When Heaven Calls Us to Pray

Around twenty one thousand people had packed KenPark Surabaya a few minutes before the praise began. Both public transportations and personal vehicles had flooded the parking yard where Surabaya for Jesus crusade was being held. In two nights from 29 -30th April 2011, as many as two thousand six hundred and fifteen people responded to the altar call to accept Jesus as their Lord and personal Savior. It was one of the living proofs of revival still taking place in the city. When I recall God's movement in this country, I realize that it all started with a single seed called prayer!

A revival always begins with prayer. Every repentance and life changes is always triggered by people who are willing to pay the price through prayer and tears. When a prayer movement is sparked, what is our response when heaven calls us to pray?

1. Surrender our personal rights
   Prayer has always been costly. We can’t truly pay unless we are willing to surrender our personal rights. Heavenly calling requires a total surrender! If we allow ourselves to be caught up gripping our pride so tightly, our hearts can never be sensitive enough to pray for the need of salvation of others. If we refuse to leave our comfort zones, our prayers will only revolve around our personal needs. Every personal right that we hold on too tightly will cause us to set the wrong priorities in life. When heaven calls us to pray, goods, wealth, position and power can never satisfy our innermost being. That hallow can only be filled when we surrender our rights to obey His calling.
2. Surrender our dreams
   A calling to pray is the highest calling because intercession is the closest thing to the Father's heart. It takes more than surrendering our lives today, but also surrendering our future as well. This is perhaps the hardest thing for us to surrender to God. However, our Christ-like shaping will never reach perfection unless we surrender our future and worry to Him. Our position is now interchanged from a lord into a servant who is willing to give away the control over his life to someone greater than himself. No longer do we pursue our personal ambitions, but we exchange our dreams for something bigger, that is God's calling to pray.

Rain of repentance will not fall if there are no tears committed to Him. Every drop of tear to cry for the lost will be exchanged with the life changes of the people we are praying for. In truth, the distance to revival is only as far as the distance between our knees and the floor. One thing for sure, when heaven calls our names, our hearts will be different! Be sure to jump into the prayer movement when it sweeps your land.

"If not YOU, than WHO will it be? If not HERE, then WHERE else will it be? If not NOW, then WHEN will it be?"

by Philip Mantofa

When heaven calls our names, our hearts will be different!