Seven Things I Learned About Prayer in 2017 (Part 5)

#5 God is Calling Us All to Pray

Have you ever received a word you thought was just for you, only to find out many other people got the same divine download?

That’s the way it was with my call to pray this year. While I received a holy summons to amp up my prayer life, I have heard at least two of my church pastors echo that “God is calling us to pray.” This call appears to be a move of the Spirit.

Having had two vivid dreams over my lifetime about Jesus’ return, I believe strongly we are in the last days before He comes back. Because of that, we know domestic and worldwide conflict, as well as natural disasters in this world are going to increase. Persecution will intensify. We have seen the morality of people erode. We must pray to stand firm because we are not infallible.

However, before we pack our bags… In my last dream, I appeared to be much older and residing in what appeared to be a nursing home. When the Lord returned, it was just as the Bible foretold. The trumpet (more like a shofar) sounded, my clothes transformed to white and I passed right through the brick wall of a building to greet Jesus in the air. Then I woke up. The last time I had a dream like this, I was sixteen, and it was similar.

What does this mean?

We don’t know the day or the hour, but Jesus is coming soon. He wants us to pray like never before because something big is about to happen. He’s saying to all of us: “Wake up!”

Do you remember in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was about to be hauled off to the cross? He asked his disciples to pray, but later found them snoozing. He said, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40–41). Jesus knew something big was about to happen. It would not be easy, and he needed his best buddies to pray like never before.

And I believe that is the same message today. Something big is about to happen, but it will be paralleled by trouble. Our spirits are willing, but the flesh is weak. Prayer is our holy vitamin.

The brother of Jesus, James, wraps up his exhortation to believers with his take on the power of prayer:

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you ay be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:13–16).

We need to get back to proactive, not reactive prayer. Time is short. How will you spend these last days?

(For additional information on this subject, read Matthew 24.)