peristent_prayer

Do you have it in you to be really "weird" this year, really different than you've ever been before? Becoming sold-out for Jesus will put you in this category. Does that scare you? Does that freak you out? Well, take comfort and be of this attitude: Let God do it in you, let God change you and let yourself be changed, don't be afraid to let Him.

That day, I had spent about 20 minutes in preparation to witness with the girl that was my small group leader at the time. I remember repeatedly claiming God's word -- with real terror and dread! "I am not ashamed of the gospel, I am not ashamed of the gospel, I am not ashamed of the gospel . . . it is the power of God . . . I am not ashamed . . ."

At this early point in my walk with Jesus, I was not even baptized in the Holy Spirit, so it was really hard to step out like that. Afterward, I began to have those first thoughts I spoke of a moment ago, as I told myself, "Boy are you weird now." But you know what I now know? It's the "good" kind of weird, and I have just kept getting weirder as the years go by. That makes me so glad, because I'm not living for you, I'm not living for me, I'm not living for any man-leader at all. I'm living solely for God. When we are living for, and seeking the praise of, God, we live a lot differently than when we are seeking the praise of mankind.

I'm going to share a testimony with you today that is centered on the truth of living our lives to please God, instead of man, and in persisting in that which truly pleases Him. A man-pleasing spirit is an abomination to God. It kills our faith, it kills our spiritual life, and it makes us of no effect for the Kingdom of God because our prayers are not answered -- they are not even answerable! Our life for God while in this state is lukewarm and mushy, and we don't accomplish very much for Him.

Galatians 6:7-9 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.

I'm talking about prayer. I'm talking about loving people. I'm talking about witnessing. I'm talking about Asia, Spain and France -- countries we have labored in and which are dear to our hearts, countries we want to see saved.

I'm going to tell you about a friend we just saw on one of our recent visits abroad; one of the many dear friends we made while living in Chicago. As many of you know, I am a dentist by trade, and I did my dental residency in Chicago. Now, I haven't practiced dentistry in two and a half years, as Dean and I have joyfully gone about doing God's business throughout the world and loving what God has called us for. I don't miss dentistry at all. I have the freedom to pray, freed, for now, of the more difficult pressures of my original profession. Although I do miss the people I met as a dentist, God has given me a much greater responsibility, He has greatly enlarged my tent, so to speak. My mind is free to pray and seek God's will daily. My mind spends most of its time thinking on God's Kingdom and how He wants me to take part in His wonderful plans. So instead of worrying about bridgework and cavities and crowns in teeth, my mind is on His work, and the crowns I will give back to Him one day. I am certain I'm in the right place.

While I was a dentist doing my residency in Chicago, I met a woman where I was working, and we became friends. God gave me such a special love for her! She was not a Christian; in fact she was involved in a very soap opera-like and much talked about affair where we worked. It was not a pretty sight, and yet it is a common occurrence in our sin-filled world.

One day, she and I were travelling throughout the city to people who couldn't leave their homes. We were making dental house calls. For six hours one day, we went from place to place, making dentures, cleaning teeth, repairing fillings, etc. It was very challenging work, and an answer to prayer! I had been praying for an opportunity to speak to her at length and get to know better. Of all the people I worked with, God had given me this tremendously special love for this particular friend. So for six hours one day, as we wound our way through the streets of Chicago, we discussed the Lord. I told her my testimony, I told her Dean's testimony, I told her every testimony I could think of! I talked non-stop for six hours! At the end of that day she said to me, "Where can I learn more about this?"

I told her that it was all in the bible, and finding that she didn't own one, I went home to "prepare" one for her. I have stacks of bibles for just such occasions. I underlined key verses and I wrote her a little note to guide her as she read, and I gave it to her the next day.

On the second day after I had given her the bible, on a Saturday, she called us at our apartment. She was crying and sobbing over the phone as she exclaimed, "I know I am a sinner, I just read John chapter three and I'm in a terrible mess!"

