You've always got time for a priority. I personally do too many things that any cessationists amongst us, or just those that are skeptical of the Charismatic movement would find SCARY, so I HAVE TO keep what the Psalms call "fresh oil." Build your day around your time with God rather than trying to fit God into your busy schedule and you'll always succeed in whatever you do with the rest of your day, even if you take a little bit of heat for it, i.e., hundredfold with persecutions.
[I don't have time for the sermon, but just make sure you're never one of the ones persecuting someone else's hundredfold, or you've accidentally joined the wrong team in that moment. Rule #1: if you're in agreement with the media about anything regarding any member of the Body of Christ.......do I really need to spell it out for you?? The media's after ratings, money, market share, high stocks, personal promotions and accolades, etc., and they're not after the Holy Spirit's job or anything that's in the best interests of the Body and you need to come to terms with that once and for all over the Bread and Cup.]
The Gospels indicate that Jesus would get up really early to go and sneak off and be with Father. And then after a big healing meeting where He'd lay hands on hundreds and hundreds of people, while many people would be going to bed after something like that, He'd run off to spend more time with Father. And unless you've ever laid hands on one or two thousand people at a time, you have absolutely no idea what these so-called "faith healers" go through. That's EXHAUSTING!! Especially with every 11th, 29th, 35th, 52nd, 86th, 93rd, and 105th person that thinks that you're the healer and Christ within you won't do His work UNLESS they tell you their life's story and where and why they hurt!! Since people never change, I'm sure that the same One that chased people out of Jairus's house and completely brutally took over the household to get it free of unbelief and the demonic spirit of grief was probably also saying occasionally in those healing lines "JUST SHUT UP AND RECEIVE MY FATHER'S LOVE!!"
I don't have a better translation handy, and I'm thinking that this is one of those instances where the KJV might actually be a bit better, but in my NASB in Isaiah 50:4:
"The Lord God has given me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple." --end quote.
On your absolute busiest day, Isaiah 58 is still possible for most Western world folks, even if it's uncomfortable. A whip and nails were likewise uncomfortable. Through being a partaker of the fellowship of His sufferings we're saving the world, remember, Body of Christ. Every act of obedience pushes the fast forward button just that much further towards us being what Ephesians 1:23 calls the Church that's All in all.
No one comes to the Father unless the Spirit draws him. So, if that's true, then the only reason that you're ever wanting to pray is because you already have His undivided attention!
All of us should be fasting at least quarterly. If I say monthly or weekly, then the charges are liable to fly of legalism, but at least quarterly if your prayer life's the least bit sincere and genuinely and consistently taking new ground.
Some of you won't be able to receive this 'cause your nose goes straight up any time that my Word of Faith background gets mentioned, but for those of you that can receive it; this is just something that I learned from the Holy Spirit that's been baring ENORMOUS fruit in my own life. Neither Copeland, Hagin, Hinn, Savelle, or anybody else ever said this in my hearing. Have you ever claimed in your prayer life the credit for every step of obedience that Jesus ever took? Have you ever latched hold of the 40days and 40nights of Jesus fasting and laid claim to what He called the Father rewarding you openly?? Are His works on your account with God or not??? Some of you that keep having digestive issues ought to be laying claim to every Word that Jesus ever prayed over His food by faith, believing you received when He prayed (Mark 11:24).
I'm now in an area where I could talk for the rest of the evening and most of the night until half of you would be falling out of the window like in the book of Acts. Some of you are going to need to spend some time in those 4 gospels laying claim to the Deuteronomy 1:11 thousand fold harvest of obedience over every breath that Jesus ever breathed, etc. LOL! And then grab that Bread and Cup and say before the Lord over what you're doing "It's 'cause we're forever One, Lord!"
