The Empty Room

I just came back from LA Men's Conference. I feel renewed and reinvigorated to say the least. It was awesome and I highly reccomend that if you can get the CD's, please do so. Bro Osborne on Friday will probably leave you shredded with anguish either for yourself or someone else who is going through something or dealing with a sin issue. This message was friday am.

I spent much time in prayer. I went to re-ignite some things in my life. I have felt like my passion had waned. (Incidentally, Bro Jerry Dean's keynote address was on Passion.)

The little chapel was quiet as I entered. A single man was praying, his hands lifted towards heaven. I walked in and found a spot alone. I began to pray.

I heard the door open and close. A solitary figure came in. He too found a spot by himself and began to pray.

The door again opened, the first man had left. Now there were only two of us in that prayer chapel. Church was beginning so we both left. The room was again empty.

I came the next morning after being stirred about passion. The room was empty. I walked in and began to pray on my face. I cried taht God would stir His men to prayer.

The door opened and two men came in. They found a spot alone to pray. Another arrived and he too wnet to a separate corner. You could hear a pin drop in that little room.

Many years before at my first conference, there was literally standing room only. The room was never empty. You could go at any time during day or night and someone was in there crying out to God for His hand to move, for His hand to touch someone.

If my people, which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.

IF...IF...IF...IF...

Maybe it could read like this: If my people which are called by my name would take time to enter that little room instead of leaving it so empty and abandoned, then I could do my work. Until then, they will remain empty and abandonded.

Is the room empty at your church? Is there more room in the prayer room than in the foyer because of the crowds?

We want God to help us, yet have we abandonded the prayer room for a program? Have we become so busy that we cannot take time to pray, to humble ourselves, to repent?

I contend that it is time for us to have to replace the carpets simply because someone has snotted on it so much that it cannot be cleaned!!!
It is time for our pretty carpeting to become threadbare due to such high traffic in that little empty room.

The tide of evil will not likely be changed if my people will not pray. If my people will not begin to seek the Lord again, the land will not be healed.
If my people will not repent then their sins will be required of their hands.

I encourage those who read this: if your prayer life is waning, please step it back up before you need to go to a conference just so that you can feel God again like I had to do.

NI