watchman, stationed there by the Lord Himself, is a great privilege. We need to receive and obey such a call with gratitude and humility. Perhaps the overwhelming characteristic of watchman prayer is that it is to be done with open eyes. This does not necessarily imply physical eyes, although it certainly can, but our spiritual eyes must be held wide open. We are to watch and pray. What is it we are looking for as we pray? I would suggest that we first look for an enemy attack. Certainly in Old Testament times, this sort of defensive watchfulness was at the heart of the task. The watchman on the wall was always on the alert for any attempt of an enemy to attack or infiltrate the city. Too many times, the walls of the Church and of our cities today are open to attack because of a lack of watchfulness. In 2 Corinthians 2:11, Paul wrote that we are “not unaware” of the schemes of the enemy. Unless praying watchmen are on duty, we too often find ourselves painfully unaware of the attempts of the enemy to disrupt and destroy. On the opposite end of matters, I believe that the watchmen are also to keep their eyes open to see and discern moves of God. All too often we miss out on what God is doing because we are not paying attention. The watcher should always be asking, “Lord, what are You doing in our church or city this day? Is there something You are calling Your people to do in cooperation with what You are doing?” How much more effective we would be if, instead of starting our own projects for God, we found ourselves moving alongside a current move of God! The other area for watchfulness is discerning the needs of the people of God. A watchman on the wall in the Old Testament would often see human needs and be able to send someone to meet those needs. Is there someone among you who is prayerfully watching the people of God to see who is hurting or who is in need? We often talk about shepherding the flock of God. What greater way to shepherd than to continually watch in prayer over the sheep the Lord loves? What will be the results of watchmen prayers? According to Isaiah, we will see the firm establishment of the Kingdom of God. The prophet speaks of the establishment of Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God among His people. In both the Old and the New Covenant, Jerusalem represents God among man. Jesus’ main message was the coming kingdom, present in Him. Emmanuel…God with us! Another result of this powerful prayer movement will be that the glory of God will be seen among the nations. As we watch and pray, we find ourselves lining up with the prophet Habakkuk and crying out for the glory of God to cover the earth “as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). Prayer warriors, it is time to ascend the wall of your city and begin to fulfill your calling as watchmen of God.

The Book of Acts is the greatest book on revivals which has ever been written – greater than Charles Finney’s word or that of Jonathan Edwards – God’s own Word. I spoke one day to the Youth for Christ leaders at the Moody Church in Chicago about revival. Afterward, standing on the steps of that great church, Ken Anderson said to me, “Armin, you ought to write a book on revival.” At once I said, “Ken, that book has already been written. It is the book of Acts!” It really surprised him. I have read the Acts hundreds of times, and portions of it a few thousand times. Here is one of the plainest books in the Bible, yet I often miss or read right past what is very plain. In chapter one I read right past verse 4, in which our risen Lord gives His last and in a real sense, His most powerful, most commanding command. He actually “charged” them, a military term, “not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father” (ASV). He literally commanded them to go to the Upper Room and to abide in prayer. And they did. In verses 14 and 15 we read that these all, about 120, continued in prayer and supplication. Why did they do it? Because Jesus commanded it. Our trouble today is that we have not seen the Upper Room prayer meeting as a command of Jesus. We seem to have little authority when it comes to getting our churches into prayer meetings and all that God