My Daily Prayer #2

Dear Lord, earnestly I seek You and ask that

You will...

CLEANSE my heart

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

RENEW my mind

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2)

ALIGN my soul

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37)

 


So that I might...

DEEPEN my resolve

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14)

STRENGTHEN my resilience

"We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4)

BROADEN my reach

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19)

In the powerful name of Jesus I pray!

Amen

National Day of Prayer & Fasting

Today I joined a gathering of Christians at Parliament House in Canberra for the National Day of Prayer & Fasting.  Together, with two other Salvation Army Officers from Melbourne, we assembled in the Great Hall for six hours of powerful worship of our Lord and passionate prayers for our nation with people from diverse church and cultural backgrounds.  Yet amidst the diversity of this crowd was a shared unity of spirit through a common union with Jesus Christ.  From beginning to end we had an acute awareness that we were a part of something of kingdom significance and had a strong anticipation that God would use this event to reshape the spiritual climate of Australia.

Throughout the day we were guided through a variety of worship and prayer experiences that focused on Adoration, Worship & Thanksgiving - Repentance & Revival - Australia's Christian History & Heritage - Praying for Leaders - National Repentance Service - Delight & Destiny.  

Two significant highlights for me were the bilingual prayer and worship service led by the Rhema Chinese Church and the National Repentance Service for the abuse and hurt caused by the church led by Commissioner James Condon.  

The Chinese leaders uttered passionate and prophetic prayers that spoke of renewal and revival in our nation.  They demonstrated an unbridled faith that dared to believe that Australia really could be won for Jesus...and that the Australian Chinese church would lead the way!  From what I saw today, I have no doubt!!  Engaging in a bilingual service reminds you that we worship the God of all nations and really allows you to connect with the heart of God through the heart language of His people.

The Commissioner's prayer of repentance was powerfully illustrated through an act of humility by him washing the feet of a survivor of abuse by the church while in the care of The Salvation Army as a child.  We were deeply moved by the survivor's story of restoration and healing and the Commissioner, together with other church leaders, demonstration of repentance and humility.  Through the regrets of the past came a resolute commitment to righteousness in the future.

Jesus was truly glorified today!  Holy Spirit was present!  God's heart was revealed!  The Church was united!  The gates of Hell were shaken!  The National Day of Prayer & Fasting was a catalyst for revival in our nation!

Let every Church leader, Christ follower and Christian politician put Sunday, 7th February 2016 on their calendar and plan to make the pilgrimage to Canberra next year to participate in the National Day of Prayer & Fasting.  Visit www.nationaldayofprayer.com.au to register or for more details.

A Servant's Prayer

 

Divine Conversations #3

Lord, I am reminded again of a quote by Dr. Stuart Robinson, from his booklet, The Prayer of Obedience:

“The degree to which we are convinced that all real growth is ultimately a supernatural process and are prepared to act upon that belief, will be directly reflected in the priority that we give to corporate and personal prayer in the life of the church.”

It is from this conviction that we turn to you O Lord, for it is you alone that changes lives; it is you alone who transforms society; and it is you alone who will bring revival to this church!!  The question is, how badly do we want it and are we prepared to stay on our knees until we get it? 

The way I see it, we can labour in vain or we can let the creator of the universe build His house (Psalm 127:1-2).  This is why you told your disciples to wait until the Holy Spirit came before they went out to establish the early church.  And what did they do while they waited?  They prayed together – with one heart and mind!  And what happened when the Holy Spirit came?  3,000 people were added to their number that day!!  And what did they do in response to that growth?  They kept on meeting together in fellowship and prayer!  And what did you do Lord?  You “added to their number daily those who were being saved”!! (Acts 2)

We worship the same God who took on human form “and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14); we pray to the same Jesus who commissioned the disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19); and we receive the same Spirit who filled the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2:14)!  It seems to me that for this church to experience Acts 2 growth, we need to practice Acts 1 leadership:  “They all joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14). 

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you”  (Joshua 3:5)

To read more of Divine Conversations visit http://divineconversationsbook.blogspot.com.au/
 

The Journey Continues...

"My prayer also Lord, is that you unite our church together in prayer, that those who haven’t yet experienced the intimacy of meeting with you here will be inspired to do so. Lord, speak into the hearts of your people. Help us become a praying church - a people so passionately committed to seeking your face. Father, I pray for revival in our church, ignite the fire within each one of us, unite us in prayer, for your kingdoms cause. Father, I get so excited when I think about the future of our church and this community as we commit our lives daily to you. I pray for patience, knowing that your timing is perfect. Use me for your glory. Lord, with all my heart I love you, I am yours, I surrender my life to you.”  (August, 2007)

Six years ago, the Lord took me and a group of like-minded Christ followers on an extraordinary journey of passionate and prevailing prayer as we established a 24-7 Prayer Room in the southern suburbs of Adelaide at the Noarlunga Salvation Army. Tomorrow, this journey takes another exciting turn as a new prayer room is dedicated and opened in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne at the Cranbourne Salvation Army. The prayer I prayed at the opening of the Noarlunga prayer room resonates as deep within my spirit today on the eve of opening the Cranbourne prayer room as it did all those years ago!

Today, I also pray that you unite our church together in prayer at the Cranbourne Corps and pray that those who haven't experienced the intimacy of meeting with you will be inspired to do so.

Today, I also ask that you speak into the hearts of your people and to help us become a praying church - a people so passionately committed to seeking your face.

Today, I also pray for revival in our church. Ignite the fire within each one of us, unite us in prayer, for your kingdoms cause.   

As tomorrow marks the beginning of a brand new journey of prayer, may it also be the beginning of the transformation our church and a revival in our community as we commit to pray for the salvation of our city!

Can He? Will He?

One of the perplexing struggles I have had with prayer throughout my faith journey is not whether or not God can, but whether or not God will.  I believe firmly in a God "who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:30).  This belief in the power of God has always been without question for me.  What I have questioned at times is whether God will?  The paradox is that this doubt about whether God will has the potential to cripple our belief that God can, thus disempowering the way we pray.

We should most certainly pray according to God's providential will, that is His ultimate will for humankind as revealed in Scripture.  This acts as a guide to whether or not our prayers are aligned with God's established character and purpose.  However, I am coming to think that I should not allow my uncertainty about God's personal will for specific situations to diminish my prayers to a powerful God.  In other words, don't let the fact of whether God will stop you from having the faith to pray passionately to a God who can!  

In his book, The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson writes, "With God, it's never an issue of 'Can he?'  It's only a question of 'Will He?' And while you don't always know if He will, you know He can.  And because you know He can, you can pray with holy confidence."  This is a liberating and powerful position to pray from, as my faith is strengthened by what I know (Can He?) and stimulated by what I don't know (Will He?), generating a faith-fueled exchange between the human and divine.

Pray passionately to a God who can and wait expectantly to see if God will.