Pray for Us!

I want to talk to you today about one of the most sacred callings of the church in one is often neglected stage for the line of fire with your host activist and author, international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown your voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution Michael Brown is the director of the coalition of conscience and resident of fire school of ministry get into the line of fire. Now, like always 866-34-TRUTH that's 866-34-TRUTH your again is Dr. Michael Brown friends the line of fire.

I am so excited about today's broadcast open up the Scriptures and weigh in on one of the most important things God is given the church to do one of the greatest ministries is something that every single believer can be part of. I will be taking calls today. In fact, if you could utter prayer for me as your listening. I am either in route to Singapore as you listen, are you listening a little bit later in the week delayed on the broadcast then you will be able to pray for me ministering in Singapore. I believe it's going to be one of the most important trips I've taken in my life for the hundred 50 overseas trips.

I don't say that lightly. Key meetings will have with key leaders in the nation.

Both business leaders and spiritual leaders, and others and lots of preaching and ministry so please pray that the purposes of God will be accomplished by my colleague Gary and I will be graced by God as we travel. It's probably about 30 hours in each direction may be a little bit longer than that and then a 12 hour time differential so thank you thank you for praying. In fact, that ties in with exactly what I want to talk with you about on the line of fire today. Let me read the words of Charles Spurgeon. He was commenting on.

First Thessalonians 525 one of Paul's calls to the church to pray for him. Spurgeon says this this one morning in the year we reserved to refresh the reader's memory upon the subject of prayer for ministers and we do most earnestly implore every Christian household to grant the fervent request of the text first uttered by an apostle, and now repeated by us brethren, pray for us brethren. Spurgeon says our work is solemnly momentous involving wheel or woes of salvation damnation to thousands.

We treat with souls for God on eternal business and our word is either a savor of life until life or death unto death of very heavy responsibility rests upon a Spurgeon says it will be no small mercy.

If, at the last we be found clear of the blood of all men as officers in Christ Army with a special mark of the enmity of many devils.

They watch for halting and labor to take us by the heels are sacred calling, involves us in temptations from which you are exempt above all too often draws us away from our personal enjoyment of truth, interministerial and official consideration of we meet with many naughty cases in which are the nonplussed.

We observe very said backsliding to our hearts are wounded, we see millions perishing. Our spirits sink which the property bar preaching. We desire to be blessed your children. We want to be useful both to Saints and sinners, therefore, dear friends, intercede for us with our dog miserable manner.

We if we miss the eight of your prayers, but happier we if we live in your supplications. You do not look to us but to our master for spiritual blessings and how many times has he given those lessons through his ministers asked them again and again that we may be the earthen vessels into which the Lord may put the treasure of the gospel.

We the whole company of missionaries, ministers, city missionaries and students do in the name of Jesus beseech you, brethren, pray for us today. Friends I want to talk to about the importance of the ministry of prayer in general. Evan Roberts in the Welsh revival 1904 1905 said that his calling was to call the church to its needs to call the church to prayer is a church on its needs is a resistible but I will explain to why it is so critically important to pray for those of us who serve and covet your prayers.

I was about about the phone number but I'm not going as a special right, we will file the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the minor fire now by going 866-34-TRUTH dear again is Dr. Michael Brown. Looking back fire.

This is Michael Brown. I am delighted to today. We are focused on a special teaching on the ministry of prayer. In particular, the call to pray for leaders let let me explain. One thing just speaking from my heart to you. Honestly, for many years.

I was reluctant to call people to pray for me in our home congregation or leadership team would often be on the road different ones traveling out ministry. I thought all I want to draw attention to myself.

Pray for me and everybody's out ministry pushing hard and then it seemed almost selfish to ask for prayer and instructed me at a certain point that that that was really a false humility is not about me is so about my success is for the good of the body. So let me give you an analogy right. Let's say that we are soldiers together fighting infinite terrible terrible war and we get stranded behind enemy lines and were out of communication with the rest of our troops who need to come and rescue us and and one soldier has to go back through enemy lines to try that.

Find a place to communicate with the rest of the troops communicate with the base set everyone else get out safely, otherwise our entire group could die. And let's say you were the one that we chose all right. You've got to go back through enemy lines and risk your life so that you can get to communication that the rest of us can be safe before you go you look at us and say hey man, pray for me. Pray for me that I make it. As I write you anything about you know you mean pray for me so I can get there in the mission can succeed so that everybody else can be rescued and not die. This is not about your pastor or your spiritual leaders. This is not about me. This is about the work of God and because certain responsibilities have been entrusted to us in leadership because the battle is ultimately spiritual because the greatest weapon that that we have is the weapon of prayer it.

It is the most of effective thing that we can do is intercede with Almighty God.

It's not prayer or action is prayer and action to prayer itself is a powerful spiritual action so when we ask you to pray for us. It's because there are responsibilities that are thrust on us is because there are challenges in the mission that are given to us.

Hey, look at this, Paul constantly asked for prayer policy. A history maker.

Paul went out and change the ancient world to preaching the gospel and wrote letters and these letters are read to this day and still have a mighty impact on the whole world and he said pray for me. To the extent his mission succeeded the gospel advanced and if you think of of the importance of prayer for leaders. Think of Jesus in Luke 22 talking to Peter and he explains to Peter that Satan has asked for him asked permission to destroy them to sift in microwave and Jesus said, I've I've prayed for you.

I prayed for you and when you turn back, strengthen the brothers. In other words, you gotta fall Peter but because of my prayers for you.

You can return back to make it.

Satan is really going to hit your heart, but by prayers for your guy carries route and when you turn back, strengthen the brothers. This is for the good of the body.

So leaders have a special responsibility before God and man will be judged more strictly. More is expected from us too much is given much is required.

Think of this, God cares about you and your family. Just like he cares about your pastor and his family all right. He loves you. Jesus shared the same blood for you but let's say your pastor is discouraged because of intense spiritual attack is both were really hard time and because of that he has difficulty really preparing a solid message to teach on Sunday� Got 500 people in your congregation and and it's just kind of a word that goes nowhere in the Scriptures are really opened up to the living way, leave the way he came. While he is not doing well will have a much bigger effect on more people than if you were just struggling a little bit down on not know not your normal self and yet you can affect a few people around your family are someone else that that might be looking for your encouragement, but otherwise if that pastor fails to do his job well. It's can affect a lot more people in the same way if if someone in the congregation let's say, a married man leaves his wife commits adultery is terrible it affects the family and hurts many lives and hurts those that knew them. It's painful, pray for his repentance and restoration of the family and for grace to sustain family, but that impact is a fraction of the impact if that same man was a well-known minister. Let's say on TV, reaching millions and then he leaves his license at commits adultery.