wants to do there. I have to say to congregations: “If Jesus commanded you to go to prayer meetings, would you go?” “Well, yes,” they reply, “if Jesus told me to, I would go.” “Well, He does tell you, commands you, to go. Will you go?” The Great Commission is our mission in the Church. We hold to that, and uphold it. And here is the last, most forceful and imperative of all His commandments, and we don’t heed it, often don’t even seem to hear it. This is a great part of our problem and weakness – getting corporate prayer and revival back into our churches (Acts 1:4). In Acts 1 we have a full account of Jesus’ last day on earth and of His last things, which are now to be our first things. His last command becomes our first responsibility. Secret of the Upper Room The Upper Room pattern holds the secret of it all. There the Lord shut about 120 people in a prayer meeting and gave them the keys to the kingdom of heaven. With it He gave us His masterpiece, and His master plan for revival. He at once made it the centerpiece of the New Testament, and of history – turning history into His Story for revival, and for everything else, including the fulfillment of His Great Commission. One little prayer meeting of about 120 in an Upper Room in the city of Jerusalem is to do it all? Who would believe it? Who would have thought of it? No man! Men have tried to improve on that plan, but they always fail. “But, dear Lord, don’t You have an alternate plan? A back-up plan, in case this one fails?” Jesus could answer something like this: “No, I have no alternate plan. And My plan will not fail! That prayer meeting will do it all! It will be so powerful that even the gates of hell will not prevail against it. It will speedily become My Church, and I’m going to change the world with it. You just read the book of Acts and you will see how I do it! “In fact, I did tell you. Were you listening? I told you in My last word on earth. I never spoke more plainly. Did you hear Me? ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8 NIV). Didn’t you hear Me? I’m going to change the world through abiding prayer.” How Are Our Prayer Meetings? That’s the big question in all our praying for revivals. The acid test of New Testament revival is the Church. And the acid test of the Church and of the churches is prayer and prayer meetings. The devil is no fool! He knows what’s going on in our lives, and in our churches. He also knows God’s plan. So he is very busy working overtime, to kill churches. All he has to do is kill abiding prayer and prayer meetings and that church is dead! The Spirit of Prayer is the Spirit of Revival. The first revival in any genuine revival is a revival of prayer. The revival spirit leaves churches when true prayer meetings depart; and revival returns with the return of abiding prayer and prayer meetings. It’s that simple! And there is no other way. Pentecost, let us not forget, came to a prayer meeting in that Upper Room and to those 120 Christians praying in one accord. There the Lord gave the standard, the pattern of revival, indeed, the pattern for every church since Pentecost. Revival is not subtle – it is simple. Revival truth is the plainest truth in Scripture. All backsliding is from plain Scripture, not from all the prophetic mysteries we do not understand. Let us not complicate the message of revival! The devil has decimated and all but devastated the prayer life of Christians and of their homes and of their churches. Many churches still don’t have prayer meetings. And where they do, they usually are the weakest, most anemic of all the many meetings. But the Lord is changing this. Thank the Lord for the many new movements of prayer. We are on our way back to the Upper Room, back to the real, normal pattern of the Spirit-filled life for every Christian and for every church. The Upper Room is God’s own master plan to bring revival. That plan has not changed; it is still God’s plan today. Will you go to the Upper Room? From Intercessors For America Newsletter 4/99. Armin Gesswein was a pastor and revivalist who founded the Pastor’s Revival Fellowship. His book With One Accord in One Place is a modern classic that looks at prayer in the early church.

