JUST ONE HOUR

[prophetess m. brignac]

ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN AROUND THE THINGS OF GOD FRO ANY LENGTH OF TIME CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT THE WEAKEST AREA OF OPERATION OF ANY GIVEN CHURCH, IS THE SAME AREA GOD DESIGNATED TO BE THE CHURCH'S PRIMARY POWER SOURCE, THAT BEING "PRAYER"! IT HAS NEVER BEEN MAN'S "ADAMIC" NATURE TO WILLINGLY COME BEFORE THE LORD IN SELF EXAMINATION, DEEP CONTRITION, AND TO COMMUNE WITH GOD IN PRAYER AND IT'S STILL DIFFICULT TO GET THEM TO DOSO CONSITENTLY AND AS A WAY OF LIFE!. THIS PROCESS IS NOT REALLY APPEALING TO THE AVEAGE BELIEVER BECAUSE IT'S SEEN AS BEING TEDIOUS, AND IT REQUIRES THAT ONE BE LAID BARE, IN THE REFLECTION OF HIS BLOOD. IT REQUIRES AN AWARENESS THA THIS IS ONE OF OUR GREATEST INTIMACIES WITH GOD AND IT REQUIRES DISCIPLINE AND TOTAL SURRENDER TO THE LORD. HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SLOTHFUL, ABSENT, AND DOWN RIGHT "TRIFLING" WHEN IT COMES TO PURSUING GOD IN TRAVAIL, MAKING A LAMENTATION AND LABORING IN PRAYER AND INTERCESSION, BECAUSE THERE ARE NO "APPARENT" IMMEDIATE REWARDS. WE HAVE GIVEN A RAINBOW OF EXCUSES RANGING FROM "I DON'T HAVE TIME", "I GOT UP TOO LATE, OR HAVE TO GET UP TOO EARLY, TO " I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW!" INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, YOU CAN USUALLY FIND THESE SAME FOLK WHO WERE ALWAYS" "AWOL" WHEN IT'S TIME TO PRAY, WAITING OUTSIDE FOR THE "DOORS OF THE CHURCH TO OPEN" WHEN THEY HEAR THAT "PROPHET PREACH 'EM UNDER THE PULPIT" IS IN TOWN FOR AN EIGHT NIGHT REVIVAL, AND THEY WILL SHOW UP EVERY NIGHT, IN THEIR "GLAD RAGS", WITH A THERMOS AND PACKING A LUNCH,BECAUSE THEY DON'T MIND "TARRYING" IN SPIRITUAL "ENTERTAINMENT" ALL NIGHT LONG, BUT WHERE ARE THEY WHO WILL WEEP BETWEEN THE PORCH AND THE ALTAR AND TRAVAIL BEFORE THE LORD? WHERE ARE THEY WHO WILL WRESTLE IN PRAYER UNTIL THAT CRACK HOUSE IS SHUT DOWN AND LEVELED TO THE GROUND? WHERE ARE THEY WHO WON'T STOP TROUBLING GOD IN PRAYER UNTIL THE DRUG CORNERS ARE REVOLUTIONIZED INTO CORNERS OF EVANGELIISM, AND THE "HOOKER STROLLS" ARE TOO F ILLED WITH GOD'S PRESENCE FOR ANY PERVERSION TO TAKE PLACE? WE HAVE ALL EXPERIENCED THE ONES WHO WILL HARASS THE PEOPLE OF GOD WHOM THEY KNOW LEAD CONSECRATED LIVES, SEEK THE LORD CONSISTENTLY AND WHO CAN "GET A PRAYER THROUGH"! THEN THERE ARE THOSE WHO FREQUENT "PRAYER LINES" WITHH INVISIBLE STRANGERS, NOT BEING ASSURED WHETHER ARE NOT THEY ARE REALLY SAVED OR SERVING SATAN. STILL YET,THERE ARE THOSE WHO SEND IN PRAYER REQUESTS TO NYBODY WHO'LL SEND THEM A PIECE OF COLORED RAGS, OR "MIRACLE" AMULETS, AND NOT KNOWING "IF" THEY'RE GOING TO REALLY PRAY OR "WHAT" THEY'RE GOING TO PRAY. THE FACT IS, NO ONE IS GOING TO PRAY AS FERVENTLY, PASSIONATELY, AND WITH AS MUCH DEDICATION AS YOU ARE, FOR YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES! IF WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT ONE CAN PUT A THOUSAND TO FLIGHT, THEN IS IT POSSIBLE THAT , COLLECTIVELY, WE CAN OVERCOME THE DEMONIC