Saturday Morning Men’s Prayer Report – SM²PR

I mean, really? What could happen in 20 minutes?

Woke up last Saturday morning determined to get an earlier jump on attending the Men’s Prayer meeting. But, as I’m heading out the door I remembered there was something I had to do that could not wait. Oh well, I’m going to be later than I hoped.

I finally head off and of course I go to the wrong location. Based on the circumstances the group occasionally changes locations. (I still think it’s all an effort to dodge me) But, as God would have it, sitting there all by his lonesome is my good buddy in Christ, Dave S. He was waiting for a friend for another event so we chatted and caught up on things.

When we were done it was about 7:30am and by the time I would get to where the meeting was it would leave only about 20 minutes in the prayer meeting. I wondered, At this point should I even bother?

I shrugged my shoulders and concluded, Why not? So, I headed over, entered into the prayer room glad to see that there was a pretty good turnout. The guys were well into a prayer topic. I sat silently praying, trying to get up to speed with the flow of prayer and not really expecting much before someone would soon offer up the concluding prayer at around 8am.

Then Dan spoke up to encourage us to be faithful in listening for God’s voice and to be bold to share what we trust God is revealing – even if it doesn’t seem to make sense. He reminded us that there is no better place to step out and risk embarrassment than with this group.

Dave G, who has really been stepping out in this way turned to me and said, “God gave me a picture for your son.” Cool. He laid it on me and it fit perfectly with where my son is at and what God is doing in his life. Then Pete followed up with more imagery for my son that related to how God has been using something He led me to be doing even while questioning “Why am I doing this?” Not fully understanding it’s purpose but now realizing, if for nothing or nobody else, it was having an impact on my son. Jim followed up with scripture he was led to share that further spoke of where God was in all this.

Wow! I could not have been any more encouraged. Within minutes of stepping into the prayer meeting God had spoken to me through multiple voices but with a consistent message.

Then Pete offered up a request and we began to pray for healing but then the Holy Spirit redirected us that it may be more about praying for God’s wisdom for Pete to understand what God is doing beyond the circumstances.

Dan then offered up a prayer for a dear sister in Christ we all know. She is gifted in many ways but is now suffering from serious back pain and considering surgery. We prayed in confidence that God would heal her even from a distance “à la” the Centurion. It struck us, unlike an instantaneous back healing that Dan had once experienced, that this Sister’s healing would go almost unnoticed. That she would go about her day and realize that the pain was gone, not even comprehending when it happened.

As we were coming to this realization, one of the guys had a revelation. He had once been “mysteriously” healed from serious back pain.  He had attributed it to supplements or some other treatment, but was never sure what the true source was. He had not really given God the credit for it. Now he was praising God for a healing that he was only just then fully understanding was all God’s work.

This testimony took me to Isaiah 45:5 – I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me,

There were a number of other prayer requests raised up during the time I was there. Dan offered up a concluding prayer and the guys were pumped up, ready for the day and the week ahead.

What’s the point of all this? There was no major healing (not that we know of yet), but in 20 minutes time, the Holy Ghost (H.G.) showed up to guide and direct our prayers and to speak through us consistent messages of His goodness, righteousness and truth. I look back and wonder, “How did God do all that was covered in that short amount of time?”

How? Because God controls time and space. Ecclesiastes 3 begins with, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” and goes on in verse 11 to say God, “hath made every thing beautiful in His time.” In Solomon’s search for truth, he concluded that God has a purpose for everything, and the times and seasons are in His hands. Jesus confirmed God’s control of time and space when he said to His disciples in Acts 1:7, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.”

So, the next time you think the time is too short for God to act, Give a listen and think again!

One ringy dingy, Two ringy dingy. “Oh, it’s for you. H.G.’s on the line.”

Take the call.