The implications of that are much, much bigger and it brings much more reproach to the name of Jesus. So it's it's another reason to pray for leaders because if we do well we help a lot more people if we fail, we hurt a lot more people and we are called to serve you and this is the reciprocal thing we serve you. We pour ourselves out for you. It's my joy to be on the radio. It's my joy to travel and preach a sludge order to write and do all the things that I'm privileged to do as a servant of the Lord when I'm I'm there for you over the weekend this past weekend in Orlando, Florida. I I join some other messianic Jewish leaders and we were there to minister to. I don't know. Maybe 100 messianic Jewish young people college-age thereabouts also was a small meeting in terms of numbers of people reached, but of their precious young people, and I want to pour into the younger generation, but I only had one day spare before going to Singapore and they said okay if you give us one day. It was one day so I flew in Friday night after radio and then I taught the young people 1030 to 1230 in the morning and then to before I met with eight different individual young people 15 minutes each. Different leaders each met with different ones. So was two hours of meeting with young people speak into their lives and answering questions and then a talk from. From there, from 4 to 6 and then we had dinner break, and then basically from 815 to 930 the last teaching session that all the leaders came together with different tracks and then we were get a panel discussion, we answered questions until 1130 at night so basically, with a lunch or dinner break. I was going. Others were going from from 1030 Lawrence 1130 at night and then had a fire early morning to get back home Sunday than to get ready to leave for Singapore early tonight. All that to say there was more pressure on me and more demand on me than others that were sitting just taking notes and taking things and syncing with your leadership. What makes sense to pray for us so we can better serve the pray for us so we can better help you to pray for us the message would we reach more and more people and this is how we work together. Some of you know me well you listen to me watch right YouTube herby pretrade my books read articles whatever we been around each other for years and you know my calling it you might describe it is is called to be a human battering ram to take that that the difficult issues of the day that the major walls that stand and N2 to confront them with love and grace and truth together to confront them in the name of Jesus into the bring those walls down. But you know battering ram needs a bunch of people running with the old days using direct needs a bunch of people running with it to knock that wall down so it if we see the culture wars.

Love the people will recognize the walls that have to come down. Whether it's the culture wars with us contending for the salvation of Israel, with its pray for revival in America. To the extent you can hold my hands up together as as as a parent correct held at the hands of Moses in Exodus 17 when his hands were raised. Joshua prevail over the applicants was hands got tired of them because prevail over Joshua so he held the rod up and got tired so I rehearsed it on the side of you hold the rod up and and they held his arms up as result of his arms being held up. Joshua defeated the enemies of Israel. You see the picture I'm asking you to pray for me.

I'm encouraging you to pray for your leaders if if you're listening to your fellow leader. Now your you're not. You say, yeah, yeah.

Please pray for us is not about us, it's about the larger work literally whole my hands up in prayer. Hold your leaders hands up in prayer.

Those that have immediate leadership overview. Those are leading major ministries that you relate to those that maybe heads of denominations or groups are part of pray for your leaders, because as they go, that the church will go as they go. The nations will go and some of the greatest problems in America today are because of problems of the church problems in the church roof and your problems in leaders as the leaders are stronger churches draws the churches strong the nation is strong, brethren, brothers and sisters. First Thessalonians 525.

Pray for us want to give you further insight.

Open the Scriptures, but thank you thank you so many of you pray for me. Pray for team a regular basis all say thank you is to gather friends really making a lasting difference. Only eternity will tell you different your prayers have made by the Expo line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown of your voice and more cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown walking back to the line of fire, especially pink. Today this is Michael Brown importance of prayer and in particular a call to pray for your leaders. It's Martin Luther King Day and I will use this to illustrate a point you think of the momentous role that Dr. King played in American history. You think of all those that he inspired you think of of how he changed the course of the nation in so many ways in and how is legacy still speaks to us today. Obviously he was human being, a frail human being like everybody else. Let's say that he got cut short way before he completed his mission. Let let's say that that one of the different attempts to take him out from whatever enemies. There were let city succeeded earlier on, let's say he got distracted from his calling and mission ended up doing something else, America would look different today than it does because he would not of played the role that he played so obviously prayer for him would've been important obviously prayer for everybody's important because every life matters in God's sight. But you have to see the ripple effect when leaders do well when leaders don't do well. Hence the importance of praying for your leaders. Let me share something with the aforementioned names okay but there was a well-known Christian leader who messed up years ago fell into sin, repented with tears and then sometime after that fell into the same sin in his ministry was never the same again. He reached massive numbers of people and then the reach went down dramatically for many years. Okay, that much I knew because that was pretty much public knowledge, that was pretty obvious that a pastor who lived right right in his his home base is Pat pastor.

There was a great solar told me something very sad.

He said you know when when he messed up the first time around. When he messed up at it. It brought reproach to the gospel and there was some mockery of the name of Jesus, but we recovered.

We kept going on, we kept sharing the gospel in our area and and you know the man repented with tears, but it was he sincere at all.

This is it. But when when he messed up the second time.

He said we could not talk to people about Jesus in our area because he was that was his home base was known around the world that was home base.

This pastor said every time you go to talk to someone about Jesus of Boston of this at all. Yeah, that's with Zach. I believe all yeah you're like him so his fall had had had catastrophic impact on on the ministry in general. In the area and brought reproach to the name of Jesus around the world so when we ask you to pray for leaders.

It's not of selfishness. It's not because we think we are so important that because a certain mission has been entrusted to us and it's a mission that can affect hundreds or thousands or millions or hundreds of millions or even billions, I think of of some something say that that Dr. Bill Bright did with campus Crusade and the Jesus film and that's probably touched over a billion people around the world again. What would've happened if there was an adequate prayer for the mission you civil while he could walk with the Lord, the Lord can still bless Gaia but seat when I just about the person return of the larger mission. So for me to just walk with the Lord and obey the Lord and live in harmony with him. Sure I can do that, like anyone else, But if I have a responsibility to touch a whole lot of people that is something that needs prayer from the body because it it's it's a joint effort because the more tackling is much, much more massive. This is what Paul writes in Romans 1530. I appeal to brothers by our Lord Jesus the Messiah and by the love of the spirit to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judeo that my service for Jerusalem to be acceptable to the saints.

So strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, so he saying I'm on the front lines. I'm in a battle I am asking you to strive together with me. That was the ESV the NIV join me and my struggle by praying to God for me of NET join fervently with me in prayer to God on my behalf. NLT dear brothers and sisters. Are you to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me again. Here in verse after verse after verse do this because of your love for me given to you by the Holy Spirit. So I said again as I asked for prayer, hate, I've been entrusted with a sacred task in reaching the lost sheep of the house of Israel and in a way that is on the front lines in in a way that that is his unique item in the only thing but it has a specific unique role, but we need so much more prayer we need more laborers on the amount ask you to send this money or not. This is not going to turn into a financial peel with thank you for your support, we could always use your help and support. But this is an appeal for prayer.

We have so much God's given us to do in Jewish ministry, but so few laborers and so few fun. So what am I asking pray with us pray with us that we would stand strong that every need would be met, that we could fulfill the mission that God is given us your local pastor, your your Congregational leader.

Their marriage is under more pressure than the average marriage of believers. Their personal lives are under more pressure than the personalized believe you say, isn't God's grace sufficient, yes it is but again this is a joint effort were not just talk about the person himself or herself alone were talking about the larger calling I and and often in the New Testament. Paul asked for prayer, the mighty reserve the mighty apostle.

The successes and failures of leaders have a ripple effect on many laws were thriving. Others will thrive if we fail, others will be hurt. We are uniquely targets of the devil, since he knows if you get to send it to you, thereby hindering region forwarding God's work and ultimately bring reproach on the name of Jesus, and there are unique to attacks and pressures. We carry that only burns of almost with the birds of the flock in the world. It's a joy. It's a privilege it's what were made to do. I couldn't imagine doing anything other than that what I'm doing in service to God and serviced you in service to a lost world, but when I write letters to folks you get my emails. If you're one of our monthly supporters. You know that I normally closed bite my letters by by saying together were making a difference. Jesus sure is Lord together.

We are making a difference. So please pray for me this week on this trip to Singapore. Please pray for God's anointing. Please pray for divine appointments. Please pray that the meetings would literally have a ripple effect on the church of Singapore and the nation of Singapore and that God, in turn would use those in Singapore to stand together with us in France. As America goes, so much of the world goes in and is as those of Singapore stand with us for the strengthening of the church in America.

Then we can stand with them in the church around the world hate we've got some exciting news were going to be releasing a wonderful app for you very soon be been working on for a while and thrilled to be able release it. Talk about that later in the week right now. Would you take a minute.