We prayed with her over the phone and she became a Christian! It was awesome! Immediately, she started attending a church, and I met regularly with her to disciple her about the things of God. During this time of about three months, she really began to grow in Jesus.

But then the relationship she had broken off resurfaced again, and she backslid completely. She wouldn't meet with me anymore. I barely saw her, and she was always very busy -- too busy to see me. Needless to say, I was very upset. I wondered if it was something I had said or done. My heart was broken. I prayed for her and wept for her -- I was sure it was something I had done wrong. The next thing I knew, this man swoops into her life and immediately sweeps her off her feet, whisks her far away and marries her! I was shocked yet again! It had happened so fast!

Years passed, and although I hadn't heard from her, or of her (Dean and I had tried to find out anything we could), I prayed regularly for her. Seven years later, we were now living in Rockford, Illinois, and we came home one night to find a message on our answering machine. It was from her!

When I heard that I began jumping up and down -- Dean and I were both ecstatic! Seven years of prayer had paid off! We were able to stay in contact after that, and I talked with her a great deal time and again about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I even sent her tapes (I send everybody tapes!) on the subject. This went on for quite a while.

And now we come to the present. The Lord has brought us to where she lived recently, and we were invited to stay with her family. There were a lot of us in our party however, and we had to consider if it would be too much of a disruption to them. Not all of her family were Christians, and we didn't know if our little intrusion would be a problem.

But, as you learn to pray and trust God, you begin to form a habit of prayer. It's how you keep from growing weary and persist in following Jesus. So we prayed that this potentially troublesome "intrusion" on our part would not cause ant tension, but would turn out to be a blessing. True to His Word, God answered our prayer!

As it turned out, they were all very accommodating, and even though not all of her family believes as we do, they were wonderfully warm and friendly and gracious, and they loved our company in their house. It was truly wonderful! We had many a hilarious time together. There were wonderful times of fellowship during our visit, and on our last night there, my friend of long ago and the object of so many prayers, was baptized in the Holy Spirit! She was filled to overflowing with a beautiful prayer language that was pouring beautifully out of her mouth. She was so into this new closeness with God that she shooed us off to bed in order to spend time speaking in her new language to her Savior.

What does all this have to do with Galatians 6:7-9? That wonderful and amazing testimony reveals the truth about that passage of scripture. I spent a total of 13 years praying for my friend. For a good portion of that time, I had no idea where she was physically or spiritually. I didn't know why she had left God; I didn't know what had become of her at all.

After 13 years, I had reaped a harvest. And now those who live where my dear friend lives will reap a harvest because of her -- her family, her neighbors, her community! In some ways, she would like to return to where she once lived, but I told her (she knows it is God's will) that God has placed her precisely where she is for a purpose. She is now part of the harvest, and God will definitely use her powerfully; she knows that is the truth.

Recently, Dean was miraculously asked to preach at my Grandmother's funeral. I call it a miracle because it was so unexpected. Most of my family rarely attends church, and their views are vastly different than those of Dean and I, so when my uncle asked Dean to preach the funeral, I thought it was absolutely thrilling!

This funeral service was so Holy Spirit anointed, and the presence of God was so real, that most of those attending -- family and friends, prayed to receive Christ in their hearts! You tell me -- isn't that worth 15 years of praying for family members I hadn't seen very often over the years?

There will be times while you are praying, when you think, "I haven't seen so-and-so for ten years; what am I doing anyway?" Push past those feelings and recognize it as it is -- either a plan of the enemy or your own weak and lazy flesh. The work of the church is to pray. Ministry is your reward, and the ministry is the saving of souls. Amen!

Patience is the exercise of faith. As you grow in patience, you form the marks of a true and vital faith. When I visit you here in Beulah, I always try and press you upward and onward in your prayer life and in your life of faith, because that's what I'm always wanting for me. I am nothing without my prayer life. Any fruitfulness in ministry happens because of my prayer life. So, if I have no prayer life, then my time with you is nothing but a tower of babble. You need to decide; are you going to build a tower of babble, or are you going to be Spirit-led to take part in building the Kingdom of God?

