This is Part 2 of a three-part series on prayer.
Section 1 – The Call of Apostle Paul and Silas to the Bank of the River!
Section 2 – The Divine Encounter with the Women of God!
Before you read this extended oracle, ask yourself these questions:
What does the Lord want me to see and understand in the Spirit and in the natural as I read this oracle?
What is it He wants me to put into action in serving Him after reading this oracle?
What do I think the Lord will speak to me about prayer, intercession, and worship after reading this oracle?
Lord Jesus, reveal the learnings you want us to understand and digest as we read through these revelations.
Section 1 – The Call of Apostle Paul and Silas to the Bank of the River!
And on the
Sabbath day
We
[Paul and Silas]
went
outside the [city’s] gate
to the
bank of the river
where we supposed there was an
[accustomed]
place of prayer,
and
we sat down and addressed
the women who had assembled there.
…..Sabbath day….
Acts 16:13 (AMP)
On this day, Paul and Silas came to Philippi, a Roman Colony, and stayed several days.
They were there to minister to the people and preach the Cross of Christ. This was their mission – God’s appointed call and assignment.
They were there to carry out the Lord’s assignments. They had no other purpose but to be directed by the Holy Spirit no matter where He led, where they would stay, what He would have them to say, and/or no matter what would be the consequences of preaching the Gospel of Christ. They were all in for Christ to fulfill their call and purpose. Nothing would hinder them or stop them from serving the Lord Jesus.
“…..And on the Sabbath Day…..”
Revelation#1….. Submit, yield, and go. A serious follower of Christ must be willing to submit, yield, and go wherever the Lord leads. One cannot choose one’s mission for the mission must be given by the Lord and carried out by His servant with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is a divine call and mission.
All followers of Christ have been given a mission for the Lord, but most are either not aware of their mission or neglect their mission for they are more concerned about the things of the natural life rather than the spiritual life. Most fall short of fulfilling their call from the Lord for the costs can be great.
Revelation #2 …..The Sabbath Day.
A serious follower of Christ must have one Sabbath day out of seven days of the week.
A Sabbath day means not so much going to a building where the saints are gathered although there is nothing wrong with going to the assembling of the saints.
But a Sabbath means this day becomes a sacred day of seriously seeking the Lord in prayer, worship, and processing His Word and revelations from reading His Word.
It is not a day of pleasure, sports, or entertainment. Let me repeat – it is a sacred and holy day for the Christian to be in communion with Christ, listening, digesting His Word, and His revelations of His Word in the heart and mind. It is a day of seeking the Lord individually and along with the brethren. It is a day of intercession, worship, prayer, and hearing the Word of the Lord from the messengers of God.
Revelation#3….. Daily Sabbaths. Let me take this one step further – for the super serious Christian who desires to walk in the Spirit and in the Scriptures, each day of the week becomes a
Sabbath day – days of continuously seeking Christ, His Call, and His assignments.
The Holy Spirit will guide and direct as we seek Him consistently and passionately. The more we seek, the more He speaks and directs to the assignments He has waiting for us. No seeking – no assignments.
Divine assignments come after seeking His kingdom. Christ said:
But
seek
(aim at and strive after)
first of all His kingdom
and
His righteousness
(His way of doing and being right),
and
then all these things taken together
will be given you besides.
Matthew 6:33 (AMP)
Revelation#4…. Love and Faith. Each day becomes a day of expectation of the Lord speaking to the heart and mind and filling one with His love and faith for it is prayer, love and faith which are the bedrock of the Christian walk and experience.
Without prayer and His love and faith penetrating the life of the Christian each day of the week, the Christian is only a hollow and broken cymbal with no impact on others or the culture.
….. outside the [city’s] gate….
Revelation #5….. Distractions of the World and the Flesh. Paul and Silas did not go the temple and or the synagogue to preach the Message of the Cross on this particular day. The Holy Spirit directed them to leave the hustle and bustle of the city and go outside the city for their assignment was waiting for them in a most unusual place. A place of spiritual ministry requiring the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit will often direct the saint of God away from the distractions of the world and the flesh into a more secluded place where the Holy Spirit can move in greater ways regarding communion with Christ or speaking the Message of the Cross to those gathered to hear, testify, and enter into prayer and worship before the Lord.
Outside the gates represents leaving the busyness of everyday life, outside the clamor and dissonant sounds of the workplace, and outside the plethora of secular thoughts and concerns which burden the mind and heart.
