Tyranny of the Urgent…Urgent Read This!

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The Tyranny of the Urgent

 

“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:15-16, NIV).

 

“The enemy of the best is always the good.” That’s what one of my mentors, Dr. Charles Farah would say. People who are popular will have many others pulling at them. Anyone with multiple responsibilities will daily face the decision to leave something undone.

 

What comes first?

What is the most important decision you will make every day? Is it what suit or outfit to put on? What engagement to say no to? Which calls to return? How to prioritize the many tasks pulling at your limited time? Or, is it the decision to spend time with the Lord and pray the first thing in the day?

In my training as a school superintendent one of the last exercises every new applicant faced was the “in-box” test. The challenge was to take an in-box of ten items and prioritize them in importance as to which you would tackle first for the day and what others could wait to be addressed later. I learned that invariably, disguised in the ten items, there would always be a safety item that was difficult to identify. A safety item is something that related to school safety. Safety items always take priority above every other administrative task and are always first priority for school administrators. And so it is in our spiritual lives. The safety item for our relationship with Christ is investing time alone with Him every day, preferably time at the start of the day, time in prayer and the Word.

 

Lord of my habits

The key word in this text of Luke 5:15-16 is “often,” or “frequent.” The ISV says, “However, he continued his habit of retiring to deserted places and praying” (Luke 5:16, ISV). He made it a habit to go away and pray. No matter how busy it seemed, no matter how many people were clamoring for His attention, He often withdrew; it was His practice. If it was His practice, how much more should it be ours?

His habit begs the issue, what are your habits to start the day? A habit is defined as something that is your custom or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. The most widely accepted studies on habit conclude that it takes on an average sixty-six days to form a new habit. One of the difficulties with forming a new habit is that we may be attempting to break habits that have been formed over years and years. And all of us know that one of the raging conflicts we face in life is breaking bad habits and forming positive habits.

One morning in my quiet time before the Lord I heard Him as clearly as if words had been spoken, “It’s time to put the newspaper down.” I laughed out loud as I contemplated that thought. For fifteen years I had worked a second job to supplement my income as a school administrator. It was a purposeful decision I made to facilitate my wife staying home to care for our children and home school them. My second job was delivering newspapers every morning from 4 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Every morning for fifteen years, seven days a week (one day off each year when the paper was not printed), I delivered 500-plus newspapers, then sat down at a coffee shop and read the paper for a few minutes. Now I had finally come to a place in my career where I didn’t need to work a second job, but I still started the day the same way, newspaper in hand, sitting at the coffee shop. Now I could relax, enjoy the newspaper and not be in a hurry. The newspaper was the first thing I meditated on every day. It took more than the average of sixty-six days for me to break the newspaper habit, but I did break it. I replaced the newspaper habit with another compulsive-like habit, meditating on God’s Word. For more than fifteen plus years I have devoured the Word of God habitually. Most of us have a character trait, skill, or gifting for which we are recognized or identified by others. For some of us it is being an artist, being well read, having a degree from a prestigious school, or perhaps being mercy motivated. For me, most people who know me would quickly characterize me as a man of God’s Word. It is what many know me for. This is one compulsive habit that has served me well.

 

Lord of my time

One of the great lessons of life and relationships is that there is no substitute for time. Here is an even greater truth: there is no substitute for time alone with the Lord. In any relationship, time is the vital element. From friendships to marriage, you cannot cheat time. It takes time to develop intimacy. Dennis Jernigan, the great gospel songwriter, says, “Intimacy is… into me see.” No matter what excuses a person gives, no matter what a person says, show me where time is spent and I will show you what is important to the person. Where a person spends his or her time is a view into the soul. Consider these thoughts:

A daily quiet time with God is a dramatic necessity for relationship with the Lord. It is in our daily quiet time that we study the Bible, pray, and listen to the Lord. These practices bring life and vitality to our soul. But, the morning watch is not the goal; it is not the end. The goal is not to be so disciplined that we habitually have a quiet time with the Lord every morning for an hour. No, the whole purpose of time with the Lord in the morning is know Christ, have His presence in our life, to be connected with Him throughout the entire day.

