But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6

Time with God in the secret place is the key to effectiveness. Madake is a common type of bamboo in Japan, and during its growth season will grow up to almost four feet in one day! It can take years, though, for the visible shoots to push through the ground because the plant first prepares for fast growth by developing a strong root system out of sight. Likewise, our public life is rooted in the preparation that happens during secret-place moments.

Don’t despise the day of small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10) or underestimate the value of the secret place. If you stick around long enough and refuse to grow weary in doing good, your strong root system will produce major growth (Galatians 6:9).

Because time in the secret place produces fruit for the public place, it is the subject of the greatest attacks by Satan. Don’t wait to have “enough time” to spend with God. Learn how to fellowship with God even when you are on the run. Take two minutes at the beginning of the day and connect with God. Turn off the car radio and the cell phone and set aside time to be with Him. Whether you’re in the shower, driving the car, or cooking in the kitchen—these are all moments you can use to draw close to God.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. John 15:7-8

When you abide in the secret place, you are under the protecting shadow of the Almighty. Fear has to leave (Psalm 91:1 NKJV*; 2 Timothy 1:7). God protects you from others’ evil intentions: “You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man” (Psalm 31:20a). And God, who sees what you do in secret, will reward you openly (Matthew 6:6).

The secret place may feel dreary and dry at times, but God promises that if you seek Him, you will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). As a result of consistently spending time in the secret place, you will bear fruit, change lives, and reach the world.

God bless you.
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright ©2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. *Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9

I’m dedicating the month of January to prayer and fasting as we seek God about the next steps for the church and our personal lives. God has some significant things up ahead. Let’s increase our Word intake and sensitize ourselves to the Holy Spirit so we’ll be ready to walk out His plan in 2010.

Here are the five points we are continuing to pray. They make a great New Year’s resolution list!

1. Pray for the removal of obstacles.
2. Pray for the increase of love.
3. Pray for personal growth.
4. Pray for the 100% will of God.
5. Pray with the end in mind.

Don’t let the devil steal your joy this New Year. If you’ve let your love toward God grow cold, meditate on God’s great love for you, on His promises for your life found in the Word. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Press on,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:26-28

We are called to a dynamic life of prayer, but not alone: we have the advantage of the Holy Spirit’s help. Prayer is going before the Lord with the authority He’s delegated to us and exerting that influence by the power of the name of Jesus to impact the world we live in. Great social changes are attributed to believers who prayed.

Pray frequently. God has called us to pray all the time (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is not a dutiful thing—the Holy Spirit is activating us to do business with God and push back darkness. So get in the habit of praying the first two minutes of everything you do: when you get on an airplane, right before an important phone call, before a test, in the car. Get in the habit of taking everything to God in prayer.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18 NKJV*

Pray passionately. “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]” (James 5:16b AMP**). Pray specifically. Know specifically what you are believing God for. And if you don’t know exactly what to pray, the Holy Spirit is right there to intercede on your behalf.

God wants our church to have a revolutionary experience in terms of fruitfulness. Revolutionary things happen in these times of prayer. When you get up in the morning pray 120 seconds: praise God and worship Him, pray for wisdom, pray out what you know to pray, pray in the Spirit, pray out things about your future, pray out things that bug you. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

God is able,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. *New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.** Amplified Bible. Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.

The effective heartfelt prayer of a righteous man will accomplish a lot (James 5:16b). As we approach the fall season, I want to give you some focus prayer points for these next 60-90 days.

1. Pray for the removal of obstacles.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also
lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us
run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1-2a

2. Pray for the increase of love.
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge
and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in
order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with
the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and
praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

3. Pray for personal growth.
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and
carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in
deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects
into Him who is the head, even Christ. Ephesians 4:14-15

4. Pray for the 100% will of God.
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for
you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual
wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1:9

5. Pray with the end in mind.
Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood,
hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because
it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s
work. 1 Corinthians 3:12-13

Press On!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.