The Lord is always wanting to speak to the heart of His disciples if they are able to quiet themselves and listen as well as obey the Master.
Revelation #6….. A Special Place. It is outside the gates of the city where the Shepherd can meet with His children. A place of stillness and restfulness. A place which refreshes, restores, and brings one into a right standing with Christ.
It is a place of listening, contemplating, and meditating on Him – the Savior of the Cross. It is a place of learning, anointing, and a place of experiencing His love, comfort, and abundant mercies and provisions.
It is a place where Christ meets you and you meet Christ, and your heart and spirit are broken for you see your own sinfulness and blackness in the Light of His presence. It is a place of His extending His forgiveness and love to you and affirming you in the work He has called you to complete in Him.
Lastly, it is a special place of intimate worship, communion, love, and testimony. Out of this place comes Spirit-led direction and Spirit-generated labor for the Kingdom of God. Sadly, few experience this place.
Revelation #7….. Supernatural Tools. It is outside the gates of the natural life that God infuses His saints with the supernatural tools to accomplish His call. God often calls to come outside the gates of the city to meet with Him so He can impart the spiritual tools necessary to administer His grace, love, and faith.
But few hear the call or if they hear the call, they find they are just too busy to obey and go. There is a great battle going on between the flesh and the spirit and many times the flesh wins and the call and mission of the person never gets fulfilled. Thus, the spiritual and power tools of the Kingdom are transferred to those who walk and live in the Spirit.
…..bank of the river…..a place of prayer…..
Paul and Silas went outside the gates of the city and came to the bank of a river. Evidently, this place along the bank river was a place of prayer where people went to seek the Lord and minister to one another.
It is strange that these people (women only) did not go to the temple or synagogue to pray. They did not need a priest/pastor to lead them in prayer. They were seeking God on their own and as a group.
Someone must have told Paul and Silas of this place, and the Holy Spirit led them there. Everywhere Paul, Silas, or Barnabas went, the Spirit of God led them. Read that sentence again – The Spirit of God led them!
Revelation #8……Soul Power vs. Spiritual Power. They were not led by their own intellects, emotions, self-ambitions, or self-importance. In other words, they knew the difference between soul power (flesh leading) and spiritual power (Holy Spirit leading).
There is no Fruit of the Spirit by operating in soul power but much Fruit of the Spirit when the Holy Spirit is in charge.
Allow me to say that when the Holy Spirit in in charge there will be the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in operation with signs, wonders, and miracles taking place to confirm the anointed message of the Cross.
Revelation #9…..When they arrived at their appointed destination, they were shown the work they needed to do for the Lord. In this scene, it becomes a ministry to praying women who separated themselves from the busyness of the Jewish culture to pray. Thank God for women of prayer!
Not only were Paul and Silas to minister the Word of God, but they were called to pray along with the women. Pray first and share later. Prayer takes priority before the message is shared. Much prayer brings a mighty anointing on the message.
Prayer is the springboard for the message to be delivered. No prayer – no real message of value. I have no doubt that the women prayed for Paul and Silas for they may have known that Paul and Silas would be facing stiff and combative opposition from preaching Christ crucified and resurrected.
Earlier in the Book of Acts, while the saints were worshipping the Lord, Luke tells us:
While they were
worshiping
(ministering)
the Lord and
fasting,
(Comment: while waiting on the guidance of the Holy Spirit)
the
Holy Spirit said,
“Separate now for Me
Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which
I have called them.”
(Acts 13:2, Amplified Bible)
Notice, first in the above verse, the worshipping and fasting of the disciples for Saul (Paul) and Barnabas caused the Holy Spirit to speak separation so the call of God could be fulfilled. Again, a divine mission from heaven. We assume that prayer was also included in their worship and fasting.
Revelation #10….......The Separation. The separating was done by Holy Spirit not by man. It was not a separation to get an education, but a separation to be sent, walk in the Spirit, be empowered in the Spirit, and share, teach, and preach in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
This is the true presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with dependence prayer, worship, fasting, moving and outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and separation for assignment. To repeat - spiritual work and both separation and spiritual work emerge out of intimate prayer, worship, and frequent fasting.
If there is no separation by the Holy Spirit, then there is no call and no spiritual work to accomplish. The Call is not a job or a vocation, but a spiritual summoning by the Lord to serve Him in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. It cannot be any other way!
Revelation #11…..Spiritual Labor. Going outside the city gate was a form of separation from the religious activities of the temple or synagogue. It was a call by the Holy Spirit for He was sending them to the bank of the river to do spiritual labor for Christ as well as receive the spiritual labor of the women who would prayer for them. It would be here that they would find a fresh drink of the free-flowing Holy Spirit and be recharged for what they would later encounter in the secular culture of their day.
