Join Us for the 2012 Season of Seeking

Bishop RE Howard General Overseer

Jesus spoke a parable with this thought in mind, "that men ought always to pray and not to faint" (Luke 18:1).

Paul wrote to Timothy, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Timothy 2:8). In harmony with these instructions from Christ and Paul we are calling the Church of God of Prophecy to our sixth annual Season of Seeking. For 21 days in the month of January of the New Year we will be devoting our efforts and focus to seeking God in the Church of God of Prophecy.

Many will be praying with us through this 21 day season from many nations around the world. Many will be fasting at times through this season, and many will be fasting the entire time with us.

As people fast, there will be some on an entire fast, some on a partial fast, some on a Daniel fast and no doubt a variety of other fasts. But all together we are devoting these days at the beginning of the New Year to pray; praying for God to help us do his will and build his kingdom in great and effective ways this year.

Any time that a prolonged season of prayer and fasting begins it is good that we should ask the question, "Why are we praying?" Why should we pray in such an intense way? What is the benefit of going to so much trouble and beginning the year with such a time of fasting and prayer. Let me quickly share with you six reasons that help motivate me to participate in a time of prayer like this. These six reasons also help us understand why the leadership of the Church of God of Prophecy feels that prayer is so important for us that it has been included as one of our three Core Values to pursue as we move forward in Vision 2020.

First, the church must pray to build and develop our ongoing relationship with Christ. The church that is intimately connected with Christ will be effective in doing His will.

Second, the church must pray to join God's world wide prayer call. In this generation God is raising up a great movement of prayer. We know that throughout history, God has activated prayer before each of His mighty awakenings. The Church of God of Prophecy will participate in this work of God in this generation as we answer his prayer call.

Third, the church must pray to be empowered to fulfill his commission. God has given us a huge task to evangelize every person on planet earth. The only way that we can accomplish this great challenge is to be filled with His presence and power in prayer.

Fourth, the church must pray to bring to pass God's will on earth. Many do not realize that God has chosen to do nothing on earth except in answer to prayer. God has limited himself to do only what the church asks him to do in prayer. So when the church begins to pray for God's will to be done He is quick, even waiting, to answer and send help from heaven.

Fifth, the church must pray to imitate the life of Christ, the Great High Priest. We know that Christ prayed often while here on earth and we can be encouraged to imitate his model now as his body, but our great high priest did not stop there. Hebrews gives us a glimpse into heaven where Christ right now and forever lives to make intercession.

Christ's constant ministry now and through the church age is to intercede for the church and the world as our high priest. Now we are his body to carry out his life on earth. We are appointed as his royal priesthood to represent him. If we are to genuinely represent him and follow his model the church will be an interceding church.

Finally, the church must pray to participate in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Remember, the Spirit was not manifest until Jesus was glorified (John 7:39). The gift of the Spirit was something new that even Old Testament believers could not have known. As Jesus took up the life of humanity and was glorified with the father a new connection was made. This was in the context of the Spirit who would testify of it in the lives of believers.

Now as the Spirit of the glorified Christ he assumed a new ministry added to the Spirit of God in the Old Testament. Now in prayer the Spirit takes us up into the wonderful life of the triune God. In the Spirit, Christ's prayers become ours and ours, his. As He declared, 'in that day you shall ask in my name.' He was speaking of the day of the Holy Spirit's ministry on earth. We need the baptism of the Holy Spirit so that we can truly pray in the name of Jesus. He is now more than the Spirit of God in the Old Testament. He is more than the Spirit of conversion and regeneration, more than the Spirit with a portion of Christ's influence. He is the Spirit of the glorified Christ, in his exaltation and power. He reveals the Son and the Father to us. He is the Spirit with us and radiating through our entire life, every moment, in Christ.

This baptism is the one need of God's people. Then we will be able to 'pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…' And we will pray in the Holy Ghost to keep ourselves in the love of God.

Church of God of Prophecy, I welcome you to join in this marvelous opportunity to start the New Year in a focused Season of Seeking in unity with thousands of your brothers and sisters. Each week we will have general prayer directives that we can all unite around and lift up to heaven together. And as we pray through these 21 days, I know God will hear us from heaven. I know God will honor His great promise, "Call unto me, and I will answer you, and will show you great and mighty things that you do not know."