Page 7 - Good News June 2006 paper

o you ever feel like you're drifting in an ocean
of God's promises, but not getting
Danywhere? You pray…and pray…and pray,
but for some reason those prayers don't produce
many results? If so, I have a word of good, spiritual
advice for you. Set your sails!
To understand what I mean, picture prayer as a
sailboat. A great many people get in that sailboat
and just float along. They aren't headed in any
specific direction, they're simply drifting in circles.
Why? Because they start praying without a purpose
in their hearts. In a sense, they never set their sails.
And without sails, the powerful wind of the Spirit is
unable to take them where they need to go or want
to go.
There is only one reason for unanswered prayer:
failing to pray according to God's will. The wind of
the Holy Spirit is blowing in the direction of God's
will. But if you don't take the time to discover that
direction and set your sails accordingly, your
prayers aren't going to get you where you need to
go. Once you know the direction the Holy Spirit is
taking you, use your mouth to set your sails. Find
Scriptures that give provision for whatever you are
praying about and pray those Scriptures.
God is calling people to pray. But many believers earthly life, the work of redemp-
aren't answering that call. Why? Because the tion, took place at the end!
ministry of prayer can be a very discouraging The greatest accomplishment in
ministry if you allow it to be. It's often thankless your life is yet to come. So be
because what you do is not seen. You don't have strong in God. Stay in the Word.
people patting you on the back saying, "Oh, bless Pray with purpose. And edify
your heart. Thank you for praying." So if you're yourself in the Holy Spirit.
answering the call to prayer, guard against Don't allow yourself to drift
discouragement by edifying yourself (1 Cor. 14:4). aimlessly through life. Start
Every one of us has a course to finish with God. To moving now toward the desti-
do what He has called you to do, you're going to nation God has set for you.
have to be strong. Suppose Jesus had stopped in Set your sails! Catch the Wind!
the middle of His course? We would have seen blind [Because of the author's desire to
eyes opened, people healed, miracles, signs and remain an anonymous prayer
wonders - but the greatest accomplishment of His warrior, her name is withheld].

During the early days of the ministry of It may have been an artistic device. But
Dwight L Moody, the great evangelist speaking of it in later years, Moody called
launched a series of meetings in Chicago that conclusion to his message, the
with promise of the largest crowds that he greatest mistake of his life. Even while Mr.
had ever addressed up to that time. He was Sankey was singing the final hymn:
speaking on the life of Christ. On the first Today the Saviour calls;
Sunday night, 8 October 1871, he took as For refuge fly;
his topic the trial before Pilate. As he came The storm of justice falls,
to the end of his message, he turned to And death is nigh -
Matt. 27:22, “What shall I do then with the fire engines’ sirens began to sound on
Jesus, who is called Christ?” He their way to their first contact with the great
concluded, “I wish you would take this text Chicago Fire in which Moody’s hall was
home with you and turn it over in your laid in ashes, and in which it is estimated
minds during the week, and next Sunday that over a thousand people lost their lives.
we will come to Calvary and the cross, and Moody never saw that congregation again,
we will decide what to do with Jesus of and some of those to whom he spoke on
Nazareth.” that day doubtlessly died. - Selected