August 2002 Archive
Prayer Partner Letter
Dear Prayer Partner:
This monthly online magazine is one of the great joys of my 59 year old ministry. I have met so many new prayer partners through cyber space. Thank you for your marvelous response to THE PRAYER LIFE. You continue to influence me with each e-mail reply. My life reflects the influence of great Christians like you.
Two great men of God have profoundly influenced my life as a preacher: Dr. Robert G. Lee (my Father in the ministry) and Dr. A. W. Tozer.
In 1949, as a young preacher, I was introduced to the ministry of A. W. Tozer. I quickly identified with him because of his teenage conversion; he was seventeen when he was saved. I was saved at sixteen. He preached and wrote with a brilliant mind. I remember how surprised I was upon learning that he had not attended Bible college or seminary. Admiring him, but never personally knowing Doctor Tozer, I was greatly influenced by his Godly character and bold preaching. He died in 1963, when I was in my 20th year of preaching. I continue until this day to be influenced by his spiritual legacy that challenges me to a deeper knowledge of God. From him, I yet learn how to serve and fellowship in prayer. One of the greatest sermons he ever preached was from the text Hosea 10:12. For your edification, THE PRAYER LIFE features excerpts from this message in this issue. May it "break up your fallow ground." Please write me your thoughts.
Prayerfully for souls,
W. Clyde Martin
" After this manner, therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed by Thy name"
Matt. 6:9
. . .Hallowed be
By Clyde Martin
The manner in which a child of God approaches the throne of
God determines the effectiveness of time spent in prayer
In teaching the disciples to pray, Jesus made clear that a child of
God must approach Him in full knowledge of His sovereignty
over all creation. To irreverently pray before the throne is
devastating to the soul which cries out random petitions of need
without gaining proper acceptance into the throne room of the
Triune God.
Never is a soul refused access to God. Never has a lost sinner
called upon Jesus in sincerity without receiving immediate
attention as to salvation. The Word is true, "Whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved." However, when
the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, He indicated the
need of first praising and honoring God as Father in sincere
worship. In awe we bow before Him Who is worthy.
For a disrespectful child of God who would hastily blunder into
the throne room with demands of the Heavenly Father; such a
one does not understand Jehovah's awesome sovereignty. Even
after we search out the promises of God from His Word, we
must take them in humble adoration to the throne in simple child-like faith and "ask".
I tremble sometimes in fear as I hear the demanding prayer-style
of that fleshly Christian man or woman praying before the great
I AM. The "good-buddy" talk of man to God assumes an equal level friendship which loses sight of the awesome sovereignty
of Jehovah Father, Jehovah Son, Jehovah Holy Spirit.
"Hallowed be Your Name" goes before "Ask, seek and knock."
In sincere effort to "bombard" the throne of God with prayer,
we must first understand how freely we are accepted when we
simply bow humbly in praise and worship to our God, who is
able to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.
The victory that we often would take by force is freely given by
a loving God who loves us "so".
I have personally learned by praying with some truly great
prayer warriors, that we must not rush into the throne room of
God with petitions without first thanking Him for that which He
has already done.
Once, while kneeling with Robert G. Lee (my Father in the
ministry), there was a long period of silence that made me think
that he wanted me to lead in prayer. Just as my voice began to
break the silence, this great man of God laid his hand gently on
my shoulder and whispered, "Not yet son, not yet." As the
reverent silence continued, the presence of God became real. He
then said, "Now son, go ahead and pray." That day I came to
understand what my Lord meant when He said, "Hallowed be
Thy name."
The following quote by R. A. Torry is taken from his writings
on How To Pray: "Before a word of petition is offered, we
should have the definite and vivid consciousness that we are
talking to God and should believe that He is listening to our
petition and is going to grant the thing that we ask of Him. We
should look to the Holy Spirit to really lead us into the presence
of God and should not be hasty in words until He has actually
brought us there."
The following excerpt from preaching of
A. W. Tozer
"Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness on you"
(Hosea 10:12)
Here are two kinds of ground: fallow ground and ground
that has been broken up by the plow.
The fallow field is smug, contented, protected from the
shock of the plow and the agitation of the harrow. Such a
field, as it lies year after year, becomes a familiar
landmark to the crow and the blue jay. Had it intelligence,
it might take a lot of satisfaction in its reputation: it has
stability; nature has adopted it; it can be counted upon to
remain always the same, while the fields around it change
from brown to green and back to brown again. Safe and
undisturbed, it sprawls lazily in the sunshine, the picture of
sleepy contentment.
But it is paying a terrible price for its
tranquility; never does it feel the
motions of mounting life, nor see the
wonders of bursting seed, nor the
beauty of ripening grain. Fruit it can
never know, because it is afraid of the
plow and the harrow.
