Overflow of a God Filled Heart

Andrew Murray, a truly great man of prayer, once said that before he prayed, he often said, "Lord, melt my cold heart. Break my hard heart and prepare it for Your touch."

Oh that we would be willing to approach the Father in that way. And when we come with such a heart, the Holy Spirit will meet us as our Helper and prayer Partner, enabling us to approach the throne of grace and touch the heart of God. For He promises as we draw nigh to Him, He will draw nigh to us : "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." (James 4:8).

You will know when He is present as your heart begins to break and the coldness begins to melt. Suddenly your empty words become life giving.

God wants fellowship with you. He doesn't just want words and formulas. He longs to answer that prayer that comes from your heart. You see, prayer is your heart listening to and talking to the Lord.

Listening to the Lord is the key to power in prayer : "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools... Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God ; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth : therefore let thy words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2).

Be ready to hear the Holy Spirit's voice as you enter into God's presence. Real prayer is not filled with meaningless phrases but is the result of a heart filled with the abundance of God's presence.

Therefore, prayer is the overflow of a heart filled with God.

Taken & Adopted from Benny Hinn

Listening with Your Heart

Just before Jesus returned to heaven, He told His apostles not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for “the Promise of the Father” that He had spoken to them about (Acts 1:4). He said, “For John truly baptized with water ; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:5).

The Lord’s instructions were somewhat difficult for the apostles to understand. They knew well the fellowship of Jesus and how to enjoy a relationship with Him, but had no concept of what it meant to be baptized with the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit takes you beyond hearing with your ears and helps you listen with your heart.

“God is speaking, but we must ask ourselves ... are we listening ?”He gives you the understanding that comes from listening with your heart (spiritual hearing), in addition to the knowledge that comes from listening with your ears (physical hearing).

I like what A.W. Tozer said in his book The Pursuit of God: “God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking. He is by nature continuously articulate. He fills the world with His speaking Voice.”

God is speaking, but we must ask ourselves…are we listening ?

Breaking the Bonds

If you truly desire to see a loved one saved, take their place before God.

Do you know what it means to stand in someone else's shoes ? You must identify with their transgressions, their problems, their misery. Only then will you be able to realize what a horrible pit your loved ones are in.

You may say, "Wait just a minute. I once walked in all of those bondages. But now I am free, and I won't go back !"

You don't have to return to sin, but if your son or daughter is bound to the world, you must take that bondage and break it in the name of the Lord.

Jesus took your sin upon Himself and destroyed it. And today He is asking you to take their position in prayer. Jesus took your sin upon Himself and destroyed it. And today He is asking you to take their position in prayer. Step into their place and take authority over their present state. Cast out the spirit of the world that is in your loved ones.

Don't worry about sinking under the heavy burden because God has promised special protection for you. The Word declares, "Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears ; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the LORD, That your children shall come back to their own border" (Jeremiah 31:16-17, NKJV).

As you intercede, your family members will come back from enemy territory. You are breaking the strongholds of the world, Satan's will, the lust of the flesh, the mind, and the wrath they are under.

"Lord, I stand in for them," you say. "Father, in the name of Jesus, because of the blood, I am asking you to loose them from the will of Satan !"

I will never, ever forget praying for my mother. I wept and sobbed for her. Some nights I would physically sweat for hours, agonizing over her soul.

"Lord, how do I rescue her from this bondage ?" I cried.

"You don't rescue," He answered, "You pray and I will rescue."

A short while later, Jesus appeared to my mother and said, "I am your Savior." She was being drawn to Christ. When you step into the place of those you love, you will see the chains of darkness break.

Your Responsibility

A woman said, "I don't know what's wrong with my son. He hasn't been to church for the last year." That's the time to take action and break all of the five chains we have discussed. Don't allow Satan to wrap one of them around his neck again.

Father, you are responsible for your daughter's salvation. Son, you are responsible for your mother's salvation and her total deliverance from Satan. They can't help the position they are in. They are bound and you are free. Will you rescue them from the chains of hell ? Will you help to give them liberty ?

Remember this : Because you have power over Satan, you also have power over the will of your unsaved loved one. Because you have power over Satan, you also have power over the will of your unsaved loved one.

