Love & Unity Corporate Prayer | April 12, 2025

0:00 You pray it and he can answer it. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. God will put the prayer in your heart to pray so that he can answer it. It goes into the hearts of the people, doesn't return void, it produces results. Thank you, Jesus. Well, I have a teaching for us, a brief teaching, but before I get into the thing that God has laid on my heart, let me just mute all. You all during teaching. So before we get into the teaching, I just wanted to share a scripture that I heard when I sat down and came into my office. For me, it's this afternoon. For some of you, it's this morning, but I heard Acts 10 to 44. And the scripture is while Peter yet spake the word, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word. And I just want to encourage everyone, those of you that are pastors and leaders and those of you are going to be speaking, especially over the holiday season, to expect the Holy Spirit to fall on the congregation while you're preaching, while you're teaching. He can fall to convict and convince those that are there of their need for Jesus.

1:14 He can fall. like in the days of Catherine Coleman, where the power gifts just manifested and nobody touched them, nobody did anything. And I think we're coming into that season where the Holy Spirit desires to demonstrate himself. And that's the beauty of man moving aside and the Holy Spirit moving in. And we're seeing that. Where we don't even have to like have at times altar calls in certain regards because the Holy Spirit's beginning to manifest in our meetings when we're on the road. So I just want to encourage those of you that are leaders and pastors to really begin to believe God and expect the Holy Spirit to fall and to do and to demonstrate himself. So we're going to our prayer focus. in this particular Zoom meeting is going to be to pray and to intercede on the behalf of the upcoming Easter services that we have in our churches. Whether we're pastors or not, every one of us are part of a local body.

2:18 And the beauty of prayer is prayer goes before us and it prepares the way, makes the crooked way straight. The rough place is plain. It opens up the door for God to work. And the Bible says, though I'm absent in the flesh, I'm present with you in the spirit. So and there's no time or distance in the spirit. So we can begin to pray and intercede and prepare the hearts of the people that are going to be attending our meetings before they ever get. into the church building or wherever they are. They say that Easter is one of the holidays that more people get saved than any other holiday. And so that's going to be our prayer focus today. But before we get into the word, I have a kind of a simple teaching, especially for those of you that are more mature. But I think it's good to visit the foundational teachings.

3:12 And the Bible also says to remember the things that we've heard or learned, lest at any time we would let them slip. And I just really quickly, before we get into prayer, I just want to talk to you about the benefits of being a person of prayer. Now, the very first thing and one of the very first benefits is that when we are people, men and women of prayer, there is an added strength to us when we need it. Okay. And the Bible says in Psalm 16, 11, you will show me the path of life in your presence is fullness of joy at your right hand, our pleasures forevermore. And, and so in his presence, when we pray, you know, there's in his presence, there's fullness of joy. So we're in the presence of God and that's the place of fullness of joy. And Nehemiah 8, 10 says, And the joy of the Lord is our strength. So when we need strength, when we spend time in the presence of God, there is an added strength to our walk with God, to our ministries, to everything that we set our hand to do. Number two, strength in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12, 9 says, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. So in prayer, we acknowledge our

4:43 limitations, which we all have, and invite God's strength into our lives, empowering us to overcome challenges. So that's the beauty of prayer. He strengthens us. Jude 1, 20 says, but you, beloved. building up yourself on your most holy faith praying in the holy ghost so when we pray when we spend time in the presence of god we're building up ourselves and in context in jude it says praying in the holy ghost and first corinthians 14 4 says for he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself and that greek word edify means to charge yourself up like as a battery for example you know we all have these cell phones and when they the battery power starts getting low um what do we do we get out the charger we hook up hook the charger up to the power source and therefore the charge is built up or edified or charged so when we pray in tongues and we give ourselves over to praying in the holy ghost we are charging ourselves up and for me this is probably i haven't done this in years but this is my sixth meeting in seven days that i had to speak at or lead god in prayer for and yesterday i was feeling

6:14 a little you know, physically tired. So I just went into the presence of God. I just began to walk the floors and I just began to pray in the Holy Ghost. And I know you know this, but you are a spirit, you have a soul and you live in a body. So when we pray in tongues, it's our inner man that's being charged up. It's our inner man that's being built up and edified. And that's where we can rely on the inner man to gain the ascendancy. over our souls our bodies need rest i think we need to be wise about that but prayer causes us to be built up and edified so therefore we are able to receive added strength when we need it number two rewards um is what we can see receive as a benefit of being a person of prayer hebrews 11 6 Says without faith, it is impossible to please him. But he who comes to God must believe that he is and he is a rewarder of those. who diligently seek him. And I think it's important, especially those of you that are leaders to remember that we don't seek him and pray to him just to get a message and just to hear from God and just to get the word of the Lord. But we need to also remember that we have our own personal relationship with him.