When Jesus prayed for us in John 17, His primary desire was that we would all be one:  “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name – the name You gave Me – so that they may be one as We are one”  (John 17:11). Christians have failed to be obedient in keeping the unity for which Jesus prayed. The tragedy in this failure is that God’s purposes are evangelistic – that the whole world would know Him through the unity of His followers:  “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. 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. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me”  (John 17:20-23). Our unity is a key to convincing those outside of Christ that He lives. Jesus’ prayer should serve as a convicting rebuke to us, His followers, because of the bitter and senseless divisions we allow within our churches, and within even our own families. He has set the standard for unity – the unity between the Father and the Son. Because the Father and Son are one, we are now one with Jesus. And because we are one with Him, we have everything we need to demonstrate Him to others.  “I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them”  (John 17:26). The active demonstration of a unified body of Christ is a primary way for the world to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Unity Begins with Families Unity for believers must begin at the level of the family before it can truly characterize the Church. God created families long before He created the Church. He gave many specific instructions to families with the intent of unifying husbands and wives and children into a unit that would honor and reverence Him. His expectations were specific and straightforward whether in the Old Testament or the New:  “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”  (Deuteronomy 6:5).  “[Jesus] answered: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’”  (Luke 10:27). Can you imagine how quickly God’s kingdom would grow if the Church was comprised of unified families obediently carrying out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission? If each individual family member, and each relationship represented within each family, would determine to live in unity, and if we were all committed to loving the Lord with a desperate passion, and to loving others as Jesus loves us…perhaps then, a watching world would be drawn to the Father. A family should and must begin with unity –connection, identity, building up of one another, etc. God has given much instruction to parents and to children about their relationships within their families. Only in unity are we able to carry out these relationships successfully, and in ways that are pleasing to the Lord. In order for unbelievers to truly know the love of Christ, they must see it in the unified, loving families that comprise Jesus’ Church. Unity in the Faith We all have work to do in the kingdom! If we are truly followers of Christ, then we are working to advance His kingdom on earth.  “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”  (Ephesians 4:11-16). Unity in Agreement “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”  (Romans 15:5-6). God has not created us all to think the same or to act the same. He has uniquely crafted each of us differently in His image. Doesn’t that make you amazed at how creative and amazing God Himself must be? The key to having a spirit of unity is not so that we will all think, speak, feel and act the same. It is to have the mind of Christ so that we can lovingly agree to disagree with one another. My husband and I are involved in two groups of national prayer leaders, many of whom we could never come to agreement with on some matters of doctrine; however, the Father has given us all such a powerful spirit of unity that we all love and respect one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. We have, without exception, been able to come into agreement together in prayer. Only a God who has created us for unity, could accomplish such a thing. We could choose to be at odds with one another over our differences. Instead, we have chosen to love one another in the bond of unity created by God Himself. Unity in Peace “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all”  (Ephesians 4:1-6). God reconciled us to Himself through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is our responsibility to keep that bond intact through peaceful unity. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”  (Colossians 3:12-17). Are the virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience woven into the fabric of your family? Are you able to forgive one another as the Lord has forgiven you? Does love characterize who you are? Does the peace of Christ rule in your hearts? Are you thankful? Does the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you express worship to Him with grateful hearts? Do you do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him? Perhaps these are questions that you, as a dearly loved family, should spend some time discussing together. Take each of these questions, examine the roadblocks that keep you from answering “Yes!” wholeheartedly, and decide what changes need to be made so that unity is what others see in your family. Unity in Love “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”  (Colossians 2:2-3). Is your family encouraged in heart and united in love? Are you an encourager? Do you build up others in your family and love them so that they will have the full riches of complete understanding to know the treasures of wisdom and knowledge through Jesus? What happens in your family when there are disagreements? Do you argue bitterly, or can you set aside your differences long enough to pray together? Perhaps you will come into agreement as the Lord shows you His plan. Or, perhaps, He will give your hearts a desire to love one another in spite of your differences of opinion. Unity does not mean you always have to agree! What a powerful thing unity is! How much stronger and wiser our families and churches will be when we decide to fulfill the purposes of unity that Jesus has already placed in us. Walking in Unity as the Family of God There were times when God placed His hand upon His people to bring them into unity : “Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord”  (2 Chronicles 30:12). Perhaps a good prayer for His people today would be, “Father, would You place Your hand upon us to give us unity of mind so that we will carry out Your plans and purposes for us? Would You help us to love You with all of our heart, soul and strength? Teach us to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.” We certainly know that God could place His hand upon His people today and bring us into unity…perhaps He is waiting for us to realize  “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity… For there the Lord bestows His blessing…”  (Psalm 133:1, 3b). It is brotherly harmony which sets God’s people apart from the world. The Christian life is not yet seen as desirable by a dark world, because we are not yet in harmony with one another! We must be of one mind and heart within our own families and within our churches! The world sees broken marriages and families, damaged relationships, fighting in churches, pastors falling, etc., and cannot be convinced that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. It is our own sinful behavior that causes many to turn away rather than run towards the Savior. God’s desire is that His people walk in unity, but we are usually more interested in being right than in being one! We have not been faithful to reconcile ourselves one to the other by fervently seeking God in this regard. May we, as families, and as the Church, repentantly seek to be more interested in being one in Jesus, because that  is  right.  “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me”  (John 17:23).