God will often send to places many would not choose to go. The Call is God-driven not man-driven. This is a hard and difficult principle for many to come to terms with for the flesh of man overrides and overrules the Spirit-driven life.
In addition, the bank of the river represented a holy place of the gathering of people (women) seeking the Lord. It was a place of prayer and worship. It was the Holy Spirit calling Paul and Silas to prayer and testimony along with others (women) on the bank of the river. Women have distinct and powerful place in the things of the Kingdom of God as we see here.
Revelation #12…..Called and Separated. Those desiring to enter into labor for Christ must be called and separated by the Holy Spirit. They must come outside the gates of flesh (self) and the world and position themselves to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit and led by Him into prayer, worship, and spiritual work they are called to do.
…..we sat down and addressed (spoke to) the women who had assembled there.
The first thing Paul and Barabbas did was to sit down among those gathered on the bank of the river. They did not stand and start preaching but quietly sat down and eventually spoke what the Holy Spirit was leading them to speak.
I envision they ministered in a quieting and comforting spirit to the women. I would also propose they first prayed with the women and then shared the message God had given them and perhaps as we alluded to above, the women many have in turn prayed for Paul and Silas.
Revelation#13…..Life blood of the Church. It is interesting to note there were no men at this gathering but only women. Many times, women are more faithful than men when it comes to prayer and intercession for this bank by the river was a place of prayer and it was attended by women plus Paul and Silas. God uses both male and female in performing His wonderful work.
These women were there for one thing and one thing only – to pray. Spirit-led prayer is the life blood of the church and the ministries of the church.
There should be more devotion to concerted and travailing prayer and praise than anything else in the church by both men and women. Prayer is the fulcrum which brings everything into balance and proper perspective on the vision and mission of the church.
Revelation #14…..Centrality of Prayer. Out of prayer comes meaningful worship, anointed preaching, vibrate songs of the Lord, and a church on fire. Without the centrality of prayer in the church, the church can ring hollow and has no life and purpose. It becomes only place of religion rather than a gathering of spiritually vibrant people seeking the Lord and experiencing His glory, presence, and manifestation.
Scripture puts prayer first – not music – not preaching – not Bible study – not entertainment - not elder and deacon meetings – not witnessing or evangelism - not pot-luck suppers, and not social events. We have to continually be remined about prayer and intercession for too many times it is placed on the back burner and crowded out by fleshly ambitions, activities, programs, social gatherings, etc.
Observe:
These all with one mind
were
continually devoting themselves
to prayer,
along with the women,
and
Mary the mother of Jesus,
and
with His brothers.
(Acts 1:14, NASB95)
Now Peter and John
were going up to the temple
at the ninth hour,
the
hour of prayer.
(Acts 3:1, NASB)
But we will
devote ourselves
to prayer
and
to the ministry of the word.
(Acts 6:4, NASB95)
…..rejoicing in hope,
persevering in tribulation,
devoted to prayer,
(Romans 12:12, NASB95)
Stop depriving one another,
except by agreement for a time,
so that you may
devote yourselves to prayer,
and
together again so that Satan
will not tempt you because of your
lack of self-control.
(1 Corinthians 7:5, NASB95)
With all prayer and petition
pray at all times in the Spirit,
and
with this in view,
be on the alert
with all perseverance
and
petition for all the saints…..
(Ephesians 6:18, NASB95)
always offering prayer
with joy in my every
prayer for you all,
(Philippians 1:4, NASB95)
The end of all things is near;
therefore,
be of sound judgment
and
sober spirit
for the purpose of prayer.
(1 Peter 4:7, NASB95)
Revelation #15…..The heart of God is pleased with prayer. The women gathered on the bank of the river to pray. We might say they were devoted to prayer and probably were always or continually in prayer. Their call was to pray, intercede, and seek the Lord. They were a blessing to the Lord!
God is calling in these difficult and turbulent times many to prayer and intercession, but it seems that few take the time to fulfill His call. Prayer is hard work but a work that pleases the heart of the Father.
The women who met on the bank of the river along with Paul and Silas were in unity outside the religious establishment. God was doing something special here in the lives of these women and He included Paul and Silas.
Where there is serious prayer and intercession, there will be unity, harmony, heavenly revelation, and the moving of the Holy Spirit in terms of the His gifts being regularly manifested in the lives of the people.