7:37 And so when we go to God in the place of prayer, you know, having the understanding that Lord, I'm here just to fellowship with you. And you said in your word that when I come to you, that you are a rewarder of those that diligently seek you. So I don't really know in totality what those rewards would be. I'm sure Apostle Calvin has some insight into that. But whatever the rewards, I want them. If they're the rewards here on this earth, I receive them. If they're rewards that... that we receive up in heaven, I totally want to receive them because it's what we do for God on this earth that we will receive rewards for when we go and stand before him.

8:22 Matthew 6, 6 says, but you, when you pray. Go into your room. That's a chamber, an inner room, a place of intimacy. And when you have shut your door, to me, I look at that and say, shut out the distractions. Shut out the television. Shut out the refrigerator and that cheesecake that's in the refrigerator. Shut out all the things that you need to do in ministry and as leadership. Shut the door and pray to your Father who is in this secret place and your Father who sees in secret. will reward you openly. And I love that. I love the fact that he is a God who sees. And when we spend time in our intimate time and fellowship with him, he's looking at us, right?

9:07 The Bible says, my eyes will be open and my ears attentive unto the prayers that are made in your secret place or wherever you are. So he's a God who sees. So when we spend time in the presence of God, I like to think, I just like to think about the fact, because it is fact, because it's the word of God, that he sees. what we're doing in secret and it goes on to say he will reward you openly again what those rewards are i'm not really quite sure but i will say this as leaders i think the greatest rewards that we can have is that we carry the presence of god we're a carrier of the presence of god and when we speak when we teach when we minister we're ministering out of our overflow and not out of our reserve.

9:53 That's why yesterday when I was feeling tired, I knew I had to lead guided prayer last night. And then today I just said, Lord, I'm just going to give myself over to praying in the Holy Ghost. I'm going to shut myself in my office and spend time with you because you will renew my strength. When I wait upon you and I look unto you and I put you first place, I know you will strengthen me with might. by your spirit in my inner man. And therefore I can say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me because it's not my sufficiency. It's because of you abiding in me, Christ in me, the hope of glory that will be able to rise up and move through me in this time. So he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. Job 42 .10 says, Now I use this verse all the time. This is the first time I put it in these notes for today. That when you pray, The Lord will turn your captivity, specifically in the prayer of intercession. And if you have needs, and if you have challenges, and if you have things you're dealing with, the Lord will turn your captivity, restore your fortunes. He will bless you exceedingly, abundantly, above all. You can ask, hope, dream, or desire. There's

11:25 just something about spending time in the presence of God. There are rewards and benefits. And in Job's case, God... gave job twice as much as he had before um number three when we pray the my favorite benefit of being a person of prayer is friendship and intimacy with god it says here in exodus 33 11 so the lord spoke to moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend friendship with god The Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. Now, God is no respecter of persons. Moses obviously had a heart for God and he had a humble and contrite spirit.

12:12 He acknowledged his weaknesses. He acknowledged that he needed God to help him. And he spent time in the presence of God and he made spending time in the presence of God his priority. And he said, Lord, if you don't go with me, I'm in big trouble. Moses had this kind of friendship and intimacy with God. But the beauty of it is the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. So it was the Lord that called Moses his friend. And I want to be a friend of God. And I know you do, too. And that's why we're on this. prayer call today and it says of course you know joshua and he would return to the camp but joshua of course he was venturing and training up and he did not depart from the tabernacle now what was moses's legacy and i think this is something especially those of us that are over 50 need to think about about and those of us that are on medicare and social security what do we want our legacy to be here's moses's legacy Deuteronomy 34, 9 through 12 says, Moses was 120 years old, okay? And Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom. Moses laid his hand on him. The children of Israel heeded to him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. So Joshua, as you know, was his successor.

