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Giving Myself To Prayer

Acts 6:4 "But we will give ourselves continually
to prayer and to the ministry of the Word"

BY CLYDE MARTIN

No longer burdened with pastoral and administrative duties that once occupied 90% of my life, which indeed robbed me of needful prayer time; I am now set free to give myself to real honest, direct, deliberate prayer.

I am no longer pledged to heavy obligations to do charitable distributions to the needy, such as the apostles first did before appointing deacons. My preaching schedule is without heavy demand, and even though counseling takes some part of my time each week, in reality I am in a perfect position to "give myself to prayer."

The apostles realized that it was not practical for them to take time away from prayer and preaching the Word to make daily disbursements to the poor widows of the first church. In the early days of the church it was a custom. However, the growth of the congregation called for better provision to be made to handle this business, so they reasoned that the church should designate seven spirit-filled men to handle this duty. They said, "But we will give ourselves continually (full time) to prayer and to the ministry of the Word."

Matthew 6:6 teaches me how to give myself to prayer, "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Giving myself to closet praying, I am greatly rewarded by God openly. Almost too precious and sacred to share are the times of my new prayer life style. So intimate is the fellowship with Jesus my Lord, that I must refrain in part to speak of the full joy of constantly abiding in Him. Never in all of my 59 years of preaching have I been so humbled as in these days of closet praying. It is only for the purpose of enlisting the saints of God who may have not given themselves to closet praying, that I give this testimony. It is to enlist more prayer warriors in these last days.

SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS

This have I learned in the closet; There are special assignments given to prayer warriors. When one gives themselves to closet praying, God uses them in special ways. The Holy Spirit leads and guides us all to walk in certain paths, to do certain things each day.

At Samaria, Philip, the evangelist, had preached with great blessings and many were being saved. (Acts 8) Peter and John were sent to Samaria on special assignment to pray for them that they might receive the power of the Holy Spirit. This indeed was a choice assignment. Such praying assignments are given to those who say: "We will give ourselves to prayer."

Again, we find Peter being summoned to Caesarea, where Cornelius had prayed. (Acts 10) God sent word for him to send for Peter. Peter was God's choice to pray the transforming power of the Holy Spirit upon Gentiles. Obviously, God chose Peter because of his intimate prayer life. Such assignments are given to those who say: "We will give ourselves to prayer."

When the persecution came upon the Church over the preaching and death of Stephen (Acts 11), the Disciples were scattered everywhere. They preached the Gospel at Antioch with such great power to the Grecians that a great number were saved. God chose Barnabas to go and tell them what great purpose He had in their lives. Barnabas was a man of prayer, filled with the Holy Spirit and God gave him a special assignment. After being obedient to that which God told him to do, God then sent him to bring Saul and for a special year-long assignment, they both taught the new converts. They became so much like Christ that it was at Antioch that the Disciples were first called Christians.

When God's people "give themselves to prayer", God gives them special assignments. Have you been chosen for a special assignment lately? Give yourself to closet praying and be alert to hear God's special leading.

(Since this article was written last week, God has chosen the author for a special assignment to Antioch Baptist Church, Sevierville, Tennessee.)

W. Clyde Martin is editor of THE PRAYER LIFE, a monthly online magazine that promotes closet praying among the redeemed. You may contact him by e-mail Godcalled@webtv.net.