Psalm 8:3 – 4
Once when I was visiting my son and daughter-in-law in Singapore, I saw in a very clear way why our fellowship with God must be ever changing.
I was taking a walk one night and as I looked at the moon and stars, I thought about how the planets in our solar system are constantly revolving around the sun. I marveled over the fact that the earth, as it makes its annual solar revolution, is also rotating daily on its own axis. If it didn’t, parts of the earth would freeze while other parts would burn up. Thus, it is constantly turning so that every part of the earth can be touched by the light.
As I communed with the Lord about those things, I saw that the same will be true of us if we follow God from our hearts. Like the planets revolving around the sun, we will constantly revolve around Him and see different aspects of Him. We will get a fresh view of Him every day.
At the same time, He will keep us turning on our own, personal axis. He will lead us in new ways and keep us ever changing in our relationship with Him so that He can enliven and illuminate not just one part but every part of our lives.
That’s why we can’t afford to get static and stuck in our routines. The moment we stop moving and responding to that which is presently being wrought by the Spirit within us, some part of us goes dark and we lose the reality of God. We forget that He is not just a book with some words on pages. He is not just truths recited by rote and repetition. He is a living being who wants to reveal new dimensions of Himself to us every day.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:1 – 3
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!”