God has revealed His will to me in ways and concerning matters that I had not even thought about prior to extended time alone with Him. I would not want to have missed those experiences for anything in the world, for they had a tremendous effect upon all my later service for the Lord. ( Woman praying alone, Google image)
Such prolonged time with Jesus can bring personal revival, renewed peace and soul-poise in the midst of pressure, and a clear understanding of God's guidance and will in planning your life or in facing crucial decisions. It is usually most unwise to make a major decision until you have had such a personal prayer retreat. Special prayer retreat time can also have a very important role in preparing the way of the Lord (see my posts from chapters 21 and 22 in Duewel's book, #73 God Needs You To Prepare His Way & #76 How You Can Prepare The Way Of The LORD)
Charles G. Finney, the Congregational evangelist so greatly used of God in the 1850s, is considered by some to be the greatest evangelist since the apostle Paul. Over a half million people were converted to Christ in the mighty revival that began in his meetings.
It is estimated that in 1857-58 alone, over a hundred thousand people found Christ directly or indirectly through his ministry and that eight-five percent of those converted in Finney's meetings remained true to their original commitment and followed through in church membership and spiritual growth. Yet today, if six percent of the people making professions of faith in crusades later join a church, we are satisfied!
What is the difference? Finney wrote how God gave him mighty infillings of the Holy Spirit
"that went through me, as it seemed, body and soul. I immediately found myself endued with such power from on high that a few words dropped here and there to individuals were the means of their immediate conversion. My words seemed to fasten like barbed arrows in the souls of men. They cut like a sword. They broke the heart like a hammer. Multitudes can attest to this . . . Sometimes I would find myself in a great measure empty of this power. I would go and visit, and find that I made no saving impression. I would exhort and pray with the same results. I would then set apart a day for private fasting and prayer . . . after humbling myself and crying out for help, the power would return upon me with all its freshness. This has been the experience of my life."
John N. Hyde, Presbyterian missionary to India, was one of the founders of the great Sialkot Convention in India in 1904, about the time of the great revival in Wales. To this day the Sialkot Convention has continued as a great source of blessing to Christ's church. Before one of the first conventions, Hyde and R. M'Cheyne Paterson waited before God for thirty days.
A little over a week later George Turner joined them. For twenty-one more days and nights these three men prayed and praised God for a mighty outpouring of His power. Was it worth it? Literally thousands over the years came into the kingdom through the prayers of those men.
Personal prayer retreats have a definite biblical basis. It is quite possible that, before his translation, Enoch had such retreats with the Lord. Enoch "walked with God 300 years . . . then he was no more, because God took him away" (Gen. 5:22-24).
Moses spent two periods of forty days each on Mount Sinai alone with the Lord. During that time God revealed Himself more fully to Moses than He has to any other human being either before or since. Much of Elijah's time by the brook Kerith (1 Kings 17:2-7) was undoubtedly spent in prayer for Israel and Judah.
Jesus had personal periods of prayer retreat. He began His ministry with forty days of prayer and fasting. At times He spent the whole night in prayer (Luke 6:12). It seems that often He used the Mount of Olives as a place for prolonged personal prayer (Mark 11:19; Luke 21:37).
Many Korean Christian leaders understand this concept. They have made it a practice of spending time alone with the Lord in order to seek His face and learn His will. On th seventy-fifth anniversary of the One Mission Society work in Korea, we held a series of seminars on the life of the Korean church that grew out of our ministry there—the Korea Evangelical Church.
A panel of ministers answered our questions. When the subject of fasting was mentioned, they reported that their records showed more than twenty thousand Korean Christians had spent forty days in fasting and prayer.
You will probably not be led by the Holy Spirit to spend forty days in a prayer retreat, or to fast for a prolonged time. If He does lead in this area, you will learn how to care for your body and how to break the fast. But the results are clear: Those who seek God's face in personal prayer retreats receive tremendous blessing.
Father, many folks have experienced an extended time with You for the purpose of revealing Your will for them. You revealed information not even thought of prior to that particular time alone. They experienced what turned out to be a tremendous effect upon all their later service for You.
Today's Bible verses-
~ When we see that it is wisdom to submit to the Lord’s call on our lives to do something new and untried before, may we understand that to do so would be best. Just as light dispels darkness, may we be willing to obey the Lord’s directions, trusting in His wisdom to help us understand His way. He offers so much everyday, and longs for us to submit to the way He’s chosen. Let’s be obedient to the call to advance in our walk of faith, and see what more He has in store for us.
Today's question-
What we know about Jesus should make a difference in us, to where others notice. Is the love of the One who saved us coming through to others? Is it true that we have experienced true repentance of our sins? Have we turned from doing them, giving the control of our lives over to the Lord?
The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,
located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,
broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15
You can view past services too.
Sermon listing: https://www.
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