DO YOU KNOW of a household known as a praying home? Is there a family, a man or a woman in your life who’s known to pray? Sadly, I seldom hear about prayer warriors anymore. It is rare to come across homes or individuals where prayer is a fundamental aspect of their identity, where you can confidently point and say, "That's a praying home, a praying family." 🏡✨
In today's generation, the importance of prayer has nearly disappeared. So few people know how to pray, let alone truly know the Lord. Despite claims of faith, the distinct characteristic of an intimate communion with the Lord is through prayer—and this is often missing. We should be a people devoted to prayer, fostering praying families, cultivating praying teachers and students, and nurturing individuals committed to regular prayer. 🙏🌱
The question lingers: where are the praying people? Prayer is almost out of style for Christians; it has fallen out of favor among us. In these perilous times when prayer should be prevalent, it's disheartening that we lack understanding of our profound need for God. Fervent, heartfelt prayers have been replaced by shallow short utterances of want. 😔🌧️
Years ago during my time living in southern California, I hold fond memories of the whole church getting together for all-night prayer meetings. A group of friends and I would frequently hike up Cowles Mountain, dedicating wonderful hours to prayer. Every week, I joined friends in a family's home, where we would prostrate ourselves before God on the living room floor, and seek His face in fervent prayers. The fire of God ignited our souls. We witnessed miracles; observed many souls finding salvation in Christ, and saw lives transformed, relationships reconciled, and households cleaned up. The impact of those weekly prayer meetings extended beyond the doors; two additional friends and I would meet up in public parks to lie on the grass and unite in prayer. 🌄👫🌳
This week I found myself pondering the whereabouts of today's prayer warriors. I was reading the Christmas story found in Luke chapter 2. As I read the story, a character who is always overlooked caught my attention—Anna—a widow described by God as a woman devoted to prayer. This important woman is never mentioned during Christmas sermons. She’s never depicted on Christmas cards. Nor is she ever displayed in the Nativity scene alongside shepherds and wise men. She never gets recognition. Anna is unknown. 📖❤️
Yet, God records in Luke 2:38 that Anna was a praying woman, and because of her service to God, He gave her a divine encounter. Anna saw the babe Jesus; she immediately recognized it was the Saviour. The Bible records that immediately she prayed and gave thanks to God and said of Christ to all them that looked for redemption. 🙌👶✨
This praying woman who is overlooked and unrecognized is recorded by God as someone who was a praying woman. Her prayer life was so close to God that she possessed understanding that others did not; and she had the Holy Ghost boldness to proclaim the gospel: The Redeemer Is Come! 🙏🌟
Undoubtedly, there are prayer warriors like Anna among us today—unseen and unrecognized. I wonder who and where they are? Could you be an Anna? Are you one of the few who enjoys spending communion with God each day? If so, I thank you. But while my gratitude is meaningless, the ultimate gratitude and recognition for your service to God awaits you to be displayed before all creation at the Tribunal Judgment Seat of Christ. So keep praying! Christ is worthy! 🌈🌍
In today's generation, the importance of prayer has nearly disappeared. So few people know how to pray, let alone truly know the Lord. Despite claims of faith, the distinct characteristic of an intimate communion with the Lord is through prayer—and this is often missing. We should be a people devoted to prayer, fostering praying families, cultivating praying teachers and students, and nurturing individuals committed to regular prayer. 🙏🌱
The question lingers: where are the praying people? Prayer is almost out of style for Christians; it has fallen out of favor among us. In these perilous times when prayer should be prevalent, it's disheartening that we lack understanding of our profound need for God. Fervent, heartfelt prayers have been replaced by shallow short utterances of want. 😔🌧️
Years ago during my time living in southern California, I hold fond memories of the whole church getting together for all-night prayer meetings. A group of friends and I would frequently hike up Cowles Mountain, dedicating wonderful hours to prayer. Every week, I joined friends in a family's home, where we would prostrate ourselves before God on the living room floor, and seek His face in fervent prayers. The fire of God ignited our souls. We witnessed miracles; observed many souls finding salvation in Christ, and saw lives transformed, relationships reconciled, and households cleaned up. The impact of those weekly prayer meetings extended beyond the doors; two additional friends and I would meet up in public parks to lie on the grass and unite in prayer. 🌄👫🌳
This week I found myself pondering the whereabouts of today's prayer warriors. I was reading the Christmas story found in Luke chapter 2. As I read the story, a character who is always overlooked caught my attention—Anna—a widow described by God as a woman devoted to prayer. This important woman is never mentioned during Christmas sermons. She’s never depicted on Christmas cards. Nor is she ever displayed in the Nativity scene alongside shepherds and wise men. She never gets recognition. Anna is unknown. 📖❤️
Yet, God records in Luke 2:38 that Anna was a praying woman, and because of her service to God, He gave her a divine encounter. Anna saw the babe Jesus; she immediately recognized it was the Saviour. The Bible records that immediately she prayed and gave thanks to God and said of Christ to all them that looked for redemption. 🙌👶✨
This praying woman who is overlooked and unrecognized is recorded by God as someone who was a praying woman. Her prayer life was so close to God that she possessed understanding that others did not; and she had the Holy Ghost boldness to proclaim the gospel: The Redeemer Is Come! 🙏🌟
Undoubtedly, there are prayer warriors like Anna among us today—unseen and unrecognized. I wonder who and where they are? Could you be an Anna? Are you one of the few who enjoys spending communion with God each day? If so, I thank you. But while my gratitude is meaningless, the ultimate gratitude and recognition for your service to God awaits you to be displayed before all creation at the Tribunal Judgment Seat of Christ. So keep praying! Christ is worthy! 🌈🌍
