Foundation of Prayer » HARVEST MINISTRY

Foundation of Prayer
4/18/99

Abiding Prayer

“And, being assembled together with them, (Jesus) commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts1:4-5).

“And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren (Acts1:13-14).

“The upper room pattern holds the secret of it all. There the Lord shut about 120 people in a prayer meeting and gave them the keys to the kingdom of heaven. With it He gave us His master piece, and His master plan for revival. He at once made it the centerpiece of the New Testament, and of history—turning history into His Story for revival, and for everything else, including the fulfillment of His great commission.

One little prayer meeting of about 120 in an upper room in the city of Jerusalem is to do it all? Who would believe it? Who would have thought of it? No man! Men have tried to improve on that plan, but they always fail.

But, ‘Dear Lord, don’t You have an alternate plan? A back-up plan, in case this one fails?’

‘No! I have no alternate plan. And it will not fail! That prayer meeting will do it all! It will be so powerful that even the gates of hell will not prevail against it. It will speedily become My church, and I’m going to change the world with it. You just read the book of Acts and you will see how to do it! In fact, I did tell you. Were you listening? I told you in My last word on earth. I never spoke more plainly. Did you hear Me? ‘But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). Didn’t you hear Me? I’m going to change the world through abiding prayer.’” Armin R. Gesswein

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:42-47).

“But the anointing (Holy Spirit) which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing (Holy Spirit) teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him” (1 John 2:27).

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall

prophesy:…” (Acts 2:17-18).

To receive the fullness God wants for us through His gift of the Holy Spirit, we must humble ourselves and pray with all our heart. We must truly desire to follow the teachings of Christ. We must seek God to give us a true repentant heart so that we might not surrender to sin. We must press forward to live a life that would please God, knowing that one day we will stand in His judgment. God’s gift to us of the Holy Spirit should not be taken lightly, for He testifies of Christ, Who is the resurrection power of the living God within us.

“If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Prayer Life

At this time I (Jerry) would like to share some of my prayer life with you. For a number of years now, as part of my prayer time, I ask the Lord what is on His heart. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you now. This is what the Spirit of the Lord spoke to my heart one day:

* “You see, My son, My bride is in bondage. You will see differently if you see Me as your groom. Do you really think I will not punish an unfaithful wife? Wake up, My children; you crush your own children in your sin. Heavy are the burdens you place on those around you, for you do not share My love for them. You have ventured far from the love you are to give Me. Stop and consider why I speak to you this way. Look around you, My children; you will rot in your rebellion, and you are useless to Me. My house is built on a foundation of loving Me. If you love other ways, you defile the love I have for you.

Read My word. Seek My truth. Stop and consider your fate and those I have given to you. Do not be worthless to Me any longer, for you were created to love Me. My servant speaks of My love for you; do not close your ear to him, for he speaks what I have spoken to him. Consider the time you have. Consider why I have sent him to you. Set your pride at My feet and humble yourself to the Lord your God. These days are short and your seasons are few. Come to Me now, I will forgive you and I will restore that which has been taken from Me. I need not speak more this day, for in My Word your fate is sealed.”

On December 1, 1996, Jerry received a vision:

I was on a stage with another man. The stage was dimly lit and we were alone in an auditorium. The man handed me a charge card. He explained my personal account number on the card and that every time I sinned, the sin was credited to my account.

He then led me across the stage to a machine. He explained that this was the forgiveness machine, and when I wanted to zero out my sin account, all I had to do was put my account card into the machine, punch in my pass code and then my sins would be forgiven and my card would be returned to me.

He encouraged me to try it out. I put my confession charge card into the forgiveness machine and punched in my pass code. It was easy to understand and do. When the machine was finished processing my transaction, it returned my card to me. I reached out and pulled my card from the slot and it was covered with blood.

I said to the man, “My card is covered with blood!” He said to me, “The cost of your forgiveness was the precious blood of Jesus at the cross. Every time you receive forgiveness, you need to understand what it cost to forgive you.” End vision

The following words are six separate messages that the Spirit of God spoke to Jerry’s heart during prayer times:

* “The gateway to redemption is through a repented heart. No cleansing can occur without My forgiveness. I will make you acceptable in this way. The longer you wait, the weight of sin presses you down. Come and be lifted by My forgiveness. You can not see clearly in your darkness. I am the light that makes you see. Seek My discernment through My Spirit and I will reveal your sin to you. You must choose one or the other. You must believe that I know all things; if you do not, you will not see all I have for you.

Enter through My gate, My way, and receive from Me. You who are weary come to Me; I will give you rest. Abide in Me and I will abide in you. If you will not release yourself to Me, you will fall away. Come, do not hesitate, My time draws near to you. Better a man be a slave for good than in bondage to evil. I love you; do not fear. Tell them to come to Me now.”

