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 PRAYER THAT MOVES GOD by Greg Gordon

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[b]Prayer That Moves God[/b]
[i]by Greg Gordon[/i]

Examples to the church of piety in prevailing prayer

STRONG CRYING

Oh brethren the highest form of worship and speech is prayer. We need to see praying that is bold, that is strong. Praying that moves God is prayer that moves us. If we are not moved by our prayers how do we expect them to move God. Our Master here on earth had “strong crying and tears” should we not have praying that is anything less? Oh for a resurrection of fervent praying, praying that is “owned by God.” Loud crying! Lamenting with tears. Gethsemane prayer, agonizing prayer is needed in our lukewarm laid back Christianity today. Adam Clarke the Methodist commentator said: “Prayer requires more of the heart than the tongue.” May we not be found lacking in fervent strong heart crying to our Lord. The prophet Isaiah speaks the word of the Lord to Hezekiah and may it be to us also spoken: “I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears.”

LIVES MADE SUBLIME

E.M. Bounds speaks of men that moved God by their prayers: “Mr. Wesley spent two hours daily in prayer. He began at four in the morning. Of him, one who knew him well wrote: ‘He thought prayer to be more his business than anything else, and I have seen him come out of his closet with a serenity of face next to shining.’ John Fletcher stained the walls of his room by the breath of his prayers. Sometimes he would pray all night; always, frequently, and with great earnestness. His whole life was a life of prayer. ‘I would not rise from my seat,’ he said, ‘without lifting my heart to God.’ His greeting to a friend was always: ‘Do I meet you praying?’ Luther said: ‘If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.’ He had a motto: ‘He that has prayed well has studied well.’”

Bounds continues to recount more lives made sublime through the ministry of prayer: “Archbishop Leighton was so much alone with God that he seemed to be in a perpetual meditation. ‘Prayer and praise were his business and his pleasure,’ says his biographer. Bishop Ken was so much with God that his soul was said to be God-enamored. He was with God before the clock struck three every morning. Bishop Asbury said: ‘I propose to rise at four o'clock as often as I can and spend two hours in prayer and meditation.’ Samuel Rutherford, the fragrance of whose piety is still rich, rose at three in the morning to meet God in prayer. Joseph Alleine arose at four o'clock for his business of praying till eight. If he heard other tradesmen plying their business before he was up, he would exclaim: ‘O how this shames me! Doth not my Master deserve more than theirs?’ He who has learned this trade well draws at will, on sight, and with acceptance of heaven's unfailing bank. One of the holiest and among the most gifted of Scotch preachers says: ‘I ought to spend the best hours in communion with God. It is my noblest and most fruitful employment, and is not to be thrust into a corner. The morning hours, from six to eight, are the most uninterrupted and should be thus employed. After tea is my best hour, and that should be solemnly dedicated to God. I ought not to give up the good old habit of prayer before going to bed; but guard must be kept against sleep. When I awake in the night, I ought to rise and pray. A little time after breakfast might be given to intercession.’ This was the praying plan of Robert McCheyne. The memorable Methodist band in their praying shame us. ‘From four to five in the morning, private prayer; from five to six in the evening, private prayer. John Welch, the holy and wonderful Scotch preacher, thought the day ill spent if he did not spend eight or ten hours in prayer. He kept a plaid that he might wrap himself when he arose to pray at night. His wife would complain when she found him lying on the ground weeping. He would reply: ‘O woman, I have the souls of three thousand to answer for, and I know not how it is with many of them!’”

Bounds shares more testimonies of men that prayed: “Sir Henry Havelock always spent the first two hours of each day alone with God. If the encampment was struck at 6 A.M., he would rise at four. Dr. Judson's success in prayer is attributable to the fact that he gave much time to prayer. He says on this point: ‘Arrange thy affairs, if possible, so that thou canst leisurely devote two or three hours every day not merely to devotional exercises but to the very act of secret prayer and communion with God. Endeavor seven times a day to withdraw from business and company and lift up thy soul to God in private retirement. Begin the day by rising after midnight and devoting some time amid the silence and darkness of the night to this sacred work. Let the hour of opening dawn find thee at the same work. Let the hours of nine, twelve, three, six, and nine at night witness the same. Be resolute in his cause. Make all practicable sacrifices to maintain it. Consider that thy time is short, and that business and company must not be allowed to rob thee of thy God.’ Impossible, say we, fanatical directions! Dr. Judson impressed an empire for Christ and laid the foundations of God's kingdom with imperishable granite in the heart of Burmah. He was successful, one of the few men who mightily impressed the world for Christ. Many men of greater gifts and genius and learning than he have made no such impression; their religious work is like footsteps in the sands, but he has engraven his work on the adamant. The secret of its profundity and endurance is found in the fact that he gave time to prayer. He kept the iron red-hot with prayer, and God's skill fashioned it with enduring power. No man can do a great and enduring work for God who is not a man of prayer, and no man can be a man of prayer who does not give much time to praying.” Does that smart reading all these accounts? Oh! may we be found in this list of men that knew their God and did strong exploits.

