Jesus has been interceding for this need, and now the Spirit needs you to join with the intercession of Jesus. It is a specially sacred level of prayer intensity and prayer responsibility. (Google image, Praying together)
It is always a special trust committed to you from the Lord, a special call of the Spirit for faithful intercession. It is an indication of the Spirit's priority for you.
1. Prayer burden is a spiritual concern. It is an unselfish concern for the Lord's will in a person or situation. It is a desire for God's mercy and help and for that which is highest and best.
The concern weighs down upon the praying person, causing that one to pray as much as possible for the need. It shares with the praying person the same compassion and desire that God has.
2. Prayer burden is God-given. Its source is not natural sympathy, emotion, or predilection. It is not something worked up by long or loud praying. It is not the result of psychological manipulation or mass psychology.
While it may spread from one person to another, it does so primarily among those deeply spiritual, deeply committed, and deeply involved in intercession.
A burden that is primarily emotional will be superficial and will yield no lasting spiritual results. It is a burden born in the heart of God, which indicates it is a valid part of Christ's intercession, and it is conveyed to you by the Spirit's guidance and touch.
3. Prayer burden is very personal.Others may or may not share your vision, burden, or concern. But it it is something that God puts specially on you, you are the one responsible to intercede.
It is a commitment between you and the Lord. You must bear the burden for the need on behalf of the Lord—or, more accurately, in intercessory partnership with the Lord.
It begins in a hidden way privately in your own heart. Prayer burden will be carried primarily before the Lord in the secret place. No one can fully know the depth of concern the Lord places upon your heart...you should not be sharing your concern widely unless you are specially led by the Spirit to do so (Matt. 6:16-18). It is a sacred secret trust you have received from the Lord.
4. Prayer burden may move you very deeply. When the Lord places the burden upon you heavily, it literally weighs upon your heart. The more fully you identify with the need, the more deeply you will feel it.
It may include an ever deeper God-given agape love for the ones involved in the need. It may involve a sense of foreboding danger or holy concern, lest God's will be missed or be unfulfilled.
When you are almost totally absorbed and possessed by a burden that continues for a matter of hours or days, you may lose your desire for food and sleep.
You may be moved to very sincere and expressive tears (Ps. 42:3), which can be a very powerful plea to God (56:8). God is moved by the depth of desire manifested in sincere tears (2 Kings 20:5; Ps. 126:5).
5. Prayer burden makes you responsible. A Spirit-given burden is a special mandate from the Lord. You may be the only one to whom the Spirit assigns this prayer burden. Or perhaps your earnest prayer is needed to be added in unity to the intercession being made by a number of others to whom God gives the same prayer burden.
Christian biography and history record thousands of examples of how God worked, saved, blessed, protected, healed, sent revival, or gave other outstanding answers to prayer when someone was faithful to such prayer burden, such a call and mandate from the Lord.
Often later evidence proves that the prayer was needed at the exact time when the Spirit called to this intercession by giving the prayer burden.
If God works so mightily at the exact time someone is faithful to a prayer burden given by God, what happens if the person fails to pray?
Will we be shocked in eternity at the victories that were not won, the people who did not yield to God, or the great or potential answers to prayer that were never received because we or someone else were not faithful to the prayer burden God tried to give us?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana, (with Jean's impressions added)
Mighty Prevailing Prayer
#110 Prayer Burden Described
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 200 -202) Zondervan
Prayer-
Father, we are interested in learning best how to carry the burdens Your Spirit entrusts us with.
It may be, that He will give a special mandate from Jesus. May we be attentive to the urgings that impress us to pray, as we may very well be the only one praying at that time for the concern at hand.
We see a prayer burden is really a spiritual concern, and that it isn't to be a selfish desire, but what the Lord's will is for a person or situation.
Please help us pay attention to what it is You're trying to accomplish in and through us, and may we respond with ready hearts and wills to do Your will.
We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Today's Bible verses-
(James 4:8 KJV) "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."
(Ps. 62:5 KJV) "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him."
(Ps. 107:9 KJV) "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."
Today's quote-(Ps. 62:5 KJV) "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him."
(Ps. 107:9 KJV) "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."
Today's question:
Did you know that we're built for going through moments of trial and testing, by building up our faith and trust in God?
You're not Home yet, but you're on your way. Jesus has a good plan for your life, and the trials are to help you become strong in your determination to live in the Light of eternity now.
Today's popular post:
#115 Pitfall of Lack of Personal Intercession C. Peter Wagner: "I believe intercession for Christian leaders is the most under-utilized source of spiritual power in our churches today."
Upcoming posts-
When You're Hit with Life's Hammer
29th- Saturday's post by Ron Hutchcraft
#111 How to Carry a Prayer Burden
5/2nd- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
#112 How to be Available for Prayer Burden
4th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
A Peak Experience
6th- Saturday's post by Sarah Rollandini
[A musical, professionally guided
and presented by our home schoolers
at the Madrid church, the old school
building, in Madrid, NY!]
Next week! May 4, 5, -7:00 pm,
6th- 1:30 & 7 pm)
Jean's blog (Click to see snippets of recent posts)
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Or email me at jowildflowers@gmail.com
Samples of Jean's crafts
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Samples of Jean's crafts
http://twitter.com/jeanoathout
http://facebook.com/jean.oathout
31-day Devotional
+ Jean's testimony
[Maybe just choose a title each
day that interests you]
Sample verses from p. 88-
I Began to Look
Down Inside
"I began to look down inside
My sinful self to see.
I asked God's Spirit to abide
And be a friend to me.
I learned my sin was buried now
By virtue of Christ's Name.
I soon began to notice how
My tongue He'd have to tame.
So on my knees I went each day
And spent some time in prayer.
'Twas evident I'd have to stay
And let God touch me there."
My sinful self to see.
I asked God's Spirit to abide
And be a friend to me.
I learned my sin was buried now
By virtue of Christ's Name.
I soon began to notice how
My tongue He'd have to tame.
So on my knees I went each day
And spent some time in prayer.
'Twas evident I'd have to stay
And let God touch me there."
(Published by Lighthouse Publishing
of the Carolinas. Used by permission).
A great gift for someone who may need help
to prepare for marriage, and for those in a
marriage, wanting some helpful advice.
Great food for thought. I need to really digest this one and pray about it.
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