Month: August 2009

by Rob Campbell

This JCG blog community is quite thankful for Joel’s transparency in yesterday’s blog post concerning the death of his father.  Let us commit to pray for Joel and his family.

As your time permits, look at the comments that were posted relating to Joel’s post.  The common theme of the comments is prayer.

Prayer is the work of ministry. When we see fruit from the ministry it is always rooted in prayer.

In the Old Testament, watchmen were placed on the city’s wall for protection as an early alert signal for invading armies.  You are a watchman on the wall! I encourage you to serve with consistency, readiness and with a great longing to intercede in the heavenlies.

My days of ministering without a prayer ministry foundation are long gone.  I will not participate in powerless “ministry” than is based on the good ideas, techniques and methods of men.

I want to remind you of one aspect of prayer.  Prayer is not simply talking and listening to God.  Prayer is relationship with God.

I believe it was Henry Blackaby who suggested the following process of prayer in our lives:

1.  God takes the initiative by causing me to want to pray.

2.  The Holy Spirit reveals to me the will of God.

3.  I pray in the Spirit in agreement with the will of God.

4.  I adjust my life to truth.

5.  I look and listen from confirmation.

6.  I obey.

7.  God works in me and through me to accomplish His purposes.

May we be a people of prayer!

Comments?

Rob

by Joel Comiskey

God answers prayer! My 85 year-old dad received Jesus on Monday, July 27, 2009 and died three days later on Thursday, July 30, 2009. Please read my diary entry about what exactly happened and his testimony to others. You can also see a picture of my last restaurant meal with dad less than one week before he died.

I’ve been praying for my dad for 36 years. What hindered dad from receiving Jesus for so long? Was it his Christian Science background? Was it the fact that he was a psychology professor at Long Beach City College for 35 years and believed strongly in humanism? Was it just the blindness of the enemy? I’m sure it was all of the above.

His mother, Martha,  was the first one in our family to come to Christ at the age of seventy-four. God delivered her from Christian Science. She began witnessing to us and praying. My older brother, Jay, was born again, I received Jesus, my little brother, Andy, was converted, and then the youngest, Jeanie, accepted Christ. My mom also became a believer. But my dad held out for all these years, even though Jay, Andy, and myself are in full-time ministry. As a humanist, dad was always my best supporter, but he simply could not believe that Jesus was the way the truth, and the life.

Many have been praying. It was common for me at a conference to ask the audience to pray for my dad’s salvation. Jay, Andy, and I have spent days fasting for his salvation (I’m sure Jeanie has done the same).

I want to declare today that God answers prayer! Granted, He does it in His time, and sometimes at the last moment. George Mueller prayed throughout his lifetime for five friends to know Jesus Christ. The first one came to Christ after five years. Within ten years, two more of them received Christ. Mueller prayed constantly for over twenty-five years, and the fourth man was finally saved. For his fifth friend, he prayed until the time of his death, and this friend, too, came to Christ a few months after Mueller died. For this last friend, Mueller had prayed for almost fifty-two years.

God is faithful. Perhaps you’re praying for the salvation of a mom, dad, child, cousin, spouse, or sibling. Press on. Perhaps you’re praying for revival in your city, country, or church. Press on. Perhaps you’re praying for the multiplication of your cell or neighbors to come to Christ.

I want to encourage you to persist in prayer (Luke 18) because God is listening, and He will answer in His timing.

Comments?

Joel