There are many types of prayer. Prayers of confession, praise, petition, spiritual warfare, and thanksgiving are just a few examples. But if there is one type of prayer that God seems to be bringing to the forefront in the current movement of prayer it is the prayer of intercession or intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is very simple. It’s someone asking God to do something in a person’s life, in the church, or in a certain situation. It is coming to God on behalf of someone else. It is, in some ways, the most selfless, giving sort of prayer. It is ultimately one of the greatest acts of love. A good picture of intercession in Scripture is the parable that Jesus tells of the friend who came at midnight (Luke 11:5-8). A friend had been on a long trip and he comes at midnight to his friend’s house. The traveler is very hungry, but his friend has no bread to give him. Being concerned for his hungry friend, the man goes next door at midnight and begins to shout and pound at the door for his neighbor to get up and give him some bread. The worst imaginable thing happens. His next door neighbor doesn’t even come to the door, but just shouts out from his bed something like this: “Go away! I’m in bed, and my children are in bed. Go away and come back in the morning!” Instead of giving up, the man keeps on pounding and shouting until his next door neighbor gets up, grumbling I’m sure, and gives him the bread that he needs to feed his hungry friend. Now I know Jesus tells that parable to teach us the power of persistence in prayer; to pray and never give up. But I want to suggest to you that this parable is also a perfect picture of intercession. I had a friend who preached a sermon on this and he called it: The Friend in the Middle, in the Middle of the Night. There are three friends. One has a need…he is hungry. Another friend has the ability to meet that need…he has the bread. And then there is the friend in the middle who brings the two together. He goes to one on behalf of the other. It is a perfect picture of intercession. This is where God has placed every one of us. We are surrounded by a needy world…spiritual needs, emotional needs, physical needs… every kind of need. They are needs that you and I do not have the means to meet. But we know the One who does. And in prayer we are called to go to God on behalf of those around us. We are called to be intercessors. It is a powerful ministry to pray for others, and an awesome blessing to see God work in their lives. I believe that God is calling the Church today to a whole new level of intercession. We are seeing God do amazing things around the world because we are learning to intercede for the lost. We are learning to intercede for whole nations. God has shown us clearly that prayer is the frontline strategy for reaching unreached people groups, for breaking down barriers to presenting the Gospel, and for planting churches. It is astonishing what God is doing as we obediently pray His will into the lives of others. We need to understand that the importance of intercessory prayer can best be understood as the only ministry you can do today that is the current ministry of Jesus. Intercessory prayer is what Jesus is doing today: “…because He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25). It is astonishing to realize that Jesus is interceding for us…Jesus is praying for us. There are a lot of things that Jesus used to do. Likely He used to build houses with His step-father, Joseph and to fish on the sea of Galilee. He died on a cross to save mankind. But the one ministry He is doing today is what He is asking us to do with Him… intercession. To cry out for others, to share God’s love in a way that releases God’s power into people’s lives. One of the most difficult things for us to grab ahold of in intercessory prayer is the fact that it doesn’t appear to be doing anything. If you bake a pie and take it to the neighbors, you are doing something. If you stand at the church door and pass out bulletins you are doing something. The hardest thing to get past when trying to understand intercessory prayer is that it somehow seems we aren’t doing anything. Most of us want to do something for God. The Scriptures teach us something amazing about the activity of intercessory prayer. Let’s go back to Exodus 17:8-13, where the children of Israel had been released from their bondage in Egypt. They had crossed the Red Sea. They are on their way to Mt. Sinai… a huge group of one to three million people moving south through the wilderness. On the way they are attacked by the warlike tribe of the Amalekites. The Amalekites were smaller in number, but they were