ToddGaddisBook_October2023_8.5x5.5.indd

Are you on “praying ground?” -meaning: Is your attitude, heart, and spirit in a condition to where you can go before the Lord? David asked, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully” (Psalm 24:3,4).This doesn’t mean that we must be perfect, but rather pointed in that direction, surrendering and submitting to the One who is. This remodeling project that took place in Elijah’s day sym bolizes a spiritual preparedness that must take place to pave the way for the work of God in our lives. Once completed, the proph et cried out, “Let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.Answer me, Lord, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God and that you are turning their hearts back again” (1 Kings 18:36,37). According to E.M. Bounds, prominent CivilWar era author and minister, “What the church needs today is not more machin ery, or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use -men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men, men of prayer.” God provides a perfect demonstration of this when Elijah’s prayer paves the way for His: Power - “The fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38). Such action points to another time of revival in Scripture.Ten days after Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, God demonstrated His presence at Pentecost in a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire, after which 3000 souls were saved (Acts 2:2,3,41)

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