Recently, I prayed with a young woman I had not previously met who was suffering many stresses in her young life: a struggling child, her grandfather’s recent stroke, a difficult ex-husband and a lack of peace. She is a born-again believer and deeply desires God to move in her life. As we prayed through these issues one by one, I sensed the Spirit urging me to ask her if she had forgiven her ex-husband. I had no idea what had transpired between them…only that this was a sticking place in her journey of transformation. I took a deep breath and asked the question, “Rosa, have you been able to forgive your ex-husband?”

Her eyes opened wide, and she looked startled. “No, I haven’t been able to go there. There was so much abuse.” I prayed for the painful situation in her marriage. Then, I prayed for her ex-husband, asking God to transform him by the renewing of his mind and to change his story and draw him to Jesus. Afterwards, I asked her, “Rosa, do you think you could begin to pray prayers like these for him?” I explained that un-forgiveness and bitterness were harming her spiritually and that as she learned to pray for her ex-husband’s salvation and transformation she would gradually begin to see God change her heart and bring her to a place where she could truly release all of the pain she had experienced into the Father’s hands. She could be free from the bondage of un-forgiveness and be delivered from her anger and resentment towards him. Rosa agreed, although a bit reluctantly, to begin to pray for him and to consider the possibility that her prayers could make a difference in his eternity as well as give her greater peace in her own journey. I am excited to watch God move in the lives of this family as He begins to work in response to Rosa’s prayers.

Is there someone you need to pray for today who has damaged or hurt you in some way? Perhaps you are angry with people you don’t even know – politicians, workers on strike, someone who continually parks in your space, etc. Can you ask God to give you the grace to pray for them? So often an inability to pray for certain people blocks the fullness of God’s blessing. We allow the “enemy” to give us feelings of hatred and a desire for revenge…when Jesus says, “…love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).  This is not an easy or simple assignment for many…but it is the way of the kingdom.  If we desire a life that follows Christ, we must obey this directive from the One who prayed from the cross: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

Prayer as everyday life compels us to connect with the Father through the Son no matter who or what circumstance tries to trip us up in the midst of our journey towards Christlikeness. Neglecting to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us is sin, which Psalm 66: 18 says, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear…” Instead, Jesus tells us, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you” (Matthew 6:14).

May the ministry of forgiveness continually be part of us as we step into each day’s journey so that God will be honored and glorified in the midst of His people.

Sometimes God just puts things into perspective and smacks me upside the head! I was struggling to write this blog today…nothing was coming to mind, even as I prayed and searched the Scriptures for a jump start. I was beginning to get frustrated and was feeling a bit sorry for myself. And then – God intervened! A phone call came into the office from a desperate woman whose son has been missing for two days. She was weeping from fear and grief over not knowing where he was or if he was okay. Simply – she just needed someone to pray with her.

Usually I ask all kinds of questions to get more information so I can pray an informed prayer. But today, all I asked her was for her name and the name of her son…and I went before the throne of the Almighty Father, who loves her son more than she could ever imagine loving him. He allowed my mother’s heart to resonate with hers in that moment, trusting Him for the right words to comfort and strengthen her. When we were done, she thanked me, I said I would keep praying for her today, and she hung up. Was she filled with peace? Did she sense that the Lord was watching over her son? Did I even pray in a way that opened her up to the possibility that God is able to bring him home safe and sound? How will God respond to this prayer? I will likely never know this side of heaven – but I believe that our loving Father is already sending ministering angels to this woman’s side, and trusting that her son will come home.

So – in the midst my little feeling sorry for myself hissy fit this afternoon, God brought me into the reality of real life and used me for His purposes in an entirely different way to minister to a hurting person…without knowing circumstances or details…just simply trusting that He knows what is needed in this moment of time and will pour out His grace and mercy in response. It was a divine appointment between one mother and another. Thanks Father, You knew just what I needed today too.

“Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Psalm 24:3-4).

When my husband and I were preparing for a three month sabbatical in 2015, it was our sense that our most effective years of ministry lay ahead, and we felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to spend some time in rest and play…but also much time in silence and solitude…drawing apart to hear clearly from God without being encumbered by all of our day to day ministry activity.

I never realized how difficult it would be to prepare to disengage and unplug from ministry for a season of rest and seeking the heart of God. As the time drew near for our departure (our first two weeks was spent in Israel), there was a sense of near desperation to “get it all done” and to “get ahead” on all of my deadlines, etc. As this process was taking place, I discovered some serious iDolatry in my life. The iDols are iPhone, iPad, and  iNternet.  I had no idea how addicted I had become to the technology that is so pervasively important to the work I do – writing, posting, communicating, compiling newsletters, blogging, etc. Although I spend much time in prayer and the Word, I believe the usage of “devices” far exceeds the time I spend in heartfelt devotion. And, since I was  committed to the disciplines of silence and solitude during much of our sabbatical time, I was able to see how the enemy can easily distract me and trip me up here!