experienced raiders. The Israelites were brickmakers who didn’t have any bricks. They did, however, have a promising new general by the name of Joshua who pulled together some of the men, got them equipped with weapons, and trained them to ward off some of the raids of the Amalekites. Finally, the time comes for a major battle. In the valley, the army of the Amalekites and the army of the Israelites go into battle with Joshua leading the way. But Joshua wasn’t really the leader of the nation. Who was the leader of Israel? It was Moses. And Moses was nowhere to be seen in the valley. Instead, Moses was up on top of a mountain. He had the rod of God, a symbol of God’s power, in his hands. And he took that rod and lifted it up to God. Upraised arms are always a symbol of prayer. That is literally what Paul wrote to Timothy: “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing” (1 Timothy 2:8). With Moses’ arms outstretched to God in prayer, an amazing thing happened. The Israelites, a group of untrained soldiers, begin to defeat the Amalekites – but only as long as Moses’ arms are in the air. As soon as his arms get tired (remember that Moses is 80), and they come down, an astonishing thing happens – the battle begins to turn against Israel. Now the Amalekites are winning. What an old man does with his arms on top of the mountain shouldn’t have any effect on the battle in the valley below. But it does in the kingdom of God. And what you and I do sitting in our homes and churches while praying for a village in India or China shouldn’t seem to have any effect logically, but it does in the kingdom of God. Let’s go back to Moses for a minute. His arms are tired, and Israel is losing in the valley. What should the Israelites do? Should they get a new pastor? No. They bring in two other older men who lift up Moses’ arms. Now, as Aaron and Hur stood around Moses and lifted up his arms, their arms are also lifted up! We have a prayer meeting going on! There are three men up on the mountain with lifted arms, praying together, and the battle is won for Israel. We need to understand the truth of God’s Word that is clearly apparent from the Old Testament through the New Testament, where Jesus is spending His time as an intercessor: there is nothing more powerful in the kingdom of God than intercessory prayer. God is calling His people to pray. All Christians are exhorted to pray for others and to watch God work in astonishing, astounding ways. Some people are better at it than others. There are some people whose main spiritual gift is intercession. But we are all called to be intercessors and to make a difference in the world through intercessory prayer. Most of us do not look at ourselves as “world-changers.” We do not see ourselves as having the power or influence to change the direction of nations. As Christians, however, we affirm the power of God to impact the nations. That power is released through the prayers of people just like you and me. Would you make a commitment today to change your world? Take a step in prayer. Begin to pray more for the people around you, as well as for world leaders and the flow of world events. Bring the amazing power of God to bear upon this world and see what our awesome God will do!

When focusing on the Second Coming of Jesus, most Christians seem to want to talk of nothing but speculation concerning future events: Will the Temple be rebuilt…where?    Will the rapture happen before, in the midst of, or after the tribulation?    Will there be a great tribulation?    Which world leader is the anti-Christ? After examining Scripture, you will find that the focus is not on trying to figure out the details in advance, but rather on the response of the Christian to the imminent return of Christ. Look how Jesus commands us to respond to indications of the nearness of His return:     Matthew 24:     “Watch out that no one deceives you” (verse 4)    “See to it that you are not alarmed” (verse 6)    “Stand firm to the end” (verse 13)    “Keep watch” (verse 42)    Mark 13:     “Watch out that no one deceives you” (verse 5)    “Do not be alarmed” (verse 7)    “Be on your guard” (verse 9)    “Do not worry” (verse 11)    “Stand firm” (verse 13)    “Be on your guard” (verse 23)    “Be on your guard. Be alert” (verse 33)    “Keep watch” (verse 35)    “Watch” (verse 37)     Luke 21:     “Watch out that you are not deceived” (verse 8)    “Do not be frightened” (verse 9)    “Stand firm” (verse 19)    “Stand up and lift up your heads” (verse 28)    “Be careful” (verse 34)    “Be always on the watch and pray” (verse 36) This last verse, Luke 21:36, I believe sums up the biblical response of the Christian to the return of the Lord…  “Be always on the watch and pray.”  