* “Your seeking Me pleases Me. Counting the cost is a daily submission to Me. You hear well. As you count the cost, you sense the repercussions of following Me. It is in the giving of one’s self over to Me, and your concerns, in faith, that I am in control of all matters. I work all things for good in this way. If you listen and obey Me, I intercede with the Father on behalf of My children. Do not concern yourself about how things are done; do as I tell you. Because of this, your faith will increase in Me. To believe is one thing; to have faith is another. As your faith grows in Me, My power is released through you. No man can change My Father’s way; My way never changes.

All struggles are for increasing faith in Me; they are to grow you into Me. Come now, I will hold you up. I will teach you in My ways. This is the way to life in Me. Please Me, and you please My Father who lives in Me, as I am in Him.

Can a man change anything of value to Me? What you value most reveals your heart to Me. I see your heart; I know your ways. I will give you My heart and My ways, but you must choose. My Father’s will must be fulfilled through Me; My will must be fulfilled through you. This pleases My Father; therefore, you please Me. To please man is of man; to please Me is of God. Learn this lesson and enter into My presence and know that I am.

I am calling My children back to Me. Do not fear, for I have great love for you. Come, be with Me. All things are possible for those in Christ Jesus. I am the One who intercedes for you. Come to Me now, we have much work to do. My bride awaits; I come for her soon.”

* “I come as the light into the world, but this present world lives in darkness. My light will shatter this present darkness. All who see now will see then. They will trust in Me because they trust in Me now. If you trust in Me now, My strength will hold you up in all My ways, because in My ways, you will see clearly through Me.

Man sees through his mind; he thinks what he sees. To see clearly, you must see with your heart, and a heart yielded to Me will see clearly. You see what I want you to see. You will think what I want you to think and do. It is in following that pleases Me. My time with you is precious to Me, for I have great love for you. I desire all to see. Come, see what I see, and you will know the things only I can share with you.

Come, drink deeply of Me, for this is My Body poured out for you. You must choose; you choose this day who you will serve. I require servants who see clearly through Me to fulfill My Father’s will. As many who will follow Me, I will give them new life, for this is My Father’s will. You may share this message, for My ways are eternal; they never change; it has been this way from the beginning and will be forevermore. Tell them to come to Me now.”

* “All treasure is found in Me. If you seek the riches of this world, it will only satisfy your empty heart. If you put your money in the bank or spend it somewhere on something, it only satisfies yourself. You cannot buy My love through money. To receive My love, you must spend yourself on Me. It is in the giving over of oneself to Me that you acquire My riches. My riches satisfy completely; you will not hunger for more. You will thirst for more, but you will not hunger for more. Do not spend yourself on foolish things that pass away, for if you spend yourself on this world, all you have will pass away. There is no honor in this, there is only self. Seek first the kingdom of God in all your ways. I know your needs; I will care for you.

Do you believe you control life? My Father created all life. Do not be fooled in this way, for you cannot fool the giver of life. You hide in the open for all to see; I know all things. Come to Me now; I alone can satisfy your empty heart, for I have great love for you. Come and be filled with Me, and I will dwell in you.

You live in buildings of wood and stone; I live in your heart. Do not reject Me, for I am the stone the builders rejected. If you love Me, you will abide in Me. If you love this world, you feed yourself. As many who will follow Me, I will give them new life. I have paid the price in full. Come and receive from Me. Freely I give, freely you must come.”

* “When a man crosses a road to the other side, he must first look to see if the way is clear. If you value your life in this way, should it not be the same for eternal life? Come, I am the way; the road is clear, but you must first look to Me.

There are many roads for you to travel on, but there is only one road to Me. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. I am the road to the Father. The road to sin and death is for those who do not look to Me. In all your ways, look to Me. Remember, there is only one road; you must choose which road you will travel.

On the road you choose you see many things you want to see. On My road I show you what I see. Come and see what I see; I have much to show you. You will see differently through My eyes; all things are made clear through Me. Come, come now, I will help you see.”

* “There are ways and there is wisdom; in My ways there is wisdom. True wisdom is only found in Me. Man’s wisdom is for earthly endeavor. Through My wisdom I came into being and in being you will come to know My wisdom. Through My wisdom you will know My way. Never believe in man’s wisdom, for My ways are higher than your ways. All life was created by Me; where is your wisdom in this? You cannot change My ways; follow My ways, for this is life.

Everyone has a choice; choices are based on wisdom; whose wisdom is your choice. All matters are in My control; to choose any other way is foolish. In your wisdom, do not be fooled, there is only one way. You must choose, one or the other.”

“For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which He hath made crooked”
(Ecclesiastes 7:12-13)?

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2: 7-8).

On July 31, 1997, Jerry received a vision:

I saw a father and a young child walking together. It was a sunny day and trees lined the sidewalk where they were. I could tell the little toddler was just learning how to walk. The toddler was holding the father’s hand tightly and was walking on the balls of its' feet. I could see how unsteady the child was.

