Power And Prayer
My husband loaded this amazing audio book onto my MP3 player. It’s called Power Through Prayer by E M Bounds who lived at the turn of last century. His teaching is really rich and cultivates a desire for God and for holiness. It’s amazing.
Bounds writes about prayer. He speaks about prayer in the life of a preacher but it struck me that his message is equally relevant whether we are in the pulpit, within our homes, or in any setting. Our effectiveness in seeing God’s Kingdom come, our effectiveness as vessels of God through which He moves powerfully in the lives of others, is proportionate to our time seeking His face in prayer. Without the Spirit of God, we are blunt, impotent, and in the way.
This is some of what I listened to today:
It may be put down as a spiritual axiom that in every truly successful ministry prayer is an evident and controlling force — evident and controlling in the life of the preacher, evident and controlling in the deep spirituality of his work. A ministry may be a very thoughtful ministry without prayer; the preacher may secure fame and popularity without prayer; the whole machinery of the preacher’s life and work may be run without the oil of prayer … but no ministry can be a spiritual one, securing holiness in the preacher and in his people, without prayer being made an evident and controlling force.
…. A prayerful minister has passed beyond the regions of the popular, beyond the man of mere affairs, of secularities, of pulpit attractiveness … into a sublimer and mightier region, the region of the spiritual. Holiness is the product of his work; transfigured hearts and lives emblazon the reality of his work, its trueness and substantial nature. God is with him. His ministry is not projected on worldly or surface principles. He is deeply stored with and deeply schooled in the things of God. *
I came away from this and felt as if the Spirit of God was saying desire holiness. My people must desire holiness. Let us get before God in prayer and seek Him. May holiness be the product, and a life through which God is real and evident and moves with power.
*Reference: Bounds, E M, Power Through Prayer, Chapter 6 (emphasis in the quote is mine)
Sounds like an interesting book. I’m just browsing WordPress.
Hi, such a powerful message – the more we seek God in prayer, the more will our minds be renewed. The more our minds are renewed by the Spirit, the more we’ll seek God in our daily lives – spending time with Him quietly in privacy, as well as sharing all our thoughts, words and actions with Him. This will lead to a new dimension in our relationship with God, that is when we hear His voice clearly – growing in holiness.
Birgit, God bless you for this timely reminder about prayer. I don’t want to go through the motions of ‘ministry’ if God is not backing it up, if it’s all going to be burnt up on that day…. I’m back on my knees in earnest, that everyhting I do for HIM may be used by HIM to effect the lives of those HE has called me to reach. Keep PUSHing.. Praying Until Something Happens. xxx Laura http://www.specialgal.co.uk
Even today i had to face a situation that i did not fancy. with a prayer and reference to the word of God it went extremly well.a prayerful ministry is well pleasing to God. Add to that a faith in the blood of Jesus and oh boy. You have a ministry that is anointed and will move mountains.
Wow, your thoughts and experiences about prayer are such a blessing to read, thank you all for leaving a reply.