More than a memory

Remember..

The global day of prayer has been an event highlighted in the past few years, where countries unite in prayer – praying for countries, world leaders, churches, organisations, families and the heart of every individual to beat in sync with the love of Christ.

Yet many of us forget one important part of the church, so rightly named the Underground Church. I’m sure many of you recall how Paul and Silas caused an earthquake with their worship. It started within the prison walls. The fire of the Holy Spirit may have been toned down to a minimum in our churches of today, but the Holy Spirit is still very much alive in the underground church, fuelled by the passion of the Christians who have dared their all for Christ. Revival seems like an everyday occurrence in the underground church.

But surely the movement of the Holy Spirit can’t be caged by prison walls. Well, it’s not. But we’ve got the Holy Spirit on thermostat. We’ll turn the heat up when we’re feeling cold, and down when we’re feeling too warm. Unless we learn to move with the Spirit, we won’t see revival. There are reports of revival coming from all over the world – Brazil, Nepal, Mexico, Mongolia, Kenya, South Korea. But the only way we can bring revival to the place we are in is through prayer.

So where do we go from here? We were created to worship God, with every fibre of our being. Not just in song but in spirit and in truth. We need to worship him for the wonder that he is, and we just need to get down on our knees and pray. Prayer moves mountains, so if more of us start praying, then we’re going to be moving many more mountains.

In Hebrews 13:3, Paul writes “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” Paul asks that we join them in their chains – the chain of prayer. Don’t break this chain. Don’t keep looking inwards, look at the needs of others and remember the persecuted.

Many of those who are persecuted have not seen daylight for years, some have waited 20 years to own a bible and many still waiting, and even more leave behind families in need. Their freedom has been taken from them, their property, their families, but no one can take their faith from them. Every year, more and more Christians are being martyred for their faith, for their apostolic passion. The time of persecution is not coming to an end, it is barely beginning.

November 11 2007 is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. For many, it’s a day to remember those fallen in the Great War. But this year, there’s another reason to remember November 11. Remember this day and stand together with our brothers and sisters. When you pray with passion, the Holy Spirit will give you the same passion that is alive in the underground church. You already have the fire within you, just don’t keep it to yourself. Don’t forget, Jesus himself said ‘No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.’

Just let the Holy Spirit guide you as you pray and remember Ezekiel 47:12 –

“Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."

And so may it be for us too, that our leaves never wither, nor our fruit fail.