(1 John 5:4 KJV)
I set my sights to remain on this earth—and to keep other servants of God here—until my earthly life of service to the Lord has been completed. Yet when a saint goes to heaven too early to suit me, I must not give up the spirit of victory. Heaven is never defeat. It is, for all who go there, a far better place.
But what about us who must stay on this earth without them? I thought about this when speaking in faith with a dear friend who had been praying for her husband to be raised up off a deathbed. We held onto Jesus for that with all our hearts and, the best we knew, held onto our stand of faith. But despite it all, my friend’s husband made heaven his home.
“Never, never did I think of not being with my husband, who is my very heart,” his wife exclaimed. “What am I to do now?”
She must do what we all must do. Remember the power of Calvary. She must overcome by the blood of the Lamb and to hold fast to the faithfulness of God’s eternal Word. However overwhelmed the poor flesh may appear to be, the spirit within us even now is overcoming.
If only we would let Him, God would help us to be lifted up so high in the spirit that we could see everything our dear, departed one is doing now. He is serving the Lord without the distraction of the flesh in the freedom of the beauty of holiness. He is walking in the land of the living. He is singing in the courts of the Lord. He is serving in the fullness of joy and rejoicing in the fullness of strength. He has seen, at last, Him whom his soul loveth. He is most satisfied!
One glad morning we will see all that is hidden from us now. Until then, I will quiet the inward clatter of unanswered questions and rest in this fact: my God is great enough that I can leave this with Him.
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!”