Romans 12:11 Amp
If I were to define with one word my primary role in the body of Christ, I’d say I am an igniter. I love to ignite Holy Ghost fires in the hearts of believers. I love to stir up the kind of divine zeal that keeps them aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord. If they’re already blazing, I like to add fuel to the flame so they can burn brighter still.
So it’s no surprise that I’m writing to ignite a fire in you today. I want to fan the flames of the one desire that flickers somewhere in the heart of every Spirit-led pray-er: the desire to see the fullness of God’s glory manifest in the midst of the Church today like it was in the beginning.
I believe every one of us has cried out to God for that at one time or another.
We’ve read the book of Acts, seen the magnificent moves and outstanding miracles of the Spirit that swept thousands into the kingdom of God in an instant and we’ve yearned to see it happen again. We’ve heard or read the prophecies declaring that such wonderful manifestations will be seen in our day, and we’ve called out fervently, “Yes, Lord! Let it be so!”
But as the months pass, and then years, without seeing the fullness of the glory we’re believing for, it’s easy to let our passion begin to wane. As distractions set in and we get busy with the practical realities of life, even those of us who are radically committed to praying for the glory can become passive about it. We still hope and trust that the outpouring will come, but if it doesn’t, well, we can still have happy lives and everything will be all right.
Such an attitude seems practical. And it’s definitely more comfortable than burning with a desire that gets you up early and keeps you up late, crying out to God for the glory. But there’s one problem with it.
It won’t get the job done.
It takes fiery passion and force to break through the kind of demonic resistance that’s been set up to stop us from laying hold of the promise of God for this generation. It takes desperation and determination to fight the good fight of faith until every foe falls and we, as the Church, possess once again the fullness of God’s power that belongs to us in Christ Jesus.
If you don’t have that kind of passion (or if you had it once and it has begun to fade), it’s time to stir the embers of your heart and get them glowing. It’s time to open your Bible, get on your knees, and let the Holy Spirit pour fuel on the flickering flame within you until it blazes like a bonfire.
It’s time for us to all cry out in one accord, “Lord, pour out Your glory on the Church again!”
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”