HIDDEN RICHES OF SECRET PLACES. Isaiah 45:3 CAME THROUGH PERSEVERING PRAYER FOR STEVE AND LAURA SMITH.
In this IGNITE newsletter, I share an awesome experience from last week. Read about how Jeff Wells led a 5 hour healing prayer vigil for Steve Smith.
My journey into deeper obedience to the Great Commission began 6 years ago. It started when my ever dearer friend, Jeff Wells, Pastor of WoodsEdge Church in The Woodlands, invited me to a training conference. We attended Steve Smith’s first United States side Training for Trainers Conference in Chicago. Steve has effectually trained people all over the world. And he currently leads a global effort to catalyze biblical church planting movements by 2025, in every unreached people group and place.
Just over a year ago, Steve was diagnosed with a very rare form of liver cancer. And last month, the top MDA doctors said there is nothing more they can do. The Smiths are a humble, considering-it-all-joy-in-the-trials kind of people, and they’re a model of what it means to trust God with all their hearts. They’re the kind who don’t lean on their own understanding! Wow! Being with them was like being with Christ in His school of prayer.
Steve’s father cried out the hidden riches of God’s Word from the secret places of his rendered heart in prayer for his son.
In a continuous ebb and flow at the leading of God’s Spirit, we worshiped, wept, and rejoiced with shouts of joy. In addition, we were still and waited on our God. Within the sanctuary that night, new friendships were forged, and existing ones were refined and strengthened, as Steve was anointed with oil. Then, a couple of hours later, his feet were washed, and many cried out to God in prayer and petition. Shortly before midnight, amidst quiet worship, we celebrated the Lord’s supper together. All the while we knew that whether our heavenly Father heals Steve or not, He is our God.
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If God has touched your heart for our dear Brother Steve, please join us in fervent expectant prayer for God’s miraculous healing of Steve’s body.
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If you or a friend are facing a similar prayer “opportunity” we encourage you to gather family and friends as your Personal Intercessory Team, as described in our website’s P.I.T. Crew Handbook.
WAITING ON GOD AND PRAYING FOR OTHERS FORGES FRIENDSHIP
I’m into my 4th journey through Andrew Murray’s 31 days of “Waiting on God.” I encourage you to click on the audio link, (Here) to order the book, or download the free PDF (Here). The following quote from Andrew Murray describes my heart exactly.
“Let us look to God to reveal Himself among His people in a measure very few have realized. Let us expect great things of our God. At all our conferences and assemblies too little time is given to waiting on God. Is He not willing to put things right in His own divine way? Has the life of God’s people reached the utmost limit of what God is willing to do for them? Surely not.
We want to wait on Him; to put away our experiences, however blessed they have been; our conceptions of truth, however sound and scriptural we think they seem; our plans, however needful and suitable they appear, and give God time and place to show us what He could do, what He will do. God has new developments and new resources. He can do new things, unheard of things, hidden things. Let us enlarge our hearts and not limit Him.”
As I have been practicing Waiting on God, at first for a few minutes, and then as His grace abounds for longer periods of time! His word encourages us to do as He repetitively instructs us to do- “WAIT ON THE LORD!” I’ve waited for 30 minutes, an hour, and even the other Monday afternoon for 4 hours. I was in a beautiful little prayer chapel, in The Woodlands United Methodist Church. In those moments, I’m literally seeing the power of God act on my behalf as described here in: Isaiah 64:4 (NASB)
“For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.”
The World’s Largest 3,106 carat Cullinan Diamond
Although it was mined in my home country of South Africa, it has nothing on the multifaceted and brilliantly radiant friendship and intimacy we have with God. Our relationship grows each time we wait on Him!
In our recent Global Alliance for Church Multiplication (GACX) Forum in Denver, our team of Leaders, Prayer Igniters, and Worshipers gathered for great purpose. We were able to model and encourage our 225 church planters and accelerators of The Great Commission from 24 nations. In fact, we encouraged them to wait, worship, be still, and listen for the Holy Spirit as a rhythm of the whole Forum.
I left home at 4:30 am on Monday and returned at 8:30 pm on Saturday. My 16-to-18-hour days included a consistent rhythm of waiting on God, abiding in His Word, and just being still before Him. And as I drove back home that evening in an overwhelming spirit of God’s well-being, it was truly “WELL WITH MY SOUL.” There was no exhaustion and no stress, just His peace that surpasses all my understanding.
So, will you jump in with both feet and join me in the wonderful adventure of slowing your pace of life? It’s time to work down to “WAIT ON THE LORD.”