Pray to see if the Lord lays it out your heart to pray for us.

Pray for me during these days. Singapore together making a difference.

The line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH paradigm is Dr. Michael Brown declare to you today that prayer really does make a difference. I want to encourage you to give yourself to the ministry of prayer, the highest calling of all the most sacred: the most direct calling will be minister directly to God. I believe the most powerful ministry of all the ministry of prayer on encourage you to stand strong in prayer and to pray for your leaders and to pray for those who minister to you.

I personally covet your prayers this is Michael Brown. As you're listening to my words. I am either en route to Singapore or depending on when you listen this week ministering in Singapore.

I believe it's going to be a critically important trip for so much of what were doing our own ministry here and for the people Singapore so please pray for grace on the trip that God would really have his way, and that his very very best would come out of the trip. It is Martin Luther King Day those you don't get to know me. Listen live welcome to the broadcast.

But I'm not taking phone calls today. This is a special teaching that I'm doing before I focus on prayer and subscriptions on prayer. There was a major meeting in Paris yesterday, Sunday the 15th and there was concern where a little over 70 nations were gathering together to talk about Israel and to talk about the Palestinians and to seek to push for the peace process, and there were grave concerns from the Israelis and for many Americans who love Israel stand with Israel that there would be further injustice done to Israel further push from the outside to get Israel in the in the Palestinians to sit together but in a way that would be detrimental to Israel security perhaps of that reason push for pre-1967 borders, which are obviously indefensible during the day Sunday. It was reported that Secretary of State John Kerry called Prime Minister Netanyahu to assure him that that the US was document take further action. There would be no UN Security Council resolution coming out of this and it and and that this conference would not be so damaging and reports now after that the conference in looking at news from Israel. Israelis are Israeli officials cheer weekend Paris peace Summit and again the significance of 70+ nations and in Genesis 10 the nations of the world.

70 nations. This was something in rabbinic Judaism that 70 was symbolic of that the nations of the world.

So how interesting that out of all the countries in the earth today, a 70 were little over 772 or so gather together to determine our talk about Israel's future of and the Israeli officials credited the efforts of the national Security Council and the Foreign Ministry for quote a significant weakening of the text of the final joint declaration issued by the participants of the peace conference of the statement that was issued at the end urge both sides to code efficiently restate their commitment to the two state solution is that viable or not that's debatable, but certainly is that a heavy thing for them to say that and disassociated from voices that reject that goal urgent to do that. It also called for them not to take one-sided actions that could preclude fruitful talks. Israeli officials were jubilant that quote problematic passages in a contentious recent UN Security Council resolution of the settlements were not included in the Paris documents now simple question.

Did prayer make a difference here. It could well be that people praying for the peace of Jerusalem and for God's purposes and God's best for all those in the Middle East that those prayers did make a difference at look, I understand. Plenty of bad things happen all the time. I understand things go wrong. We pray for things in it always, come about. The way we pray, but certainly is 11 Elder told me when I first got saved with a smile. He said you know what I pray coincidences happen when I don't pray coincidences don't happen.

I want to encourage you if you give yourself to prayer consistently and repeatedly over a period of time. You look back you amazed to see how God himself has answered your prayers. The line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution. Your again is Dr. Michael Brown, you know, I was reminded of something I had not thought about wallowing shirt with you today a very personal story. The story also about the power of prayer. This is Michael Brown were talking about our calling to pray were talking particular about the calling to pray for leaders. I strongly encourage you to pray regularly for your spiritual leaders. For those who have oversight for your souls that carry a great responsibility before God and they will be greatly helped by your prayers and and certainly leaders are not perfect and sometimes we can do things that frustrate you or disappoint your upset you were accountable to God for that and it grieves us if we do fall short of God's calling of your expectations but I want to assure you if you took your frustration or your anger, your disappointment and turned it into prayer for your pastor prayer for me, you'd see far more results if you turn the frustration or anger or disappointment into gossip or maligning. So we're in this together.

We help one another and and Paul wrote to the Corinthians in second Corinthians chapter 1, and any spoke about being delivered from from death and list listen to his his words here. He said of reflected beginning in verse six is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.

I hope he was unshaken, for we know that as you share our sufferings will also share a comfort for we do not want you to be unaware, brothers of the affliction we experienced in Asia for we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You must also help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks in our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

One of the most well, I would think the most traumatic experience I had ever in my life was almost choking to get in the 2002 and I was found unconscious on the side of the road. I mean it was been driving in my car driving home I been sick that weekend and went out for the first time for one of our services Sunday night service of the Super Bowl Sunday in 2002 and then he was eating McDonald's sandwich and took too big a bite and got stuck in my throat and God miraculously intervened and spared my life okay after I passed out. I said I somehow coughed up what I was choking on and an absolutely terrifying experience. A friend of mine who is an emergency room doctor for years. What I described to him everything that happened to be said oh you were you were inches away from death. Seconds away from death. Will this this part I new in terms of what I was experiencing in the terror of of what was happening in the thought of it.

It's over you in a choke to death. You die on the side of the road.

A minute was justice. Bombardment of attack and had been in a Very Vulnerable Pl., God and purging my hearted and bringing me to replace the deep personal repentance.

In my own life during that season and and in this attack came in the midst of it. What a famine afterwards was a dear sister in our congregation.

Her husband was on our leadership team that and she's a powerful intercessor. To this day, a real woman of prayer that earlier that night. Shortly before I almost choked to death.

She got this burden. There's a death assignment on Mike. There say Satan is trying to take him out and she called other intercessors for emergency prayer and God delivered me from death.

Yeah cases this is extraordinary. This is amazing but it is the power of prayer you symbol wasn't God just do it wisely, just doing wants to do and leave us out because this is our world because this is the mess we made through our sin of the wrong choices we make and now we work together with God. Paul says we are his fellow laborers and and we we are not just working together with other leaders in the rest of the body.

We are working together with God himself. This is his vineyard and we are working is in his vineyard so he works with us and many things he will not do. If people don't pray at the end of Ezekiel 22. He said that judgment against Julia could have been stopped if someone had interceded and climbed up into the breach to stop the wrath that was coming through intercession.

There's a Jewish tradition that says when Moses died, God wept because he said who is going to intercede for Israel about armor were Leonard Ravenhill want to be with the Lord November 1994, 00's grieve that we lost this great man of God at the age of 87. I knew he was frail and weak and coming towards the end of his days, but still it was it was it was a great loss to lose this giant of the faith, but he was an extraordinary man of prayer as well and and he prayed for me.

Sometimes three times a day and when I go out traveling overseas. Sometimes the last call is to make days before cell phone. He thought that the last call I would make.

I would say brother land a mama way to India and he said I'm praying for you, uncover you every step of the way.

One time I was I was in the airport. I called her from a pay phone us a brother.

When about to get on the plane to leave for India and he broke down Christ's microphone see revival die uses so hungry to see God breakthrough in grammar when he died I went to this moment of crisis. Who's gonna pray for me the way he prayed for me.

Who's gonna pray for Maria Hogarth to raise up an army of people to pray with that. The focus of the intimacy and the connectedness in the faith and the passion that he had in God. I want to encourage your prayers make a difference you say will do we need to pray a certain way will we need to pray in faith.

