Submitted by Kay Owen
Prayer should be important to all Christians at all times,
but there are special seasons that call for special times of fasting and
praying. I believe that this is such a
time. We have been in a dry place in our families, our churches, our
communities and in America. This is the year that the Lord is calling us to lay
aside many things in our lives and go to our knees in prayer. “If My
people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek my
face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will
forgive their sins and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears
attentive to prayer made in this place.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
I believe this place will
be a place of intimacy with the Lord. In Psalm 91 the Lord calls us to come
away to that secret place with Him, to know Him in an intimate way, as never
before. Our prayer life is best energized when we experience intimacy with
God’s heart. When we have been in that
intimate place with God, our prayers will reflect where we have been. We can continue in that intimate place even
when praying with others. Our hearts must be in communion with God in the “secret
place,” even though physically we may be in a public place.
As we seek His face, as we pray the Word, as we pray as Jesus prayed--with power and authority--we will begin to see changes in ourselves, our
families, our churches, our community and our nation. We should always have our
ear tuned into the Holy Spirit when we pray, and as we develop a hearing ear—praying
in faith, believing that the Lord loves us and wants very much to answer our
prayers—changes will begin to take place. Prayer changes things!!
Always pray specifically. Sometimes it helps to keep a
prayer journal and write down for whom and what we are praying. Later on, it’s
wonderful to look back and see all the answered prayers. And, always remember
to give thanks to the Lord for your answered prayers. Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things to God
the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
If possible, set a time and place to pray. I have my
“special” place to pray each morning. Jesus was able to pull aside and take
that time to pray. He usually went to the
Mount of Olivet or the Garden of Gethsemane. That was His usual place to pray
(Luke 21:37). If it was important to Jesus, it should be important to us.
This year at Crossroads Ministries, we have dedicated the first
and second day of every month to prayer and fasting. I know the Lord wants to
do something special this year in all of our lives, but it will take a
sacrifice on our part. Sometimes we get too distracted with people and things
that are not part of our destiny. This
year, especially, we need to stay focused….our lives need to be God-centered,
not self-centered. We need to know we are not alone in our prayers and that many
others are joining us in this journey of prayer.
Starting today, on this National Day of Prayer, let this be our prayer this year, “Lord, help us to burn
with the passion of Christ. Let us not be satisfied with where we are
individually or where we are as a family, as a church, as a community or as a
nation. Stir our heart to be seekers of Your face.”
“Even them I will
bring to my holy mountain, and I will make joyful in My house of prayer.” Isaiah
56:7
You can share your prayer requests with us at prayer@crossroadsusa.org We’d be honored to pray for you, and as God
answers, blessed to rejoice with you.
