Prayers and Heavenly Symphonies

NWe are in the middle of week 5 or 6, our week of morning prayer. Some jump out of bed, others, probably the majority, take a little longer to wake up. While talking to someone once, the person expressed concern about the usefulness of their prayer times. They told me that sometimes when they prayed, a little sleepy, without inspiration, they wondered if it was serving any purpose. I explained to them that yes, obedience and self-giving are of great value before God, and that the value of what we do lies not in the emotions we feel at the time of doing them, but in the principles we are applying.

I will share a testimony that will certainly gladden her heart and reassure others like her who have asked themselves the same questions and encourage, I hope, those who have not yet started these times of prayer probably because they were asking themselves the same questions. Mike Bickle in his book 'Growing in the Prophetic' which I reread recently shares a moving experience. One day, he went to his church for a morning prayer meeting. As he got out of the car and headed towards the church auditorium, he began to hear absolutely magnificent music coming from the sanctuary.

He figured the people inside were probably listening to some majestic music like Handel's Messiah and had turned the volume up really loud. The music was indeed loud and majestic; but the moment he entered the room, it abruptly stopped, almost as if someone had pressed the stop button on a stereo. Once inside, he discovered that the sound system hadn't even been turned on; there were just a few people there quietly waiting for the worship team to arrive, and they hadn't heard a thing.

Mike Bickle, in view of what had happened, thought that something extraordinary would certainly happen at the prayer meeting, but no, the meeting was very ordinary, as usual, nothing spectacular happened. It was later, reflecting on this experience, that he understood what God wanted to show him, namely that He took pleasure in his prayer meetings which sometimes seem so banal, so ordinary, without great anointing; and that the angels, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, apparently attend, invisible, incognito at his meetings and add to our prayers which sometimes seem so weak, praises, music and absolutely glorious heavenly prayers.

In the end, he was quite pleased that the morning meeting had been so ordinary. After all, it is a tremendous encouragement to continue to persevere in prayer even when things don't seem to be 'moving'. Our part is not to make our prayers spectacular, but to pray without tiring. So tomorrow morning when you start praying at 5:00 and you feel like it's dragging, remember, you are not alone, God takes pleasure in this obedience and faithfulness, and the heavenly choir is probably there, incognito, invisible, accompanying with a heavenly melody these words which seem so weak to you.
Shalom!