(Below is an excerpt from Pastor’s book, “How To Triumph in Troubled Times”)
I will never forget one situation many years ago when I was a young associate in my father-in-law’s church. An evangelist, a novice, came in and stole the hearts of the people. For the first time, I heard my father-in-law, the pastor, who was a very, very strong man, say, “Son, the pressure is just on me. I am going to take two weeks off and you are in charge.” I thought “Oh, Jesus, what am I going to do?” Here was a man of great experience whom I had never seen lose a battle, but something about this situation had really pressed him hard. I picked up my Bible and a legal pad and I went to the church and spent the night in prayer. When the sun came up the next morning there was something in my spirit that said everything is going to be all right. There were a few folks that were affected by it, but God spared the church because a rookie preacher got on his face before God and prayed with his prayer language. I am here to tell you when everything comes against you, get on your face before God. Remember to bring a pen and a notebook because when you talk to God, eventually God is going to talk to you.
Sometimes prayer is just flushing out all negativism and unbelief that keeps pressing you down. That is why sometimes you need to spend some extra time in prayer. This world will fill you up to the brim with its negative ways, but as you pray, it flushes that unbelief out. It flushes that frustration and hopelessness out. When we are emptied, then thank God, He can fill us up. God fills us with hope, faith and love. God fills us with that blessed assurance that everything is going to be all right. There is a way when you pray.
The biggest challenge to most church people is to stop telling their problems to everybody else and get on their face and talk to God. Stay on your face until God empties you of your problem and fills you with the answer. You have heard what everyone else has to say; now you need to hear what God has to say. Some of you have a notebook full of prophecies, but not one of those things is going to work until you let God empty you of your problems and fill you with the answer.