If I could, I would like to introduce every praying person I know to Gershon Solomon, the delightful Jewish gentleman my friends and I met in the elevator at the hotel where we were staying in southern Israel near the Dead Sea. A war veteran, Gershon often visits the Dead Sea because of its therapeutic effects on his old battle injuries. Founder and head of an organization called The Temple Mount Faithful dedicated to rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, Gershon is considered such a threat to the Palestinian cause that he tops the terrorists’ hit list alongside prominent Israeli political leaders.
As we talked with him, what most fascinated us about Gershon was his joy. He was incredibly happy. When we asked him how he could be so happy while his nation was suffering, he threw back his head and laughed. “Don’t you know these are the greatest days Israel has ever seen?” he asked.
“Don’t you know this is the beginning of the end of Israel’s trouble? The Bible says that when you see all of these happenings, even though they are terrible, Israel is about to be reborn.”
Oh, how I wish I could share with you all the stories Gershon told us about the supernatural things he’d seen in his life!
As we had dinner together that evening, he told us wonderful stories about angels who came to his aid many years ago when as a 19-year-old soldier he fought the Syrians on the Golan Heights. He told us about how God spoke to him in those days about the building of the Temple. He told us how the hosts of heaven are helping Israel today just as they did back in the days of Elijah when God opened the eyes of his servant and showed him the mountain full of warring angels who’d come to fight on their behalf.
By the time dinner was over that evening, we were all as happy as Gershon. Peculiar as it may sound, we were thrilled to be living in the day of the judgment of the nations!
Scripture Reading: Zechariah 6:9 – 15
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!”