You can break the will of the devil because "greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

You are not being asked to rescue the entire world, but just to claim redemption for those you love. If every Christian would bring his or her family members to Jesus, most of those living on earth today would be saved. Think of it !

taken & adopted from benny hinn

The Great Earthworm Race

There's nothing more pathetic than a lost earthworm. Trust me. I know. My daughter Annie and I were walking down the long dirt road from our house to the street to pick up the paper Saturday morning when we spotted it.

The unlucky earthworm had crawled from the lush green grass at the edge onto the sandy surface of the road. You could trace his progress in the sand. He seemed headed across the road when he swerved. Maybe it was the slight rise and fall of the surface that threw him off, I don't know. But all at once he began to crawl in irregular circles. When we found him, the poor thing was thin and dry, covered with tiny grains of sand, in utter despair. Round and round he wriggled as the sun rose higher hastening the hour when his arch enemy--car tires--would find him naked and exposed. Swish, grind, and that would be all.

"Let's rescue him," I said to Annie. She gently lifted his grainy form from the road and deposited it gingerly in the safety of the tall grass at the side. What a way to begin a day. It makes you feel good deep inside to rescue a worm.

But there were others. Scores of others. Worm after hapless worm had made his way from the safety of the grass to the trackless desert of the road. Occasionally we'd find a fat, juicy worm just beginning his brave journey, blissfully unaware of the dangers ahead. Little did he know....

But we were there for them. I would look for the tell-tale circling track in the sand. "There's another," I would shout, and Annie would rush to the rescue site to lift yet another victim to safety. What would explain this great worm exodus ? As we worked together as a finely-tuned mercy team, a theory began to unfold. There must have been some worm of a disk jockey on a late night station who had offered a prize for the worm who made it to the other side. That must be it !

But who would receive the prize ? We began to look for that one worm winner who possessed that stamina, courage, and unerring sense of direction required for this daring expedition. Did this one make it, I would wonder as I traced his trail in the sand. No, here he starts to curve around. Invariably, one after another, the worms would lapse into circles, aimlessly crawling, going nowhere--rapidly at first, then slower and slower as their precious resources drained away.

We were almost back to the house when we found him, the worm who had bet against the odds and won. We traced his trail from one side of the road to the other. But no, he was within inches of the grass on the far side when he veered and began heading the wrong direction, back to where he came from, the 'Wrong Way Carrigan' of the worm world.

I tell you no lie. It actually happened, though I can't vouch for the disk jockey part. But enough of grainy, bedraggled worms.

As Annie and I joked and rescued our way back to the house I thought of people I know. Where are we on our journey ? Where are we going, anyway ? Do we have a life goal, a destination, or are we just wandering ?

A verse came to mind as I acted as chief worm-spotter: "I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you" (Psalm 32:8). If only those worms had air support--someone with perspective to radio down their position--they could make it.

And I thought of how desperately we need a Guide to show us the way across, a Rescuer who will pick us up, hopeless and lost though we may be, and gently deposit us on the other side. 'Rescuer', you know means about the same as 'Savior'. Jesus is that Rescuer. He knows the way.

Are you tired of going round in circles, fighting fatigue and the fear of being squashed flat ? Lift your weary head one more time and utter a faint worm-prayer. And then watch for your Rescuer. Look up ! Look up !

taken & adopted from christian articles

The Holy Spirit Lifeline

Jesus Christ is a child of the Spirit. And just as earthly parents love their little baby, so the Holy Ghost loved the Lord. Have you ever seen a proud father hold a newborn in his arms, squeeze it tight, and love it ? I think we forget that the Holy Spirit has emotions too. He loves what He has created ; that's why He wants to place His arms around you.

Can you see God the Father in heaven saying to the Spirit, "Take my Son and make Him flesh" ? It was the miracle of miracles. The Holy Spirit took that seed and placed it within Mary's body. But not only was He the Father of the Lord, He was also the one who anointed Him.

Picture, if you will, God the Father sitting on His throne in heaven and Jesus on earth healing the sick and performing miracles. And what about the Holy Ghost ? He's the channel, the contact between both personalities. Now the Father picks up the phone (as if He needed one) and says, "Holy Spirit ?"

Jesus was dependent on the Spirit ; He was Christ’s lifeline to the Father."Yes, Sir," says the Spirit as He picks up the receiver.

God says, "I want you to lead Jesus into the wilderness because I'm going to send the devil to test Him."

The Spirit says, "Yes, Sir," and rushes to Christ. "Jesus, come along with Me," He says.

