On July 15, 2005 I read a news article in the Daily Press that said &uot;Study find prayer has no effect on patient’s future health&uot; Reasearchers say the purpose of the study

was to evaluate the influence prayer has on science.

Matt 16:3: &uot;You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.&uot;

Jesus made this statement because He fully expected those He was addressing to know the times in which they were living. He expected them to look beyond their daily life, their circumstances, their issues and grasp the significance of their season. Likewise, He expects you and I to do the same!

We must look beyond the landscape of our own affairs and see what is unfolding on the city stage. As a case in point, last weeks article strongly impressed on me that the church need to do more than we every have.

Many who have come before us just heard what would happen in the ‘end times,’ but we are seeing them unfold before our eyes. But we are not to be fearful … this is when the church of Jesus Christ will shine with the fullness and the glory of our Lord! We can’t be silent we have the right to pray for our family ,community,city,state and nation, and know that we will get results.

As this article was given what there result were, I heard the Holy Spirit say that &uot;winds&uot; are the advance sign that a weather front is about to arrive. Differences in air pressure cause air to move from one location to another, causing the wind to increase in velocity. These ‘winds of change’ will be the advance sign of the ‘later rain’ weather front that is about to come upon this generation, and will be marked by greater ‘pressure’ applied by the church on the forces of darkness. These are indeed PRAYING times!

If you are serving the Lord today, you are part of the greatest army ever assembled in all of human history! An army whose strength is not in their weaponry, but in their God! An army that is disciplined and obedient to the FULL council of the Word of God! An army that will pray without ceasing as ordered by our Commander in Chief!

&uot;No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying.&uot; Leonard Ravenhill

1John 5:14-15:

&uot;And this is the confidence that we have in him, that,if we ask anything

according to his will , he heareth us:And if we know that he hear us , whatsoever we ask ,we know that we have the petitions that we desire of him.&uot;

The danger of a prayerless life is that it often develops without much notice, leaving a ‘believer’ powerless and vulnerable in the time of need. What is even more unfortunate is when this happens to a church at-large.

Many churches have been birthed with a genuine passion to follow God and be directed by the Holy Spirit, only to die slow deaths as they unwittingly disconnected themselves from God’s power through the neglect of prayer.

Prayer keeps you humble … it keeps you focused … it keeps you hungry … it just plain ‘keeps you’. And when I mention prayer, I really mean intercession … seeking the Lord’s intervention and guidance for your community, church, families, leaders, and whatever else the Holy Spirit is directing. That kind of prayer positions you ‘front and center’ in God’s will. It will propel you closer to the heart of The Father where you take on His burden and compassion for others. &uot;For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.&uot; 2 Chronicles 16:9. Simply put, God is searching for those who are searching for Him.

In our ministry the burden for other churches has grown steadily over the years. We believe the Holy Spirit is ready to move mightily in many of the churches in our community … and we’ll pray for them until we see it. I believe we will also see the day when we will stop measuring success by the size of our congregations, the assets we possess, the number of programs we offer, or the credentials we have earned. Rather, true success will be measured by the heart of the people and their desire to press in and pursue God.

If your church has strayed from prayer, I encourage you to stand in the gap for them … pray for your pastor, the staff and the congregation. And don’t leave your position, as uncomfortable as it may be, until the Holy Spirit releases you. God is preparing His bride for the greatest days the church has ever seen, and He will use you to bring it to pass!

Be blessed

Apostle Gary Rodgers