Persevering Prayer

"You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he?" (Hab. 1:13)

How many times do we ask this about the church when we see the virgin birth being denied, the validity of scripture questioned? God do something!

Habakkuk saw Judah full of violence and lawlessness as the wicked surrounded the righteous. How could a just God allow such a wicked nation as the Chaldeans to take Judah captive? God answers and says "Look among the nations and watch for I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told to you." He tells him to look beyond the present circumstances to what He is going to do.

There was a purging going on, and though it looked to be cruel and unjust to Habakkuk, God's justice is for the good of His people. The wicked will destroy themselves because of pride.

Hab. 2:4 asserts that the just shall live by their faith. God is saying, "trust Me, have faith in the promises and what I have said, I will bring it to pass." As we pray for the church, we, like Habakkuk question what God is doing or sometimes if He is doing anything. We need to trust that as we intercede the Lord is listening. He is purging and cleansing. And although it might not fit our vision of how He should do it, we need to trust that He is just and righteous and sees the whole picture. By faith we believe that what we have received when we ask in accordance with His will.

Mark 11:23-24 states, "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."

There are many mountains to be overcome but by our faithful, persevering prayers we can see them overcome. Doubt must not have a place in our hearts.

James 1: 6-8 tells us, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (NKJV)

Habakkuk in all his questioning and lack of understanding, says "I will stand watch and set myself on the rampart and watch and see what He will say to me." He takes his place as watchman/intercessor. He knows the listening side of prayer. The listening pays off for Habakkuk when the Lord answers him saying, "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." (Hab. 2: 2 -3)

The Lord's direction to Habakkuk was clear. What is our vision for the Anglican Church and what is our part in it? ARM's vision is for renewal. We cry out with Habakkuk: "Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy." (Hab. 3:2 NKJV)

Prayer is a priority, a necessity, a vital building block to see the church revived and on fire with the Holy Spirit. The prayer vision for ARM is to build a network of praying people: for ARM, for the board, for revival in the church. We want groups or individuals who are willing to call out to God and travail for righteousness and truth. The prayer of agreement is powerful: 'two can put ten thousand to flight.' We would like to see prayer seminars, conferences on prayer, and teachers sent across this land so that we may all pray those 'effective fervent prayers.'

After Habakkuk has spent time with God, he realizes that He is in control and that He is working out His purpose in His appointed time. This prompts the prophet to sing his song of faith: "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labour of the olive may fail, and the fields yield nor food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls - yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will have joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills." (Hab. 3:17-19 NKJV)

We have to trust that the Lord is working in our midst to bring about His plan and purpose no matter what the circumstances look like. Praise Him for the answer. Rejoice that even in the midst of everything He is there and working all things for good.

Persevering prayer is needed for the church and for ARM. We need to P.U.S.H.: Pray until something happens! PUSH through with us in prayer until we see the church walking in the fullness of its calling. PUSH through with us until the finances are there to send LTIs and prayer teachers across the country. PUSH through with us until we have the resources to send an ARM ambassador across this land.

Join those groups and individuals already praying in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and we will see the fulfillment of all that the Lord has for us!