Thursday, May 2, 2013
Building People of Substance for Works of Power
Head for the closet, Friend!!
Today is the National Day of Prayer here in the United States. As usual, we were invited to several events to mark the day, and I’m sure all of them were good. For the last two years we have been emphasizing prayer in our church. We have taught on it and established more regular prayer times in the building. We have recruited prayer partners committed to pray together throughout the week in their own homes, and we have implemented a method to make sure every church member has someone praying for him or her every day. Last week I was in Virginia for a series of special meetings. As I prayed about the content, I was impressed to teach on prayer. I put together a mountain of material, not sure exactly what direction I would take. On the eve of the first service I was meditating on Matthew 6:5-8 when I heard the Holy Spirit say, “There must be a revival in the closet before there can be a revival in the street.” That was the theme I took for those meetings: It’s time for a closet revival.
As we progressed through our meetings, we saw the fervor for prayer in the church take a real upturn. My belief is that the fervor continues in the closets of Richmond. My intent is to take the essence of this message to anyone who wants to get in on it. Here is a brief overview for those who are ready to go for it:
- The revival has to start in the closet. Prayer is required in order for God to move in the earth. It is His design.
- Christian prayer is based on what Jesus has done. I come boldly to make petition for the saints. My prayer life is not primarily about me.
- The closet revival is marked by thanksgiving. 1 Corinthians 14:18 tells me Paul sang in tongues in his closet a lot. (Read the context) I will follow suit.
- Satan fights against speaking in tongues with the full force of Hell. He is terrified that we will remember who we are and get serious in the closet.
- We have allowed ourselves to be intimidated and become ashamed of the Holy Spirit – that is the design of Satan himself to stop this glorious tool that God invented to get His plan done in the earth.
- Praying in tongues allows us to overcome weaknesses and pray when we don’t know what to pray for. It allows God to pray the outworking of His plan without having to understand it!
- Tongues are a vital part of interceding for other believers. Ez 22:24-31 God is looking for specific pray-ers for specific situations. He searches by moving on men’s hearts by His Spirit.
- We must be attentive to the touch of God in our hearts, and then persevere in prayer until the burden lifts and victory comes.
- This selfless act of love is carried out in the closet. We have been given much, and much is expected. Our rewards will come for our secret acts of obedience in the prayer closet. Jn 15:13 – no greater love than giving our lives to pray for others. It is time for a closet revival
Somebody Said: "God does nothing but by prayer, and everything with it." John Wesley
Scripture Reading But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. (Matthew 6:6 KJV)
I want to invite you to join me in a closet revival. Be available to the Spirit of God, and don’t be bashful about speaking with tongues until the gusher comes. I am convinced that when the closet gets fired up again, the streets will quickly follow.
vls
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Our FMTI course on Powerful Prayer is available at www.fmtionline.com
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