Some time ago, I spoke with a minister of God I greatly admire. He has preached the Gospel in more than 60 nations. He has prayed the prayer of salvation with more than two million people. His ministry is constantly marked by signs and wonders. He has literally seen the dead raised, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the blind see.
Early in his Christian life, he had such a sweet relationship with the Lord and such a passionate hunger for Him that God’s abiding presence was upon him day and night. He walked in that abiding presence for eleven years.
But do you know what he told me when we talked? In tears, he said that in recent years he had gotten so busy with ministry that he had lost the hunger he once had for Jesus. He was still passionate about winning souls. He was still committed to the call and work of God. Yet his heart had been drawn away from Jesus Himself.
For a while, he didn’t even know it had happened. The realization didn’t hit him until he went to conduct some meetings in another nation and found the Christians there aglow with the abiding presence of God. Their faces shone with joy and love for the Lord. When they worshipped, my minister friend wept and wept for he recognized in these people the wonderful presence of God that he himself once had—but lost.
When he told me his story, I too just wept.
I said, “How can this happen to us?”
The more I’ve pondered that question, the clearer the answer has become. I’ve realized that any of us—no matter how fervent and committed we might be—can lose our passion for Jesus if we let ourselves get too busy and stop stoking the fire of our love for Him. But I’ve also realized that if we will repent and draw near to God, He will draw near to us and help us rekindle that fire again. If we will open the door of our hearts to Him, He will come in and commune with us.
If we will cry out, “Lord, make me hungry again!” He will be faithful to answer.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 85:6 – 7
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!”