We don't just say words we pray, trusting God. We pray looking to him for help will just say words or repeat prayers we we commune with God. We ask him in faith is in my faith is imperfectly just keep relying on this keep relying on him renewing your mind and heart with the promises of God to encourage your faith and build your faith if you if you can remember to Journal things keep prayers you praying, but at times it seems that I've answered then you look back a year or two is related to how cod is really answered in amazing amazing ways. And sometimes you didn't even realize it as things unfold. Sometimes we forget that we pray for the thing. When the answer comes, so that will encourage you and build your faith and and then pray according to the will of God as much as you understand the will of God for situation. Pray according to the will of God and pray with thanksgiving and and then pray all kinds of prayers is what Paul writes in Ephesians 6 pray in the spirit all kinds and on all occasions with all kinds of prayers I love praying with some folks who pray these comprehensive prayers are the biggest they cover the thing in prayer from every angle when it is. It's not as if God will leave a detail arc if you left the detail out as much as he loves to partner together with us, Almighty God, who is utterly self-sufficient loves to work together with us and partner together with us and a great evangelist of a few generations back, James Alexander Stewart became famous as a boy evangelist was greatly used in in Russia and Eastern Europe before World War II and after World War II, powerful ministry. He talked about throne ministry.

He talked about that is the highest calling of all were instead of ministering to people he would minister to God and bow down before God in prayer. Some of you have so much going against you. You feel like you're all on your own. Your shot in you don't have it don't have a lot of access to the world you give you just feel cut off you feel abandoned and and I can imagine some of you have lived through over the years.

I just want to tell you that there is a real place of refuge.

You can take in God you can really flee to the rock that is higher than you where you can really find peace and joy and fulfillment, and where you can have an incredibly effective ministry. Some of the most powerful ministers of the gospel or people doing the most powerful ministry are absolutely unknown to us. We don't know their names.

We don't know their faces there locked in a prison.

Some well somewhere for their faith there shut in and in their home because of some sickness there there in some isolated situation were no one knows their name and yet that that pain in your heart can be turned into a flame of prayer and you can be a world changer alone in your room so yes I will be redundant. Yes, I will repeat myself. Pray for your leaders and if we been a blessing to you and minister to this radio broadcast, especially for articles and video sequester TV shows preaching teaching debates. If we blessed you and help you 1 Wonderful Way that you could say thank you and 1 Wonderful Way that you can express appreciation.

In fact, the most meaningful way of all is to pray, please pray for this trip to Singapore will be doing ministry from Wednesday to Sunday in Singapore. Some critically important meetings that could really have a powerful national impact in ways that the church of Singapore standing with us here in the mission of the have free. Please pray for God's very very very best on the strip of any updates from Singapore will result in the end of her ministry. The line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown voice of more cultural and spiritual revolution. Your again is Dr. Michael Brown, church history, cannot be fully written. That's what Wesley dual once wrote the church history cannot be fully written to be looked back from eternity and see the role that prayer had that intercessory prayer had an and you might see so many people on the front lines. You might see the Billy Graham's of a generation, the apostle Paul's of a generation, the Charles Spurgeon's of her generation. You might see these great men of God, the Amy Carmichael's of a generation that Gladys Aylward's of a generation that you might see these great men and women of God of past generations and see the work they've done and and see what they been able to produce for the kingdom and and they are worthy of of the. The reward that they will receive before the Lord and and and they are worthy of our admiration and respect, but you never know how much of what they did was accomplished because people pray for them. You never know how much success they have in ministry because the way was paved before the R member story that James Alexander Stewart told that he was.

It was ministering somewhere in Eastern Europe.

Although maybe 70 years ago and he was used to going into a city and he knew that that he had a plow and plow fruit fruit for some days sometimes for some weeks before the powerful breakthroughs would come before there would be massive repents of the altars before there be radical conversions and on this particular trip. The very first night he was in a country like Lithuania or something like that. The very first night there were these incredibly powerful breakthroughs in deep repentance and people wonderfully getting right with God. It was the kind of stuff that he would never normally see. After some days of plowing at and and and his own prayer battling at the throne and things like that when I said babbling at front of me were fighting goblet often prayers is a wrestling in a battling and he was stunned.

He'd never seen anything like that happen. So the next night he got there early and just there was a basement downstairs these the main meeting hall and just went down there walk around and and praying and stumbled upon a group of intercessors. There were so lost in prayer.

They didn't even notice him coming and they were so focused on God parameterized close that even I'm not even noticing coming in, and he realized that's that's what happened. They were praying before the meeting the day before and their praying during the meeting, and they been praying in the days prior to the meeting and they were prayer warriors and he sought that's what made the difference. That's how the breakthrough came so we look at it outwardly, and some on my right about the ministry of James Alexander Stewart in in in Eastern Europe and and and how God used him and things like that and and then then afterwards you realize how wow it yet God used him, but God used many others who were completely hidden behind the scenes.

So once more, not at the risk of being redundant, but intentionally being redundant. Pray for your leaders and pray for me as I'm ministering in Singapore at some very, very important meetings. I can't wait to update you later in the week from Singapore and then come back with a full report from Singapore but they go through a few verses with you this, some of them are out with her before they go through it again. You can join us as leaders in our struggle unique struggles we have, by praying for us. Romans 1530, 32, Peter made it because Jesus prayed from Luke 2131 32 he was delivered from prison because the church prayed acts 12 one through 18th and Paul knew that his welfare was greatly dependent on the prayers of the saints.

Second Corinthians 1 1011 Philippians 119. It's not selfish for leaders asked for prayers of confession of her own frailty is a recognition of the need for the support of the whole body, and a leadership request for prayer can at times be motivated by prime source and sense of self-importance.

Certainly, prideful premise to think that we don't need prayer, prayer and intercession to help put a shield of protection around us, and in your prayers may be the key to weakening a fierce attack or revealing an ambush. In fact, I remember in the early 1980s I was. I was praying with a friend by he and his wife to come over to her house for dinner and earlier in the night before we ate here and I were praying together, and when we stop praying he he looked stunned. He he looked absolutely stunned that he was a real intercessory real merit prayer. He looked stunned and and I asked him what happened. He goes and I just so that you like more like a lion just to some real heavy spiritual attack and I thought all well I don't know, didn't notice, when on Nancy hurting just wait, wait, what you see, she knew he was a real mentor prayer said yeah just saw my click stunned this attack that hit Mauldin so we went to prayer and he really carried this in prayer and in attack did come I'm a week it came, but the force of it was greatly graced greatly lesson it was so less impacting than it should have been you still maybe there is nothing really that no no I'm saying something happen that really should have been a much heavier attack.

It's like somebody comes barreling into your car and and you see them coming 50 miles an hour and you're a red light and they don't see you there and they come smashing into your car in rear end you and and you totally find this is a joint even hat in your car really shows a scratch that should have happened. So I I am urging you to give yourself to prayer. We as leaders can be so much more effective. As you pray for us.

We can minister to you in such a way that you will be so much more blessed and helped as you pray for us, and perhaps in some of the plots and plans of the enemies justice sent wanted to take Peter out. Your prayers will literally make the difference between life and death as we minister in Singapore. Pray for divine favor. Pray for divine anointing. Pray for divine authority. Pray for divine appointments can say that again pray for divine favor for divine appointments for divine authority for divine anointing by God's grace. This trip is this not discriminate impact many in Singapore but in a ripple way will impact people around the world, the real reasons I say that in France we have some amazing opportunities God has funded for us in the supernatural funding for us to be on God TV five days a week with a five minute teaching message and then starting in March will be on weekly with a half-hour preaching message dollars provided all the funding for that and then some time this year.