HOSTS AND BANDS OF WICKED IMPOSTERS, INVADING AND TRANSGRESSING WHAT GOD HAS SANCTIFIED, AND THE VILE AND RUTHLESS SPIRITS THAT HAVVE FLOODED AND INFILRATED OUR CHURCHES, HOMES, AND PERSONAL LIVES! IS IT POSSIBLE THAT IF WE WOULD EACH CONSISTENTLY MEET GOD IN PRAYER, THERE WOULD BE A SHIFT IN THE EMBARRASING AND SHAMEFUL TESTIMONIES WE NOW HAVE IN MARRIAGE, FAMILY STRUCTURE, AND OUR BASIC LIFESTYLES? CAN WATCHING FOR ONE HOUR IN PRAYER REVERSE THE ALARMING STATISTICS WE HAVE IN DIVORCE, DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY DYNAMICS, AND THE VAST NUMBER OF SAINTS FREQUENTING PSYCHOLOGISTS (AND PSYCHIATRISTS) AND WHO HAVE TO BE SEDATED JUST TO MOVE FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT? COULD IT BE THAT OUR PASTROAL FAMILIES WON''T BE UNDER SUCH VIICOUS ATTACKS, AND THE JEALOUSY AND CONFLICT IN THE PRAISE TEAM WOULD BE DEMOLISHED AS WE BOMBARD HEAVEN IN "WATCHING FOR ONE HOUR"? EVEN BETTER, COULD IT BE THAT THOSE STRUGGLING WITH HOMOSEXUALITY, PORNOGRAPHY, ADULTERY, FORNICATION AND OHTER VICES MIGHT FIND DELIVERANCE IN THE VERY ATMOSPHERE OF OUR SANCTUARIES THAT ARE PERPETUALLY SATURATED WITH THE SWEET INCENSE OF PRAYER AND "WATCHING FOR JUST ONE HOUR?" IN ISAIAH 59:16 THE LORD SAYS "AND I SAW THAT THERE WAS NO MAN TO STAND IN THE GAP, AND MARVELLED THAT THERE WAS NO "INTERCESSOR"! IN OTHER WORDS HE STOOD UPON THE VERY CIRCLE OF THE EARTH LOOKIND DOWN UPON ALL THAT HE HAD CREATED AND SAW HIS "CHURCH" AND THE MANY PLAGUES, PESTILENCES, CALAMITIES, CHAOS, MASS DESTRUCTION, FAMINE, HOPELESSNESS, AND DESPAIR THROUGHOUT THE EARTH. HE SAID " I CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN IN THE FORM OF A MAN, SUFFERED A BRUTAL DEATH, SHED MY BLOOD, GAVE THEM THE KEYS TO MY KINGDOM. LEFT THEM WITH ALL POWER, AND THE "MODEL PRAYER" AND EVEN TOLD THEM "PRAY YE IN THIS MANNER", AND YET THEY ARE WHINING AND BEHAVING PITIFULLY, RUNNING ABOUT LIKE THEY BELIEVE THEY'RE NO MORE THAN MERE "GRASSHOPPERS, ACCEPTING DEFEAT AND BEILIEVING THE LIES OF DEMONS! I GAVE THEM ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN UNTO LIFE AND GODLINESS AND POWER OVER THEIR ENEMIES, AND YET MY CHURCH IS MISREPRESENTING ME AND MY POWER,BEING RENDERED IMPOTENT AND NO MORE THAN A RELIGIOUS SOCIAL CENTER! WHERE ARE THEY WHO WILL WEEP BETWEEN THE PORCH AND THE ALTAR, AND TIE THEMSELVES TO THE HORNS OF THE ALTAR, FOR JUST ONE HOUR? WHEN SMITH WIGGLESWORTH, E.M. BOUNDS, A.A. ALLEN, BISHOP MASON, AND THE FATHER OF THE AZUSA ST. PENTECOSTAL VISITATION MADE HISTORY, IT WASN'T BECAUSE THEY SHOWED UP ONE DAY AND SAID " I BELEIVE I'LL WORK A FEW MIRACLES TONIGHT!", OR " I THINK I'LL CALL UP JESUS AND SEE IF HE IS GOING TO BE IN THE AREA TONIGHT!" NO, THEY "TOILED" IN PRAYER FOR THOSE GREAT VISITATIONS OF WONDER WORKING POWER AND ABSOLUTE MIRACLES! PLEASE BELIEVE THAT WHILE THEY WERE KNNEELING IN DEEP CONTRITION, THEY NEVER ASKED FOR A NEW SET OF "PLOW MULES", OR A NEW "SILO", BUT THEY TRAVAILED IN PRAYER FOR THE LOST, AND THE MULTITUDES WHO ARE STILL IN THE "VALLEY OF DECISON", AND THE HEALING