In direct opposite to this, the cutivated field has yielded
itself to the adventure of living. The protecting fence has
opened to admit the plow, and the plow has come as
plows always come, practical, cruel, business-like and in a
hurry. Peace has been shattered by the shouting farmer
and the rattle of machinery. The field has felt the travail of
change; it has been upset, turned over, bruised and
broken.
But its rewards come hard upon its labors. The seed
shoots up into the daylight its miracle of life, curious,
exploring the new world above it. All over the field, the hand of God is at work in the age-old and ever renewed
service of creation. New things are born, to grow, mature,
and consumate the grand prophecy latent in the seed
when it entered the ground. Nature's wonders follow the
plow.
There are two kinds of lives also: the fallow and the
plowed. For example of the fallow life, we need not go far.
They are all too plentiful among us.
The man of fallow life is contented with himself and the
fruit he once bore. He does not want to be disturbed. He
smiles in tolerant superiority at revivals, fastings, self-
searching, and all the travail of fruit bearing and the
anguish of advance. The spirit of adventure is dead within
him. He is steady, "faithful," always in his accustomed
place (like the old field), conservative, and something of a
landmark in the little church. But he is fruitless.
The curse of such a life is that it is fixed, both in size and
in content. "To be" has taken the place of "to become." The
worst that can be said of such a man is that he is what he
will be. He has fenced himself in, and by the same act he
has fenced out God and the miracle.
Broken To Bring Forth Fruit
The plowed life is the life that has, in the act of
repentance, thrown down the protecting fences and sent
the plow of confession into the soul. The urge of the
Spirit, the pressure of circumstances and the distress of
fruitless living have combined thoroughly to humble the
heart. Such a life has put away defense, and has
forsaken the safety of death for the peril of life.
Discontent, yearning, contrition, courageous obedience to
the will of God: these have bruised and broken the soil till
it is ready again for the seed. And, as always, fruit follows
the plow. Life and growth begin as God "rains down
righteousness." Such a one can testify, "And the hand of
the Lord was upon me there." (Ezek. 3:22).
Corresponding to these two kinds of life, religious history
shows two phases, the dynamic and the static. The
dynamic periods were those heroic times when God's
people stirred themselves to do the Lord's bidding and
went out fearlessly to carry His witness to the world. They
exchanged the safe of inaction for the hazards of God-
inspired progress. Invariably, the power of God followed
such action. The miracle of God went when and where
his people went. It stayed when His people stopped.
The static periods were those times when the people of
God tired of the struggle and sought a life of peace and
security. They busied themselves, trying to conserve the
gains made in those more-daring times when the power of
God moved among them.
Bible history is replete with examples. Abraham "went
out" on his great adventure of faith, and God went with
him. Revelations, theophanies, the gift of Palestine,
covenants and the promises of rich blessings to come were
the result. Then Israel went down into Egypt, and the
wonders ceased for four hundred years. At the end of that
time, Moses heard the call of God and stepped forth to
challenge the oppressor. A whirlwind of power accompanied
that challenge, and Israel soon began to march. As long
as she dared to march, God sent out His miracles to clear
a way for her. Whenever she lay down like a fallow field, God turned off His blessing and waited for her to rise again
and command his power.
This is a brief but fair outline of the history of Israel and
the Church as well. As long as they "went forth and preached everywhere", the Lord worked "with
them...confirming the Word with signs following" (Mark
16:20). But when they retreated to monasteries or played
at building pretty cathedrals, the help of God was
withdrawn 'till a Luther or a Wesley arose to challenge hell
again. Then, invariably, God poured out His power as
before.
In every denomination, missionary society, local church or
individual Christian, this law operates. God works as long
as His people live daringly: He ceases when they no
longer need His aid. As soon as we seek protection out of
God, we find it to our own undoing. Let us build a safety-
wall of endowments, by-laws, prestige, multiplied agencies
for the delegation of our duties, and creeping paralysis
sets in at once, a paralysis which can only end in death.
Miracles Follow The Plow
The power of God comes only where it is called out by the
plow. It is released into the Church only when she is doing
something that demands it. By the word "doing", I do not
mean mere activity. The Church has plenty of "hustle" as
it is, but in all her activities, she is very careful to leave her
fallow ground mostly untouched. She is careful to confine
her hustling within the fear-marked boundaries of complete
safety. That is why she is fruitless; she is safe, but fallow.
The only way to power for such a church is to come out of
hiding and once more take the danger-encircled path of
obedience. Its security is its deadliest foe. The church that fears the plow writes its own epitaph. The church that
uses the plow walks in the way of revival.