It hopefully within the first quarter can't exactly when were going to be preaching the gospel through TV in Israel with with outreach shows specially developed for Israel and Hebrew captioning. These are things God is presented before us and has fully funded amazing open doors, but there's so much our hearts are burning to do what we need to increase our staff increase our funding and increase her impact our reach, and I'm not asking you to send in your money. I'm asking you to pray and as you pray every need will be met. I believe the smile of God will rebound re-down back to you so thank you for joining us in prayer brothers and sisters. Please pray for us. Bottom line today your prayers. Leaders will make a difference forever join me at ask Dr. Brown. I want to talk to you today about one of the most sacred callings of the church in one is often neglected stage for the line of fire with your host activist and author, international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown your voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution Michael Brown is the director of the coalition of conscience and president of fire school of ministry get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH. That's 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown plans the line of fire. I am so excited about today's broadcast open up the Scriptures and way in on one of the most important things God is given the church to do one of the greatest ministries is something that every single believer can be part of. I will be taking calls today. In fact, if you could utter prayer for me as your listening. I am either in route to Singapore as you listen or if you listening a little bit later in the week delayed on the broadcast then you will be able to pray for me ministering in Singapore.

I believe it's going to be one of the most important trips I've taken in my life aboard 150 overseas trips. I don't say that lightly. Key meetings will have with key leaders in the nation. Both business leaders and spiritual leaders, and others and lots of preaching and ministry so please pray that the purposes of God will be accomplished by my colleague Gary and I will be graced by God as we travel is probably about 30 hours in each direction may be a little bit longer than that and then a 12 hour time differential so thank you thank you for praying. In fact, that ties in with exactly what I want to talk with you about on the line of fire today.

Let me read the words of Charles Spurgeon. He was commenting on. First Thessalonians 525 one of Paul's calls to the church to pray for him. Spurgeon says this this one morning in the year we reserved to refresh the reader's memory upon the subject of prayer for ministers and we do most earnestly implore every Christian household to grant the fervent request of the text first uttered by an apostle, and now repeated by us brethren, pray for us brethren. Spurgeon says our work is solemnly momentous involving wheel or woes of salvation demolition to thousands. We treat with souls for God on eternal business and award is either a savor of life until life of death unto death of very heavy responsibility rests upon the Spurgeon says it will be no small mercy. If, at the last week be found clear of the blood of all men as officers in Christ's Army with a special mark of the enmity of many devils. They watch for halting and labor to take us by the heels are sacred calling, involves us in temptations from which you are exempt above all too often draws us away from our personal enjoyment of truth, interministerial and official consideration of we meet with many knotty cases are, which are the nonplussed. We observe very sent backsliding to the hearts are wounded, we see millions perishing. Our spirits sink which the property bar preaching.

We desire to be blessed your children. We want to be useful both to Saints and sinners, therefore, dear friends, intercede for us with our dog miserable manner we have. We missed the eight of your prayers, but happier we if we live in your supplications. You do not look to us but to our master for spiritual blessings and how many times has he given those lessons through his ministers asked them again and again that we may be the earthen vessels into which the Lord may put the treasure of the gospel. We the whole company of missionaries, ministers, city missionaries and students do in the name of Jesus beseech you, brethren, pray for us today.

Friends I want to talk to about the importance of the ministry of prayer in general. Evan Robertson, the Welsh revival 1904 1905 said that his calling was to call the church to its needs to call the church to prayer is a church on its needs is a resistible but I will explain to why it is so critically important to pray for those of us who serve and covet your prayers. I was about enough phone number but I'm not going special today right here on the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown your voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown will go back to the line of fire. This is Michael Brown I am writing to you today.

We are focused on a special teaching of the ministry of prayer.

In particular, the call to pray for leaders let let me explain. One thing just speaking from my heart to honestly for many years. I was reluctant to call people to pray for me in our home congregation or leadership team would often be on the road different ones traveling out ministry.

I thought all I want to draw attention to myself. Pray for me and everybody's out ministry pushing hard and in that seem almost selfish to ask for prayer and it struck me as certain point that that that was really a false humility is not about me is about my success is for the good of the body. So let me give you an analogy right. Let's say that we are soldiers together fighting and terrible terrible war and we get stranded behind enemy lines and were out of communication with the rest of our troops who need to come and rescue us and and one soldier has to go back through enemy lines to try that.

Find a place to communicate with the rest of the troops communicate with the base set everyone else get out safely, otherwise our entire group could die. And let's say you were the one that we chose all right. You've got to go back through enemy lines and risk your life so that you can get to communication that the rest of us can be saved before you go you look at us and say hey man, pray for me. Pray for me that I make it. As I write you a thing about you know you me pray for me so I can get there in the mission can succeed so that everybody else can be rescued and not die.

This is not about your pastor or your spiritual leaders.

This is not about me.

This is about the work of God and because certain responsibilities have been entrusted to us in leadership because the battle is ultimately spiritual because the greatest weapon that that we have is the weapon of prayer it. It is the most of effective thing that we can do is intercede with Almighty God. It's not prayer or action is prayer and action to prayer itself is a powerful spiritual action so when we ask you to pray for us because there are responsibilities that are thrust on us is because there are challenges in the mission that are given to us. Hey, look at this, Paul constantly asked for prayer policy history maker.

Paul went out and change the ancient world to preaching the gospel and wrote letters and these letters are read to this day and still have a mighty impact on the whole world and he said pray for me. To the extent his mission succeeded the gospel advanced and if you think of of the importance of prayer for leaders.

Think of Jesus in Luke 22 talking to Peter and he explains to Peter that Satan has asked for him asked permission to destroy them to sift in microwave and Jesus that I've I've prayed for you. I prayed for you and when you turn back, strengthen the brothers.

In other words, you gotta fall Peter but because of my prayers for you to turn back and make it Satan is really going to hit your heart but my prayers for your caries group and when you turn back, strengthen the brothers. This is for the good of the body. So leaders have a special responsibility before God and man will be judged more strictly. More is expected from us too much is given much is required. Think of this, God cares about you and your family.

Just like he cares about your pastor and his family all right. He loves you.

Jesus shared the same blood for you but let's say your pastor is discouraged because of intense spiritual attack. He's going through a really hard time and because of that he has difficulty really preparing a solid message to teach on Sunday, the city got 500 people in your congregation and and it's just kind of a word that goes nowhere in the Scriptures are really opened up to the living way, leave the way you came while he is not doing well will have a much bigger effect on more people than if you are just struggling a little bit down on not know not your normal self and yet you can affect a few people around your family are someone else that that might be looking for your encouragement, but otherwise if that pastor fails to do his job well.

It's can affect a lot more people in the same way if if someone in the congregation let's say, a married man leaves his wife commits adultery is terrible it affects the family and hurts many lives.

It hurts those that knew them.

It's painful, pray for his repentance and restoration of the family for grace to sustain family, but that impact is a fraction of the impact if that same man was a well-known minister. Let's say on TV, reaching millions and then he leaves his license at commits adultery. The implications of that are much, much bigger and it brings much more reproach to the name of Jesus. So it's it's another reason to pray for leaders because if we do well we help a lot more people if we fail, we hurt a lot more people and we are called to serve you and and this is the reciprocal thing we serve you. We pour ourselves out for you. It's my joy to be on the radio.

It's my joy to travel and preach as large order to write and do all the things that I'm privileged to do as a servant of the Lord. But I'm I'm there for you over the weekend this past weekend in Orlando, Florida.

II join some other messianic Jewish leaders and we were there to minister to. I don't know.

Maybe 100 messianic Jewish young people college-age thereabouts also was a small meeting in terms of numbers of people reached, but of their precious young people, and I want to point to the younger generation, but I only had one day spare before going to Singapore and they said okay if you give us one day.

It was one day so I flew in Friday night after radio and then I taught the young people 1030 to 1230 in the morning and then to the four I met with eight different individual young people 15 minutes each. Different leaders each met with different ones. So was two hours of meeting with young people to speak into their lives and answering questions and then a talk from. From there, from 4 to 6 and then we had dinner break, and then basically from 815 to 930 the last teaching session that all the leaders came together with different tracks and then we were get a panel discussion, we answered questions until 1130 at night so basically, with a lunch and dinner break.

