Greetings,
One word of why revival tarries, why evil is increasing and multiplying and why holiness and power has left the church -- WE HAVE NOT PRAYED SO AS TO PREVAIL.
"the power with God and with men and hast prevailed" - Genesis 32:28
"Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed" - Exodus 17:11
"Spirit of God came upon him . . .and he prevailed against them" - Judges 3:10
"Israel prevailed" - Judges 4:24
"Midian prevailed" - Judges 6:2
"Find out where his secret is that we may prevail against him" - Judges 16:5
"I will be lying spirit in their mouths. . . go, thou shalt do it, and prevail" - I Kings 22:22
so much prayer being done last month; many talking about prayer; preaching on prayer; knowing prayer is the answer; yet, why is evil abounding? why so many praying for revival, and yet, revival tarries? Why does the drug evil increase? why does the evil of men increase in our headlines through murder-suicides, mass shootings, homicides, wickedness, etc?
Many a time have I let this thought pass through my mind. Yet, I did not stop and meditate on it, or contemplate it more or enough. some part of me is resolved that as Paul writes, 'in the last times things will grow worse and worse'. Some part of me understanding God's Sovereign Divine will that it is simply not time for revival and evil and wickedness to be put at bay. Yet, the last couple of weeks, it is has plagued me almost every day with 'why'.
Now this much I know. God is not the problem! He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and His attribute of power, saving grace, deliverance, victory and Holy Ghost filled men and women is immutable, and changes not. so i know that what He has promised, done and willing to do, is still before me/us. I am able to dismiss this from my mind as an issue.
Therefore, I am settled on me, on these that tout the Christian work of prayer, of the church. Where are we? Why is prayer still the same venue by which God works and moves, yet, victories, salvation, revival, deliverance is limited and reserved? I believe it to be in this one word, we have not PREVAILED.
If we are praying, which the remnant is, and many are calling and having prayer times. If we are knowledgeable about prayer; and we are, every means and method is out there to teach us on prayer and be in prayer. If we are doing, then where is the opposite of the equation of Jeremiah 33:3, 'If you call Me, I will answer you'? We have been calling, but where is the answer? Now remember, it is not God at fault here. So it is left on us and how we are calling. God is more than willing and able to answer. "nothing is too hard for the Lord". It has to be in our calling unto Him that is at the issue of failure. Failure!; you think that to hard a word to use and portray the Christian church in North America? We have gone in inches what we should have been doing in miles through prevailing prayer in God.
So let us consider a few of the issues that may be at our failure in how we are not prevailing in our calling unto Him in prayer times. How often are we calling? When I ask this or address this, automatically, I get the defensive anger, 'Well, I pray all the time'. Yet when asked to pray in corporate prayer time, they struggle with 5 or 10 minute praying; and in praying in rounds they pray 2 or 3 times and they have exhausted all their prayer petitions. A person that prays all the time should be able to converse with the Lord from His Word of promises, helps, directives, descriptions, worship and confessions for long periods of time. Not for much speaking and words, but there is so much to bring before Him at any given time. And that no matter how long we are praying, or coming before Him we can always increase that number.
When Ronnie Floyd became president of the SBC and was introducing the SBC to a lost theme and book of Jonathan Edwards on prayer. A United Call for Extraordinary Prayer is a shortened version of that title, but the questions left to answer was what I proposed to him, 'what is extraordinary prayer'? To many it was praying 5 minutes, to another 15 minutes. But those that pray an 1/2 hour, an hour, this would be praying less. In giving him this example, exhorted to declare that extraordianry prayer is multiplying our time, efforts and power in prayer. And that definition was given. Therefore in order for us to prevail, let us pray daily and several times more a day so as to prevail.
Are we asking amiss? or not praying in faith? Praying, yes we are; as everyone tells me; "There is more prayer now than ever before". then why no victories? Are we not asking for the things of God? for the things directed for us to ask and believe in? And the answer to this is 'No'. quite the prayer meetings in church, prayer lists, are 90% physical requests. It is a very rare thing for spiritual requests to be made for salvation's, for kingdom advancement, praying against evil and praying for God's Holy Ghost power. these are things of the spiritual world to 'war a good warfare' before Him in prevailing prayer. The balance of prayer is that, yes, there is always physical requests, but too often spiritual requests are never mentioned. There must be a healthy balance. Let us not ask amiss of our own mind set and miss the mind set of God.
