First, we must be very clear on an important truth. Jesus emphasized over and over that our prayers are answered according to what we believe. In Mark 11:24 Jesus assures us “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
There are no “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts” about it. We know this is true because God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). We must set our minds to this confession: God said it. I believe it. That settles it.
Our ability to stand depends on it. Standing gets the job done, the prayer answered.
Okay, we’ve prayed. What do we do after we’ve prayed? One thing is for sure—Once we’ve prayed – that’s when all the “stuff” hits! Many a prayer has failed at this point.
The doubts come flooding in. And the questions: did I have enough faith? Did God really hear me? Did I pray right? Why isn’t anything happening? How can it get worse when I prayed for it to get better
As if our own doubts and fears weren’t causing us enough trouble, to complicate things, Satan’s minions will be fast at work to get us discouraged and stop believing. With all that coming at us, how can there be any joy in standing?
What do we do after we’ve prayed? Do we keep on repeating the same prayer over and over? No. That’s like going back to square one every time. There’s no progress in regress.
It just might be that the best thing to do is to add joy to your prayer. “Reckon it nothing but joy, my brethren, whenever you find yourself hedged in by various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance (James 1:2-3, Weymouth).
In his autobiography, Glenn Clark describes a prayer group he attended. Because they were learners as well as pray-ers they were looking for what added power to their prayers. Three things stood out. The first was their positive faith.
The group noted that when Glenn was there, there was more power in their prayers. “What do you do when you pray?” they asked him. “I just love them,” he replied. Glenn summarized the great importance of love, stating “that Love is the most powerful of all ingredients in all true prayer.”
The third came from a young lady in the group who annoyed him a little. It seems that she always came to the prayer meetings “so bubbling over with lightness and fun it sometimes delayed our getting down to the serious business of prayer. But to my surprise it was on the days when she was present that the power of prayer was always greatest. So one day I asked her point-blank what it was that she did when we prayed. Instantly she replied, ‘I put a lot of Joy into it.’
“Do you mean that you put Joy into it when we prayed for the one-legged popcorn man and the poor old lady who had cancer?”
“Sure. It thrilled me to think how happy they would be when they got cured.” (pp 161-162 A Man’s Reach)
RADIANT JOY is the secret to the Joy of Standing. We give our prayers power when we breathe Joy into them. Let every discouragement, every set-back, every negative report be an opportunity to pour in Joy. One of the Spirit’s fruit is Joy (Gal. 5:22). Let the Spirit’s Joy fill you if you are low on human Joy. Then send Joy, wrap the person in Joy, picture their Joy.
We learn from Jesus how to be joy filled in the midst of the worst that can happen. He endured the cross for the Joy that was set before him (Heb. 12:2). He focused on the Joy. Knowing that He would soon endure the most agonizing suffering did not diminish His Joy.
He said that He came “that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” (John 15:11 AMP).
“At present you trust him (trust Him to do what He has promised] without being able to see him, and even now he brings you a joy that words cannot express and which has in it a hint of the glories of Heaven.” That is the Joy of standing. (1 Peter 1:8).
Matt Leach prepared this for the UPT earlier this year.
There are no “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts” about it. We know this is true because God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). We must set our minds to this confession: God said it. I believe it. That settles it.
Our ability to stand depends on it. Standing gets the job done, the prayer answered.
Okay, we’ve prayed. What do we do after we’ve prayed? One thing is for sure—Once we’ve prayed – that’s when all the “stuff” hits! Many a prayer has failed at this point.
The doubts come flooding in. And the questions: did I have enough faith? Did God really hear me? Did I pray right? Why isn’t anything happening? How can it get worse when I prayed for it to get better
As if our own doubts and fears weren’t causing us enough trouble, to complicate things, Satan’s minions will be fast at work to get us discouraged and stop believing. With all that coming at us, how can there be any joy in standing?
What do we do after we’ve prayed? Do we keep on repeating the same prayer over and over? No. That’s like going back to square one every time. There’s no progress in regress.
It just might be that the best thing to do is to add joy to your prayer. “Reckon it nothing but joy, my brethren, whenever you find yourself hedged in by various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance (James 1:2-3, Weymouth).
In his autobiography, Glenn Clark describes a prayer group he attended. Because they were learners as well as pray-ers they were looking for what added power to their prayers. Three things stood out. The first was their positive faith.
The group noted that when Glenn was there, there was more power in their prayers. “What do you do when you pray?” they asked him. “I just love them,” he replied. Glenn summarized the great importance of love, stating “that Love is the most powerful of all ingredients in all true prayer.”
The third came from a young lady in the group who annoyed him a little. It seems that she always came to the prayer meetings “so bubbling over with lightness and fun it sometimes delayed our getting down to the serious business of prayer. But to my surprise it was on the days when she was present that the power of prayer was always greatest. So one day I asked her point-blank what it was that she did when we prayed. Instantly she replied, ‘I put a lot of Joy into it.’
“Do you mean that you put Joy into it when we prayed for the one-legged popcorn man and the poor old lady who had cancer?”
“Sure. It thrilled me to think how happy they would be when they got cured.” (pp 161-162 A Man’s Reach)
RADIANT JOY is the secret to the Joy of Standing. We give our prayers power when we breathe Joy into them. Let every discouragement, every set-back, every negative report be an opportunity to pour in Joy. One of the Spirit’s fruit is Joy (Gal. 5:22). Let the Spirit’s Joy fill you if you are low on human Joy. Then send Joy, wrap the person in Joy, picture their Joy.
We learn from Jesus how to be joy filled in the midst of the worst that can happen. He endured the cross for the Joy that was set before him (Heb. 12:2). He focused on the Joy. Knowing that He would soon endure the most agonizing suffering did not diminish His Joy.
He said that He came “that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” (John 15:11 AMP).
“At present you trust him (trust Him to do what He has promised] without being able to see him, and even now he brings you a joy that words cannot express and which has in it a hint of the glories of Heaven.” That is the Joy of standing. (1 Peter 1:8).
Matt Leach prepared this for the UPT earlier this year.
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