I was going. Others were going from from 1030 Lawrence 1130 at night and had a fire early morning to get back home Sunday than to get ready to leave for Singapore early tonight. All that to say there was more pressure on me and more demand on me than others that were sitting just taking notes and taking things and syncing with your leadership. What did make sense to pray for us so we can better serve you to pray for us so we can better help you to pray for us the message would we reach more and more people. This is how we work together.

Some of you know me well you listen to me watch that YouTube heard me preach read my books read articles whatever we been around each other for years and you know my calling it you might describe it is is called to be a human battering ram to take that that the difficult issues of the day the major walls that stand and N2 to confront them with love and grace and truth together confronted in the name of Jesus into the bring those walls down.

But you know battering ram needs a bunch of people running with the old days using direct needs a bunch of people running with it to knock that wall down so it if we see the culture wars.

Love the people will recognize the walls that have to come down. Whether it's a culture wars with us contending for the salvation of Israel, with its pray for revival in America. To the extent you can hold my hands up together as as as a parent correct held at the hands of Moses in Exodus 17 when his hands were raised. Joshua prevail over the Alcatraz has got tired of them because prevail over Joshua so he held the rod up and got tired so I rehearsed it on the side of you hold the rod up and and they held his arms up as result of his arms being held up. Joshua defeated the enemies of Israel.

You see the picture I'm asking you to pray for me. I'm encouraging you to pray for your leaders if if you're listening to your fellow leader. Now you're not using.

Yeah, yeah. Please pray for us is not about us is about the larger work literally whole my hands off in prayer. Hold your leaders hands up in prayer.

Those that have immediate leadership overview.

Those are leading major ministries that you relate to those that maybe heads of denominations or groups are part of pray for your leaders, because as they go, that the church will go as they go. The nations will go and some of the greatest problems in America today are because of problems in the church. The problems in the church roughened your problems and leaders as the leaders are strong churches draws the churches strong the nation is strong, brethren, brothers and sisters. First Thessalonians 525. Pray for us want to give you further insight.

Open the Scriptures, but thank you, thank you so many of you pray for me. Pray for team a regular basis all say thank you because together friends really making a lasting difference.

Only eternity will tell the difference. Your prayers have made her plan by the Expo line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown of your voice and more cultural and spiritual revolution.

Here again is Dr. Michael Brown walking back to the line of fire, especially pink.

Today this is Michael Brown importance of prayer and in particular a call to pray for your leaders.

It's Martin Luther King Day and I will use this to illustrate a point you think of the momentous role that Dr. King played in American history. You think of all those that he inspired you think of of how he changed the course of the nation in so many ways in and how is legacy still speaks to us today. Obviously he was human being, a frail human being like everybody else. Let's say that he got cut short way before he completed his mission.

Let let's say that that one of the different attempts to take him out from whatever enemies. There were let city succeeded earlier on, let's say he got distracted from his calling and mission ended up doing something else, America would look different today than it does because he would not of played the role that he played so obviously prayer for him would've been important obviously prayer for everybody's important because every life matters in God's sight. But you have to see the ripple effect when leaders do well when leaders don't do well. Hence the importance of praying for your leaders. Let me share something with the aforementioned names okay but there was a well-known Christian leader who messed up years ago fell into sin, repented with tears and then sometime after that fell into the same sin in his ministry was never the same again.

He reached massive numbers of people and then the reach went down dramatically for many years.

Okay, that much I knew because that was pretty much public knowledge, that was pretty obvious that a pastor who lived right right in his his home base is Pat pastor there who was a great solar told me something very sad. He said you know when when he messed up the first time around.

When he messed up at it. It brought reproach to the gospel and there was some mockery of the name of Jesus, but we recovered and kept going on, we kept sharing the gospel in our area and and you know the man repented with tears, but it was he sincere at all. This is it. But when when he messed up the second time. He said we could not talk to people about Jesus in our area because he was that was his home base was known around the world that was home base. This pastor said every time you go to talk to someone about Jesus of lost sinner they say oh yeah that's with Zach. I believe all yeah you're like him so his fall had had had catastrophic impact on on the ministry in general. In the area and brought reproach to the name of Jesus around the world so when we ask you to pray for leaders. It's not of selfishness. It's not because we think we're so important is because a certain mission has been entrusted to us and it's a mission that can affect hundreds or thousands or millions or hundreds of millions or even billions, I think of of some something say that that Dr. Bill Bright did with campus Crusade and the Jesus film and that's probably touched over a billion people around the world again.

What would've happened if there was an adequate prayer for the mission you civil while he could walk with the Lord, the Lord can still bless Gaia but seat went to some of the person. Whichever the larger mission. So for me to just walk with the Lord and obey the Lord and live in harmony with him.

Sure I can do that, like anyone else, But if I have a responsibility to touch a whole lot of people that is something that needs prayer from the body because it it's it's a joint effort because the more tackling is much, much more massive.

This is what Paul writes in Romans 1530.

I appeal to brothers by our Lord Jesus the Messiah and by the love of the spirit to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judeo that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints. So strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, so he saying I'm on the front lines. I'm in a battle I am asking you to strive together with me. That was the ESV the NIV join me and my struggle by praying to God for me of NET join fervently with me in prayer to God on my behalf. NLT dear brothers and sisters are return the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me again.

Here in verse after verse after verse do this because of your love for me given to you by the Holy Spirit. So I said again as I asked for prayer, hate, I've been entrusted with the sacred task in reaching the lost sheep of the house of Israel and in a way that is on the front lines it in a way that that is his unique item in the only thing but it has a specific unique role, but we need so much more prayer we need more laborers on the amount asking to send this money or not.

This is not going to turn into a financial appeal with thank you for your support, we could always use your help and support. But this is an appeal for prayer. We have so much God's given us to do in Jewish ministry, but so few laborers and so few funds.

So what am I asking pray with us pray with us that we would stand strong that every need would be met, that we could fulfill the mission that God is given us your local pastor, your your Congregational leader. Their marriage is under more pressure than the average marriage of believers. Their personal lives are under more pressure than the personalized believe you say, isn't God's grace sufficient, yes it is but again this is a joint effort were not just talking about the person himself or herself alone were talking about the larger calling I and and often in the New Testament. Paul asked for prayer, the mighty reserve the mighty apostle. The successes and failures of leaders have a ripple effect on many laws. If were thriving others will thrive if we fail, others will be hurt. We are uniquely targets of the devil, since he knows if you get to send it to you, thereby hindering region forwarding God's work and ultimately bring reproach on the name of Jesus, and there are unique to attacks and pressures. We we carry that only burns of almost with the birds of the flock in the world. It's a joy. It's a privilege it's what were made to do. I couldn't imagine doing anything other than that what I'm doing in service to God and serviced you in service to a lost world, but when I write letters to folks you get my emails. If you're one of our monthly supporters. You know that I normally closed bite my letters by by saying together were making a difference.

Jesus, you sure as Lord together. We are making a difference.

So please pray for me this week on this trip to Singapore. Please pray for God's anointing. Please pray for divine appointments.

Please pray that the meetings would literally have a ripple effect on the church of Singapore and the nation of Singapore and that God, in turn would use those in Singapore to stand together with us in France. As America goes, so much of the world goes in and is as those in Singapore stand with us for the strengthening of the church in America that we can stand with them in the church around the world hate we've got some exciting news. We were going to be releasing a wonderful app for you very soon.

We been working on for a while and thrilled to be able release and talk about that later in the week right now. Would you take a minute. Pray to see if the Lord lays it out your heart to pray for us. Pray for me during these days.