God today appears to be restoring the “Watch of the Lord.” Christians around the world are beginning to take seriously the command to watch and pray. There are even places where prayer is lifted up continuously. Jim Goll in his excellent book,  The Lost Art of Intercession,  describes the job of a watchman: “The Greek word of ‘watch’ in these verses is  gregoreuo,  and it means ‘to be vigilant, wake, to be watchful.’ A watchman on the wall does many things. He carefully watches what is happening and alerts the community when good ambassadors approach the city. The guardsman then will open the gates and lower the bridge so the ambassadors may enter. A watchman also warns the city far in advance when an enemy approaches. He sounds an alarm to awaken the people because he knows ‘to forewarn them is to alert and arm them.’ Then they quickly can rally to take their stand on the wall against the enemy before he wrongfully tries to enter the city.” (Pg. 62). What a powerful picture of the role of the intercessor in God’s plans. God has given instructions concerning the watchman on the walls in Ezekiel 33 and to those who kept watch during the building of Jerusalem’s walls during Nehemiah’s day. Today the Church is once again being called to the walls of our cities as watchmen. We have a great historical model of what it means to be watchmen and how that can affect world history. I’m referring to the Moravian prayer watch that began in 1772 and lasted for over 100 years. Here are excerpts from an article by Leslie K. Tarr about that astonishing prayer movement: “Fact: The Moravian community of Herrnhut in Saxony, in 1727, commenced an around-the-clock prayer watch that continued nonstop for over a hundred years. “Fact: By 1792, 65 years after the commencement of that prayer vigil, the small Moravian community had sent forth 300 missionaries to the ends of the earth. “Could it be that there is some relationship between those two facts? Is fervent intercession a basic component in world evangelization? The answer to both questions is surely an unqualified ‘yes.’ “The heroic 18th century evangelization thrust of the Moravians has not received the attention it deserves. But even less heralded than their missionary exploits is that one-hundred-year prayer meeting that sustained the fires of evangelism! “During its first five years of existence, the Herrnhut settlement showed few signs of spiritual power. By the beginning of 1727, the community of about three hundred people was wracked by dissension and bickering, an unlikely site for revival.  “Zinzendorf and others, however, covenanted to pray and labor for revival. On May 12, revival came. Christians were aglow with new life and power, and dissension vanished and unbelievers were converted.  “Looking back to that day and the four glorious months that followed, Count Zinzendorf later recalled: ‘The whole place represented truly a visible habitation of God among men.’ A spirit of prayer was immediately evident in the fellowship and continued throughout ‘that golden summer of 1727,’ as the Moravians came to designate that period. On August 27 of that year, twenty-four men and twenty-four women covenanted to spend one hour each day in scheduled prayer. Some others also enlisted in the ‘hourly intercession.’ “‘For over 100 years, the members of the Moravian church all shared in the “hourly intercession.” At home and abroad, on land and sea, this prayer watch ascended unceasingly to the Lord,’ stated historian A. J. Lewis.” The Church today is increasingly looking to the example of these godly Moravians and their 100-year prayer watch as a model of where God is calling us today. The spiritual deterioration of our world and the Church’s desperate need for revival, demand a response as radical as that practiced by those at Herrnhut. My wife and I are blessed to be a part of several 24-7 movements of prayer. There are multiple churches and communities meeting for rhythms of prayer and worship that ascends to the Father 24 hours a day, seven days a week. God is raising up models of unending praise and intercession in cities around the U.S. and around the world.  We’re beginning to see prayer, not as a quick fix, but a way of life that opens the door for God’s power to be poured out upon us. If you are in a city where there is a Watch of the Lord operating, please become a part of that group. If there is no place of continual prayer near you, begin to pray, asking God to raise up those who are willing to take prayer to a whole new level in your church or community. Let’s be willing to pray the price to see revival come to our world!