The goal of spending time with Christ is to have His character become our character. For our life to be hidden in His life, His nature to become our nature, and His habits our habits. It is possible to become so intimately acquainted with a practice, a way of doing something that you can do it without thinking. It becomes second nature, natural. When we find the secret place of abiding in Christ, our ordinary, daily interactions with people will become oh such more than mundane. They will be majestic opportunities to fulfill God’s purposes. We will become fruitful Christians. All fruitfulness of this kind flows out of intimacy with Him.

There are two great hindrances to prayer. Listen carefully with your spirit as I write. Revelations 3:6 states, “Let him that has an ear to hear listen to what the Spirit is saying.” The two great hindrances to prayer are busyness and worldliness. Busyness steals our time to pray, and worldliness diverts our will from prayer. If a person is too busy to pray, they are too busy to live a life that is wholly given to Jesus.

You cannot give to others what you do not possess yourself. It is truly in our private times of prayer and devotion that His presence increases within us. If your heart’s desire is to influence others for Christ, give hope to the hopeless, and speak words of encouragement to the weary, then you must have the presence of the Lord in your life. A presence that is attained by spending quiet time with Him is the one constant that must be present in your life.

Jesus withdrew to a lonely, deserted place. He knew where he had to go to be alone. Do you have a place to pray? If you don’t, that may indicate that you probably don’t pray often.

 

Crowds of people came to hear him

The news was spreading and spreading farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear him and be healed. Can you imagine what that must have been like? As a young man, I witnessed the phenomenon of Kathryn Khulman in the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California and in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The impact was the same in both places: thousands came to hear her, lining up for blocks, waiting 10-12 hours before the doors opened. Why? The news spread that you could come and be healed. Where the power of God is rumored, people will come. And, oh yes, I do remember hearing Kathryn say that she prayed for as many five hours or more before she would minister and pray for people.

In our culture today, there is a great danger that the masses will celebrate those who move with authority, charisma, or anointing. The craving of people to exalt a minister of the gospel is difficult for any normal human to resist. Every successful minister faces this test.

I recently had lunch with a young man who has dedicated himself to the Lord since an early age. He carries an anointing from the Holy Spirit. He is committed to purity and transparency. And he is a man of prayer. As we spoke, I could sense that he did not want to give in to the enticements to have a ministry that would be of celebrity status. For this young man, there will be many who will encourage him to pursue those things that will exalt him personally. I believe he will stand strong and lift up the Lord Jesus. However, couple the influence of others with our natural propensity for pride and you have the most dangerous of elixirs for those who minister. Almost any minister is vulnerable. I’ve heard it said from many different stalwarts of the faith in various ways, but the message is the same, a person doesn’t need to be spiritual or holy to teach or preach today. In our media driven culture, a person with personality, self-confidence, and charisma, can gain a following and move the masses. This kind of message impacts men, prayer impacts souls.

The conjunction “but” is used to suggest a contrast in Luke 5:15-16. “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” In spite of the crowds growing larger and larger and the news spreading about him, Christ made it a habit to withdraw far away to the desert to pray. Crowds or their clamor did not sway him from being with the Father. He knew that the needs of the people were so great that He must spend time in prayer with the Father.

Do you see your desperate need to spend time in prayer? Neither success nor failure precludes our need for continual prayer. We must watch that we do not fall prey to the pride that lurks around the corner with every success in life. The Lord is giving an invitation. The invitation is to join Him every morning and every day, continually in a spirit of prayer.

 

Time and God

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God and Time

Lord of my time

One of the great lessons of life and relationships is that there is no substitute for time. Here is an even greater truth: there is no substitute for time alone with the Lord. In any relationship, time is the vital element. From friendships to marriage, you cannot cheat time. It takes time to develop intimacy. Dennis Jernigan, the great gospel songwriter, says, “Intimacy is… into me see.” No matter what excuses a person gives, no matter what a person says, show me where time is spent and I will show you what is important to the person. Where a person spends his or her time is a view into the soul. Consider these thoughts:

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” William Penn
“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” Theophrastus
“Lost time is never found again.” Benjamin Franklin
A daily quiet time with God is a dramatic necessity for relationship with the Lord. It is in our daily quiet time that we study the Bible, pray, and listen to the Lord. These practices bring life and vitality to our soul. But, the morning watch is not the goal; it is not the end. The goal is not to be so disciplined that we habitually have a quiet time with the Lord every morning for an hour. No, the whole purpose of time with the Lord in the morning is know Christ, have His presence in our life, to be connected with Him throughout the entire day.

