(Mark 13:35 – 36 Amp)
In the years before brother Phillip Halverson went to be with the Lord, he would often say to me, “Lynne, you are a last-days’ watcher.” Sometimes, I would just look at him and wonder what on earth he meant. I didn’t know much back then about watching, but I’ve learned some things about it since.
One of the things I’ve learned is that as Christians, we’re all commanded to watch and pray. And we’re commanded to do it more and more as we see the end of the age drawing near. In fact, when you read what Jesus said about the last days, you’ll find He actually talked as much about watching as He did about praying. Therefore, much of our prayer time should be spent watching in the spirit. Yet most Christians don’t know how.
It’s time for that to change. We can’t afford to be in the dark about watching anymore. All you have to do is read your Bible and look around to see that the Day of the Lord is rapidly approaching. It’s time to watch!
What exactly is watching in the spirit?
It is being sensitive to the stirrings and quickenings in your heart. It is paying attention to promptings of the Holy Ghost on the inside of you.
Some believers have become so insensitive to those stirrings, they don’t even realize they have them anymore. They’ve focused their attention so much on the natural, physical world around them that they’ve become almost oblivious to the inner world of the spirit.
Actually, that’s happened to all of us to one degree or another, and it’s time for us to change it. It’s time for us to tune in more to spiritual things.
Scripture Reading: Mark 13:27 – 37
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!”