It happens to every praying person. At one time or another, we all get stuck. We slip into a spiritual mud hole somehow or find ourselves caught in a rut—and no matter how much we rev our inner motors, we can’t seem to get going again.
I hate it when that happens.
No doubt, so do you.
But if you’ll remember what I’m going to tell you this week, you’ll never have to be stuck again. You’ll know what to do at those times. You’ll be able to get back on track in a hurry and keep on moving down the road.
I don’t mind telling you, especially in this day and hour, it’s vital for us to do that. As pray-ers, we can’t afford to waste time spinning our wheels. With every passing moment, we are moving closer to the Second Coming of Jesus and a great work of prayer must be done before He comes. So we must all stay energized and effective in our praying. We must stay in motion and keep on track.
How can we do that?
We do that by connecting with the three major resources God has given us to keep our praying fresh and powerful:
• The written Word of God
• The leading of the Holy Spirit
• The corporate anointing
This may not sound very sophisticated, but those three elements could almost be compared to the wheels of a tricycle. They are so simple, so perfectly balanced, that when they are all in place, even a child can ride them to higher spiritual ground.
I don’t know about you but that’s an encouragement to me because even after years and years of learning about prayer, at times I still feel like a novice. On occasion, it seems like I’m only a kindergartener in the vast realm of God. So I’m thankful that He keeps things simple. I appreciate Him providing such an uncomplicated trio to help us in prayer.
After all, even a novice can ride a tricycle. Even a beginner can keep moving as long as he has three wheels rolling and keeps pedaling on.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:25 – 30
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!”