Sunday, October 5, 2008

Prayer


It was bitter cold February Friday morning. I had made arrangements with one of our church members to take a prayer walk on his property. I bundled up in layers of t-shirt, sweatshirt, and a heavy coat along with gloves to combat the brisk biting north winds. I snaked my way across a dried up stream and around a grove of trees toward a pond and eventually stood in the back corner of the boundary of his property. I turned around and stood there praying. The view was breathtaking. I did not move for some time taking in the sights and praising God. I turned to look behind me beyond the barbed wire fence. I saw another pasture with a few cows and some horses and began to meditate on the boundaries we have in life. I wanted to keep walking beyond the fence but the fence served as on obstacle to stand in my way.
I decided to meander my way to the other side of his property walking along the fence line continuing to seek the Lord. Then I noticed it. In the far opposite corner was a gate but I could tell if it was gate to my friend’s property or to someone else’ property. Upon closer examination I discovered the fence was on my friend’s land. In actuality that fence was not a boundary at all. It was an obstacle but all I had to do with walk through the gate and I had access to another forty plus acres of fields and forest. I walked with the Lord for nearly an hour that day and toward the end I sensed the Lord speaking to me. “Prayer is the gateway to enlarged borders.”
While walking, I prayerfully focused on four major things that are absolutely impossible to be accomplished unless God intervenes. I look across the fence with my spiritual eyes and cast longing glances for each of these things. By faith I can see each of them but when I look with my physical eyes all I can see is the barbed wire fence of impossibility that stands in my way. Each of the four prayer emphasis would take some of the most dramatic movement of God I will have ever seen. Doubters are plenteous. The mountains are mammoth. IMPOSSIBILITIES are written with intimidation across the fences of each. The gates remain firmly shut and all I can do is pray and wait. Will I wait in faith and pray with confident expectation or will I allow doubt to rein supreme on the throne of my heart? God’s gentle reminder to me that wintry morning is the same reminder we all need. Prayer is the gateway to watch impossibilities fall prostrate at the feet of our Sovereign Lord.
“With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God” [Mark 10:27] “For nothing will be impossible with God” [Luke 1:37] “Ah Lord God! Behold you have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You.” [Jer 32:17] “But He said, ‘The things impossible with men are possible with God.” [Luke 18:27]
The promises are in place and only need to be connected with confident praying to watch miracles take place and gates to open right before our very eyes. Believing that I am praying according to the will of God [I Jn 5:14-15], I expect to see God open the gates on the following, to provide Brenda and I with our own home without going into debt, to see the Lord grow FBC Paradise to a minimum of 1,000 in attendance, for the Lord to open shut doors for the publication of my books (especially Behold the Faithfulness of God), and to watch the Lord open strategic doors for me to minister at Pastor’s Conferences and Bible conferences all over the nation and world. Like I said up front, each one of these things has impossibility written all over it by this world but I trust the signature of God underneath each one which says, “With Me all things are possible.” [Luke 18:27] Through prayer, God is able. He is able to open shut doors. He is able to make abundant provision. He is able to save the lost and break through the hardest heart. He is able to meet any need, to lead us through any gate to expand our borders for ministry. He is able to show favor with publishers and He is able to get these books all around the world. Prayer is the gateway beyond the impossible.
I choose to pray and wait in faith and to behold God’s faithfulness again. Would you believe us? I’ll be glad to believe you. Each Monday night we have people who pound the doors of Heaven. If you email your prayer requests, we will believe for you as well. Send your prayer requests to pastorfbcparadise@embarqmail.com. Join me as I walk through to the promised land of God’s miracle land of milk and honey.

No comments:

Post a Comment