The goal of spending time with Christ is to have His character become our character. For our life to be hidden in His life, His nature to become our nature, and His habits our habits. It is possible to become so intimately acquainted with a practice, a way of doing something that you can do it without thinking. It becomes second nature, natural. When we find the secret place of abiding in Christ, our ordinary, daily interactions with people will become oh such more than mundane. They will be majestic opportunities to fulfill God’s purposes. We will become fruitful Christians. All fruitfulness of this kind flows out of intimacy with Him.

There are two great hindrances to prayer. Listen carefully with your spirit as I write. Revelations 3:6 states, “Let him that has an ear to hear listen to what the Spirit is saying.” The two great hindrances to prayer are busyness and worldliness. Busyness steals our time to pray, and worldliness diverts our will from prayer. If a person is too busy to pray, they are too busy to live a life that is wholly given to Jesus.

You cannot give to others what you do not possess yourself. It is truly in our private times of prayer and devotion that His presence increases within us. If your heart’s desire is to influence others for Christ, give hope to the hopeless, and speak words of encouragement to the weary, then you must have the presence of the Lord in your life. A presence that is attained by spending quiet time with Him is the one constant that must be present in your life.

Jesus withdrew to a lonely, deserted place. He knew where he had to go to be alone. Do you have a place to pray? If you don’t, that may indicate that you probably don’t pray often.

He has all the time in the world. And He does not see time as we see time. He can accomplish His purposes in four days, forty days, or forty years. He is in no hurry. You cannot hurry the spirit.

I am perfectly confident that the man who does not spend hours along with God will never know the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The world must be left outside until God alone fills the vision…God has promised to answer prayer. It is not that He is unwilling, for the fact is, He is more willing to give than we are to receive. But the trouble is, we are not ready. Oswald J. Smith

There must be closet praying! It is in the closet that we establish the beautiful habit of spontaneous praying on every occasion. When we are fresh out of the closet we are quick to pray about every turn of events. Unceasing prayer is God’s avenue for His children to react to all happenings. Clyde Martin

Oh how few find time for prayer! There is time for everything else, time to sleep and time to eat, time to red the newspaper and the novel, time to visit friends, time for everything else under the sun, but no time for prayer, the most important of all things, the one great essential. Oswald Smith

Tim Cameron

The Need for Prayer

L ravenhill

 

Provoking Thoughts on Prayer

“For this sin hungry age we need a prayer-hungry church. We need to explore again the “exceeding great and precious promises of God.” In “that day”, the fire of judgment is going to test the sort, not the size, of the work we have done. That which is born in prayer will survive the test. Prayer does business with God. Prayer creates hunger for souls; hunger for souls creates prayer. The understanding soul prays, the praying soul gets understanding. To the soul who prays in self-owned weakness, the Lord gives His strength…Lord, let us pray.

Leonard Ravenhilll. (1907–1994) was an English Christian evangelist and author who focused on the subjects of prayer and revival. He is best known for challenging western evangelicalism (through his books and sermons) to compare itself to the early Christian Church as chronicled in the Book of Acts. His most notable book is Why Revival Tarries which has sold over a million copies worldwide. He was a close friend of A.W. Tozer and Keith Green’s mentor.

The World

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“The whole history of the church is one long story of this tendency to settle down on this earth and to become conformed to this world, to find acceptance and popularity here and to eliminate the element of conflict and of pilgrimage. That is the trend and the tendency of everything. Therefore, outwardly, as well as inwardly, pioneering is a costly thing.” T. Austin Sparks

T Austin-Sparks worked with Jessie Penn-Lewis and her publication and speaking ministry, The Overcomer Testimony. In 1926, he established a conference and training center at Honor Oak in southeast London and Kilcreggan House in Scotland. From the Christian Fellowship Centre, Austin-Sparks and his co-workers ran a publishing operation that printed a bi-monthly magazine, A Witness and a Testimony. This magazine was printed from 1923 until Austin-Sparks’ death in 1971. Austin-Sparks also published books he had written or edited from transcripts of his recorded messages. Among the many books written by Austin-Sparks, the most well-known include The School of Christ, The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ and We Beheld His Glory. Austin-Sparks’ speaking ministry took him around Europe, North America and Asia holding conferences in the United Kingdom, the United States, Switzerland, Taiwan, the Philippines, and elsewhere

His work at the Christian Fellowship Centre was international in scope. Many trained under his ministry became missionaries and Christian teachers. This enabled him to work closely with several well-known Christian leaders in the UK and other countries, including Bakht Singh of India, Watchman Nee of China, Roger Forster of Forest Hill, Stephen Kaung of Richmond, Virginia and Lance Lambert of Israel.

