The men who have most fully illustrated Christ in their character,
and have most powerfully affected the world for him, have been men
who spent so much time with God as to make it a notable feature of their lives. – E. M. Bounds

Holiness energizing the soul, the whole man aflame with love, with desire for […] m
ore prayer, more zeal, more consecration—this is the secret of power. – E. M. Bounds

The spirit of devotion is the spirit of prayer. – E. M. Bounds

Revelations are made in the closet which are made nowhere else. – E. M. Bounds

If prayer is put first, then God is put first, and victory is assured. – E. M. Bounds

Worship, in a very real sense of the word, opens a
doorway to the power of His presence. – Jack Hayford

Your life is only as productive as the
freshness of your walk with God. – Randy Shankle

When you come in contact with the anointing
of God, it not only affects your moment,
it affects your tomorrow. – Creflo Dollar

If you are strangers to prayer you
are strangers to power. – Billy Sunday

Endeavor always to remember that you are in the immediate
presence of God, and strive to act as you would if you saw the
Savior standing by your side. – Raymond T. Richey

Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which
no one ever bothered to ask – Billy Graham

Loss of communion is the explanation of most of
our failure in spiritual fruit bearing. – Donald Gee

Miracles begin within us and then affect
our surroundings. – Reinhard Bonnke

Some people pray just to pray and some
people pray to know God. – Andrew Murray

The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.
The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men.
He does not come on machinery, but on men.
He does not anoint plans, but men…Men of prayer. – E. M. Bounds

Why is it so important that you are with God and God alone on the mountain top?
It’s important because it’s the place in which you can listen to the voice of the One
who calls you the beloved. To pray is to listen to the One who calls you
“my beloved daughter,” “my beloved son,” “my beloved child.” To pray is to let that
voice speak to the center of your being, to your guts, and let that voice resound in
your whole being. – Henri Nouwen

Prayer is not a discourse. It is a form of life, the life with God.
That is why it is not confined to the moment of verbal statement. – Jacques Ellul

Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work. – Oswald Chambers

True worship is an intimate spiritual time with God. – Larry Ollison

Thanksgiving, praise, worship, and communication in prayer between
you and God takes you into the secret place. – Keith A. Butler, II


Hard hearted (closed or unyielding) people don’t experience God.
They experience only form and formalism.
Their heart must be open to feel and experience.
Fear, embraced pain and unbelief close the channels of life and faith.
Fear constricts. Pain speaks against. Unbelief repels.
Find a person who is cold, and I will show you someone hardened against hope.
Hardened against positive expectation.
Unless the heart opens, it will not receive.
The heart’s hardened soil in the Gospels heard the word but didn’t absorb it, didn’t take it in, couldn’t understand it.

What is the answer? A change of heart. An openness to hope.
I once had a great fear in my life that kept me from what I desired most.
In order to experience what I inwardly I longed for, I had to stop fearing… and start believing.
Is there an area in your heart that you need to open?
What are you seemingly unable to receive? Or unwilling to?
In the Bible Abraham against hope, believed in hope. (Rom. 4:18)
Meaning that against natural odds and personal logic,
he opened himself to expect the normally unbelievable and
receive something otherwise stereotypically inconceivable.

How? He opened His heart and began to hope.
He believed the Word that God spoke to Him.
He saw the picture God painted and refused to let go.

What are you hoping for?

Jon S - Writer
Article by Jon Schauer

“I remembered the great manifestations of the Holy Spirit we used to experience…”
Excerpt from “Following God’s plan for your life”, p. 48 Kenneth E. Hagin)

SOUND FAMILIAR?

Judges 6:13 (KJV)
“…where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”Gideon felt the same way. Where is the God I’ve heard of since my youth?

The answer may surprise you. Its closer than you think.

Hebrews 12:14 (KJV)
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:  

What does this verse mean? Does the condition of our heart establish our perceived experience of God?

Brother Hagin goes on to say:
“The move of the Holy Ghost was also much greater and in more consistent demonstration back then than it is today. As I was thinking about this, the Spirit of God said to my spirit, “Yes, and the consecration of My people was greater too.” ‘
(Excerpt from “Following God’s plan for your life”, p. 48 Kenneth E. Hagin)

Consecration = the devoting or setting apart of anything to the worship or service of God.
(From the Bible Dictionary found on dictionary.com)

The outcome of Consecration to God is inseperably tied to Holiness.

As it concerns Gideon in Judges 6, the Lord didn’t attempt to explain the happenings, rather He asked for Gideons obedience to service. As he devoted his life to God’s service, the Lord said:

Judges 6:14 (KJV)
And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

The Lord hasn’t changed His search. Search for what? A willing and obedient person to seperate himself to God’s purpose resulting in an ongoing decision for holiness. 

2nd Chronicles 16:9 (KJV)
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…

What is the result of fire? Purification. The Lord is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29), as we follow Him our heart will change. 

Matthew 5:8 (KJV)
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Want to experience God? Want your own stories?

Consecration is the answer.

CLOSING THOUGHTS
“Yes, and the consecration of My people was greater too.”
(Excerpt from “Following God’s plan for your life”, p. 48 Kenneth E. Hagin) 

Joshua 3:5 (NIV)
Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.” 

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