“And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. When He arrived at the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” Luke 22:39-44 NAS
As we step out of Holy Week, we continue to celebrate that our Lord and Savior is risen, as we pray and anticipate His work in us, through us, and for us to His glory and purpose each and every day. Since the Holy Spirit’s visitation at Asbury this year, there is a great anticipation across the nation and ongoing conversation that “God is up to something” – but the truth is that God is always moving to accomplish His will and inviting us to participate in prayer and put His Word into practice. You and I were born with Kingdom purpose; good works already prepared by the hands and heart of God, that He would guide and provide for us to accomplish in fervent prayer, walking daily in Him.
On the night that Jesus knew He would be betrayed, arrested, beaten, and sentenced to crucifixion, Scripture tells us that He went to the same place where He frequently went with His disciples and prayed fervently to His Father. Fervency flows from the heart; it is a humbled pouring out of a sincere heart seeking the heart and hand of God to move in our circumstances for His victory and glory. There is a passion in fervent prayer that incites the compassion of the Father as He hears His child’s cry for help, direction, wisdom, provision, rest, or refuge. E.M. Bounds writes that fervency is not “fuss” or “noise,” but comes from the heat of a heart filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit. We probably won’t sweat blood, but rather shed tears in the tenderness or trial we are taking to God. Supernatural strength lifts us as we praise Him and pray God’s Word back to Him from a faith-filled heart that remembers He calls us to cast our cares on Him.
Prayer should never be a cold, boring speech meant to impress the people around us nor a ritual void of emotion, but rather a heart pouring out to the Supreme and Sovereign Creator and Ruler of the universe who is all-powerful yet all-loving and has inclined His ear to hear our prayers. If we truly care about the condition of our Country, if we are truly brokenhearted over the sinfulness and prayerlessness or our nation and the agendas and evil that has waged war against the One True God and those who would dare to faithfully follow Him, then our prayers will reflect the urgency, the priority, and intensity in which we are crying out to God. Crying out for Him to come and act in His power and glory to tear down strongholds across America and set us back on the path of righteousness for His great name’s sake!
As we prepare for the National Day of Prayer on May 4th, we rejoice in the knowledge that there will be millions of prayers prayed from tens of thousands of gatherings across America and around the world as we gather to pray during our evening NDP 2023 National Prayer Gathering Broadcast. Imagine the activity in heaven as God commands His angels who are around the throne praising Him with us and standing ready for His command to intervene where He is invited to come and His will to be done. We must pray fervent, faithful, nation-changing, history-writing prayers that turn America’s hearts from evil agendas that bring about death and draw all people into the arms of a loving God who is our only true hope, help, love, and Lord.
Will you join me in prayer now?
Lord Jesus, prepare my heart to pray for others; break up the hard soil of my heart in the places that have grown weary, angry, and cold. Run Your fingers through my heart to plow and prepare my heart to receive, be renewed, and revived in Your Word, love, and purpose. Blow on the embers of this heart where I invited You to be Lord; to take charge of and change so that I would be a useful vessel and voice for You and Your Kingdom. Reignite fruitfulness in my worship of You so that my prayers are filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Cause my heart to burn with the fire of Your Spirit and my prayers to be saturated with overflowing, overcoming, fervency that You hear, and will avail much.
In the all-powerful, sovereign, redeeming name of Jesus we pray, Amen!
Serving Him with Gladness,
Kathy Branzell
President
