Interview_Agu_Edit

Agu, One of the things that has always struck me about the Redeemed is this incredible commitment to prayer, which I think goes right back to the beginning of the church's history, these all-night prayer meetings, this disciplined, continual prayer, of coming to meet God. When we pray, in whichever way we do, Thy Kingdom Come, what do you think is happening? What do you think the response of God is? Well it's interesting because I just did a study around does God answer prayers? And I think I was actually probably surprised myself at the overwhelming evidence in the Scriptures that God answers prayers. And so I'm encouraging as many people as will listen and just saying to them, God does answer prayers. When we pray we're praying to a God who listens and a God who answers. He might not answer in the way we want, but answer it He will. I mean if I pick up that thought, because I think that's really quite an interesting one and a very important one – you know I get letters every year after Thy Kingdom Come saying how do I pray for my brother, my son, my daughter, my mother, my husband, my wife? I've been praying for them for years and years and they still haven't become Christians, what am I doing wrong? What would you say to them? You're not doing anything wrong, just – I'd encourage them to persevere, to hold on, to keep praying, to keep believing. One of the things we get out of prayer – in addition to the answer, eventually - is that prayer actually changes the person praying. So it deepens your faith, your trust in God – you get, in addition to the answer to the prayer, the reward of prayer is that you get more of God. I mean thinking about that, and one of the great examples of prayer that I've heard you talking about very recently was Elijah praying for the end to the drought. I mean that passage has been on your heart a bit from the Old Testament, hasn't it? Yes, it has, certainly. I mean, what struck you about that? Because I think Elijah was changed by that? Yes, I think a number of things struck me. I think the fact he'd heard this sound of rain, so he had some sort of promise from God that he was holding on to. But when he starts praying, the servant goes to look for the sign that the prayer has been answered, which would be the cloud. And the servant comes back six times to say, there is nothing. And that must have been very demoralising for the prophet who was believing in God. And we go through that in life when we're praying and we're holding on and the circumstances are saying very loudly 'There is nothing, this is a waste of time.' But I guess the moral in the story is that he just held on and just continued praying. And the seventh time the servant comes back and this time he doesn't come back with the same 'There is nothing,' he comes back to say, 'Something is happening.' On the horizon, which means it is still a distance away, but something is happening, there's a cloud the size of a man's fist that is rising on the horizon. So I think that speaks to us as we pray especially with Thy Kingdom Come that we just hold on, we just keep praying, we just believe at some point God will respond; and answer our prayers. It's fascinating, because each of these – I've been talking to a number of Christian leaders and all the things they've said have been complementary – adding to one another, without in any sense being preset. I hadn't told you what they'd said. But your message is persevere [yes] just keep at it. Yes, we have no choice [Laughs] we just have to. [Well that is certainly true] We absolutely have no choice. I quite often feel that. Well thank you very very much indeed Agu, it's very kind and I pray that God will bless your churches as they join in this as He's blessing ours. Thank you [Thank you]