The World

One of the great marks of a disciple is that he is little a part of the world. The disciples had become united in the cross and Resurrection with Jesus; they belonged to another world, the kingdom of heaven.

It is no wonder that Jesus took pains to make clear to His disciples the impassable gulf between Him and the world and also between them and the world (John 16:16-21). He went as far to say that the world not even be able to recognize the Spirit of God when it came. “the world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him” (John 14:17).

Why is there such a “power outage” and faith is practiced so little today? We are too worldly. The world rules in the lives of Christians. The world offers the lust for physical pleasures, the lust for everything we see, and the pride in our possessions—all of these things rob the heart of its desire for that true self-denial that is necessary for receiving the Holy Spirit and power.

No Substitute for Intercessory Prayer Oswald Smith

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Dr. Oswald Jeffrey Smith (November 8, 1889 – January 25, 1986) was a Canadian pastor, author, and missions advocate. He founded The People’s Church in Toronto in 1928. He was a leading force in Fundamentalism in Canada. He traveled the world to recruit missionaries. Over the course of eighty years he preached more than 12,000 sermons in 80 countries, wrote thirty-five books (with translations into 128 languages), as well as 1,200 poems, of which 100 have been set to music.

Smith said “intercessory prayer is not only the highest form of Christian service, but also the hardest kind of work.” He believed in having a regular time and place for prayer and paced as he prayed to prevent distractions. Every decision of his life was guided by prayer. More than anything he wanted to be used of God. He prayed, “Lord, use me…” “What must I do?” He prayed to be a victorious, Spirit-filled man of prayer, a surrendered man of the word, and of one purpose. As a youth he was troubled with poor health, which prevented him from doing his heart’s desire, serve on the mission field. From the Bible, Smith found the qualifications that he lists in his book “The Man God Uses.” Prayer was a major component. In the book Smith says, “Prevailing prayer, prayer of travail such as Jesus knew, will lead to God being glorified in you.”

No Substitute

Intercessory Prayer is the Christian’s most effective weapon. Nothing can withstand its power. It will do things when all else has failed. And the marvel is that we turn to other agencies in order to accomplish what only prayer can bring to pass. God has placed this mighty weapon in our hands, and He expects us to use it. How disappointed He must be when we lay it a side and substitute naturel means for supernatural work.

In this twentieth century we are, more and more, turning from the God-appointed means of intercessory prayer and adopting, instead, merely natural agencies for the carrying on of His work. Everywhere we look it is the same, both in evangelism and ordinary church work. Intercessory prayer has been shelved. For some reason it is out of date. Our methods, we say, are better, and our plans more successful ad so we adopt natural means to bring to pass the supernatural.

My brethren, it can never be done. We may appear to be successful; the crowds may come; the altar may be full night after night. Reported results may be broadcasted everywhere. Whole cities ma be stirred and mightily moved! Yet when it is all over and two or three years have passed, how little will be found to be genuine! And why? Simply because we have been satisfied with superficial, specular work, brought to pass by natural means. Consequently the truly supernatural has been largely lacking. Oh let us get back to intercessory prayer, the highest form of Christian’s service, and give God no rest until we have a spiritual outcome.

Prayer by the Church The Lost Standard by A. B. Simpson

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Prayer is the link that connects us to God. It is the bridge that spans every gulf and bears us over every abyss of danger or of need.

How significant the picture of the apostolic church: Peter in prison, the Jews triumphant, Herod supreme, the arenas of martyrdom awaiting the dawn of the morning to drink up the apostle’s blood—everything against the church.

But prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for Peter. And what was the sequel? The prison open, the apostle free, Jews baffled, the wicked king eaten of worms—a spectacle of hideous retribution—and the Word of God rolling on in greater victory.

Do we know the power of our supernatural weapon? Holy Spirit empowered prayer.
Do we dare to use it with the authority of faith that commands as well as asks? May God baptize us with the Holy Spirit and audacity and divine confidence. He does not want great men and women, but He is wanting men and women who will dare to prove the greatness of their God in prayer.

