Too often, however, we remain ignorant for a less profound reason: we have not bothered to ask. The possibility of hearing from the Lord seems too remote to warrant the effort of genuine prayer.

I am like the prodigal’s brother in Jesus’ parable. (Luke 15:29-31) ‘The father doesn’t give me so much as a kid,’ I almost grumble, forgetting that guidance, revelation - everything the Father has - is mine for the asking.

‘Ask ... seek,’ said Jesus. Dare I ignore his plea? How else can I know whether I should work harder or sleep longer; study engineering or needle-work; live off widow’s tithe’s or support myself?

Passion

We must pray like the widow badgering the judge, and the neighbor hammering the door in the dead of night until receiving the thing desired. (Luke 11:5-10; 18:1-7)

The Lord has written a blank check for his children: ‘Keep asking, [‘...present tense, which indicates continuous, persistent prayer.’ - France, p 144, confirmed by Hendriksen, p 362, Gaebelein, p 186, Amplified Bible, etc. Proof that this is exactly what Jesus meant is found in the context in which it appears in Luke (Luke 11:5-10) and further supported by his parable in Luke 18:1-8] and you shall receive ...’ (Matthew 7:7) That’s his holy vow to you - the unbreakable promise of the unchangeable Lord. Our sole requirement is to keep asking. The only way our Savior could constrain us without desecrating his sacred oath would be by curbing our desires so that we don’t keep asking. The mere existence of a strong desire indicates that its fulfillment is inevitable, if it drives us to persist in relentless faith and prayer.

Break the drought

What if, twenty-nine minutes into that first prayer meeting, Lanphier had left in despair?

Elijah prayed for rain. Not a cloud in sight. He prayed again. Nothing. Six times he prayed. Six times there was no response.

Time to implement plan B. This is how it went: if prayer doesn’t work after six times, try seven.

Israel got wet.

God’s chosen were in a desert facing starvation. And it was God’s doing. The Lord later revealed he had engineered it to see what his people were made of. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3) Would they fall into faithless despair, or would they muster faith and declare, ‘Somehow, some way, God will bring us through’?

Unlike the Israelites, we may not be in a life-threatening situation, but our ministry hopes could be staring at death. We’re wasting in a wilderness where through sickness or whatever, there’s not a crust of ministry to be found. This is not the time to crumple in a whimpering mass. This is our moment of glory. It’s the time to display our faith to the entire spirit-world, declaring, ‘God is the God of the impossible! Somehow, some way he will fulfill my heart’s desire.’

The Spirit can thrust us into a wilderness for testing as he did Jesus. But like Jesus and through Jesus we can emerge Spirit-filled and burst into ministry.

In Christ, our possibilities would blow the circuits of anyone’s imagination. Let’s not succumb before discovering at least a fraction of the astounding things God can do through us.

Remember Elijah and pray up a storm. Remember Lanphier and never walk away.

Conquest

Fear will come. I can’t avoid it, but through Christ I need not bow to it. Victor or victim: it’s my decision.

The tragedy is that we are often enslaved by forces that are meant to be our slaves. Rather than being tyrannized by fear, we should rise up and let it serve us. Fear’s duty is to impel us to prayer. Deprived of this faithful servant we might foolishly expose ourselves to danger without activating God’s wall of safety.

Ensure your plans are in the will of God. Then list every fearful possibility. Pray through each point for as long as it takes to muster the faith that God has taken control. Now you have divine protection, the highest conceivable security. Fear has done its work. Bid it farewell. Like a naughty puppy, fear may still tag along, but ignore it. Reciting the fear-crushing promises of Scripture, fix your eyes on the goal and stride toward it.

Waiting for fear to fade before advancing is like Peter waiting for the lake to evaporate before stepping out of the boat. Faith is the defeat of fear - not usually by fear’s removal, but by moving us to proceed despite fear’s yelps.

All of heaven is on red alert when you follow Father’s orders. Help is a prayer away. Heaven’s resources - infinitely more than you will ever require - are available the instant you need them. (Matthew 21:12-19; Luke 10:19; 21:12-19) As you march forward in obedience success is certain.

Impossibilities Cringe in Defeat

Christians are surrounded by serious problems. For us, problems have to be serious - if they smiled we’d see they have no teeth.

Spiritually enthroned in heaven with Christ, we have instant access to the Father. Though evil forces of incredible power impinge upon us, resident within us is One greater than the combined forces of hell. (1 John 4:4) So we are never helpless pawns in a battle between spiritual superpowers. And divine omnipotence doesn’t sag when adversaries take human form or merge with psychological factors. The origin of our difficulties may be outside us, but not, in Christ, outside our sphere of influence.

We serve a God in whose presence impossibilities cringe in defeat. Our mighty Lord can manipulate Satan like a puppet. Rest in the love of God, and a hostile world becomes a feather-bed. ‘You meant if for evil, but God meant it for good’ (Compare Genesis 50:20) describes every calamity we could ever face. (Romans 8:28)

The Kingdom needs prayer warriors, not prayer worriers. No matter how much you cry, beg, and wish, you have not moved from superstition to authentic Christian prayer until you can thank God for the answer, knowing it is yours before you hold it in your hand. Faith is not thinking that God can; it is knowing that he will. (Mark 11:24; James 1:5-8)

You will see it when you believe it.

Hold on. Victory is certain.

Love

The principle is further demonstrated by Scripture’s directive to marriage partners. A zeal for prayer and self-denial, it implies, must not be allowed to overshadow marital obligations. (1 Corinthians 7:5) Even prayer can become a monster.

If people are of value only in so far as they further our ministry opportunities, most people are trash. To give them so much as a grunt is to waste your precious time. But if the measure of people’s worth is the price Christ paid for their friendship, then you are surrounded by people of incomprehensible value. To do the tiniest thing for the least of them is an enormous privilege. Grasp this and you will discover that unless you are marooned alone on an island (and even then you can worship and intercede), you are constantly inundated with ministry opportunities. Whenever you meet someone, think to God, ‘How may I show this person your love?’ Anything could happen. You might end up being a little friendlier or breathing a five second intercessory prayer. By some measures the result may seem small, but for a few moments you have allowed yourself to be a critical link in a flood of love from Almighty God to a person of infinite importance. That’s an honor of the highest order.

Nuggets

Fundamental

This entire webpage is excerpts from Waiting For Your Ministry: The Quest For Fulfillment. This book is not about prayer. The title describes its thrust. So why does prayer get a mention? Because it’s difficult to talk for long about the exciting life Christ has given us without mentioning prayer.

You can be inspired, comforted, uplifted, transformed by a gripping, yet deeply moving book that broaches so many vital subjects with grace and passion. It’s a full-length book, available free to internet users. The excerpts do not do justice to the scope, bursts of humor, and faint glimpses of God’s beauty in this unique book.

Here’s your chance to view it: "Waiting For Your Ministry"