Greetings,
"But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you" Acts 3:14
"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." II Timothy 3:5
"But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost" Acts 5:3
There are 6 'shall not' in Scripture about the Holy Ghost:
1. do not grieve;
2. do not quench;
3. do not blaspheme;
4. do not limit;
5. do not resist;
6. do not deny;
The focus of this prayer challenge is to understand that we cannot afford to be guilty of these things against the Holy Ghost. Blasphemy is, of course, for the unregenerate. But the other 5 are addressed toward the church. And that 'denying' the work of the Holy Spirit within us and through us removes the power and Presence of God from His people, the church. So no matter how much work is done 'in the Name of Jesus'; no matter how many prayers are offered; no matter how many tears are shed it is in vain, so long as we have denied the Holy One by taking on a form of godliness, by lying about our reality when convicted by the Holy Spirit. Let us not be found guilty of such things
Peter is preaching in Acts 3, that they denied Jesus as the Holy One and the Just One. And we know that Christ said, He must go away and that He would send the Comforter, the Holy Ghost to teach us and bring to remembrance all things that He said. And that being filled with the Holy Spirit we would glorify Him and the Father. But to those that cheapen, abandon the pursuit of holiness and righteousness with God, 'deny the power' of the Holy One working within us and through us. What can we do without Him?!
We preach the Word, we assemble, we pray, we sing, we want people saved; but all along we deny Him and the work within us for His glory. How can we expect to see any fruit, see any victory, see any revival so long as we deny the work of the Spirit within us. And then when questioned on such things, church leaders and prayer leaders become all defensive and begin to offer their stats and numbers and works. This is the very thing He said was an offence, 'you have a form of godliness, but deny Him'. The true surrender to Him is not embraced; but only a cheap counterfeit of Christianity that He demanded we die to this world and the things of it and die to self. 'These things ought not to be left undone'.
How can we be effective in prayer with a lifestyle of Christianity, church, personal devotion is everything less than what He has said pleases Him?
He says, 'be holy as I am holy' -- we say, just do the best you can; if you sin, you sin;
He says, 'come out from among them' -- we say, we have to be with them and like them to win them;
He says, 'be not unequally yoked' - - we say, I want to be with them and like them;
He says, 'die to self' -- we say, live for self;
Ah brethren! we have long denied the Holy One, the Holy Spirit. That which we needed most, has been sought for least. 'Do not be drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Holy Ghost'. God will not honor that which dishonors the Holy Ghost. And God will not bless that which is about us and not about Him. The power of the Holy Spirit flows through him that lives the surrendered life. 'unless a grain of wheat dies'. . . The revelation of our sins and abominations (cause them to know their abominations-my series) reveals our choice of humanism over Him, thus this is why our nation and the church is under severe judgements from God.
Church, bible reading/study, and prayer may continue weekly, but what good is that when the absence of the Holy One is evident. Why declining baptisms? why increasing evils? why greater evil? why so few victories over addictions? why is diseases so deadly? why is prayer offered, but seemingly never answered? We have denied Him the right and the access to our churches, platforms, homes, and hearts. The American way is to live for self, and keep God close in case of emergencies.
--Do you ever just sit and ponder how much more our Lord's kingdom would be, if the fullness of His power was upon us?
--do you ever contemplate that reality that Ravenhill said, 'five seconds inside eternity we will all wish we had done more' and realize that if we would have died to self in everything, complete surrender and abandoned our life for His life, things would have been and would be different?
--do you realize how much we have denied Him in this present age?
--do you realize how much we need Him today? and especially for the church services tomorrow - pulpits and pew?
Ownership of our plight is upon us. We cannot go back and change the past decades; we cannot undo the evil set in motion; we can change tomorrow by yielding and surrendering now. This is not a time of 'just be positive' and refuse to be negative. It is the whole that deals properly with where we are at. Refusal to deal with sins, with loved ones, with churches denies Who/who is in charge.
The prayer life flourishes to him/.her that is endued with power from on high. This is the reason of victories, miracles, mercies and demonstration of His power is so evident to the ones who prevail in His Spirit. For He makes groanings for us, which cannot be uttered. This is the prayer life we must seek and find. This is the prayer life to cultivate. Those things that abhor and deny Him we should abhor and refute.
IF there be one thing needful to seek, it is Him. If there be one thing needful to cry out for, it is to be endued with power from on high. It is the most needful thing for our day and age. For without Him, evils shall increase and prevail; judgements shall worsen; the church shall be removed (is this not why the church in Ephesus was threatened with their candlestick to be removed); homes dissolved; loves ones removed from this earth and cast into hell fire. All because we denied Him the full right to access in us and through us. Brethren, I pray that we not be guilty of such a thing!
The hour is late, the need is great; pray so as to prevail!
PRAYER TARGETS
EPIDEMICS:
1. Drugs/Alcohol
plight of this plague upon minds, hearts and homes is as devastating as anything, yet little done to invoke it, attack it and undo it by church; 'Reprobate Minds' given over to such addictions of evil for the destroying of the body and society; great judgement unleashed by God upon us;
2. LGBT
they have been quieted, but stisll moving and seeking to gain ground in laws, cities, counties, states and nations; Brigham Young University latest to allow without punishing;
3. Great Evil - Homicides/Suicides/Murder-suicides
53 days into this year - over 5600 deaths; crossed 2000 homicides; 40 mass shootings; 7 police officers killed; and 76 murder-suicides; As bad as the drugs and alcohol are, coupled with this, it is the desolation of a nation and a great need for the church to undo this evil before it seals our fate of our future. I just don't understand why I hear of no one appealing to church and prayer groups to 'tear down strongholds and deliver from evil'? Do you not see the ravaging of this upon our future and nation?
4. Children
continued sex trade, neglect and abuse;
Numerous cases of children killed, reported missing, throughout US;
5. Plagues
Chinese virus - over 2200 deaths; still moving world wide - Pandemic;
Cancer;
6. Natural Disasters - things have quieted down since the raging disasters so far this year; but understand that these things will continued and maintain a consistent assault on nations; Earthquakes - still expecting 8.0; failry close 7.0's within two weeks of each other in Feb. should provide lull till March;
Fire - not much reported on Australia; extent of damage and such;
Floods;
Storms - as we approach spring, tornado will become focus;
Locusts - historic plight across 10/40 window;
UPDATES:
--bible readings - up through Acts; just over two weeks to finish; word study "rise";
--The Activity of God - Isiah 40; trying to maintain a page a day; hitting and missing with this; looks like 2 years to finish;
--A Word - Isaiah 62; only 6 verses so far started this month in 22 days; horrible consistency in this; great sin for negligence; 2 verses, 3 & 5 done; of this chapter;
--Concerts of Prayer - March 3 is day of fast; withing that first full week, set times for corporate hour prayer;
--sermons from Sunday are uploaded to my youtube page;
--I will simply announce from now on to you and my churches about the Pray 365 for the elections this November; February was filled with those fasting and praying; March has 14 days open;
Until,
Dan
Started: February 22, 2020
Continued:
Finished:
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