Adjusted Perspective

My Perspective Has Been Adjusted
by Robert Ford
 
When I first joined the HNW call-in prayer group in early April, I was concerned about the time commitment. In the beginning, it was a self-disciplined act of obedience to attend each day. It wasn’t long before I was praying along and the Spirit of God was stirring – not just in me, but in our whole group. At first, I thought I was sacrificing my alone time with God in prayer. I know now that it has enhanced that alone time, and I have come to realize the importance of unity in the body of Christ, and that community prayer is necessary. Prayer is a command, not a suggestion. We have a saying on our team that "if you aren’t praying, you aren’t obeying."
 
I am excited about the momentum we have and what God is doing with our prayer team, but it wasn’t always this way. In business, I have learned about the dynamics of teams and the various stages. There’s the "forming" where things are just getting organized and structure is established. The next stage is "norming" where we get to know each other, a routine develops and awkwardness subsides. Then there is typically a "storming" stage, and boundaries are established, relationships begin to mature, and a family culture sprouts. Finally, a "performing" stage – which is where I feel our prayer group is today. We have synergy, transparency, honesty and sincerity in our relationships with each other - with a united goal to speak to God together. The momentum is encouraging, and we each acknowledge that prayers are being answered and God is working through us as He promises. We feel the active presence of God.
 
Something I have learned in my walk with Christ is that we have to take up our cross daily to follow Him. The enemy is always lurking and seeks to kill, steal and destroy. There’s no better way to equip ourselves with the armor of God each day than with community prayer. Anyone who wants to grow in their walk with Christ and is not already praying in a community should consider it. Our vision is to see more prayer teams established. It will be awkward in the beginning, but that is the nature of team forming. I have been blessed by this experience and look forward to seeing God accomplish His work through us. I can honestly say that my perspective has been adjusted, and this is in alignment with our sermon message last Sunday from Michael Seaman. What a relevant and succinct way to put it – "Answered prayers are about active presence, resulting in adjusted perspective."