Revelation #16….. Revival and simple folks. Revival (moving of the Holy Spirit) in the hearts and minds of God’s people usually begins outside the walls of denominations or religious institutions.
The history of revivals has always been unrelated to religious institutions, independent churches, and/or denominations and usually has involved non-clergy people. We might say it involves simple folk hungry and totally consecrated to the Lord in prayer and worship.
No wonder the Lord led Paul and Silas to the praying women. Where saints are in prayer continuously, God brings those with the anointed Word of God into the midst to speak His Word or to prophesy His Word.
Revelation #17….. God responds to the prayers of His called-out ones. It was the prayer of the saints which opened the prison doors so Paul could escape and minister the Word of God (See Acts 16).
While Paul and Silas were sitting and sharing with the women, the Holy Spirit began to single out one godly woman and Paul begins to speak of her character and spirituality.
I have taken these three verses (Acts 16:14-15, 40) and broken them down into segments which leads us to:
Section 2 – The Divine Encounter with the Woman of God!
Now let us transition from what has been presented above and focus on Lydia – a woman of God and a woman of prayer. In the word of Apostle Paul:
One of those who
listened
to us was a woman named
Lydia,
from the city of Thyatira,
a dealer in fabrics dyed in
purple.
Out of all the women present, the Holy Spirit tells us of one woman which He wants us to know about – a woman name Lydia who could have been previously saved by the ministry of Apostle Paul.
Lydia was a businesswoman, who sold fabrics dyed in purple. It was perhaps a lucrative business which probably paid her well. She was in Philippi on business matters and no doubt knew about this prayer gathering along the banks of the river.
Revelation #18…..A Good Listener. The first thing we are told is that she
was a listener. She had a good ear for business opportunities but also for spiritual matters. She knew prayer was important and because of her devotion to prayer, the Lord blessed her as a businesswoman of means and a good reputation. Those who devote their lives to prayer are good listeners and hear the Spirit when He speaks. They are blessed by the Lord!
Revelation #19…..Travailing in Prayer. But there is something more to Lydia which we might want to ponder and that is the name of Lydia means “travail.” I would propose that Lydia was a woman working hard at her trade and a woman of dedication, responsibility, and integrity not only in the business sphere but also in her relationship to the Lord.
Furthermore, she was probably a person who travailed in prayer and intercession. Her life was not just about her vocation as a businesswoman, she knew she was called to pray and worship her Master – Christ Jesus.
A believer of concerted prayer will be blessed by the Lord in any number of ways. The continuous exercise of travailing prayer can bring blessing, revelation, purpose, direction, and guidance from heaven.
Those who travail in prayer often are the ones who become very sensitive to the Lord and are used by the Lord in supernatural ways. Every believer is called to pray but not every believer is called to travail in prayer. To travail in prayer is a call from the Lord and only a few will answer that call.
Luke continues to describe Lydia:
She was [already]
a worshiper of God,
and the
Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what was said by Paul.
(Acts 16:14, Amplified Bible)
Revelation #20…..His Word in the heart. The Holy Spirit informs us that Lydia was a worshipper of God. To be a true worshiper of God one must be born-again, and Lydia was born-again, or the Lord would not have opened her heart to receive from Paul and Silas.
Again, as a born-again person and a worshiper of the Lord, the Lord opened Lydia’s heart to hear Paul’s message. The Lord wanted to plant His Word into the heart or the center of Lydia’s being. He had a special call on her life which we will see below.
Revelation #21…..The heart of the person. It is the same today with believers – it is the heart of the person which God desires to change for out of the heart come the issues of life. Out of the heart comes the character and destiny of the person.
Out of a pure and holy heart comes the holy assignments of the Lord. Out of the heart comes true and authentic worship of the Lord. It is what is in heart, which governs the actions, attitudes, and behaviors of a person.
Revelation #22…..Activate heaven. The Holy Spirit wants us to see from Lydia that worship of the Lord leads the Lord to open one’s heart to what He desires to speak. He wants to speak to us more then we want to listen.
We might say that worship coupled with prayer can activate the heavenly realm in a big way. We need to be a people of worship and prayer 24/7 and not just on Sunday or Wednesday nights in the church setting.
Revelation #23…..Change in Character. There is something else we need to notice here and that is the opening of the heart causing one to pay attention to what is being said either by the Lord or by His messenger.