HOLY AGONY

Leonard Ravenhill told a story of a pretty little business women many years ago: "the Lord is really working on me, I can hardly sleep after 4 o'clock, I am up every morning between four and five. And I have long periods where I cannot utter a word. all I can do is sob and grieve over a nation that is so rotten and a church that is so sterile." David Legge recounts the story of John Hyde of India: "I read recently the biography of 'Praying Hyde'. Some of you may have heard this story before. Praying Hyde was on the mission field and he stayed on the mission field until he could do no more, through health. He was sent back home and he was sent to the doctors. When he went into the doctors, the doctor examined him, sent him away, and then he came back to get the results of what was wrong with him. The doctor sat him down and he said, 'Mr Hyde, do you have any pains in your chest?' He said 'Yes I do'. He says, 'Mr Hyde, your heart has displaced itself, Your heart ought to be here, but it has moved over in the cavity of your chest, and that can only happen through one thing, AGONY. He was called the apostle of prayer and his prayers led to thousands being taken into the kingdom of God, into the church of Jesus Christ in the land of India. But he was a man that travailed. He was a man that lost his health for God.” Are you willing to hear the voice of God and share the burden of God? This type of praying is for those that have not counted their life's dear to them.

CALLOUSED KNEES

Charles Finney shares some accounts of prayer in his sermon ‘Prevailing Prayer’: “The apostle Paul speaks of it as a travail of the soul. Jesus Christ, when he was praying in the garden, was in such an agony, that he sweat as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. I have never known a person sweat blood; but I have known a person pray till the blood started from the nose. And I have known persons pray till they were all wet with perspiration, in the coldest weather in winter. I have known persons pray for hours, till their strength was all exhausted with the agony of their minds. Such prayers prevailed with God. If you mean to pray effectually, you must pray a great deal. It was said of the apostle James, that after he was dead it was found his knees were callous like a camel's knees, by praying so much. Ah! here was the secret of the success of those primitive ministers. They had callous knees.”

Leonard Ravenill speaking of men that prayed on their knees: “America has produced some of the greatest prayer warriors in the world. John Hyde was one of them. I knew someone who had prayed with him, and they said it was just awesome when this man went into prayer. There s a little book out on him called ‘Praying Hyde’ that would be well worth your reading. Edward Payson, better known as Praying Payson of Portland, was another great prayer warrior. He used to kneel at the side of his bed and pray and pray and pray. When they washed his body for burial, they found great big pads on his knees like a camel has. Tradition says that James had camel’s knees but it’s a living fact that Payson had them. When they were washing him, somebody said, "What abnormal knees. They’re heavy with callouses.’ That’s because he used to pray at the side of his bed with energy - and he wore two grooves about six or seven inches long into that hard floor where he used to pray and make intercession."

David Brainerd in his diary stated: "I got up this morning and the Indians were still committing adultery and drinking and beating their tom-toms and shouting like hell itself. I prayed from a half hour after sunrise to a half hour before sunset. There was nowhere to pray in the Indian camp. I went into the woods and knelt in the snow. It was up to my chin. I wrestled in prayer until a half hour before sunset, and I could only touch the snow with the tips of my fingers. The heat of my body had melted the snow.” What amazing intercessory prayer! William Bramwell is famous in Methodist annals for personal holiness and for his wonderful success in preaching and for the marvelous answers to his prayers. For hours at a time he would pray. He almost lived on his knees. He went over his circuits like a flame of fire. The fire was kindled by the time he spent in prayer. He often spent as much as four hours in a single season of prayer in retirement.