Singapore together making a difference in the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the line of fire now by going to 866-34-TRUTH your exam is Dr. Michael Brown declare to you today that prayer really does make a difference. I will encourage you to give yourself to the ministry of prayer, the highest calling of all the most sacred: the most direct calling will be minister directly to God.

I believe the most powerful ministry of all the ministry of prayer. I would encourage you to stand strong in prayer and to pray for your leaders and to pray for those who minister to you. I personally covet your prayers this is Michael Brown. As you're listening to my words.

I am either en route to Singapore or depending on when you listen this week ministering in Singapore. I believe it's going to be a critically important trip for so much of what were doing our own ministry here and for the people Singapore so please pray for grace on the trip that God would really have his way, and that his very very best would come out of the trip.

It is Martin Luther King Day those you don't get to know me. Listen live welcome to the broadcast.

But I'm not taking phone calls today.

This is a special teaching that I'm doing before I focus on prayer and subscriptions on prayer. There was a major meeting in Paris yesterday, Sunday the 15th and there was concern where a little over 70 nations were gathering together to talk about Israel and to talk about the Palestinians and to seek to push for the peace process, and there were grave concerns from the Israelis and for many Americans who love Israel stand with Israel that there would be further injustice done to Israel further push from the outside to get Israel in the in the Palestinians to sit together but in a way that would be detrimental to Israel security perhaps of that reason push for pre-1967 borders, which are obviously indefensible during the day Sunday.

It was reported that Secretary of State John Kerry called Prime Minister Netanyahu to assure him that that the US was document take further action.

There would be no UN Security Council resolution coming out of this and it and and that this conference would not be so damaging and reports now after that the conference in looking at news from Israel. Israelis are Israeli officials cheer weekend Paris peace Summit and again the significance of 70+ nations and in Genesis 10 the nations of the world. 70 nations.

This was something in rabbinic Judaism that 70 was symbolic of that the nations of the world. So how interesting that out of all the countries in the earth today, a 70 were little over 772 or so gather together to determine our talk about Israel's future of and the Israeli officials credited the efforts of the national Security Council and the Foreign Ministry for quote a significant weakening of the text of the final joint declaration issued by the participants of the peace conference of the statement that was issued at the end urge both sides to quote efficiently restate their commitment to the two state solution is that viable or not that's debatable, but certainly is that a heavy thing for them to say that and disassociated from voices that reject that goal urgent to do that. It also called for them not to take one-sided actions that could preclude fruitful talks. Israeli officials were jubilant that quote problematic passages in a contentious recent UN Security Council resolution of the settlements were not included in the Paris documents now simple question. Did prayer make a difference here.

It could well be that people praying for the peace of Jerusalem and for God's purposes and God's best for all those in the Middle East that those prayers did make a difference.

And look, I understand. Plenty of bad things happen all the time. I understand things go wrong. We pray for things in it always, come about. The way we pray, but certainly is 11 Elder Toby. When I first got saved with a smile. He said you know what I pray coincidences happen when I don't pray coincidences don't happen. I want to encourage you if you give yourself to prayer consistently and heatedly over a period of time. You look back you amazed to see how God himself has answered your prayers. The line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown voice of more cultural and spiritual revolution. Your again is Dr. Michael Brown, you know, I was reminded of something I had not thought about wallowing shirt with you today a very personal story. The story also about the power of prayer. This is Michael Brown were talking about our calling to pray were talking particular about the calling to pray for leaders. I strongly encourage you to pray regularly for your spiritual leaders.

For those who have oversight for your souls that carry a great responsibility before God and they will be greatly helped by your prayers and and certainly leaders are not perfect and sometimes we can do things that frustrate you or disappoint your upset you were accountable to God for that and it grieves us if we do fall short of God's calling of your expectations but I want to assure you if you took your frustration or your anger, your disappointment and turned it into prayer for your pastor prayer for me. You see, far more results if you turn the frustration or anger or disappointment into gossip or maligning. So we're in this together.

We help one another and and Paul wrote to the Corinthians in second Corinthians chapter 1, and any spoke about being delivered from from death a minute list. Listen to his his words here. He said of reflected beginning in verse six is for your comfort and salvation.

If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. I hope he was unshaken, for we know that if you share our sufferings, you will also share a comfort for we do not want you to be unaware, brothers of the affliction we experienced in Asia for we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.

On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You must also help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks in our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

One of the most low.

I would think the most traumatic experience I had ever in my life was almost choking to get in the 2002 and I was found unconscious on the side of the road.

I mean it was driving in my car driving home I been sick that we can went out for the first time for one of our services Sunday night service of the Super Bowl Sunday in 2002 and anyone was eating McDonald's sandwich and took too big a bite and stuck in my throat and God miraculously intervened and spared my life okay after I passed out. I said I somehow coughed up what I was choking on and an absolutely terrifying experience. A friend of mine who is an emergency room doctor for years.

What I described to him everything that happened to be said oh you were you were inches away from death. Seconds away from death. Will this this far. I knew in terms of what I was experiencing in the terror of of what was happening in the thought of it. It's over you in a choke to death. You die on the side of the road. A minute was justice. Bombardment of attack and had been in a Very Vulnerable Pl., God and purging my hearted and bringing me to a place of deep personal repentance. In my own life during that season, and then this attack came in the midst of it.

When a famine afterwards was a dear sister in our congregation.

Her husband was on our leadership team that and she's a powerful intercessor. To this day, a real woman of prayer that earlier that night. Shortly before I almost choked to death. She got this burden. There's a death assignment on Mike.

There say Satan is trying to take him out and she called other intercessors for emergency prayer and God delivered me from death. Yeah cases this is extraordinary.

This is amazing but it is the power of prayer you symbol wasn't just do it wisely, just doing wants to do and leave us out of it because this our world because this is the mess we made through our sin of the wrong choices we make and now we work together with God. Paul says we are his fellow laborers and and we we are not just working together with other leaders in the rest of the body.

We are working together with God himself.

This is his vineyard and we are working is in his vineyard so he works with us and many things he will not do. If people don't pray at the end of Ezekiel 22. He said that judgment against Julia could have been stopped if someone had interceded and climbed up into the breach to stop the wrath that was coming through intercession. There's a Jewish tradition that says when Moses died, God wept because he said who is going to intercede for Israel about armor were Leonard Ravenhill what to be with the Lord November 1994, 00's grieve that we lost this great man of God at the age of 87th. I knew he was frail and weak and coming towards the end of his days, but still it was it was it was a great loss to lose this giant of the faith, but he was an extraordinary man of prayer as well and and he prayed for me.

Sometimes three times a day and when I go out traveling overseas. Sometimes the last call is to make days before so for any thought that the last call I would make.

I would say brother lend a mama way to India and he said I'm praying for you, uncover you every step of the way.

One time I was I was in the airport. I called her from a payphone us a brother.

When about to get on the plane to leave for India and he broke down Christ's microphone see revival died. He was just so hungry to see God breakthrough in grammar when he died I went to this moment of crisis. Who's gonna pray for me the way he prayed for me.

Who's gonna pray for me. I thought God to raise up an army of people to pray with it. The focus of the intimacy and the connectedness in the faith and the passion that he had in God. I want to encourage your prayers make a difference you say will do we need to pray a certain way will we need to pray in faith. We don't just say words we pray, trusting God.

We pray looking to him for help will just say words or repeat prayers we we commune with God. We asked him in faith. Semi faith is perfectly just keep relying on just keep relying on him renewing your mind and heart with the promises of God to encourage your faith and build your faith if you if you can remember the Journal things keep prayers you praying, but at times it seems that answer then you look back a year or two is related to how cod is really answered in amazing amazing ways.