But God! But Prayer!

There is a lost standard in the church today. The church has lost possession of its secret—the awareness that it is only by living in the power of the Holy Spirit that the gospel can be preached in power. Because of this there is a lot of preaching and working with few spiritual results. There is little prayer that brings down the power of God.

Albert Benjamin Simpson was born on December 15, 1843, to parents of Scottish descent. He grew to be one of the most respected and important Christian figures in American evangelicalism. A much sought after speaker and pastor, Simpson founded a major evangelical denomination and the Christian and Missionary Alliance, which sent thousands of missionaries around the world. He published over 70 books, edited a weekly magazine for nearly 40 years, and wrote many gospel songs and poems. He devoted his entire life to the spread of the gospel.

Understanding God’s Delays Francis Frangipane Part Three

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Our Heavenly Judge will not delay long over His elect, but He will delay. In fact, God’s definition of “speedily” and ours are not always synonymous. The Lord incorporates delays into His overall plan: Delays work perseverance in us. So Crucial is endurance to our character development that God is willing to delay even important answers to prayer to facilitate our transformation.

Thus, we should not interpret divine delays as a sign of divine reluctance. Delays are tools to perfect our faith. Christ is looking to find a tenacity in our faith that prevails in spite of delays and setbacks. He seeks to create a perseverance within us that outlasts the test of time, a resolve that actually grows stronger during delays. When the Father see this quality of persistence in our faith, it so touches His heart that He grants “legal protection” to His people.

Francis Frangipane on Prayer Part Two

God’s Help Through Prayer

The qualifications for spiritual leadership today include almost everything but devotion to God’s word and prayer. Leaders are expected to be organizers, counselors, and individuals with winning personalities whose charm alone can draw people. In Luke 18, Jesus challenges our modern traditions. He asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (v.8). His question is a warning to Christians who would limit the power of God at the end of the age. Jesus is calling us to resist the downward pull of our traditions. He is asking us individually, “Will I find faith in you?”

Before we respond, let us note that Jesus associates faith with “day and night” prayer (Luke 18:7). He is not asking, “Will I find correct doctrines in you?” the Lord’s question does not so much concern itself with right knowledge as with right faith. What we believe is important, but how we believe is vital in securing the help of God.

Indeed, procuring the supernatural help of God is exactly the point of Jesus’ parable in Luke 18. His intent was to show that “at all times” we ought to pray and not to lose heart” (Luke 18). To illustrate the quality of faith He seeks, He followed His admonition with a parable about a certain widow who petitioned a hardened judge for “legal protection” (v.3). Although the judge was initially unwilling, yet by her “continually coming” (v.5) she gained what was legally hers.

Jesus concluded by asking: “If an unrighteous judge will respond to a widow’s persistence, shall not God avenge quickly His elect, who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?” Jesus said, “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily.” Francis Frangipane

Francis Frangipane on Prayer God’s Plan is to Make Intercessors

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God has provided a divine antidote for every ill in the human condition; that need or wound in the soul of our communities; we must apply Christ as the cure.

            The stronghold that God provides to us as individuals has a divinely inspired, built in limitation: The Spirit of Christ, which shelters us from the enemy, also makes us vulnerable to the needs of others. As it is written, “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it” (1 Cor. 12:26). Thus, to perfect love, God unites us to other people; to empower prayer, He allows us to be vicariously identified with the sufferings of those for whom we care. If we cease to love, we will fail to pray. Are you weary of vacillating in your prayer life? Remember the love God first gave you, whether it was for your family church, city, or nation.

            Love will identify you with those you love; it will revive your prayer, and prayer will revive your loved ones. God’s plan for you is intercession

by Francis Frangipane

Embrace Intercession

Embrace Intercession as Your Calling

 

“And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2-3, NASB).

Why was Abraham blessed? So that he could be a blessing to many. Every one of us is blessed in such a way, just as much as Abraham. Blessed to be a blessing.

Let’s pray together that God’s people will live for the interests of His kingdom more than their own interests. If this were the case, the advancement of His kingdom would take place. We would have an army of intercessors.

Accept for yourself what you are asking for others. “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15, NASB). Yield yourself to God anew in faith believing that the Holy Spirit will entire possession of your soul.