Deut. 6:3 KJV
Has your heart been calling out for increase?
If so, you’re in good company. Every spiritually healthy believer I know is hungry for increase these days. Christians everywhere are on fire with desire to:
- Increase spiritually and ascend to higher places in the Lord
- Increase in effectiveness and bear more fruit for His kingdom
- Increase in victory and demonstrate more fully the power of Jesus’ resurrection—not just spiritually but physically, financially, and in every other area of their lives
Such desire is a good thing. It’s a God thing! He put those desires in our hearts because it’s His will to increase us. When we increase, God gets more glory and His kingdom advances. That’s why Psalm 115 says:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake … The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
(verses 1, 14 KJV)
Increase is part of our divine destiny. It’s God’s plan for us!
Even so, we’ve all been frustrated at times by our desire for it. We’ve all wondered why God doesn’t open more doors of increase for us. We’ve had seasons when we struggled to move forward and expand in some area of life but found our efforts thwarted.
Maybe we stepped through what seemed to be an open door of opportunity with high hopes but somehow those hopes were dashed. Even though we could see the potential for increase was there, things just didn’t work out. But that’s no reason to give up on our God-given dreams of increase! On the contrary, it’s reason to press into them with even greater fervency in the place of prayer.
If we will persist and keep on working with God, if we’ll continue to pray without giving up, the increase He has promised us will eventually come. We have God’s Word on it!
Scripture Reading: Psalm 115:1–18
Source: Devotions for the Praying Heart by Lynne Hammond.
Excerpt permission granted by Lynne Hammond Ministries
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!”