Sharings on prayers (Part 2)

During the whole period at Japan, I continued to intercede, and my intercession, which started from Jan 12 finally was finally truncated by a serious flu caught when we went down from Hokkaido to Tokyo – the date – 12 february, which was exactly 1 month from the date 12 january which I started intercession.

I would like to share a bit of my experience of praying when I was sick. Previously, in one of my posts, I shared that I had a fever and was praying in my bed – I felt a strong presence of God and after resting, my fever was gone. However, this time, I couldn’t pray at all even when I tried very hard to concentrate. The flu was so bad that I had to keep lying down. My aunt, who was a christian, had to lay both her hands on me to pray for me.

After coming back from Japan, I had to nurse the flu, at the same time, start on a new job at a local hospital as a coordinater.

The whole episode of intercession, disciplined, focused and targetted at different groups of people, had ended but it was very rewarding. I am still paying my premiums everyday – would either pray with my christian aunt on the phone or have dinner at her place and afterwards we’ll pray.

Going back to the sermon preached by my pastor, which was on the 2nd of march, there were three main points derived from the book of Acts 4:23-31.

1. The presence of God is perceived
2. The power of God is received
3. The purpose of God is achieved

I have shared on the presence of God being present, signified by the shaking of the ground. The power of God was received when the believers was filled with the Holy Spirit and the purpose of God achieved when they spoke the word boldly.

I hope I can start another bout of intercession soon, and this time, let it be more enduring!

Sharing on prayers (Part 1)

The sermon preached by my pastor today was on prayer (Acts 4:23-31) - “when the church prays”, so i think it was the opportune time for me to write a post to revise on the things which I had learnt from the book the intercessory prayer by Dutch Sheets, share my experience in my journey in intercessory prayer for more than a month, and also share a few important pointers on what my pastor has shared today. It would have a part 1 and 2.Ok. To revise on the three chapters on intercessory prayer, I would summarize into 3 main points.

The first I believe is the importance of persistance in intercessory prayer. This is because God is really into marinating while we are into microwaving. The parable of the persistent widow clearly teaches us this (Luke 18:1-8). While we are into marinating, our faith increases to the point where we claims the promises of God.

The second is seeing ourselves as important in the involvement of the works of God on earth. This was illustrated in Ezek 22:30,31 where God searched for a man to stand in the gap but found no one. It was depressing. Therefore, we are representatives of God to fulfill his works on earth. And intercession is part of that work we can do.

Thirdly and lastly, there’s an intercessor for us in heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ, and by his name we can bring our requests to God (1 Tim 2:5). All our intercession would be futile if not for Christ. 

February has passed in a flash, as you may know, I went on a holiday trip to Japan from 6 Feb to 15 feb. And I started on learning intercessory prayer on 12 Jan. On the first day of the Japan trip, when we touched down at Tokyo Narita Airport, we proceeded to take a train which travelled overnight to bring us to Hokkaido. In my learning on intercessory prayer, I have been praying for my cousin Yingwei, because she is a backsliden christian and to say sheepishly, I have not maintained a good relationship with her all these while to see the possibility of inviting her back to the church. On this first day, by grace of God, I managed to rebuild my relationship with her. We had a good conversation and laughs while consuming a night snack at a restaurant on the train (it occupied one cabin) with other relatives.

At night, I was thanking God for breaking the ice between us and helping me to build a bridge to her. This would opened up doors for me in the future to invite her back to church. At the same time, I was interceding for my family as well as relatives, going through my usual routine of intercessory prayer for different groups of people. When i finished the prayer and said “Amen”; incidentally, the train shook. It had stopped perennially at a stopover station – the eminent presence of God.

In the sermon preached today by my pastor, in Acts 4:31, the place where the believers were meeting shook after they prayed. The shaking signified the presence of God. It was very coincidental that the train shook at the exact moment I said “Amen”. I wouldn’t be reading too much into this but what I would believe is this - this prayer had shaken situations in the spiritual realms. End of part 1.. Look out for part 2.  

My reading reflections on “Intercessory Prayer” by Dutch Sheets – Chapter 3

Thank you for tolerating my long posts on my learning on prayers – I am beginning to love to pray after 25 days. It was a serendipitous journey where I discovered growing obedience, surrendering to God’s will, peace and faith.

I was sharing with my senior youth cell group leader on my newfound “crush” – prayer and encouraged him to pick up the discipline too. His reply didn’t indicate his commitment will be unflinching. Anyway, I will still be interceding for him everyday to become a man of prayer and a leader filled with wisdom and love trusting that God will not be oblivious to my pleas.

“Intercessory Prayer” by Dutch Sheets – Chapter 3. Re-presenting Jesus.

I am going to super-summarize what I have learnt from this chapter to appease those who are so patient with the previous long post (Jokingly).

All intercession by men is futile if not for Christ’s intercession for us in the heavens to the Father. This is why we ask “in His name.” (1 Tim 2:5)

Our intercession is different from His work of intercession, the difference being we are distributors while He is the generator. The generator Jesus wants to distribute through us. He wants his victory to be enforced through us. My prayers of intercession release Christ’s finished work of intercession.

So when you pray for salvation for your family, remember that Christ has already conquered death by His works on the cross, and you intercede to God by His name as He intercedes to God in Heavens.

My reading reflections on “Intercessory Prayer” by Dutch Sheets – Chapter 2

Last Sunday, I attended the bible study conducted for the tertiary students in the youth group. It was on the topic “Prayer” which I am currently learning and reading up on. I thanked God for Marcus Yew who is very gifted in teaching, he could bring across the lesson in a very humorous and clear way. As I mature as a christian, I understand some spiritual lessons require rolling up the sleeves and going into experimenting to reap the highest benefit; prayer being one of them. To learn about prayer, you MUST COMMIT to pray regularly. 