As mentioned before, the Lord desires to speak to the heart and to get His message to the inner part of the person for this is what changes the character of the person and causes one to be more like Christ and to follow Christ. Once again, Luke says:
…..and the
Lord opened her heart
to respond to the things
spoken by Paul.
If the person refuses to open their heart to the Lord, then the person will not respond to the speaking and leading of the Lord. The person may hear what is being said, but the heart will not respond or obey. It is closed for some reason - perhaps hardness, unforgiveness, selfishness, lust, pride, worldly or religious ambitions, disobedience, etc.
The heart can be either obedient or disobedient to the Lord. People can sit in church all their lives and hear the Word preached but if they refuse to allow the Lord to open their hearts, they are being disobedient to the Lord. Sadly, they become known as carnal Christians doing very little for the Kingdom of God.
Evidently, a little time later, after meeting with Paul and Silas on the Bank of the River, Luke goes on to record:
And when
she was baptized
along with
her household,
she earnestly entreated us,
saying,
If in your opinion
I am one really convinced
[that Jesus is the Messiah
and
the Author of salvation]
and
that
I will be faithful to the Lord,
come to my house and stay.
And she induced us [to do it].
Again, it must have been a few days later that Lydia and those in her house were baptized into Christ Jesus (water baptism). They believed, accepted Christ, and then they were baptized in water.
After the baptism, she asked if Paul and Silas would stay at her house. The Scripture says that she “earnestly entreated” meaning she spoke assertively and persuasively that she wanted them to stay at her home.
It was not Paul’s custom to accept kindnesses and financial support from converts when planting churches, but Lydia’s strong appeal won him over. She would not take no for an answer. It was the Holy Spirit working through Lydia who was addressing Paul and Silas.
Revelation #24….. Grace of God. When the gospel is preached, and accepted by those who hear it, they want to bless the one who brought it. Blessings follow the preaching, teaching, or sharing of the gospel of Christ.
This is the grace of God in action. One commentary said that “Lydia’s practice of hospitality demonstrates….. that those who experience the saving grace of God become gracious” (IVP New Testament Commentary on Acts). May that be true for all the followers of Jesus!
Lydia tells Paul and Silas:
…..I am one really convinced
[that Jesus is the Messiah
and
the Author of salvation]
In her conversation with Paul and Silas about staying at her house, she wanted him to know for certain that she was a believer, and she was saved because of her belief in Christ. She was a solid believer in Christ, and no one could tell her differently. He was her salvation. Her heart was converted and smitten with the Savior.
Her life had been changed by Christ for her heart was opened by the Lord to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. God instantly gave Lydia the spiritual gift of hospitality and Paul and Silas were the first recipients of such a gift.
Revelation #25…. Spiritual Gift. When a person receives Christ, and lives for Christ, He imparts a spiritual gift for them to use to further His Kingdom. This spiritual gift generated, imparted, and motivated by the Holy Spirit.
Many in the Body of Christ have no idea what the Will of God is or what spiritual gift God has given them. I once asked a Pastor how many in his church knew the will of God and knew what their spiritual gifts. He said very few – less than 10%.
Lydia continues to tell Paul and Silas:
I will be
faithful
to the Lord,
come to my house and stay.
and
she induced us
[to do it].
Lydia’s house actually became a church house for the saints to gather together and seek the Lord. Christ used this lady, the first convert in Europe, because she was a believer in Him, a seeker of Him, and a worshiper of Him.
She was a prayer warrior, a lady of integrity, a person who recognized true spiritual authority, and a true servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. How could Paul and Silas turn down her invitation to come to her house? They couldn’t. It was the Holy Spirit drawing them to her hospitality to come into her house and stay a few days. The gift of hospitality is a most wonderful gift for it creates relationships and commitment to others.
Revelation #26.…. Tests. God will often bring people into your path to see how you will
react to them. He wants to test your hospitality and giving spirit to see if you really will show the love of Christ to them even though they may not be the most desirable people you want to be around. It seems God is always testing in this area of relationships. We need to be sensitive in this area for it often reveals our spiritual condition – do we love others to the degree that we would lay our lives down for them?
Lydia’s Church House
There is more to be said of Lydia and her relations to others and her call and gift of hospitality. On a particular evening (around 12 midnight), Lydia was having church in her house and no doubt all were in prayer and worship. At the same time, Paul and Silas were “sitting in prison praying and singing of praise to God….”
The prayers and worship from Lydia and the people in her house along with Paul and Silas’s worship and prayers while praying in prison moved God to visit by an angelic being and He supernaturally opened the prison doors for Paul and Silas to leave. Where did they go? They went to Lydia’s house to deliver a message of warning, comfort, and encouragement to the people.