A tower of babble is a result of sowing to please the flesh. The Kingdom of God, however, comes from sowing to please the Spirit. The tower of babble looked pretty good for a time, till God flicked it. Our works of the flesh are like that tower, and be assured, God will eventually flick them too. I know, I've built a number of Babble towers over the years.

Again, our faith is purified and perfected in patience (James 1:2-4). Some of you, like me, may have family members that are persisting in sin, or even outright perversion. Strengthen yourself in God when you begin to get discouraged, when you see nothing happening, when no movement towards the good is visible. I don't care if it's my dying day, I'm going to see my brother get saved. I know that without a shadow of a doubt. No one can tell me otherwise. I don't care if it is my dying day -- whenever God wants to do it is fine with me. I will continue to pray every day for my brother until my dying day.

The bible says, "Why so downcast, O' my soul . . . put your trust (faith) in God" (Psalms 42:5). Whenever you feel that flagging-like depression setting in, you must literally talk to yourself and repeat this verse over and over till it takes hold. Remember that nothing is impossible with God.




	Persistent Prayer By Dr. Carol Niforatos Transcribed and edited by Bro. Andy Madonio The Good Soil Discipleship Ministry www.goodsoildiscipleship.homestead.com Preached at New Life Assembly, Beulah, ND on 11JA00