OF THE SICK,AND DELIVERANCE OF THOSE WHO ARE BOUND! WHEN CHRIST WAS PREPARING TO GO UP TO THE MT. OF OLIVES. TO FULFILL THE FINEST HOUR OF HIS THREE YEAR MINISTRY CAREER, HE ASKED THE DISCIPLES TO DO SOMETHING FOR HIM, SOMETHING HE HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE, AND IT WASN'T "DEEP" OR GRIEVOUS. ALL HE ASKED WAS THAT THEY WOULD WATCH AND PRAY WITH HIM FOR JUST ONE HOUR! HE LET THEM KNOW THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO GO AND BECOME NAKED TO HIS FATHER AND TO THE VERY "ELEMENTS" OF THE EARTH, AND THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO BE MORE VULNERABLE, IN THAT ONE HOUR,THAN HE'D EVER BEEN IN HIS ENTIRE LIFE. HE SIMPLY ASKED THEM TO "SIT YE HEAR, WHILE I GO YONDER AND PRAY. MY SOUL IS EXCEEDINGLY SORROWFUL, EVEN UNTO DEATH, AND WATCH WITH ME." IN OTHER WORDS HE WAS ASKING THEM TO "COVER" HIM AND TO "HAVE HIS BACK" FOR JUST ONE HOUR, AS HE PREPARED HIMSELF TO BE THAT "ONLY ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE" THAT WOULD WIN FOR THEM LIFE ETERNAL! WE KNOW THE STORY OF HOW DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED HE WAS, AND HOW ASHAMED THEY WERE BECAUSE THIS CHRIST HAD NEVER ASKED THEM FOR ONE SINGLE THING FOR HIMSELF,AND THE ONE TIME THAT HE REQUESTED JUST THEIR ATTENTION, AND FOR THEM TO "POST UP" IN PRAYER FOR ONE HOUR, THEY CHOSE TO CATER TO THEIR FLESH'S DESIRES AND SLEEP. THIS WAS THE SAME CHRIST WHO HAD CREATED THE EARTH AND EVERYTHING THEREIN, AND GIVEN THEM TWENTY FOUR HOUR DAYS, BUT YET,THEY COULDN'T GVE HIM ONE OF THOSE SAME "HOURS" BACK IN PRAYER FOR HIS STRENGTH AND THAT HE FAINT NOT! HOW PAINFUL IT HAD TO BE FOR HIM TO KNOW THAT AFTER LITERALLY WALKING WITH HIM, BEING PARTAKERS OF THE GREAT MINISTRY AND MANY MIRACLES, THAT THEY WERE STILL UNRELIABLE, UNDISCIPLINED, AND CARNALWHO IS IT THAT MAY DIE BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT SOLD OUT ENOUGH TO ASSUME THE POSTURE OF PRAYER AS A LIFESTYLE? WHOSE MARRIAGE IS IT THAT THE DEVIL MAY ARREST AND DESTROY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CARVE ASINGLE HOUR OUT OF EACH DAY AS A TRUSTED "PRAY-ER"? HOW MANY DIVORCES MYA HAVE BEEN INTERCEPTED HAD YOU "SAT UPON YOUR WATCH" FOR JUST ONE HOUR? . WHAT WOULD HE FELL IF HE HAPPENED TO DROP BY YOUR PERSONAL "PRAYER CLOSETS" AND FIND NOTHING BUT, DUST BASLLS, TALL "WEEDS" AND "SPIDERWEBS", AND A "DOOR" WITH RUSTY HINGES BECAUSE IT HADN'T BEEN ENTERED INTO SINCE YOUR LAST EMERGENCY.? WHAT WOULD HE FEEL IF HE STOPPED BY YOUR LOCAL "PRAYER MEETINGS" OR PRE=SERVICE INTERCESSION! WHERE HE'LL ONLY FIND THE SAME FAITHFUL TWO OR THREE, UNFAIRLY HAVING TO PULL ON GOD, TRAVAIL AND PRESS THROUGH IN PRAYER FOR THE LEADERS, THE CHURCH , AND EVERYONE ELSE? IF WE DON'T MAKE A DECISION TO REPRIORITIZE OUR LIVES TO MEET GOD IN PRAYER,PROSTRATE OURSELVES AND PERSISTEN TLY FLOOD THE ALTARS IN LAMENTATION, MAKING OUR PETTIONS KNOW UNTO HIM, AS A LIFESTYLE, WE WON''T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WONDERING, BECAUSE HE WILL JUST STOP SHOWING UP! JUST ONE HOUR!!