A 'SAVE YOURSELF CHRISTIANITY'

David Legge speaks of the modern Christian mind who exclaims: “Do you know what the cry is today? A 'save-yourself Christianity'. Whatever you do, don't harm yourself. Be careful. watch you don't overdo it. Don't become too fanatical." Ravenhill in this stream of thought said: “If you are going to get mature in God all the dwarfs around you will criticize and sneer at you and say 'Your trying to be holier than the rest of us, ah? but remember this the men that have been used most by God have had the greatest devotional life's.” May we be found much on our knees and much in prayer. Prayer that moves God. Heaven weeps for it. Eternity demands it. Hell is crying out for it.


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2006/11/21 19:39Profile
TaylorOtwell
Member



Joined: 2006/6/19
Posts: 927
Arkansas

 Re: PRAYER THAT MOVES GOD by Greg Gordon

Convicting. Thank you for these articles brother Greg.


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Taylor Otwell

 2006/11/21 19:53Profile
mingjeff
Member



Joined: 2006/5/12
Posts: 5
Malaysia

 Re:

Yes, I strongly believe that a strong prayer would be a prayer that will touch the heart of God, a prayer with trevail and trembling, crying out for the lost souls. It's very sad to see that these days, prayers are usually directed to the needs of people's problems rather than the prayers that God wants us to pray, that none should perish, but all to come to repentance.

Greg Gordon, though I'm from Malaysia and only 20 years in age, I'm really thankful for such articles, which can rarely be found these days. Everytime I read them, I'll be convicted in my sins and start to cry for His mercy upon me. It's my desire to see more youths that are genuinely on fire, who never cease to pray day and night according to the heartbeat of God. Indeed, I take delight in spending time with Him. God bless you, Greg Gordon. :-)

 2006/11/21 22:38Profile
brokenvessel
Member



Joined: 2006/3/17
Posts: 77


 Re:

Hi mingjeff,

Glad to know a fellow Malaysian who echoes my own view about these articles in sermonindex.

Thank you Greg, sermonindex is like manna from heaven.

singming

 2006/11/22 8:48Profile
JennRich
Member



Joined: 2006/7/17
Posts: 140
Alabama

 Re: prayer

That's a powerful article, thank you. I love reading about past and present prayer warriors, and it fans the flame in my own heart. Martin Luther said,

"No one prays for anything who has not been deeply alarmed."

Such is true in my own life, that I didn't really pray, I didn't really "pester" God and cling to Him as my everything, until I was deeply alarmed about some circumstances in my life. And to look around at the state of our churches and our nation, is alarming enough to spawn hours upon hours of prayer. God give me more fervency even today. . . .


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Jennifer Richardson

 2006/11/22 9:51Profile
RobertW
Member



Joined: 2004/2/12
Posts: 4636
St. Joseph, Missouri

 Re:

Quote:
David Legge speaks of the modern Christian mind who exclaims: “Do you know what the cry is today? A 'save-yourself Christianity'. Whatever you do, don't harm yourself. Be careful. watch you don't overdo it. Don't become too fanatical."



I was reading Finney's 'Seared Conscience' message and wondered what the man was really like. He seemed to have been the most conscientious man I have ever heard of. Over do it? We have no idea how some of those old timers lived. :-?


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Robert Wurtz II

 2006/11/22 11:49Profile









 Re:

'Arrange thy affairs, if possible, so that thou canst leisurely devote two or three hours every day not merely to devotional exercises but to the very act of secret prayer and communion with God. Endeavor seven times a day to withdraw from business and company and lift up thy soul to God in private retirement. Begin the day by rising after midnight and devoting some time amid the silence and darkness of the night to this sacred work. Let the hour of opening dawn find thee at the same work. Let the hours of nine, twelve, three, six, and nine at night witness the same. Be resolute in his cause. Make all practicable sacrifices to maintain it. Consider that thy time is short, and that business and company must not be allowed to rob thee of thy God.’ Impossible, say we, fanatical directions! Dr. Judson impressed an empire for Christ and laid the foundations of God's kingdom with imperishable granite in the heart of Burmah. He was successful, one of the few men who mightily impressed the world for Christ. Many men of greater gifts and genius and learning than he have made no such impression; their religious work is like footsteps in the sands, but he has engraven his work on the adamant. The secret of its profundity and endurance is found in the fact that he gave time to prayer. He kept the iron red-hot with prayer, and God's skill fashioned it with enduring power. No man can do a great and enduring work for God who is not a man of prayer, and no man can be a man of prayer who does not give much time to praying.'