Introduction: Do you have it in you to be really "weird" this year, really different than you've ever been before? Becoming sold-out for Jesus will put you in this category. Does that scare you? Does that freak you out? Well, take comfort and be of this attitude: Let God do it in you, let God change you and let yourself be changed, don't be afraid to let Him. I'll never forget the first time I went witnessing in public. I thought to myself that day, as I set out, "What have I become? I am now weird; I am different. I am what I used to be afraid of." That day, I had spent about 20 minutes in preparation to witness with the girl that was my small group leader at the time. I remember repeatedly claiming God's word -- with real terror and dread! "I am not ashamed of the gospel, I am not ashamed of the gospel, I am not ashamed of the gospel . . . it is the power of God . . . I am not ashamed . . ." At this early point in my walk with Jesus, I was not even baptized in the Holy Spirit, so it was really hard to step out like that. Afterward, I began to have those first thoughts I spoke of a moment ago, as I told myself, "Boy are you weird now." But you know what I now know? It's the "good" kind of weird, and I have just kept getting weirder as the years go by. That makes me so glad, because I'm not living for you, I'm not living for me, I'm not living for any man-leader at all. I'm living solely for God. When we are living for, and seeking the praise of, God, we live a lot differently than when we are seeking the praise of mankind. I'm going to share a testimony with you today that is centered on the truth of living our lives to please God, instead of man, and in persisting in that which truly pleases Him. A man-pleasing spirit is an abomination to God. It kills our faith, it kills our spiritual life, and it makes us of no effect for the Kingdom of God because our prayers are not answered -- they are not even answerable! Our life for God while in this state is lukewarm and mushy, and we don't accomplish very much for Him. Know this: God knows our hearts, so even if we put up a good front before our Christian friends, He isn't fooled a bit. That is why our prayers aren't answered. Amen! Hallelujah! Persistence - Don't Grow Weary: Galatians 6:7-9 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. Do not grow weary. Do not grow weary. Do not grow weary. Do not grow weary. Do not give up. Do not give up. Do not give up. Do not give up. Do not give up. I'm talking about prayer. I'm talking about loving people. I'm talking about witnessing. I'm talking about Asia, Spain and France -- countries we have labored in and which are dear to our hearts, countries we want to see saved. Don't be weary. God says don't be weary in well doing, don't faint, and don't give up. The Beginning of Persistence: I'm going to tell you about a friend we just saw on one of our recent visits abroad; one of the many dear friends we made while living in Chicago. As many of you know, I am a dentist by trade, and I did my dental residency in Chicago. Now, I haven't practiced dentistry in two and a half years, as Dean and I have joyfully gone about doing God's business throughout the world and loving what God has called us for. I don't miss dentistry at all. I have the freedom to pray, freed, for now, of the more difficult pressures of my original profession. Although I do miss the people I met as a dentist, God has given me a much greater responsibility, He has greatly enlarged my tent, so to speak. My mind is free to pray and seek God's will daily. My mind spends most of its time thinking on God's Kingdom and how He wants me to take part in His wonderful plans. So instead of worrying about bridgework and cavities and crowns in teeth, my mind is on His work, and the crowns I will give back to Him one day. I am certain I'm in the right place. While I was a dentist doing my residency in Chicago, I met a woman where I was working, and we became friends. God gave me such a special love for her! She was not a Christian; in fact she was involved in a very soap opera-like and much talked about affair where we worked. It was not a pretty sight, and yet it is a common occurrence in our sin-filled world. One day, she and I were travelling throughout the city to people who couldn't leave their homes. We were making dental house calls. For six hours one day, we went from place to place, making dentures, cleaning teeth, repairing fillings, etc. It was very challenging work, and an answer to prayer! I had been praying for an opportunity to speak to her at length and get to know better. Of all the people I worked with, God had given me this tremendously special love for this particular friend. So for six hours one day, as we wound our way through the streets of Chicago, we discussed the Lord. I told her my testimony, I told her Dean's testimony, I told her every testimony I could think of! I talked non-stop for six hours! At the end of that day she said to me, "Where can I learn more about this?" I told her that it was all in the bible, and finding that she didn't own one, I went home to "prepare" one for her. I have stacks of bibles for just such occasions. I underlined key verses and I wrote her a little note to guide her as she read, and I gave it to her the next day. On the second day after I had given her the bible, on a Saturday, she called us at our apartment. She was crying and sobbing over the phone as she exclaimed, "I know I am a sinner, I just read John chapter three and I'm in a terrible mess!" She knew her sin. "Don't worry," I told her, "God's got this under control." We prayed with her over the phone and she became a Christian! It was awesome! Immediately, she started attending a church, and I met regularly with her to disciple her about the things of God. During this time of about three months, she really began to grow in Jesus. But then the relationship she had broken off resurfaced again, and she backslid completely. She wouldn't meet with me anymore. I barely saw her, and she was always very busy -- too busy to see me. Needless to say, I was very upset. I wondered if it was something I had said or done. My heart was broken. I prayed for her and wept for her -- I was sure it was something I had done wrong. The next thing I knew, this man swoops into her life and immediately sweeps her off her feet, whisks her far away and marries her! I was shocked yet again! It had happened so fast! Still, because of the love that God had given me for