The Magnifying Glass: Spirit of Prayer part 2 track 5

Improvised music. Jack Hayford put it well when he said, “Where we are prepared to travail in prayer, life comes forth, and the kingdom of God extends its triumph,” but the battle is intense, and the devil’s weapon is a magnifying glass! He focuses it on a patch of dried out grass and then ignites some smouldering fire in our lives, affrighting souls that have not learnt to fight with visions dire – or exciting simple souls with visions far too bright. When the Lord inspires some new venture, we can be sure the enemy will do his best to deter us. He’ll either tell us that what we are attempting is misguided and impossible, Or that we are the wrong people to be doing it; And if that doesn’t work, he’ll suggest we’ve got the timing wrong! Now there are times when we must hold some vision in our heart until the Lord gives the specific commission to act on it: but that’s very different from the enemy’s attempt to postpone it indefinitely. Lord, You know exactly how we are wired; and when some idea or initiative really is of You, as opposed to some stray passing thought, give us the determination not to allow ourselves to be deterred, earthing overly optimistic hopes and shattering the fears which that lethal magnifying glass distorts and exaggerates. Baptise our imagination to embrace the very deepest truths – May we never seek success to boost our power and fame, but equally may we not hold back when You are giving clearance to voice the things that You are showing us. Lord, Help us make the most of every opportunity, for whilst missed moments may never be reprieved odd spare minutes can be gainfully employed. Minister to the secretly bound who have grown so used to working their way around their restrictions, that they never quite fathom that it is the wounded bleeding Lamb of God, who knows every facet of their lives, who is seeking this intense inner cleansing. Where we have been guilty of frustrating the grace of God, not only through overt sin and but also over indulgence, whereby we are effectively treating You as our servant, bring us rather to that place in prayer where we explore what is on Your heart. If Your kindness does not lead us to true repentance, all we will be left with are regrets and remorse. And since it is those who have been forgiven most who love best, help us confess whatever we need to confess, and then move on again; For seeking You increases our aspiration for fresh visitations of Your Holy Spirit among the nations.* *The last two stanzas were inspired from the chapter A new kind of prayer meeting by Jack Hayford in Intercessory Prayer, edited by Leonard Le Sourd (Hodder, 1990)