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WHEN JESUS COMES INTO YOUR PRAYER GROUP

By Pastor Oliver W. Price

December 15, 1998

 

LET ME SHARE WITH YOU HOW I CAME TO KNOW JESUS IN A NEW AND WONDERFUL WAY. I earnestly desire that all of our Bible Prayer Fellowship family will learn to know Jesus as the Lord who comes into our homes and churches to make a very great change for good.  

My discovery began years ago when I was alone in my study reading Exodus chapter 3. God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and announced that He had seen Israel’s affliction and bondage to the cruel Pharoah. Then the Lord said, "And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey …" (Exodus 3:8). When God sent Moses to Pharoah to demand Israel’s release He promised, "Certainly I will be with you …) (vs. 9)  

When I read that passage I said to myself, "I WISH GOD WOULD COME DOWN TO FARMERS BRANCH, TEXAS WHERE I LIVE. The Lord began to show me that He has come down to earth and is ready to get actively involved in our homes and churches.

 When Jesus left the disciples and returned to heaven they "returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (Luke 24:52). Why did they rejoice? Because they fully expected the Holy Spirit to come down as Jesus’ perfect representative. He would dwell IN each one of them and AMONG them as a group. They prepared to share this new and far more powerful relationship with Jesus by meeting in one accord in prayer (Acts 1:14-15).

 I knew Jesus and believed that He dwells in me, but when I began to pray with my wife and my church trusting Christ to actively take charge of us my life and my ministry were wonderfully changed. I have seen good marriages and churches grow in Christ likeness. I have seen broken marriages healed and split churches renewed. I have seen Christians learn to listen to one another’s hearts in the presence of God.

 WE MUST GET THIS MESSAGE TO CHRISTIANS EVERYWHERE. We all know Christians who need this message. I was recently leading a small group when two people asked us to pray for two couples needing help. Many people pray but come short of knowing Christ right there in their midst ready to actively take charge. In short, Jesus is knocking on their door and asking them to let Him come in to share His heart with them. They don’t hear His voice because they have never learned that Christ seeks to be recognized and honored IN THEIR MIDST so He can meet the deepest needs of their relationship (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 2:18-22; Revelation 1:13,20; 3:20).

We invite you to be a prayer and faith partner with us. We will be glad upon request to send a free copy of our booklet BE JOYFUL AND FREE, Discover Abounding Hope and Joy in Knowing God. This booklet contains 7 chapters of helpful insights on the highest aim of all prayer ---- to glorify God and know Him as our liberator and our exceeding joy (Psalm 43:3-4).

 For more information on this subject, please visit our online version of the PRAYER LEADER'S GUIDE, which is 67 pages of helpful insights on prayer and praying with Jesus actively in charge of your prayer group.

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