So
[Paul and Silas]
left the prison
and
went to Lydia’s house;
and
when they had seen the brethren,
they
warned and urged
and
consoled and encouraged
them and departed.
(Acts 16:40, Amplified Bible)
Revelation #27…. Power of prayer. What we learn here is the power of prayer and worship and how both can impact the physical reality of believers. I am confident that Lydia and the church in her house were praying for Paul and Silas while they were in prison.
God answered her prayer and those she was with as well as God noting the joyful attitude of Paul and Silas praying and singing and rejoicing while in chains in the prison. As a result, God moved the spiritual dimension into the physical dimension by opening the prison doors and setting Paul and Silas free. This is just breath-taking
Revelation #28….Power of prayer and worship. The church needs to get hold of this – authentic-heart worship and prayer in combination are powerful both in generating God’s supernatural actions in the lives of individual believers and the corporate church.
It is the grace of God working through prayer and worship which activates the supernatural in the gathering of God’s seekers. This is what makes the church alive, vibrant, relevant, and powerful in the midst of a wicked and pagan culture. The Church is dead without day and night prayer and supplication and the supernatural activities of the Holy Spirit taking place on a regular basis.
A Fellowship Experience
Revelation #29….. Prayerlessness. Prayer and worship are the mainstay of the Church – the priority of the church – the centrality of the church. And yet we often observe that prayerlessness can pervade the church and worship which is more man-centered than God-focused which flows from the lips of people whose hearts are unclean and do not fear and revere the Lord and His Christ.
I remember a number of years ago, my wife and I were part of a campus ministry where every Friday night about 100 university students and town’s people gathered at a professor’s house.
People were everywhere in this house – sitting on floor, sitting on the porch, sitting on chairs and couches, sitting in adjacent rooms, etc. The hunger of the people for the moving of the Lord in power through prayer and worship was just awesome. I have not witnessed anything like it since.
The fellowship started out in concerted prayed and thanksgiving and moved into corporate worship with three or four guitar players leading the people in singing the Psalms. We only sung the Psalms which had melodies to them. The people would often suggest a particular Psalm to be sung.
The worship would go on for over an hour when all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit would drop upon us, and we would all stand and begin to sing in tongues to the Lord for 10-15 minutes followed by a Word of prophecy or tongues with interpretation of tongues.
What followed was the presence of the Holy Spirit moving in healing individuals right on the spot. Let me say that the Holy Spirit did His work while we just let Him take complete control while we prayed and continued in quiet worship.
God would then anoint a teacher of the Word to bring the Word to the people which would sometimes last 1-2 hours of teaching under a powerful anointing. The Word brought forth was usually a spontaneous Word with no notes or preparation but allowing the Spirit to speak through God’s messenger.
The fellowship started at 7:00 pm and ended around 10:00 and sometimes 11:00 pm. Afterwards, people who wanted ministry were asked to come downstairs to meet with 3-5 men. Each Friday night, ministry would involve anywhere from 15-30 people all receiving personal ministry in a separate room one by one.
As we ministered to each person, the Gifts of the Spirit were flowing like water coming out of a facet. The Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom, Discerning of Spirits, Gift of Faith, Gifts of Healings, etc. were in continuous operation for each person who came to get what they needed from the Lord and He never disappointed.
This would sometimes go on till 5:00 am. God was able to minister to hundreds if not thousands who came to this Fellowship over a period of seven years.
And to think, none of us who ministered in the leading of the Holy Spirit had theological or Bible School degrees. We were just servants of the Lord called to minister in revelation, authority, and power of the Lord. Oh, were we hunger and thirsty for Him!!
I say all of this to bring home the importance of true and authentic heart-felt worship and prayer/intercession to the Lord. The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit love worship and prayer from His seeking people and as a result dwells in the midst bringing forth signs, wonders, and miracles.
Effective ministries are bathed in worship and prayer more than anything else. It attracts the supernatural moving of the Holy Spirit in a variety of ways which brings people into a greater understanding and experience of spiritual reality.
Conclusion
Lydia’s call was not only to prayer and worship but to act as a spiritual prison-door-opener so the servants of God could go and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Truly, Lydia was a person of great prayer, worship, faith, hospitality, and worth to the Kingdom of God. May it be so with those who read this oracle.
Rich Arnold
Servant of the Lord
311 Adelaide Ave SW
Hartville, Ohio 44632
330-704-9306
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