Editor's notes: A. W. Tozer went to be with our Lord in 1963, his life and spiritual legacy
continues to draw all who read his works into a deeper knowledge of God. It is impossible to read
his writings without a little self-examination that exposes fallow ground, especially in our prayer
life. -WCM
A.W. Tozer
A Life in Pursuit of God
Although
A. W. Tozer died in 1963, his life and spiritual legacy continue to
draw many into a deeper knowledge of God. Tozer walked a path in his
spiritual life that few attempt, characterized by a relentless and loving
pursuit of God. He longed to know more about the Savior—how to
serve and worship Him with every part of his being.
Throughout
his life and ministry, Tozer called believers to return to an authentic,
biblical position that characterized the early church—a position
of deep faith and holiness. "He belonged to the whole church,"
says James Snyder in the book, In Pursuit of God: The Life Of A.
W. Tozer. "He embraced true Christianity wherever he found
it."
During his lifetime, Tozer pastored several
Christian and Missionary Alliance churches, authored more than forty
books, and served as editor of Alliance Life, the monthly denominational
publication for the C&MA. At least two of Tozer's books are considered
spiritual classics, The Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of
the Holy—a tremendous accomplishment for a man who never received
a formal theological education. The presence of God was his classroom.
His notebooks and tools consisted of prayer and the writings of early
Christians and theologians—the Puritans and great men of faith.
Tozer's conversion to Christianity came
when he was seventeen. As a result he gained an insatiable hunger and
thirst for the things of God. A cleaned-out area in the family's basement
became his refuge where he could pray and meditate on the goodness of
God.
Tozer once wrote, "I have found God
to be cordial and generous and in every way easy to live with."
To him the love and grace of Jesus Christ were a recurring astonishment,"
writes Snydner.
Although he had not attended Bible college
or seminary, Tozer received two honorary doctorates. He accepted an
offer to pastor his first church in West Virginia in 1916. By December
1921, Tozer and his wife, Ada, moved to Morgantown where they had the
first of seven children, six boys and a girl.
Money was extremely tight in the early
days of his ministry. The Tozers made a pact to trust God for all their
needs regardless of the circumstances. "We are convinced that God
can send money to His believing children—but it becomes a pretty
cheap thing to get excited about the money and fail to give the glory
to Him who is the Giver!"
Tozer never swayed from this principle.
Material things were never an issue. Many have said if Tozer had food,
clothing, and his books, he was content. The family never owned a car.
Tozer, instead, opted for the bus and train for travel. Even after becoming
a well-known Christian author, Tozer signed away much of his royalties
to those who were in need.
His message was as fresh as it was uncompromising.
His single purpose in life was to know God personally, and he encouraged
others to do the same. He quickly discovered a deep, abiding relationship
with God was something that had to be cultivated.
While pastoring a church in Indianapolis,
Tozer noticed his ministry changing. While he did not depart from the
theme of evangelism, God began to lead him into a new phase of ministry.
For the first time he began to record his thoughts on paper. This change
eventually carved out a place for him as a prolific writer.
In 1928, Tozer accepted a call to pastor
the Southside Gospel Tabernacle in Chicago, where he remained for thirty
years. The church grew from a small parachurch to a full-fledged church.
Missions and the deeper life in Jesus Christ were its two primary focuses.
"Tozer's sermons were never shallow,"
writes Snyder. "There was hard thinking behind them, and [he] forced
his hearers to think with him. He had the ability to make his listeners
face themselves in the light of what God was saying to them. The flippant
did not like Tozer; the serious who wanted to know what God was saying
to them loved him."
Everything Tozer taught and preached came
out of the time he spent in prayer with God. It was there that he shut
out the world and its confusion, focusing instead only on God. "Our
religious activities should be ordered in such a way as to leave plenty
of time for the cultivation of the fruits of solitude and silence,"
wrote Tozer.
He realized early in his ministry that
Christ was calling him to a different type of devotion—one that
required an emptying of self and a hunger to be filled to overflowing
with God's Spirit. It was also a devotion that consumed him throughout
his life.
Leonard Ravenhill once said of Tozer,
"I fear that we shall never see another Tozer. Men like him are
not college bred but Spirit taught."
"God discovers Himself to 'babes,'"
wrote Tozer, "and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise
and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip
down to essentials and they will be found to be blessedly few.
A. W. Tozer died on Monday, May 12, 1963,
almost a week after preaching his last sermon. The pursuit was over,
the destination reached. A simple epitaph marks his grave in Akron,
Ohio: A. W. Tozer—A Man of God.
The wondrous pursuit of God is more than
a legacy. It is a way of life passed on to us that we too might experience
what A. W. Tozer lived. Have you begun your pursuit of God?
used by permission from "In Touch Ministries"
Giving Myself To Prayer
Acts 6:4 "But we will give ourselves continually
to prayer and to the ministry of the Word"
BY CLYDE MARTIN
No longer burdened with pastoral and administrative duties that once occupied 90% of my life, which indeed robbed me of needful prayer time; I am now set free to give myself to real honest, direct, deliberate prayer.
