I want to share something I read in a partner letter I recently received from Billy Brim Ministries. This passage is in reference to theologian Jonathan Edwards who stirred a revival in Northampton that was followed by the Great Awakening in the 1700’s.

The power that accompanied Edward’s preaching was not the result of his topic alone… Neither was the power the fruit of oratorical skill, for Edwards normally read his sermons. His preaching derived its power from his prayer life. He would spend whole days and weeks in prayer, and it was not unusual for him to spend 18 hours in prayer prior to preaching a single sermon. The result was a revival that not only transformed the moral and spiritual character of his own community, but also that of the entire nation. (Eddie L. Hyatt, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, Strang Publications, Lake Mary, FL, pp. 114-115)

I read this and repented for not spending more time in prayer. I pray a lot already, but not like this. So I endeavored to pray more before my next meeting. What happened? We saw the power of God in our meeting.

When I repented for not spending more time in prayer I heard the Lord say, “I’ve been waiting for you.” He wasn’t mad. He wasn’t put out. He wasn’t frustrated. He was just waiting.

My prayer life to me isn’t about getting things done, or making things happen. It has been about having a relationship with God. So at first it seemed kind of foreign to me to spend more time in prayer for the purpose of receiving more power.

I’m never one to be shy about prayer. I enter boldly, humbly, gratefully every time, but this time my time of prayer seemed hard and I was finding it difficult to enter into His Presence.

Then He said to me, “Just relax.” So I did. I stopped trying to pray a prayer that would produce power and I began loving on God and letting Him love on me.

In my last post I mentioned that the people that I have seen operate most in the power of God were people of great love. And that’s still true. But what I neglected to mention was they are also people who spend much time in prayer. And I saw the connection. People who love much, pray much and people who pray much, love much.

I often tell the healing team that to minister healing you have to yield to His love and let Him love people through you. Remember Jesus was moved with compassion and He healed the sick.

While my prayer life has always been about my relationship with God, I saw it in a most beautiful and powerful way this time. Prayer is about spending much time with God letting Him love on you and you loving on Him, loving others through our prayers and then from that place of love stepping out into the world in the power of His love.

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19, KJV)

Amen.