We ask amiss in often praying for that which God sent, caused and allowed. Our nation is under remedial judgements for our sin. the church will spend much time in praying after the tragedies for those affected, and never address why they was affected. sin caused the judgement, the punishment; and we are allowed to pray for God to remember mercy in times of His wrath. Yet, confession is a limited prayer time for many. They do not know the specific sins of the nation, of the church, of families, and of their own hearts that has provoked the Lord to anger. They ask amiss by asking God to bless them, help them while the sin still remains. They do not the Bible account of Israel, Joshua and the sin of Achan.
Humanism is at fault in this not prevailing as well. We have been taught self power, self ability rather than great faith and humbleness before the Lord. How often in the prayer meeting, is the humanistic term used in prayer, 'I", and 'we' for our agenda and priority. When it should be all pointing unto the Lord. Proper worship of God, in knowing Who He is, elimantes selfish pronouns. And instead of looking unto God for help and answers, we pray to ease our conscience and do the right thing, but all the while the heart is fixed on 'I will fix this'; 'I have the answer to this'. Thus unbelief and self grieves and quenches the Holy Spirit from Divine answers to prayer. The humanistic prayers of men will not prevail before God, for they seek to take what is His', just like the men of Babel.
One last word, (I will be doing a lengthier, posts on this in its entirety under the title PREVAIL), we do not have the spirit of prevail. I do believe that the discipline of prayer, is languishing. We do not work do build it in Him and for Him. It is at our convenience. If we are to prevail it will be like anything else in this world, it will be by seeking Him in higher places through our abilities and opportunities. Our hearts and spirits must 'be given to prayer'; Our minds must be affected with His Spirit that quickens us to heavenly, eternal, spiritual things; Our prayers must be His heart and not our hearts; and in these things it will be the spirit as Jacob wrestling with the angel: "I will not let you go, until I obtain it, (until I prevail)". And then the angel pronounces it, 'You have prevailed, with God and with men". Resolved brethren, so as to pray until we prevail for everything is found in this. And our failure to do so, will only allow the evil to increase, and revival to happen in another land, while we are being judged and destroyed. Which will we have revival or rot?
PRAYER TARGETS:
--flu; CDC reporting 63 children have died; not counting adults; this would put us in the 100's for death by pestilence;
--natural calamity; it is not estimated that 2/3 of the nation is in drought; this is being forecast to heighten; greatly impacting into the spring;
Flooding in and around Ohio Valley; remedial judgements;
--2 more officers shot and killed in OH, last weekend; this evil behavior is continuing for every 3 - 5 days in our nation;
--children; I do not know how many are legit but the posts are every other day for more and more children missing; whether through running away, or abudciton is unclear; but needless to say it is increasing; This is coupled with the neglect and abuse already happening. suicide by our children in my region is greatly increased. Fearful of others that hear and see the headlines and will act on it.
--economy; Dow sunk, but is fluctuating right now up and down for recovery. This is not the judgement that I believe the Lord will send us. An utter collapse and upheaval is what foresee;
--drug; continued use, push, increase, OD's and death;
--teacher/student sex; Finally after almost a year of each week several cases and reports, there is a lessening of reports of this.
--ISIS & Boko Haran; they are on the run, and limited, but they are still active and vessels of use for Satan against people and the church;
--LGBT agenda; abomination of evil that persists, pushes their agenda and is slowly eroding the country into immoral abyss; romans 1 is happening on our watch, 'God gives them up'
UPDATES:
--24/7 prayer times; this is a spiritual warfare time of prayer that you are being asked to be a part of. Each and every one is needed daily for 15 minutes to 1 hour to pray so as to prevail. The evil and spiritual lack in our churches and Christian lives is found in this failure right here. Please sign up for times to pray with us and for us. http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090945a4aa2da75-2471
--sermons from Sunday uploaded to youtube page; sermon at Keyser was out of I Corinthians 6, 'such were some of you' I walked through this passage of what happens to save the soul and to keep the soul in Christ and how we can communicate it to others;
Fox's Holly sermon was Psalm 109:4 & Exodus 32, "pray" I walked through the Scriptures calling us to this, as this house of prayer is retreating from its proper place of prayer in me and them;
--T - 105 pages to go in transferring my notes and word studies from old bible to new bible; over 2 years should finish in April or end of March;
--bible readings - getting ready to conclude Psalms; 700 page marker, leaving 600 to go; over 1/2 way;
--Prayer gathering in Upper Ohio Valley from March 11;
--looking to secure building here in Keyser for 'House of Prayer';
until,
dan
Started: February 13, 2018
Continued: 2/14;
Finished:
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