Prayer Over the Phone

The Lord's speaking these days has been prayer, among other burdens. Be it personal, or family, or church prayer, the underlining burden for the church is crystal clear: Prayer. In line with this burden, the Lord also confirmed it through the ministry of the word in the pursuit of the morning revival. 

The book of Acts reveals a group of people who live in the divine history within human history by continuing steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word; this is to live in the apostolic ministry in coordination with Christ as our great High Priest in His Heavenly ministry (6:4; Heb. 7:25; 8:1-2). By prayer we set our mind on the things above and become a reflection of Christ’s ministry in the heavens; we depend on prayer to do what man cannot do, to understand what man cannot understand, and to speak what man cannot speak (Acts 9:11; 13:1-4; Col. 3:1-3; 4:2; Eph. 6:18; Dan. 6:10; 9:2-3; 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Cor. 3:6). Excerpt from the message The Continuation of the Book of Acts—Living in the Divine History within Human History. 

Prayer being the current burden, and I believe that it will ever be this burden, realising the importance and urgent need for prayer. The Lord also honors this prayer burden by gracing me to pray and pray and pray. I enjoy praying with my family daily, and also with the serving ones with me. There has been a lot of development in prayer. 

Brothers and sisters from different parts of India called me up and made an appointment with me for prayer. They themselves suggested the day and time for praying with them over the phone. I was surprised by their initiatives and at the same time felt blessed to be able to pray with them, though the burden is mostly on their side; I just join them in, in prayer. 

A brother from Shillong fellowshipped with me to pray with him every Saturday for the saints and the church in Shillong and also for the Lord's testimony to be raised up in different parts of Meghalaya. I felt blessed to stand with him in prayer. In fact, I have the same burden for the Lord's testimony in Meghalaya. It has been such a joy and blessing to pray with my brother with the very same burden I have for years. I truly believe all our prayers have been answered, by faith. 

A sister from Guwahati called me up one morning and simply requested me to prayer with her over the phone. After a short prayer she testified how much she enjoyed praying with me. She even requested that she would call me now and then for prayer. This sister and her husband are both medical doctors and both received the Lord and got baptised when I and a brother went door knocking from house to house few years ago in Guwahati. They have been in my prayer too, and now the Lord opened the door to pray with them over the phone at their own initiation. In fact, I have been praying for them to be established in their faith and that they would be the key family to bear the Lord's testimony in Guwahati. I believe, the Lord is answering this prayer, gradually. 

A brother texted me a couple of weeks ago, a list of days and time for phone call prayer. My simple reply was, amen. Then he called me up at the very time he scheduled for prayer. I just prayed with him over the phone, and I especially prayed that his whole family would be saved and the Lord will raise up the church in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, soon. This is a Hindi heartland and, so far, there is no testimony of the Lord yet. This brother was saved and baptised few years ago in Gurgaon, a very educated man, but the Lord saved him from his strong religious and cultural background. 

A sister who has been shepherded into the church life few years ago called me up now and then for prayer. Prayer with her would last longer as she has a lot of burden to release. My only response was to amen whatever she poured out to the Lord with a lot of burden. Today and the past few days she has been praying with tears as she has been going through a very tough time of her life. I could only sympathise with her and listen to all that she has to pour out. I simply joined in, in her prayer, and stand with her. She felt so comforted after every prayer.

I am glad that the Lord has been blessing me richly with saints to pray with. In praying with them I am being strengthened to pray all the more. I believe in what the Lord burdened me to pray for. Indeed, "By prayer we set our mind on the things above and become a reflection of Christ’s ministry in the heavens; we depend on prayer to do what man cannot do, to understand what man cannot understand, and to speak what man cannot speak."

Above all, the Lord also blessed the church praying meeting richly. The number of the saints attending the church prayer meeting this year, 2019, doubled from January itself with all the saints attending the prayer meeting praying. We changed the way of our prayer itself. We rotate the prayer burden to all the saints attending the prayer meeting, so that each saint will get to pray for each burden released for prayer. By this way, the prayer meeting was uplifted in function and enjoyment. 

Praise the Lord for this grace and blessing of prayer, especially the prayer over the phone!

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Unceasingly pray.