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By Mervyn Morelock, Lt. Colonel
General Linda Bond has invited every Salvationist in the world to join a weekly, worldwide 30-minute prayer meeting for The Salvation Army.
Salvationist will cover a multitude of needs in these meetings, uniting to seek God’s direction and blessing.
We need to bring to the Lord in prayer the following needs:
1. Deepening our spiritual life personally and as a people of God,
2. In this economic climate, finding financial resources for our worldwide mission,
3. Igniting a renewed passion to bring people to Jesus and lead them to maturity in him,
4. Inspiring courage and compassion across the Army to stand for and serve the marginalized.
Instructions
How are we to do it? Paul’s letter to the Ephesians provides direction: Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out (Eph. 6:13-18 MSG).
Stuart Briscoe wrote, “Prayer is the talking part of the divine-human relationship. That means that our prayer life is a part of our ongoing relationship with Christ.”
Jesus told his disciples that they ought always to pray, and not to faint.
Rev. Charles Finney tells of a church that had a revival for 13 years and then the revival stopped. Everyone feared and questioned why. One day, a tearful man arose and told how for 13 years he had prayed every Saturday night for God to glorify himself and save the people. Two weeks before, he had stopped.
[Men] ought always to pray, and not to faint (Luke 18:1 ASV).
Now, if God will answer prayer like that, what responsibility rests upon us all to pray?
Jesus prayed. We need to model the Master in prayer and teach our people how to pray through example.
Why is public prayer so hard?
I’ve often asked myself why, in a corps meeting when voluntary, open prayer is requested such a heavy, pregnant and embarrassing silence ensues before someone prays?
Although curious, I’ve never openly asked the question, “Why is it that there is such a long silence before someone is brave enough to begin a prayer?”
Are we reluctant to pray because we do not wish to appear too sanctimonious, or because we are afraid that our simple prayers will reveal that we are far from where we ought to be spiritually? Or perhaps it is because we feel prayer is a sort of competition and others have such a flow of language that our poor prayer would not count for much?
Perhaps some people seem to feel that prayer is a public performance and they cannot pray until the words are written and polished and rehearsed?
A Salvation Army leader wrote: “It is our desire to encourage a passion for prayer in the hearts of all our people. We need to live our lives in the power of prayer.”
The Bible encourages us to pray, “If my people, who are called by name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (II Chron. 7:14).
General Bond writes: “As we pray together across the Army world, I know the Lord will unite us in a special way as we seek his direction and blessing.”
To request prayer and view other prayer requests and praise reports visit saprayusw.com.
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