1 Timothy 4:6
Many of us learned about the importance of building up our faith by feeding on the Word when we first started our walk with God. We heard sermons about the importance of the Word and really went after it. We went to church early to get a good seat because we were so hungry forthe Word that we didn’t want to miss anything the pastor said. After church, we went by the bookstore to get a recording of the message so we could hear it again.
We would read our Bibles morning and night. We’d tape verses on our bathroom mirrors and our refrigerators. We thought about the Word, talked about the Word, and prayed over the Word.
But then something happened.
We got the idea we’d learned all we needed to know. We began to think, Yeah, I have this faith thing down. I know what the Word says. And so we stopped feeding on it like we once did.
As a result, our hearts began to weaken. Instead of growing more powerful spiritually and seeing more results from our prayers, we began to see fewer results. Although we retained the intellectual knowledge we’d gained from our early days of studying the Word, somehow that knowledge didn’t seem to be doing us as much good. And here’s why: the Word of God isn’t just information to learn. It contains spiritual impartation that strengthens and nourishes our faith, keeping it robust and healthy.
Meditating on the Word is like taking vitamins for our inner man. It makes us spiritually strong. It may not bring forth instant, dramatic results, but if we keep feeding on it, over time it will make a life-changing difference.
I like to say that the Word of God is to your prayers like gasoline is to your car. It’s the fuel they run on. The more you pray, the more spiritual fuel you need. It’s just as foolish to try to keep praying in faith on the Word you meditated on last year as it would be to try to keep driving your car on the gasoline you put in the tank last year.
If you do that, you’ll run out of fuel. So go back to the gas station and fill up again. Keep going back to the Word!
Scripture Reading: Luke 4:1–4
Source: Devotions for the Praying Heart 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!”