13:35 But since then, here's Moses' legacy. There has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses. What about Moses? He was a prophet. That's cool. But what about Moses? Whom the Lord knew face to face. And then it goes on and talks about in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all the land, and by all that mighty power and the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of Israel. But his legacy was that he had friendship and intimacy with God. And I think that's where it begins and that's where it ends. For those of us who are called into full -time ministry, that we minister out of that friendship, out of that overflow, so that we have the heart of God when we minister. So it's intimacy and friendship with God. Then we have the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3 .10. He said, my determined purpose is that I may know him. That I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of his person more strongly and more clearly. So here we see that the Apostle Paul, his determined purpose was to know Jesus Christ, to know his heart, to understand his heart. And

15:06 out of knowing his heart, God will give us wisdom, revelation, and understanding into the hearts of the people that we lead. There's a prayer that I pray. I say, Lord, you know, give me the wisdom to discern what is in your heart and mine and what is in my own heart and mine. And that discernment is cultivated and developed. In the place of prayer. When we have time with him. In the secret place of prayer. And I think it's important for all of us. And myself included. To always be reminded. Not to neglect the first works. That is to love the Lord our God. With all of our hearts. All of our souls. All of our strength. And everything that is within us. To put him personally. First place in our lives.

15:56 Lastly. Prayer ascends. And this is what's going to happen. today prayer is sense before God as incense in the realm of the spirit this is what's literally happening revelations 8 3 & 4 says Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne. And the smoke of that incense with the prayers of the saints ascended before God from the angel's hand. So when we pray in general and when we pray today. Of course, we know that prayer opens up the door for God to work. We know that we have not because we ask not. We know that man is God's avenue into the earth.

16:48 We know that Satan is the God of this world. And unless we pray and stand and use our authority, God can't do what he desires to do because the enemy has a stronghold in our region and our cities over the hearts and minds of our people that we're leading. But also. When we pray, our prayers are like an incense that go up before the throne room of grace. And God hears us. He smells that fragrance. And the beauty of this particular thought process is that the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 2 .15, For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

17:31 So like I said before, We're carriers of the presence of God and also we're carriers of his fragrance. So when we pray, there is something tangible that is being transferred to us in the presence of God. Now, I know I said lastly, but I forgot I had one more. When you see answers to your prayers, which we're seeing, aren't we? It brings joy. john 16 24 says now until now you have asked nothing in my name ask and you will receive that your joy may be full and i love the fact that jesus said in his word men ought to always pray and not faint and sometimes things will get worse Before they get better.

18:24 Because when you pray. When we pray. Our prayers are going into the realm of the spirit. You're making the devil uncomfortable. You're telling him to leave. He doesn't want to leave. So you're going in. And you're putting pressure on the devil. And you're getting kicked back. You're getting resistance. But as we remain steadfast. Immovable. Always abounding in the labor of love of prayer. The enemy has to flee. okay so and therefore number two it's not only the resistance from the enemy that we see things getting worse at times but it's also because when we begin to pray for the hearts and destinies of the people we're praying for there's there's war and so the holy spirit begins to convict and convince them of their need for change or their need for jesus or whatever the case may be and you know people They don't always like to change. They don't always like to yield to the Holy Spirit.

19:18 So there's a little bit of resistance until the Holy Spirit's able to penetrate their hearts, until the Word of God that's in seed form begins to rise in their hearts. And so, therefore, when things get worse, I just want to encourage everyone, that means our prayers are working. That's why Jesus said we ought to always pray and not faint. Okay? So are you ready to pray for the Easter services? How many of you are ready? Let's see your hands. How many are ready to pray for the Easter services? Now, isn't that interesting that we can pray and believe God for the Easter services for all of our churches, all of the places that we have an influence and God will answer our prayers. Well, the beauty of God is, think about it. He knows our name. He knows any hairs we have on our head. He speaks to us all individually. He's a very personal God. And when we begin to pray for our churches, it's going to open up the door for him to work. And our prayers are going to go into the realm of the spirit. And they will. The Bible says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

20:31 So we're going to pray for the Easter services. We're going to go ahead. I'm going to unmute everyone. Participants too. I hope this works. Is everyone unmuted? Let me see about. I think we have to unmute ourselves. Okay, so everybody unmute yourself. Because we all want to pray together. Okay, so just unmute yourself. I'm still waiting for some to unmute. Do you know how to do it? So let's go ahead and let's just begin to pray. Father, we as a group. together we are praying we thank you you know Thank you.

22:40 is is is is um um um Thank you. um is is foreign

26:42 um um um foreign Thank you so much for tuning in to today's podcast. It has been such a joy sharing this time with you.