Today I experienced something very unusual. I was praying in my sleep, maybe in my subconscious. I was running a fever this afternoon and so I took a nap, then somehow I felt the presence of God so strong. Throughout my nap, I could remember myself praying and interceding, the feeling of peace and assurance was palpable. When I woke up, the fever was gone. Praise the Lord.

I am going to continue to share on what I have learnt from the “Intercessory Prayer” by Dutch Sheets, chapter 2. But as usual, I am going to extract a few lines from the book “EM Bounds on Prayer” which spoke to me on obedience with relation to prayer.

Extracts from “EM Bounds on Prayer”

The difficulty in prayer then is not with faith but with obedience, which is faith’s foundation. Faith, in its highest form, is the attitude as well as the act of a soul surrendered to God.

The lack of obedience in our lives breaks down our praying. Quite often our lives are in rebellion. This places us where praying is almost impossible, except for pardoning mercy.

What is obedience? It is doing God’s will. The spirit that prompts a man to break one commandment is the spirit that may move him to break them all. The spirit of rebellion is the very essence of sin. It is denial of God’s authority that God cannot tolerate.

Do you think God would make the keeping of His commandments a condition of effectual prayer if He knew we could not keep His statutes? Certainly not!

But the christian has another trade to learn before he proceeds to learn the secrets of the trade of prayer. He must learn well the trade of perfect obedience to the Father’s will. Obedience follows love, and prayer follows obedience.

If you want to have free access to God in prayer, then every obstacle in the nature of sin or disobedience must be removed.

Tears sometimes are the prodigal’s only plea. But tears are for the past, for the sin and wrongdoing. There is another step and stage waiting to be taken. That step is unquestioning obedience.

The absence of an obedient life makes prayer an empty performance.

Has it ever occured to you that your prayers are just heard as voices by God but not answered when you cherished sin in your heart; you do not operate in love and remain in Him? That’s why the Lord’s prayer always remind us to repent our sins seeking God’s forgiveness and also to forgive anyone who has sinned against us (Psalm 66:18-19 and John 15:7,12).

“Intercessory Prayer” by Dutch Sheets – Chapter 2. The necessity of prayer.

I think the most important thing this chapter addresses is “Why the need to pray?”

Does a sovereign, all-powerful God need our involvement? Is prayer necessary? If so, why?

Sharing a few verses quoted by the author would let us find answers to the questions.

Ezek 22:30,31

“And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads,” declares the Lord God.

This passage is clearly saying that though God’s justice demanded judgment, His love wanted forgiveness. Had He been able to find a human who would ask Him to spare this people, He could have. That was how necessary christians are in the involvement of God’s plan. Human inaction does not nullify the atonement, but human inaction makes the the atonement ineffective for lost people.

Another verse Dan 10:12

“Your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.”

The angel Gabriel was dispatched immediately after Daniel started praying. However, it took him 21 days to penetrate the warfare in the heavens. Daniel knew that God needed his involvement in His plan for Israel’s captivity to end and so he gave his attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes (Dan 9:3).

To conclude, God made the decision in heaven and we were called to enforce it on earth through intercession and faith. 

My reading reflections on “Intercessory prayer” by Dutch Sheets – Chapter 1

I have borrowed a book “Intercessory prayer” by Dutch Sheets to supplement my reading of the big prayer book - “EM Bounds on Prayers”.

I would like to share a fair bit on “EM Bounds on Prayers” which I read today.

My recent understanding of prayer, which I would illustrate using an analogy is this – We who are redeemed in the soul are princes and princesses of our heavenly father and king. We are to go and fight the battles in the spiritual realm through prayers and petitions to our father who according to his divine will and time would sent his mighty heavenly armies to manifest his glories on earth.

This is a short extract from the book “EM Bounds on Prayers”.

Prayer is the mighty force for overcoming Satan, giving dominion over sin, and defeating hell. Only praying leaders are to be counted in this dreadful conflict. Praying men alone are to be put to the front. These are the only sort who are able to successfully contend with all evil forces.

The “prayers of all saints” (Rev 8:3) are a perpetual force against all the powers of darkness. These prayers are a mighty energy in overcoming the world, the flesh, and the Devil, and in shaping the destiny of God’s movements to overcome evil and get the victory over the Devil and all his works. The character and energy of God’s movement lie in prayer. Victory is to come at the end of prayer.

Now I’ll go to what I have learnt in the book “Intercessory Prayer” chapter 1 – The Question is, which I will put in point form.

1. We are into microwaving, however God is usually into marinating
2. Faith grows through persistent prayers to the point you are sure and gain victory
3. No one is born a prayer hero. Keep asking questions and keep praying to get an answer

On point 1, as a christian, I don’t wait well and isn’t stubborn, persistent or endurant enough. Often I just pray for something or someone once, often requested by that someone, and I’ll stop from there. If there’s a result – praise God, the microwave has cooked it. If not I’ll just give up, forget about the issue or seek my ways to make things happen. As I venture into persistent and committed intercession, I prayed for greater persistence as I understood that God usually marinates rather than microwaves.

Point 2, this I could resonate well with the author. After about 3 weeks of praying, I could say my faith and trust in God has increased precipitously. Now I could better entrust things to him and say, father your will be done, no more complaints as I believe all is in the hands of God. The author, who was praying for a girl in coma, said he prayed persistently a year to a point his faith grew until he knew deep inside they were going to win. His motto, Gal 6:9, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.”

Last point, Let us always be inquisitive in spirit like a child to the Father. Let us not be turned off if we do not get answers. Let us keep asking and keep praying.

Lord, teach us to pray!