The father was patient and walked slowly, looking down to his little one. The child would take a few steps and look up at the father. The father’s warm loving smile seemed to be all the little one needed to keep trying to walk.

They would walk a little while and the toddler would frequently stop to look up to the father for approval and encouragement. Then the little one mis-stepped and stumbled, but the tight grip of the father’s hand did not allow the child to fall. The father stopped and patiently waited until the little one regained its’ footing. The toddler looked up at the father, and again there was his warm, encouraging smile, letting the little one know it was OK and to try again. That is all the little one seemed to need to keep going on.

As they were walking, the father noticed the little one beginning to tire, so he reached down and gathered the child into his arms and to his chest. The toddler lay its’ head on the father’s shoulders and closed its’ eyes to rest. End vision

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand” (Psalm 37:23-24).

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight” (Matthew 11:25-26).

Ready To Listen

No matter where we are in our walk with Jesus, if we ask Him to forgive us of our sins and we mean it with all our heart, He will forgive us. God will open up the most wonderful revelations to us if we ask Him. Ask the Lord to teach you; He will. Ask the Lord to help you with anything; there is nothing He doesn’t already know about you. He will meet us as we are; the question is, are we willing to abide in Him? Are we willing to obey His first command? Seeking God in prayer is the beginning of knowing Him. As we humble ourselves and ask the Lord to minister to us, He will. God has given us the Holy Spirit and by His Spirit we can do all things through Christ Jesus Who strengthens us.

If we don’t talk to the Lord, and listen to Him, will we have a relationship with Him? If we do not know Him, how can we love Him? If we do not love Him, we are not following the first command God gave to the world, and the light God has given to us will not be seen. In this life our only hope for life everlasting is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind.

Please pray and study the word of God, for He is our daily bread and without Him we starve and die. Call upon the Holy Spirit to help you, and the lost and dying world all around us.

On December 14, 1997, the Spirit of Lord spoke these words to Jerry’s heart:

* “I will never leave you or forsake you. As My time draws near to you, count the hours of each day with Me. Abide in Me closely. Some will fear for the things I am about to do. Hold fast to My word. Do as I tell you and have no fear. Do not wander from Me; stay close to Me. My temple is being built in those I choose. My harvest is near; tares will fall away; the fruit of My Spirit will be abundant. Even so, many will fall away. Over and over again I have been saying, ‘Come to Me. Come to Me now.’”

If the Lord has been speaking to your heart during this time today, the Holy Spirit is prompting you. God says in His word that Christians are at war for their salvation. Please understand the Holy Spirit was given to us because the Father loves us and wants us to be with Him now and later. When the apostles asked Jesus how to pray, the Son of God asked His Father for His kingdom to come and His will to be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Jesus prayed and asked His Father to make us holy as He and the Father are holy. Do we get the connection? God the Father answered the prayers of His Son; the Father sent the Holy Spirit so we can walk on earth in righteousness, free from the bondage of sin and fully equipped to do His will. If we live life in loving relationship with God, and love Him with our prayers and obedience to His commands, meaning it with all of our heart, He will hear from heaven and will heal our land. We do not have to wait for revival, revival is here; receive it through the Holy Spirit. God does not want anyone to perish, but the choice is made by committing our life to Jesus Christ alone.

This is what the Spirit of the Lord spoke to Jerry’s heart in April of 1999:

* “Do not fear, My son; I will never leave you even to the end of this world. Beaches will be swept clean as a wave of glory rolls across My seas. Land will not contain the force I exert to push free those who follow My way. Much labor is coming as I reap and sow My chosen ones. Lost forever are those who count their ways, for I give you one way to life everlasting. Turn in the false hopes this world lies to you. Nothing has changed in My word; you simply will not believe. Blessed are those whom My Father has chosen; pray that they will wake from their sleep of lies.

With eyes wide open you will see the mastery of My heaven here on this earth. To be ready for Me is wise. To share My love is honoring to Me and you will sit with Me at My Fathers’ table. To be close to Me is wise, for these days are short and My bridge is built for you. Come and gather as one, for soon you will see as one. All will know, but many will not understand. Be at work for Me, for I will instruct you through My Spirit, and what My Spirit speaks to you, He has heard from Me. Be at peace with one another, for great divisions will fall upon you; only through My love will I rescue you. Do as I have done, for this is life and My righteousness was given and stands for you today. Do not back down, for I strengthen those who truly love Me. Press in to Me and give Me your heart. You and I will then become one.”

“If only you will prepare your heart and lift up your hands to Him in prayer! Get rid of your sins and leave all iniquity behind you. Then your face will brighten in innocence. You will be strong and free of fear. You will forget your misery. It will all be gone like water under the bridge. Your life will be brighter than the noonday. Any darkness will be as bright as morning. You will have courage because you will have hope. You will be protected and will rest in safety. You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help” (Job 11:13-19 NLT).

Intercessors for America Newsletter—Armin R. Gesswein