Do you see how the Holy Spirit is the contact between both personalities ?

Or picture this. Jesus is walking past a man who is very sick. Again, the Father picks up the phone and says, "Holy Spirit ? Stop Jesus ! Tell Him to halt right where He is."

The Spirit says, "Okay. Jesus, stop."

He speaks into the phone and says, "Father, what should He do ?"

"Tell Him to heal that man," says the voice of God.

Jesus immediately lays His hands on the man, the power of the Spirit flowing through Him, and the man is miraculously raised up.

Here is what is vital for you to remember - and when you comprehend this it will lift the veil from your eyes regarding the role of the Holy Ghost : On earth Jesus was nothing less than a total man. He did not have 'revelation knowledge' without the voice of the Spirit. And He could not move unless the Holy Spirit moved Him.

Have you ever wondered why, when Jesus passed by, some did not get healed ? Why didn't He pray for them ? Why didn't He reach out and touch them ? It is because the Father did not ask the Holy Ghost to request that Jesus do it. Christ said, "That the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do" (John 14:31). Jesus was dependent on the Spirit ; He was Christ's lifeline to the Father.

taken & adopted from benny hinn.org

Lifting Hands in Worship

To classic Pentecostals lifting the hands in praise and prayer is second nature, flowing from a tradition decades old. But to the new convert or non-Pentecostal just entering the Charismatic movement, the custom may be new and awkward. Most traditional Protestants have only seen the minister lift his hands to give the benediction or blessing upon the people. Questions follow: Why lift hands to worship and pray ? What does this practice mean ? As we explore the twenty-eight verses in the Bible on this subject we will find answers to these questions.

Lifting hands to the Lord in the Bible expresses two distinct ideas : supplication and blessing.


Lifting Hands in Supplication

A gesture common to many cultures is stretching forth the hands to implore another person to help, to give something, or to come. An example is found in Isaiah 65:1-2: "I said , 'Here am I, here am I,' to a nation that did not call on my name. I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people" (Proverbs 1:24 ; Job 30:24 ; Jeremiah 4:31 ; Lamentations 1:17).

In a similar way, hands are extended for prayer in the direction of God's dwelling. Dedicating the temple, Solomon "stood before the altar of the Lord ... and spread forth his hands toward heaven ...." (1 Kings 8:22 ; cf. vs. 54 ; 1 Chronicles 6:12, 13). He also asks God to honor prayers made toward the temple: "... Whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by any man or by all thy people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house ... hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and act ..." (1 Kings 8:38- 39 ; cf. 2 Chronicles 6:29-30). David calls out, "Hear the voice of my supplication as I cry to thee for help, as I lift up my hands toward thy most holy sanctuary" (Psalm 28:2 ; cf. also 134:2). Most often, however, hands are lifted up to God in heaven.

Hands express the inner man. Desperate for some response from God, David says, "I stretch out my hands to thee; my soul thirsts for thee like a parched land" (Psalm 143:6 ; cf. vs. 8). Hands mirror the soul stretched out to touch God, "... for to thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul" (vs. 8 ; cf. 25:1 ; 86:4).

Lifted hands must not mask sin. Worship offered to God while still practicing iniquity is an abomination (cf. Ps 40:6-8 ; 50:7-23 ; 51:16-19 ; Is 1:11-18). Defiled lives must be cleansed by repentance : "When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean ...." (Isaiah 1:15-16; cf. 59:1-3). Rather we are to lift up "holy hands without anger or quarreling" (1 Timothy 2:8). The prophet Jeremiah admonishes the Israelites mourning the destruction of Jerusalem, "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord ! Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens" (Lamentations 3:40-41, KJV).

The lifting of the hands so characterizes prayer in the Bible that it becomes a metonymy, a symbol for supplication without the need to identify it as prayer. For example, Jeremiah urges, "Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children ..." (Lamentations 2:19 ; Psalm 44:20 ; and perhaps Lamentations 1:17). To lift the hand to God means invoking His help.


Lifting Hands in Blessing

Yet hands are not only lifted in supplication. They are also lifted to offer a blessing to God.