her, I continued to pray for her every day. Persistence Perfected: Years passed, and although I hadn't heard from her, or of her (Dean and I had tried to find out anything we could), I prayed regularly for her. Seven years later, we were now living in Rockford, Illinois, and we came home one night to find a message on our answering machine. It was from her! "Carol and Dean, I just wanted to tell you that I'm serving God, I found a church, I love God now, and that all your prayers and work on my behalf were not in vain. I really love God." When I heard that I began jumping up and down -- Dean and I were both ecstatic! Seven years of prayer had paid off! We were able to stay in contact after that, and I talked with her a great deal time and again about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I even sent her tapes (I send everybody tapes!) on the subject. This went on for quite a while. And now we come to the present. The Lord has brought us to where she lived recently, and we were invited to stay with her family. There were a lot of us in our party however, and we had to consider if it would be too much of a disruption to them. Not all of her family were Christians, and we didn't know if our little intrusion would be a problem. But, as you learn to pray and trust God, you begin to form a habit of prayer. It's how you keep from growing weary and persist in following Jesus. So we prayed that this potentially troublesome "intrusion" on our part would not cause ant tension, but would turn out to be a blessing. True to His Word, God answered our prayer! As it turned out, they were all very accommodating, and even though not all of her family believes as we do, they were wonderfully warm and friendly and gracious, and they loved our company in their house. It was truly wonderful! We had many a hilarious time together. There were wonderful times of fellowship during our visit, and on our last night there, my friend of long ago and the object of so many prayers, was baptized in the Holy Spirit! She was filled to overflowing with a beautiful prayer language that was pouring beautifully out of her mouth. She was so into this new closeness with God that she shooed us off to bed in order to spend time speaking in her new language to her Savior. Fruit is Born: What does all this have to do with Galatians 6:7-9? That wonderful and amazing testimony reveals the truth about that passage of scripture. I spent a total of 13 years praying for my friend. For a good portion of that time, I had no idea where she was physically or spiritually. I didn't know why she had left God; I didn't know what had become of her at all. After 13 years, I had reaped a harvest. And now those who live where my dear friend lives will reap a harvest because of her -- her family, her neighbors, her community! In some ways, she would like to return to where she once lived, but I told her (she knows it is God's will) that God has placed her precisely where she is for a purpose. She is now part of the harvest, and God will definitely use her powerfully; she knows that is the truth. This harvest, this crop, took 13 years to bear fruit. Don't despair, don't put a timer on your harvest this year. Be patient. Don't faint. Don't grow weary. Funeral Blessings: Recently, Dean was miraculously asked to preach at my Grandmother's funeral. I call it a miracle because it was so unexpected. Most of my family rarely attends church, and their views are vastly different than those of Dean and I, so when my uncle asked Dean to preach the funeral, I thought it was absolutely thrilling! This funeral service was so Holy Spirit anointed, and the presence of God was so real, that most of those attending -- family and friends, prayed to receive Christ in their hearts! You tell me -- isn't that worth 15 years of praying for family members I hadn't seen very often over the years? Don't grow weary. Don't grow faint. Don't put a timer on the harvest, just pray and pray. There will be times while you are praying, when you think, "I haven't seen so-and-so for ten years; what am I doing anyway?" Push past those feelings and recognize it as it is -- either a plan of the enemy or your own weak and lazy flesh. The work of the church is to pray. Ministry is your reward, and the ministry is the saving of souls. Amen! Don't grow weary, for you will reap in due time. Don't grow weary of making choices to avoid temptation. Don't grow weary of choosing to make friends even if they initially make fun of you. Don't grow weary, just keep loving them. Prayer and Patience: Patience is the exercise of faith. As you grow in patience, you form the marks of a true and vital faith. When I visit you here in Beulah, I always try and press you upward and onward in your prayer life and in your life of faith, because that's what I'm always wanting for me. I am nothing without my prayer life. Any fruitfulness in ministry happens because of my prayer life. So, if I have no prayer life, then my time with you is nothing but a tower of babble. You need to decide; are you going to build a tower of babble, or are you going to be Spirit-led to take part in building the Kingdom of God? A tower of babble is a result of sowing to please the flesh. The Kingdom of God, however, comes from sowing to please the Spirit. The tower of babble looked pretty good for a time, till God flicked it. Our works of the flesh are like that tower, and be assured, God will eventually flick them too. I know, I've built a number of Babble towers over the years. Again, our faith is purified and perfected in patience (James 1:2-4). Some of you, like me, may have family members that are persisting in sin, or even outright perversion. Strengthen yourself in God when you begin to get discouraged, when you see nothing happening, when no movement towards the good is visible. I don't care if it's my dying day, I'm going to see my brother get saved. I know that without a shadow of a doubt. No one can tell me otherwise. I don't care if it is my dying day -- whenever God wants to do it is fine with me. I will continue to pray every day for my brother until my dying day. The bible says, "Why so downcast, O' my soul . . . put your trust (faith) in God" (Psalms 42:5). Whenever you feel that flagging-like depression setting in, you must literally talk to yourself and repeat this verse over and over till it takes hold. Remember that nothing is impossible with God. Amen! Hallelujah!

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