Some time ago, I received some new instructions from the Lord. I was traveling at the time, teaching on corporate prayer—which is what I’ve primarily been doing for the past few years—and the Spirit of the Lord told me not to concentrate anymore just on the corporate side of prayer, but to teach about our private lives before God as well. I don’t mind telling you, I was happy to obey that instruction because I’d seen some things in the lives of believers that were bothering me.
It seemed to me that many committed, Christian people were becoming spiritually stagnant. Instead of enjoying a fresh, vibrant relationship with the Lord, they were getting dry and stale. They were still living by the principles of Jesus, but they were losing the fragrance of His presence.
I saw ministers who had been through Bible school and understood all the mechanics of the scriptures, yet the tenor of their lives had stopped changing. They could teach and preach about Jesus in public but their own lives and character weren’t being continually transformed by His power.
“Lord, what has happened to us?” I asked. “The Christian life is not just about words on a page. It’s not just about formulas and principles. It’s about fellowship and relationship. Your divine presence is what changes us and makes us like You. Why does that transforming presence seem to be slipping away from us?”
The Holy Spirit helped me find the answer to my question in Jeremiah chapter 18. There, we find the prophet Jeremiah believing for the people of his nation to change. They’d been falling back and stagnating in their relationship with the Lord and as Jeremiah wept over them, God said, “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words …” (verse 2).
Oh, what a wealth of wisdom there is in that one simple verse! What wonderful things can happen to us if we will just obey it! This week, let’s arise and go down to the potter’s house and see what He has to say.
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 18:1 – 6
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!”