The custom of the laying on of hands underlies the use of hands in blessing. The laying on of hands was understood to confer or impart something. One's sins, for instance, were transferred to the sacrifice through laying on of hands (Leviticus 1:4 ; 16:21-22). More often, however, the hands conveyed a gift or blessing. Ordination bestowed authority, consecration, or special gifts (Numbers 27:18-23 ; Deuteronomy 34:9 ; Acts 6:6 ; 13:3 ; 14:23 ; 1 Timothy 4:14 ; 1:18 ; 2 Timothy 1:6). The Holy Spirit Himself was sometimes conveyed by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:17-18 ; 19:6). Jesus commonly imparted the blessing of healing through His hands (Matthew 8:1-3, 14-15 ; 9:20, 25, 29 ; Luke 4:40 ; etc). Jacob pronounced a blessing on Ephraim and Manasseh by laying on his hands (Genesis 48:14-15) and so Jesus blessed the little children (Mark 10:16). To bless an individual, the person laid his hands on him. To bless a group, hands were lifted and extended over them, as in the priestly blessing (Leviticus 9:22) and Jesus' blessing of the disciples at His ascension (Luke 24:50).

Lifting of hands in praise to God derives from this understanding of imparting a blessing. David lovingly calls to his faithful God: "So I will bless thee as long as I live ; I will lift up my hands and call on thy name" (Psalm 63:4). Temple worshipers are exhorted, "Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord ! Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord !" (Psalm 134:1-2). David sees such heart worship as the kernel of more formal worship: "Let my prayer be counted as incense before thee and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice !" (Psalm 141:2). Lifting the hands to honor and bless God expresses love for Him (Job 11:13 ; Psalm 68:31) and His commandments (119:48). When the covenant is renewed in Jerusalem after the Exile, the whole congregation participates: "Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God and all the people answered, 'Amen, Amen,' lifting up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground" (Nehemiah 8:6). Even nature blesses the Lord: "... The deep gave forth its voice, it lifted its hands on high" (Habakkuk 3:10).

In a series of complex passages we see the concept of hands uplifted in prayer merged with lifting hands to impart. In Egypt, Moses stretches out his hands to God to end the plague of thunder and hail (Exodus 9:29, 33). In the wilderness battle with Amalek, as Aaron and Hur held up Moses' hands the Israelites were victorious, but when Moses' hands grew weary the Amalekites gained the advantage (Exodus 17:11-12). Yet in each of these passages "the rod of God" seems to be in Moses' hand (9:22-23 ; 17:9). While prayer seems to be indicated, we also see hands imparting God's deliverance. Moses' hand becomes the hand of God to bless and set free His people much the same way Jesus' hand loosed those Satan had bound (Luke 13:10-16).


Lifting Hands Then and Now

From the Old Testament scriptures it is obvious that believers commonly prayed and praised while lifting their hands. The First Letter to Timothy assumes the practice among males in Christian assemblies as late as 60 A.D.: "I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling" (2:8). A Christian sarcophagus carving depicts person with hands lifted in prayer, attesting that the practice was characteristic of Christian prayer in the Third Century A.D. Yet it is strange to find no references to lay lifting of hands in prayer in Rabbinic writings. Jewish writers explain the cessation of this prayer form in the synagogue as a reaction against the prevalence of the custom among Christians. The practice of lifting the hands survives today in Western Christian and Jewish traditions primarily in the priestly or pastoral blessing of the people.

Pentecostals, however, have revived the ancient practice of lifting the hands in worship because they have sought to emulate the Biblical models. In contrast, childhood instruction to fold little hands in prayer (probably to keep them out of mischief) finds no antecedent in Scripture.

Our hands are reflective of our being. Many of us, like the proverbial Italians, cannot talk without our hands. As people begin to yield their hands in expression to God, there often is a corresponding release in their worship.

Our own culture suggests meaningful gestures which communicate these various expressions. Palms lifted up might express openness, invitation, surrender. Reaching out signifies entreaty, supplication, and dependence. Hands extended palms out may symbolize extending a blessing to God much as a minister's benediction with hands stretched over the congregation imparts a blessing to them.

We must never allow lifting our hands to become an empty form; they are to express the inner being to God. As we use our hands to bless God may there be a fresh release of expression from our hearts in prayer, worship, and love to God. "Thus will I bless thee while I live : I will lift up my hands in thy name" (Psalm 63:4, KJV).

How to Spend an Hour in Prayer

"An hour ? How could I pray for an hour ? I'd run out of things to say !"