And sometimes you didn't even realize it as things unfold. Sometimes we forget that we pray for the thing. When the answer comes, so that will encourage you and build your faith and and then pray according to the will of God as much as you understand the will of God for situation. Pray according to the will of God and pray with thanksgiving and and then pray all kinds of prayers is what Paul writes in Ephesians 6 pray in the spirit all kinds and on all occasions with all kinds of prayers I love praying with some folks who pray these comprehensive prayers. You know they just they cover the thing prayer from every angle when it is.

It's not as if God will leave a detail because you left the detail out as much as he loves to partner together with us, Almighty God, who is utterly self-sufficient loves to work together with us and partner together with us and a great evangelist of a few generations back, James Alexander Stewart became famous as a boy evangelist was greatly used in in Russia and Eastern Europe before World War II and after World War II, powerful ministry. He talked about throne ministry.

He talked about that is the highest calling of all were instead of ministering to people he would minister to God and bow down before God in prayer.

Some of you have so much going against you. You feel like you're on your own. Your shot in you don't have it don't have a lot of access to the world you you you just feel cut off you feel abandoned and and I can imagine what some of you have lived through over the years. I just want to tell you that there is a real place of refuge. You can take in God we you can really flee to the rock that is higher than you where you can really find peace and joy and fulfillment, and where you can have an incredibly effective ministry. Some of the most powerful ministers of the gospel or the people doing the most powerful ministry are absolutely unknown to us. We don't know their names.

We don't know their faces there locked in a prison.

Some well somewhere for their faith there shut in and in their home because of some sickness there there in some isolated situation were no one knows their name and yet that that pain in your heart can be turned into a flame of prayer and you can be a world changer alone in your room so yes I will be redundant. Yes, I will repeat myself. Pray for your leaders and if we been a blessing to you and minister to this radio broadcast, especially for articles and video sequester TV shows preaching teaching debates. If we blessed you and help you 1 Wonderful Way that you could say thank you and 1 Wonderful Way that you can express appreciation affect the most meaningful way of all is to pray, please pray for this trip to Singapore will be doing ministry from Wednesday to Sunday in Singapore. Some critically important meetings I could really have a powerful national impact in ways that the church of Singapore standing with us here in the mission of we have free. Please pray for God's very very very best on the strip of getting updates from Singapore will result in the end of our ministry. The line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution there again is Dr. Michael Brown, church history, cannot be fully written. That's what Wesley dual once wrote the church history cannot be fully written to be looked back from eternity and see the role that prayer had that intercessory prayer had an and you might see so many people on the front lines. You might see the Billy Graham's of a generation, the apostle Paul's of a generation. Charles Spurgeon's of her generation. You might see these great men of God, the Amy Carmichael's of a generation that Gladys Aylward's of a generation that you might see these great men and women of God of past generations and see the work they've done and and see what they been able to produce for the kingdom and and they are worthy of of the. The reward that they will receive before the Lord and and and they are worthy of our admiration and respect, but you never know how much of what they did was accomplished because people pray for them. You never know how much success they have in ministry because the way was paved before the our member story that James Alexander Stewart told that he was. It was ministering somewhere in Eastern Europe. Although maybe 70 years ago and he was used to going into a city and he knew that that he had a plow and plow fruit fruit for some days sometimes for some weeks before the powerful breakthroughs would come before there would be massive repents of the authors before there be radical conversions and on this particular trip.

The very first night he was in a country like Lithuania or something like that. The very first night there were these incredibly powerful breakthroughs in deep repentance and people wonderfully getting right with God. It was the kind of stuff that he would never normally see. After some days of plowing it and and and his own prayer battling at the throne and things like that when I said badly at front of me were fighting goblet often prayers is a wrestling in a battling and he was stunned. He'd never seen anything like that happen. So the next night he got there early and this there was a basement downstairs these the main meeting hall and he just went down there walk around and and praying and stumbled upon a group of intercessors. There were so lost in prayer. They didn't even notice him coming and they were so focused on God parameterized close that even I'm not even noticing coming in, and he realized that's that's what happened. They were praying before the meeting the day before and their praying during the meeting, and they been praying in the days prior to the meeting and they were prayer warriors and he sought that's what made the difference. That's how the breakthrough came so we look at it outwardly, and some on my right about the ministry of James Alexander Stewart in in in Eastern Europe and and and how God used him and things like that and and then then afterwards you realize how wow it yet God used him, but God used many others who were completely hidden behind the scenes. So once more, not at the risk of being redundant, but intensely being redundant. Pray for your leaders and pray for me as I'm ministering in Singapore at some very, very important meetings. I can't wait to update you later in the week from Singapore and then come back with a full report from Singapore but they go through a few verses with you this, some of them are out with her before they go through again. You can join us as leaders in our struggle unique struggles we have, by praying for us. Romans 1530, 32, Peter made it because Jesus prayed from Luke 2131 32 he was delivered from prison because the church prayed acts 12 one through 18th and Paul knew that his welfare was greatly dependent on the prayers of the saints. Second Corinthians 1 1011 Philippians 119.

It's not selfish for leaders asked for prayers of confession of her own frailty is a recognition of the need for the support of the whole body, and a leadership request for prayer can at times be motivated by prime source and sense of self-importance is certainly prideful premise to think that we don't need prayer, prayer and intercession help put a shield of protection around us, and in your prayers may be the key to weakening a fierce attack or revealing an ambush. In fact, I remember in the early 1980s I was. I was praying with a friend by he and his wife come over to her house for dinner and earlier in the night before we ate here and I were praying together, and when we stop praying he he looks stunned. He he looked absolutely stunned that he was a real intercessory real merit prayer he looks stunned and and I asked him what happened.

He goes and I just saw your Buick more like a lion just to some real heavy spiritual attack and I thought all well I don't know, didn't notice, when on Nancy her to just wait, wait, what you see, she knew he was a real matter.

Prayer message had just saw my quick, stunned. This attack that hit like Mauldin so we went to prayer and he really carried this in prayer and in attack did come I'm a week it came, but the force of it was greatly graced greatly lesson it was so less impacting than it should have been you still maybe there is nothing really there. No, no, I'm saying something happen that really should have been a much heavier attack. It's like somebody comes barreling into your car and and you see them coming 50 miles an hour and you're the red light and they don't see you there and they come smashing into your car rear end you and and totally fine. This is a joint even hat in your car really shows a scratch that should have happened. So I I am urging you to give yourself to prayer. We as leaders can be so much more effective. As you pray for us.

We can minister to you in such a way that you will be so much more blessed and helped as you pray for us, and perhaps in some of the plots and plans of the enemies justice sent wanted to take Peter out. Your prayers will literally make the difference between life and death as we minister in Singapore.

Pray for divine favor. Pray for divine anointing. Pray for divine authority. Pray for divine appointments can say that again pray for divine favor for divine appointments for divine authority for divine anointing and by God's grace. This trip is not just get impact many in Singapore but in a ripple way will impact people around the world, the real reasons I say that in friends we have some amazing opportunities God has funded for us in the supernatural funding for us to be on God TV five days a week with a five minute teaching message and then starting in March will be on weekly with a half-hour preaching message God has provided all the funding for that and then some time this year if hopefully within the first quarter can't exactly when were going to be preaching the gospel through TV in Israel with with outreach shows specially developed for Israel and Hebrew captioning.

These are things God is presented before us and has fully funded amazing open doors, but there's so much our hearts are burning to do what we need to increase our staff increase our funding and increase her impact our reach, and I'm not asking you to send in your money. I'm asking you to pray and as you pray every need will be met. I believe the smile of God will rebound re-down back to you so thank you for joining us in prayer brothers and sisters. Please pray for us.

Bottom line today your prayers. Leaders will make a difference forever join me at ask Dr. Brown