There is just something about spending time loving and worshipping God that will keep you on track. No wonder the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians and said:

And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight [that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment,] so that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences], and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless [so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach] the day of Christ [not stumbling nor causing others to stumble]….
(Phil. 1:9–10 Amp)

No wonder Jesus, when He was asked what the most important command was answered by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 Amp).

No wonder He rebuked the believers at the Church at Ephesus in Revelation chapter two and said that, despite their hard work and sound doctrine:

I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love]. Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God’s will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent. (vs. 4–5 Amp)

Did you notice what Jesus said about the Ephesians rising to and falling from spiritual heights—all because of love or the lack of it? That’s a lesson we all need to remember! If we want to go to high places in the spirit, if we want to pray from that high place where we are seated with Jesus in the heavenlies, we must be sure to maintain our first love for the Master.

We must spend time cultivating our love for Him. We must spend time worshipping and ministering to Him, time just getting to know Him through prayer and the Word.

The more we do that, the more we will fall in love with Him. And the more we fall in love with Him, the better we will pray.

Scripture Reading: Revelation 2:1–5

Lynne Hammond

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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!”