Good Morning!

The Lord is leading me through something pretty exciting. It’s been going on for a few weeks now, and it seems to be building to the point of breakthrough. It all revolves around prayer. He is stirring something in me that I believe is going to drastically change the way I do things.

You see, I pray every day. Melissa and I pray together more than once at day. We pray at my work every morning. Even so, there is something more to be had. Much more.

There have been a couple times when I have gotten very serious about prayer. Most of us have seen the movie “War Room,” right? We all were stirred immensely when Miss Clara shook her fist in her prayer closet while passionately praying for God to raise up workers for the harvest. Do you remember that? I know several people who actually cleaned out a closet to make a dedicated place of prayer. Most of us probably started keeping a prayer journal. My guess is that all of us wish we had the passion we once felt after watching that movie.

Well, God is stirring that up once again in me. I am seeing anew the great, great need for God in the lives of everyone around me, including my own. I have been so caught up in the cares of this world that I haven’t truly been seeing what I should be seeing and haven’t been seeking help from the only one who can do anything about it. I see people walking away from their faith. I see marriages crumbling. I see lonely people. I see hurting people.

I also see the promises of God that are just waiting for me to claim. I’m going to give you a taste of this and see if you don’t agree with me that we are leaving much on the table:

2 Chronicles 16:9a For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him,

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

What about the examples of prayer we see in the bible? Do we see big things happen? Of course, we do! What do those prayers look like? Passionate. That’s what they look like. Here’s once, just to wet your whistle.

2 Chronicles 20:3-4 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set he face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

We see all sorts of examples like this, don’t we? Am I serious about my prayer? Like Jehoshaphat-type of prayer? Like those assembled in the room as they prayed for Peter?

I heard a preacher yesterday that I have never heard before. He really jacked me up. If you get time, listen to this: http://itstimetopray.org/call-to-the-nation/why-do-we-fast-when-we-pray/

Seriously. Listen to the whole thing.

Father, teach me to pray. Amen.