Praying for an hour is like sitting down in a restaurant with a friend, rather than ordering a cheeseburger and chocolate shake at the drive-up window. Somehow, as you sip coffee together, you find a lot of things to say. And, it's a whole lot more satisfying than a wave and a "Hi-how-are-you ?"

But if talking to God for that long seems intimidating, it's probably because we're still learning just to share ourselves with Him as we would with a friend.

But if talking to God for that long seems intimidating, it's probably because we're still learning just to share ourselves with Him as we would with a friend.

The following suggestions are designed to help you take courage to try spending an hour with the Lord. After the hour, probably after the first 15 minutes, you won't need this outline. You'll find there's plenty to talk about without prompting.

Start by bringing along some things to discuss with Him : your Bible, a hymnal, a world map or globe, perhaps a church directory and yours or your church's current prayer list. Then find a place where the two of you won't be disturbed.

Preparation

1 min. Beginning Prayer. Ask God to help you spend this time profitably with Him. Ask His guidance. Give yourself to Him for this hour.

4 Min. Confession. Spend a couple of minutes going over with Him recent sins which weigh on you. But don't dredge up old ones. Read 1 John 1:9. Ask His cleansing, then accept it by faith and thank Him for it. He is far more willing to forgive than you are to ask.

Praise And Thanksgiving

9 Min. Adoration. Sing to the Lord using a hymnal or some choruses you know. Come on, lift up your voice in praise ; there are just the two of you. Now start to thank Him for His goodness to you and your friends. There is a special sense in which God "inhabits" (KJV) and is "enthroned upon" (NIV) the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). As your heart begins to adore Him, you'll sense His presence more deeply.

Petition

9 Min. Pray About Life's Difficulties. Use this time to talk over with the Lord your own personal struggles. Discuss with Him your relationship with your special loved one or spouse, your family, your hang-ups, your financial needs, your studies or job. But don't stop here. Be sure you go on to praying for the needs of others.

Intercession

9 Min. Pray For Friends, Relatives, Neighbors, Fellow Workers. Don't just read a list of names to God, but talk to Him about their lives and needs. You can boldly ask Him for their salvation because Jesus died for them. Ask God to bring Christians into their lives, to alter circumstances, and to give you opportunities for witness and sharing in depth.

12 Min.Pray For Your Church and its needs. Call on Him for a deep renewal of love for God. Pray for your pastor and church leaders. Intercede for the Sunday school children and the youth, the families, the singles and the widows, the sick and shut-ins. Call on God for an increase in giving so the church doesn't have to struggle so much. Pray for the Christian organizations working with the college students, the children, the homeless in your community, with servicemen and on college campuses. Then intercede for those you know in special need.

8 Min. Pray For Our Nation, that God will guide our president and legislators, our justices and judges, our governors and mayors, our police and firemen. Pray for righteousness in government and a public policy sensitive to the needs of the oppressed here and abroad.

8 Min. Pray For Other Nations, for the work of Christ throughout the world. Intercede for unreached peoples, call on God to send laborers into His harvest. Pray for missionaries, for third-world pastors and churches, for the people of God who are suffering persecution. Pray for peace. Ask God to give food, shelter and hope to the hungry.

Total = 60 min.

Sixty minutes already ? I've just got started !

A Few Suggestions

Here are some ideas that'll help you pray more freely. First, be yourself. Why wouldest thou pray like Brother So-and-So? Talk to God like you'd talk to your best friend.

Get comfortable. The stiffer you feel, the more formal your relationship will be. Sitting is fine. If kneeling helps, do it. You might want to take an hour's walk as you talk with your Friend.

Next, try praying out loud, though not loud enough to disturb others. Being able to hear yourself pray really helps. You'll find that your mind doesn't wander as easily and that you can pray more fervently.

But don't feel you have to do all the talking. Discuss something with the Lord, then be silent for a time. Sometimes God uses these times of listening to implant His answers in our minds. Gradually you'll find that prayer can be a conversation.

Finally, don't worry about keeping to the times suggested here. It's only to get you started, to help you believe you actually can spend sixty minutes in prayer. You'll find God will guide you in your prayer time. Its not a program, it's a growing relationship.

Now, go for it. Before you put this down, set a time when you will spend an hour with Him. You can't learn to pray from reading any more than you can learn to swim from a textbook. It's time to get into the water.

Adopted and Modified from Joyfull Heart