I loved the place of prayer so much that I almost went too far in my pursuit of it. I developed the attitude, “I don’t want to do anything but be with Jesus.”
Everything else in my life became a burden. I’d perform all the routine activities of life, such as sleep, eat, and take care of my family and my home. But I did it all reluctantly, almost apologizing to God for what I considered to be a waste of time.
Jesus was so good to me in my ignorance. Over time, He taught me that one of the greatest hindrances to walking with God is the common practice of dividing our lives into two areas—the spiritual and the natural, or the sacred and the secular. One always seems to contradict the other.
I see this mistake being made all the time in the body of Christ. And I have to admit—I still make that mistake myself at times. But then I always go back to the revelation the Lord gave me during those three special years of growing in Him.
He showed me that I had divided my life into those two compartments of the spiritual and the natural. Each compartment had its own set of actions. Within my spiritual life was prayer, reading the Bible, worshiping God, and going to church. According to my worldview, this compartment of my life gave me great satisfaction and inner assurance and was well-pleasing to God.
In sharp contrast to my perception of my spiritual life was how I viewed my so-called natural life, which encompassed such mundane activities as washing the dishes, grocery shopping, and cleaning the house. I was bored with this compartment of my life and was sorry I had to deal with it.
Because I divided my life this way, I was constantly feeling torn between the two. I lived in a constant state of “dis-ease,” or uneasiness, always telling myself, “One day I’m going to lay aside this world. Then I won’t have to waste my time with all these natural things that zap my strength!” It is as if I were walking an invisible tight rope between the two realms, finding no peace in either realm. What a misconception to be trapped in!
How did I escape such a dilemma? I looked to Jesus, who is always our example.
Jesus knew no divided life. He lived in the presence of God from the time He was a small child until His death on the cross. God accepted Jesus’ total life. The Father made no distinction between one act of Jesus and another. For instance, He made no distinction between Jesus’ act of helping His earthly father, Joseph, in his carpenter shop and His act of raising Lazarus from the dead. We know that both acts pleased the Father because Jesus said, “I always do the things that please my Father” (John 8:29).
Paul gave us the exact same principle to live by in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God.” In other words, your entire life, your whole existence, should be a contribution to the glory of God.
Now, I’m not saying that every act we do is equal in importance to every other act. For instance, Paul sometimes sewed tents, and I’m certainly not saying that the times he sewed tents were equal in importance to the times he sat down to write his epistles to the churches. However, both of these acts were accepted and approved by God.
Acts 17 tells us about the time Paul visited the city of Athens. While there, he began to preach about the unknown God to all those within hearing distance. Then in verse 28, he made this statement: “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.”
No part of your life is outside of God. If you are His child, then in Him you live; in Him you move; and in Him you have your being. You have one life, and that life is all in God.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
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!”