Some prayers that are offered by God’s people could be answered by the Father with, “I have heard your prayer, My children. It is an approved request. No go and be the answer to what you have asked of Me.” These are beautiful opportunities because they help us in so many ways. Firstly, we humble ourselves in acknowledging that we are asking the Father for something which we cannot do apart from Him. Secondly, we are affirmed in that we are petitioning Him for something holy and good. Thirdly, we find that He assigns us an opportunity for the answer to our prayers to be fully manifest through our own desire and obedience. In essence, this is what we call a partnership. I am reminded of the following verse which may help shed some light on how this process takes place:
“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” – Philippians 4:13
At the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this weekend, some 100,000 followers of Jesus Christ have gathered for intercession and worship. Many of my friends are there right now. Focusing on breaking down racial, cultural and denominational barriers in the Church, these believers have responded to the call of Lou Engle to gather and seek the Father for genuine repentance and revival in America. Had I been able to attend, my voice would be joined with theirs out on the west coast. As it stands, we are praying for this very thing here in my own city. The key to this prayer being answered is not found in the geography, but in the genuineness of our desire and our commitment to seek it until it comes to pass. God is moving His people to be the answer to our own prayers for unity, repentance and revival. He is more than willing to grant it, but it will never happen in a vacuum of obedience and steadfastness. This is one occasion wherein we must answer our own prayers so that the Father will have a conduit through which to bring the affirmation of what we ask. Lou Engle welcomed the massive throng of attendees this weekend to embrace the following covenant which was offered to God in corporate prayer. I sign my name to this covenant. I hope you will consider doing the same this Sunday.
“Lord, we thank you that You are the God who keeps covenant, who is slow to anger, and abounds in mercy. We know the great cry of your Son is that we would be one as You are one. And that we would love one another so that the world may know we are your disciples. We acknowledge that we have broken covenant with you and one another. And because of that disunity, the body of your Son is broken. Therefore, by your grace, we covenant to speak the truth in love, not criticism and accusation and to guard our lips from speech that accuses and wounds the beautiful body of Christ. We acknowledge that we can challenge one another as brothers and friends, but always in love, for love is the greatest of all. Therefore, we covenant by your grace to renounce our partnership with the accuser of the brethren. By your grace, we proclaim liberty to those we have held in bondage through bitterness and unforgiveness and to fully forgive from the heart those who have wounded and betrayed us. We covenant by your grace to bless the many expressions of true, historic faith. Lord, we thank You that you keep covenant with us. That You are slow to anger and abounding in mercy.”
I am a little wary here of some of those involved in the meeting in Los Angeles, many of whom are of the “Word faith” movement and New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), of which I have serious reservations. There is a step too far sometimes and we need to hold the breaks I believe. I realise Pastor Jeff your heart is for all that God is for the Church, but not all we see today is of the Truth and I urge caution and the usual test of lining everything up with the Word of God. Hope you understand my concern. Love your ministry. Richard
jeff ifollow transforming truth and i love it. I’ve read entire bible through you and nick having a passion i elt theneed to read. i love it! ilove watchig any live or recorded broadcast you have since i travel every sunday for work
That is so encouraging, Richard!
Count me in! Even those denominations that many hold sacred are disunity in the body. Had the church stayed fixated on Jesus’ commands to believe in His name and love one another, there wouldn’t be any disunity. Instead, we, the church, spent two thousand years dissecting the truth until all that was left were bits and pieces, like a puzzle that lies dormant in a box. Time to put the pieces back together and keep them unified.
Great analogy, dad.
Thanks.