The answer is not me

It is a difficult lesson for me to learn, that I do not always
have to be the answer to my own prayers. What I mean is that
sometimes I will ask God to really move in a church service or
some other spiritual event, and then at the same I may be involved
in that occasion, and so I feel the entire burden upon me. I must
do something to bring out the Spirit, to inspire everyone. And that
is good, I certainly do prepare ready and willing to be lead by
the Spirit, wanting very much to touch people's hearts. But it is not
me that works on the hearts, it only the Holy Spirit working with Jesus and
Father.
On this particular Wednesday night, just yesterday, I had just finished
the book "If My People Pray", when it came out I was only 7 so at the time
I couldn't have read but up into my teenage years people still talked about
it and its author Randy Maxwell was still very much a popular prayer
seminar and retreat speaker. But for some reason I never got around
to reading it. Well by God's grace I finally did and I was struck deep.
He talks in it that he sees a real prayer revival happening around the nation
(his case the US of A), but that was in 94, 95, so what happened. I certainly
in the following 14 or so years have not see a huge awakening. But I may
be missing something, well that revival subject is a whole other discussion.
But what I do want to see prayer be so much greater in my life and the life
of the church here. So heading prayer meeting I was wondering how we
could make the time really a prayer meeting and not just one prayer, long
talk meeting, like many churches today. Then the speaker could not
be there and I was asked to share, that really upped the expectation in my
mind, what could I do to incoroporate more prayer. I kind settled the idea
by saying I would bring it up at this Sunday's board meeting.
But God had a better plan, as always. We got to prayer time, first we
share praises then we share requests for prayer. Simel shared after
several others had shared. He began very hesitantly findly exactly the right
words for the delicate subject he was asking prayer for. He was not specific
but we understood the gravity and sincererity of his confession. He wanted prayer
for a problem he's had since childhood, that this very week came again
to tempt him, and it seems he fell. He had been struggling wanting to share
this request with the church but only now mustered the courage. He never said
the actual problem but he was nonetheless open with us all. Uli motioned to me
(I was up front at the table), to circle around him in a special prayer. How awesome. When
all the other requests were given, we prayed two by two as usual, then had a special
prayer all of us gathering around kneeling Simel. At the end of this prayer I asked
if anyone else had a sin, a problem they wanted to lay at Jesus' feet, I went down to my knees with several others, some ofthe younger kids, and a young lady from our church,
who just recovered by a great sickness. Uli prayed for us. I laid my sin before the Lord, and what joy.
And the verse for that evening, I had chosen asking God to choose the right
one, since I had not prepared. I was lead to what I read in devotion a few mornings before,
Luke 7.23, take up your cross and follow me. How fitting, Simel had shown he wanted
to take up his cross daily, to truly leave self behind and give all to Jesus' cause! And
we others who had knelt with him too. I shared that I hoped that what we experienced that evening would only be the beginning of a real and wonderful prayer ministry from our church. You can know alot from the Bible, the spirit of prophecy and still be dead in the Spirit, dead in prayer, in talking with God, in intereceding on others' behalf.
On top of that myself and my prayer partners Blaise and Aser have chosen an official night
to start having prayer and Bible study, and to invite our friends over to join us. It's is a part of the Union's initiative to reach people through friendship.