It’s been two weeks since we returned from that awesome prayer retreat in Versailles, we left there exhilarated, reinvigorated and tremendously happy. We also came away with lasting lessons that will endure when the excitement has abated. We learnt :
1. that God is pleased with prayer, and will make it happen when we pursue it. We searched high and low for a place for this retreat and on the eve of our departure had to give up the monastery we were meant to go to, but at the very last minute another place opened up to us in Versailles and it was truly a godsend.
2. that God will empower us to pray if we are willing. the people went beyond what they thought themselves capable of; the first day we started prayer at 6am, at 2pm when i wanted to stop to give them a break, they said oh no, are we stopping already? We finally broke at 3.30, returned at 4.15 and went on till 7pm, had dinner, rested and were back from 10pm to 3am, rested and were back at 8.30 the next morning.
3. that prayer is the believer’s natural habitat; as we went deeper and deeper, it came easier and easier, we were at ease, praying freely, happy, almost lightheaded; it just seemed to flow naturally; we felt years had been peeled off us as we prayed. At times the prayer seemed to have a life of its own.
4. that prayer and the word are inseparable; as we meditated on and prayed out the first chapters of Ephesians, the words came alive to us and the revelation of these truths captivated, enthralled and is still blessing us today, changing our whole way of thinking;
5. that prayer attracts the power of God, and it continues to build up as we go. By far the most powerful moment was the last afternoon when the power of God burst forth and brought deliverance, restoration and healing. It also brought cleansing as sins were repented of. The joy of the Spirit was released powerfully.
6. that those times catapult us to a higher level in the Spirit and we must not go back to business as usual. I went there to pour into people but even my prayer life has been transformed. We left there prayed up and i just continued to build on it; and I cannot seem to stop praying, every spare moment it’s flowing naturally i go to sleep praying, wake up praying, communication constantly with God, and it is GOOD. I am closer to the Lord than I have ever been. Even pastoring is much easier,
and THAT is saying a lot. Shalom.