I find it all too easy to just sit here and admire these men, without any action. I find it all too easy to just sit here and wish that I had a prayer life like these men did.

But the difference is, I want a good prayer life, but these men acted and so had a good prayer life. If only we would put the effort into prayer and communion with God, we would live such different lives.

After reading this article and hearing of these great men of God, I am humiliated by my poor prayer life, which I must admit is pretty much non-exsitent at the moment. God help me to think, but also to act on what I have just read.

 2006/11/22 16:36
sermonindex
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 Re:

Quote:
But the difference is, I want a good prayer life, but these men acted and so had a good prayer life. If only we would put the effort into prayer and communion with God, we would live such different lives.


Oh may we [b]act[/b]! now and seek the Lord while He may be found. We have such a blessed way opened up to us because the viel was rent! Oh to dwell in the holy of holies. To dwell in the "secret place".

here is a response on the article and a good question:

Quote:
"Oh brethren the highest form of worship and speech is prayer."

It is true that men ought always pray, as it is indeed a form of worship. Is it possible, though, that the highest form of worship is our obedience to God?

Just a thought...



here is another response:

Quote:
Great article brother. Prayer is my passion and I thank you for promoting the office.


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2006/11/23 1:31Profile
MattChenier
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Joined: 2006/11/13
Posts: 121
Longview,WA

 Re:

INTERCESSORY PRAY IS THE HEART OF THE CHURCH

We know that paul compares the church to human body. The less comely parts being the most important right. Well what is less comely and hidden than the heart? What is more protected and more important than the heart?

The bible says "the life is in the blood." right?

Well what sends blood to the body? the heart. So what is the power that charges and livens the entire church? Prayer.

So the intercessory prayer warrior is the most significant member of the body. It should be the most protected and well taken care of. The significance of the ministry of intercessory prayer cannot be matched in magnitude. It also can't be matched in need. How few are the those who respond to such a calling. They refuse to be stuffed away in some closet, never heard or seen by anybody but God. Those who forsake this calling forsake the entire body and the head(christ). Those who forsake this calling, are not concerned about anything but themselves.

Oh the heart of the church is prayer. Prayer sends life to the whole body. What is the hand without the eye? It is a hand. What is the hand without the foot? It is a hand. What is the hand without the heart? It is DEAD!!!!!!!!!! AWAKE FROM THE DEAD HEART!!!!!!!! AWAKE FROM THE DEAD!!!!!! FEED YOUR BODY ITS PRAYER!!! FEED YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS THEIR LIFE!!!!!! YOU STINGILY WITHHOLD WHAT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS TO OTHERS; YOU ARE A MURDERER!!!

Mt 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men *: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Mt 23:6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,


The life is in the blood, and the blood comes from the heart.

And i might as well say a little on the mother of the family, who the Father has placed in charge of feeding His children milk. Oh you apostates and hypocrites, you withhold the breast from the child, so that it is hungered and perishes away for lack. The teachers and preachers who won't fulfill their calling. The mothers who won't feed the Father's children; who won't feed their own families. When the master comes, he shall be most reasonably angry! Your punishment won't be withheld.

Mt 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Mt 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.


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Matt Chenier

 2006/11/23 1:50Profile
preacherafla
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Joined: 2006/11/22
Posts: 96
Michigan, USA

 Re: PRAYER THAT MOVES GOD by Greg Gordon

What a fantastic, convicting and nexessary article. Thank you so much for reminding us of these fine examples of godly men who prayed and prayed and prayed.
Too often "Christians" are too lazy for real prayer and Bible study. I believe it was Samuel Chadwick who said, "Brethren, the crying sin of the church is her laziness after God." If you hope for revival--either personal or national-- then you cannot afford to be lazy and you need to seek God early in the morning while He may be found.
I have nothing against having fun but the "American Christian" seems to be all about fun. Leonard Ravenhill said it well when he said, "Prayer is taxing. Prayer is exacting. Prayer is enduring. Prayer means denying self, a daily dying by choice. But someone says, [There's nothing wrong with going fishing for a couple hours.] Maybe not if you are prayed up. Yet there is something wrong when we go fishing or do some other thing without the Spirit's leading. It is wrong when instead of praying we do things just to please others. There cannot be two operators of the Christian's life. We are either Spirit led in everything or self led."
Thank you Greg for a hard hitting reminder of the importance of prayer.

--Preacheraflame


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Steve

 2006/11/23 9:55Profile





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