Are there times early in the morning when you just can't sleep? Do you lay in bed with troubles and worries on your mind that just causes you to be restless? This happened to me this morning. As I lay there in bed I couldn't get back to sleep. It was around 3:30 a.m. and I knew then that the LORD was wanting me to yield myself to Him. I got out of bed and got upon my knees. For an entire hour I talked to God and interceded for His people. The Devil will talk to you and speak things to your mind when everything is quiet. I have found that all sorts of thoughts and worries usually come to me when I'm trying to rest. This doesn't happen all of the time, but there has been so many instances. I'm sure you all can relate. He will bring financial troubles, concerns over loved ones, marriage problems, health issues, and anything possible to distract your rest. This is the best time to give it to Jesus.
Every morning I love talking to God and I love to do it early. While the world is still asleep and before anyone else gets up in my house, I can usually be found on my knees. I made a vow to God that I would give Him the first fruits of my lips each morning. I want to talk to Him before I talk to anyone else. I don't care how busy my day ahead may be, I want to be found on my knees and on my face before the LORD every morning.
During the past year in 2013 I didn't feel that I gave enough of my time to God. I was distracted by everything that included making a move from San Antonio, Texas to Missouri, getting engaged and married, becoming a stepmother to 4 children, and going through many other trials. It was just by the grace of God that I made it. I was now in a city where I didn't know many people and had few friends. I went through some things that I knew had to be God for me to get through. But even in my slackness the LORD was not slack towards me. He honored my prayers. The storms didn't take me over though they beat against my house pretty hard. One of my New Year's resolutions was to have a deeper prayer life and to get to know my LORD and Savior Jesus Christ on a more personal level. This sometimes involves really getting alone with Him and letting God speak to you and mostly for me, it's early mornings.
I was listening recently to a Brother David Wilkerson sermon entitled, 'Helpers In Prayer'. He talked about being an intercessor for God's people and calling their name out in prayer. I thought that I already was doing that, but not to the extent that God wanted me to. And I have found that now that's the main reason the LORD wakes me up so early in the morning. Real praying goes beyond just praying for our own loved ones. We have a dying world on our hands. Hell is enlarging itself every day. Souls are being lost and we are just going about in our relaxed state thinking about our own families and loved ones. What God would have us do is to intercede for other people as well. We still need to pray for our loved ones but our prayers are not just to be centered upon them. We are to pray for the entire Body of Christ.
Pastors, Evangelists, Missionaries, Preachers, Teachers, Prophets, Prophetess and Apostles. All Saints who are especially in roles of leadership. We are to pray for each other. When we pray this way the LORD blesses us and our homes and families. Where would we be if someone didn't pray for us? We are to uphold these people in our prayers and not pray selfishly. As I began to pray this morning, all the troubles and things that the Devil was trying to burden me with were squandered. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5
Our LORD is omnipresent and omnipotent! He's the Almighty God. When we pray to Him don't act as He's a limited God. He's our Father and He loves and cares for us. He is seeking those who will cry out for His people. The Devil is attacking on all sides. Sin is rampart in our land. There is only one way to fight and that is with the Word of God and by keeping on the whole armor of God. We can't fight the Devil any other way. The LORD is looking for true worshipers that will make themselves available to reach out for others through true intercession. "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none" Ezekiel 22:30
Are we willing to deny our sleep, our food, our comforts in life to stand in the gap? Are we merely begging God for things we don't need and for our own necessities in life and forgetting about the true purpose God put us here in the first place? Will we be obedient to the voice of the LORD as Samuel who said in 1 Samuel 3:10, "Speak; for Thy servant heareth"?
My prayer this morning is that all of us in the Body of Jesus Christ would start reaching out for others. Let's let our voices be heard in our prayer chambers and upon our beds as we cry out to God for deliverance and Salvation of others. The time is drawing near for His coming. Are we listening for His voice? Are we reaching out for others? Father, in Jesus name, give us a burden for souls. Help us to stop praying selfishly and as You would have us. Help us to pray that Your will be done in our lives and in the lives of others. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!
