Evangelist, are you armed? Really?

I know I am guilty of getting so active that I don't take time to pray. I guess I am saying that I really do not believe in the importance of this weapon of spiritual warfare. But a weapon it is! The following challenge was sent to my by the folks at www.crossreach.net:

Holy praying men touch God. Very few of God’s people pray anymore. We’re too busy working for Jesus to talk to Him. You see Christ come into the shadows standing outside the office door and He says “Man of God, can I have an hour please?” “Not now Lord, I’ve got a counselling session, I’ve got to try save a marriage.” Again the Spirit calls “Man of God may I have an hour with you?” “Not now Lord, I’m meeting with my architect and building committee for Your new church. We’ll be busy till midnight.” Again the Lord calls “What about tomorrow, may I have even one day with you now?” “Not now Lord, I have no time, I’m leaving for South Africa for a missions conference. Very soon Lord, not just now. Souls are dying, I’m needed in Africa.

We have time to visit, to build, to travel, for vacation, to attend meetings, for recreation, reading, counselling, visitation, but no time to pray. You know, I’m weary of hearing people say “This is such a busy, fast-paced generation we don’t have time to pray today.” No, it’s not a lack of time it’s a lack of desire. You’ll make time for what you really want to do. Look at those Christian brothers on the racquet ball court. Sweating, concentration, [sic] spend hours and hours on the racquet ball court. [sic] Next you see he’s got a coke in hand, he’s got sandwiches; [sic] say’s he’s going to watch three hours of cowboy time. And these are the men who tell me they have no time to pray. And here’s this dear lady, she spend her time at Tupperware. She’s got [sic] baby showers going. Tomorrow she goes shopping, in the afternoon she’s got her, see what’s going to happen tomorrow on TV. And she tells me she has no time to pray. And look at the young people, in America. Wasting their time playing Pac-Man, Galaxy War, goofing off, bored, restless, looking for action. No time to pray.

Oh God, somehow, get this generation on its knees. Break it. Not just the Lord’s Prayer, but a Holy Ghost communion. You say you have not time to pray, yet the very Son of God who has the care of all the multiplied universes, He has the time to pray for you. He takes the time to intercede before the Throne of God. He prays, you say you have not time, He does.
We’ll go anywhere, we’ll do anything His name, but we will not pray. We’ll sing in a choir, but we won’t pray. We’ll visit the sick and the prisoners, but we won’t pray. We will counsel the hurt and needy, we’ll stay up all night to comfort a friend, we won’t pray. We’ll fight corruption, but we won’t pray. We’ll crusade for morality, but we won’t pray. We’ll stand up against nuclear armaments, but we won’t pray. We can sit here for two hours praising God, but we won’t go home and pray. We’ll attend crusades and seminars, go from meeting to meeting, lift our hands and sing and shout and praise the Lord, but we don’t pray.
Prayer’s not just a bunch of words running out of our mouth. It’s not just a bunch of words. I’m so sick and tired of people just saying words. No wonder the devil’s sapping the spiritual strength of this generation, because prayer’s a bloody battleground. Prayer is a bloody battleground.

I believe that the devil will throw hell at any man who says I’m going to pray and seek the face of God. The devil’s not afraid of power hungry saints, but he trembles at the sound of a praying saint!

(David Wilkerson)