I was prompted to do a study on idols and idolatry as it would relate to my own lack of proper balance, and what I now know has tempted me to cross the line into sinfulness. I have often trusted in the iDol of technology, which Psalm 24 warns about. It has quite literally become a false god in my life. 1 Samuel 12:21 says, “Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.”

And I want to scream out – “But they aren’t useless – they are very useful to me!” And so, as I read “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols” (Isaiah 42:8), I must wrestle with this! Technology is surely an iDol the enemy of my soul has used…surreptitiously invading my day to day living, and covertly inserting a cancerous addiction to challenge my journey towards Christlikeness.

Certainly I use my phone, iPad and computer for God’s purposes, but I also waste a lot of time uselessly becoming distracted by all of the amazing things the internet has to offer me. Where is the balance that will help me to step back over the line I have crossed and put technology back into proper perspective? How am I to “…flee from idolatry” as Paul admonishes and to keep myself form idols, as John warns?  I certainly don’t want to “cling to worthless idols,” forfeiting the grace that could be mine (Jonah 2:8).

As I prayed about this issue in my life, the prophet Jeremiah brought perspective: “Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this” (Jeremiah 14:22).

This verse makes me evaluate: Am I putting my hope in technology – giving it too much of my discretionary time…looking at my email during meals with my family, asking Siri endless questions about this or that, pinning and Facebooking things that are not ministry related, etc.? There must be a balance. As I unplug from it all during the sabbatical (I’ve already reduced my daily emails substantially by simply unsubscribing from MANY things I never have time to read and just spend time deleting everyday), it feels good – freeing! I actually am beginning to feel the weight lifting as I intentionally leave my phone turned off more, and am not checking Facebook “one more time” before going to sleep, etc. This allows my first and last thoughts of the day (as well as most of the time in between) to be tuned in to the voice of my Lord rather than to be turned aside by lesser things.

My prayer is that by unplugging from technology from time to time, my heart will be pure and my hands clean so that I may give myself to standing in the Father’s holy place, fully committed to Him alone!

2 Thessalonians has become one of my favorite books of the Bible. It is filled with blessings to pray for and over others! What I love about these verses is how simple it is to adapt each prayer for believers wherever they may be and whatever circumstance in which they find themselves. It is easy to change pronouns or put in the names of the person/persons you wish to pray for as you bring them to the throne of God with His kingdom purposes for them in your heart and upon your lips:

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12: “…we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Example: “Bill, I pray that our God may count you worthy of your calling…etc.”

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Example: Tina, I always give thanks to God for you, as a sister beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you…etc.”

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”  Example: “Joe, may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us…etc.”

2 Thessalonians 3:5: “And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ”  Example: “Sarah, may the Lord direct your heart into the love of God…etc.”

2 Thessalonians 3:16: “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!”  Example: “Don, may the Lord of peace Himself…etc.”

I can’t think of one of these prayers I would not want someone to pray over my life. Blessing people in prayer is a powerful way to reassure, inspire or support other believers. These prayers can also become part of your personal prayer time, praying over individuals, couples, families, your church, the churches in your community, government officials…well, you likely get the idea! Example: “Father, I lift my pastor, Tom, up to You! May You count him worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in and through his life…etc.”

Perhaps you could look over these Scriptures and ask God to assign each one to someone you know: family members, pastors, missionaries, people you work with, friends, etc. If you can’t personally seek them out to pray over them, call or email these prayers of blessing to them. Who knows how much encouragement each one of us could give to the body of Christ today if we all take this challenge! If just ten of us do this, fifty people will receive power, peace and/or purpose from God’s Spirit. I’ll go first!

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

One of the many ways that Scriptures speak of the Divine presence is through the imagery of the House of God. Over and over in God’s Word we see the promises of His people one day dwelling with Him forever in His House. Certainly there is this firm promise of someday in the future enjoying the pleasures of the Lord’s presence in His own dwelling place, but the Bible also strongly teaches of the possibility of dwelling in His House while still in the midst of this life.

We often think of the event and corporate aspect of revival and that is a very valid and profitable viewpoint. What, though, of the possibility of personal revival as a continuous way of life, as we learn to live daily in His House? There are so many passages of scripture that speak of this exciting and transformative lifestyle of dwelling in the Lord’s House.

A number of years ago, the Lord grabbed my heart through Psalm 27:4: “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; gazing upon His beauty, seeking Him in His temple.” It is apparent that David was not talking about heaven by and by, but a current experience of God’s presence. For years now, I have made this a daily prayer.

I have to confess, though, that for the first couple of years, I had to add on something. After I had prayed Psalm 27:4, I added, “And, Lord, help me to understand what I just prayed.” What does it mean to live in the House of God in the midst of everyday life? As we begin to learn the answer to this and experience it in our own lives, we will be walking in a revived life in the Spirit.

(c) Harvest Prayer Ministries