“Lynne, how can you be happy about judgment?” somebody might ask. “As pray-ers, aren’t we supposed to hold back judgment and ask for mercy instead?”
Yes, we are, until the Holy Spirit lets us know that we’ve reached the time when God’s mercy actually calls for judgment.
If that thought seems strange to you, I can assure you, I understand. Until a few years ago, it would have seemed strange to me too, because the Lord had always trained me to pray for mercy. Even though I was aware of the judgment side of God, in every situation no matter how badly someone might be acting, I’d call on God’s mercy to cover that person. I’d intercede and ask God to withhold judgment and, in mercy, give them time to repent.
The Spirit of the Lord trained my heart to pray that way. And for the most part, it has been the highest, most effective way for me to pray about the prayer projects He has given me in past seasons of my life. But spiritual seasons change; and when they do, if we stay tuned into the Spirit of God, He’ll help us change too so we can work effectively with Him in the new season.
That’s what He did for me when we stepped into the time of the judgment of the nations. He guided me through the Scriptures and gave me a whole new understanding of judgment—especially where nations are concerned. He showed me that when God judges nations whose people have been blinded by the Devil and deceived into worshipping false gods, He is actually giving those people a mighty opportunity. He is letting them see for themselves not only that He exists but that He is more powerful than any other so-called god.
He is giving them the opportunity to turn to Him.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 83:1 – 18
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!”