If you’re one of the persistent pray-ers who have prayed for the outpouring of God’s glory on the Church for years and are getting discouraged because you haven’t yet seen the results you’d hoped, I have two words of encouragement for you: Don’t quit!
We’re closer than ever to seeing the signs and wonders we’ve longed to see. We’re about to experience the things we’ve read about in Acts and contended for in prayer. We’re almost there!
I know it’s tempting to give up on it at times. But if we will persevere, as Jesus told us to, the Holy Spirit will strengthen us and help us to keep standing in faith until we see the full manifestation of God’s promises. He will exhort and instruct us and show us things that will re-energize our faith.
He did that for me some time ago. I was walking through my house, not really doing anything spiritual, when I sensed His presence surrounding me. Suddenly, visions began to flash across my spirit. I saw seasons appear and disappear before me like photographs. I saw springtime sparkling with freshness. I saw fall with all the bright colored leaves drifting from the trees to the ground. I saw the heavy snow of winter.
Then the scenes stopped and I heard the Lord say to my heart, “You have entered a new season.”
Praying friend, I believe that word applies to the whole Church in this day and hour. I believe we are entering a new season. This is not the time to look back at previous seasons when it seemed the things we were believing for were slow in coming. This is the time to put those old mindsets away and start expecting the glory of God to begin manifesting and increasing all around us—right now. This is the time to say, “We’re in a new season! It’s a season of signs, wonders, and miracles! It’s a season overflowing with the power and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ! It’s the season for the Church to take the Promised Land and never return to the land of bondage again!”
Start right now getting ready for this season. Spend time in the Word and stir up fresh faith in Jesus’ promise that we would do the greater works. Go back to the things God has shown you in your heart about the Church’s divine destiny. Determine that you will be part of the end-time generation who believes and sees the glory of God.
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!”