I am no longer pledged to heavy obligations to do charitable distributions to the needy, such as the apostles first did before appointing deacons. My preaching schedule is without heavy demand, and even though counseling takes some part of my time each week, in reality I am in a perfect position to "give myself to prayer."
The apostles realized that it was not practical for them to take
time away from prayer and preaching the Word to make daily
disbursements to the poor widows of the first church. In the
early days of the church it was a custom. However, the growth
of the congregation called for better provision to be made to
handle this business, so they reasoned that the church should
designate seven spirit-filled men to handle this duty. They said,
"But we will give ourselves continually (full time) to prayer and
to the ministry of the Word."
Matthew 6:6 teaches me how to give myself to prayer, "But
thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Giving
myself to closet praying, I am greatly rewarded by God openly.
Almost too precious and sacred to share are the times of my new
prayer life style. So intimate is the fellowship with Jesus my
Lord, that I must refrain in part to speak of the full joy of
constantly abiding in Him. Never in all of my 59 years of
preaching have I been so humbled as in these days of closet
praying. It is only for the purpose of enlisting the saints of God
who may have not given themselves to closet praying, that I
give this testimony. It is to enlist more prayer warriors in these
last days.
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS
This have I learned in the closet; There are special assignments
given to prayer warriors. When one gives themselves to closet
praying, God uses them in special ways. The Holy Spirit leads
and guides us all to walk in certain paths, to do certain things
each day.
At Samaria, Philip, the evangelist, had preached with great blessings and many were being saved. (Acts 8) Peter and John
were sent to Samaria on special assignment to pray for them that
they might receive the power of the Holy Spirit. This indeed
was a choice assignment. Such praying assignments are given to
those who say: "We will give ourselves to prayer."
Again, we find Peter being summoned to Caesarea, where
Cornelius had prayed. (Acts 10) God sent word for him to send
for Peter. Peter was God's choice to pray the transforming
power of the Holy Spirit upon Gentiles. Obviously, God chose
Peter because of his intimate prayer life. Such assignments are
given to those who say: "We will give ourselves to prayer."
When the persecution came upon the Church over the preaching
and death of Stephen (Acts 11), the Disciples were scattered
everywhere. They preached the Gospel at Antioch with such
great power to the Grecians that a great number were saved.
God chose Barnabas to go and tell them what great purpose He
had in their lives. Barnabas was a man of prayer, filled with the
Holy Spirit and God gave him a special assignment. After
being obedient to that which God told him to do, God then sent
him to bring Saul and for a special year-long assignment, they
both taught the new converts. They became so much like Christ
that it was at Antioch that the Disciples were first called
Christians.
When God's people "give themselves to prayer", God gives them
special assignments. Have you been chosen for a special
assignment lately? Give yourself to closet praying and be alert
to hear God's special leading.
The Preacher's Wife
Comments and Poems
By Ruth R. Martin
It is not always easy to pray. There are occasions and circumstances
that invade our lives, cloud our sight, 
fill us with doubts and
apprehension, sometimes with guilt and fears.
Therefore, at times, we step softly. gingerly,with some trepidation and
trembling, into the Throne Room and the blessed Presence of the Lord.
At times our personal wishes and desires claim precedence over His
desire and plan for
us, and we must fight the inner battle with Self.
There is an old saying..we must pray until we pray. But as we release
our desires and fears,
it becomes easier and easier to submit to His all-wise, ever-loving
will and purpose.
Then, ah, how sweet the moment when we can look into His face and in
trust and love say, "Not my will but Thine be done"..and there, oh
joyful surprise- we find He already had the answer
waiting for us. What had started as a long, difficult journey ended in
His loving embrace.
I sometimes think of earnest prayer as a rendezvous with God at the
end of a long, dark, two-way street. The way seems so far and so lonely
to that place where we will meet Him
in precious communion. But each moment becomes easier and brighter and
closer until
suddenly we are running in our heart to meet Him and we fall into His
waiting arms, there to rest contentedly upon HIs breast.
And, aren't we always just a little surprised that He is already
there waiting for us.,His perfect answer in His hands??
Rendezvous
I groped and stumbled forth in Prayer
When first I ventured there.
The Road was dark, the Way seemed bare:
My soul knew only fear.
With broken heart and anguished soul
I pressed along the way,
Yet, somehow, as I neared the Goal
I sensed a Dawning Day.
The air grew sweet with perfume rare;
A glowing Light did shine.
My heavy spirit shed all care
And peace and joy were mine.
I scarce could see through tear-dimmed eyes,
And yet I knew 'twas HE:
For when my heart in Prayer first cried
He'd come to comfort me.
My loving Lord had rushed ahead
With joyful angel band,
And waited there, with arms outstretched-
My answer in His hands
rrm,1980`
Romans 8:28