Quotes from Daniel Henderson

For every Gospel action, there is an opposite and devious demonic reaction. We see this in the book of Acts. It appears in church history. We experience it in our personal journeys.

For every Gospel action, there is an opposite and devious demonic reaction. We see this in the book of Acts. It appears in church history. We experience it in our personal journeys.

We do well to be reminded that the devil hates a praying leader and a praying church. When we begin to pray, we pick a fight with the devil at a whole new level. Yet, our calling is to be praying menaces to the enemy.

Our real problem is not the pervasiveness of the darkness but a failure of the light. Light always dispels darkness. The glorious light of the resurrection life of Jesus Christ is still sufficient and available to those who reject self-reliance and return to His plan for biblical leadership. This return can reignite the radiance of the Gospel in transforming power.

The only enduring motive for prayer is that our never-changing God is worthy to be sought. This

Christians in China are praying for our Christian brothers and sisters in America. We believe we are handling our persecution better than you are handling your prosperity.2 A CHRISTIAN LEADER IN CHINA

The prayer level of a church never rises any higher than the personal example and passion of the leaders. The quantity and quality of prayer in leadership meetings is the essential indicator of the amount of prayer that will eventually arise among the congregation.

I have learned that if all we ever do is seek God's hand, we may miss His face; but if we seek His face, He will be glad to open His hand and satisfy the deepest desires of our hearts.

Building a prayer culture takes time. . . and relentless pressure over time. I often say that it is much more a crock pot than a microwave.

One subtle arena of attack is in the area of pride. Praying people can become prideful about their praying. Non-participants can become prideful in their resistance. The enemy seeks to divide and conquer every initiative of prayer.

In church life, prayer is not the only thing we do but must be the first thing we do. It can become the very environment of the ministry. It must be our first resolve not our last resort if our work is to be marked by the unmistakable power of the Holy Spirit. And this will take years, even decades. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it.

It is a good thing to let prayer be the first business in the morning and the last in the evening. Guard yourself against such false and deceitful thoughts that keep whispering: Wait a while. In an hour or so I will pray. I must first finish this or that. Thinking such thoughts we get away from prayer into other things that will hold us and involve us till the prayer of the day comes to naught.

Worship-based prayer seeks the face of God before the hand of God. God's face is the essence of who He is. God's hand is the blessing of what He does. God's face represents His person and presence. God's hand expresses His provision for needs in our lives. I have learned that if all we ever do is seek God's hand, we may miss His face; but if we seek His face, He will be glad to open His hand and satisfy the deepest desires of our hearts.

Prayer in the Spirit is prayer whose supreme object is the glory of God, and only in a secondary sense is it a blessing for ourselves or for others."9

Every time I set my face to seeking God in a fresh way, God begins to change my heart, my mind, my preaching, and my leadership skills. When any believer commits his or her heart to seeking the Lord, everything is going to change.

If my activity is human in origin, it will fail. • If my activity is from God, nobody will be able to stop it.

specifically of the basic provisions of bread and fish, with no mention of fishing boats, lake cabins, or new video games. Perhaps the answer is in the point He has already made, that the truly "good" things we seek first are the issues pertaining to the kingdom of God. In a parallel passage found in Luke's gospel, Jesus clarifies His focus on the good things we should expect with

Peter Lord, one of my personal mentors and a pastor for over five decades, states, "Most Christians pray out of crisis or from a grocery list – period." His point is that God has much more for us in our walk with Him when we learn to seek His face, not just His hand. This is the discovery so many are making today in their relationship with Christ.

I have heard Pastor Cymbala say many times that we will not one day stand before Christ to announce the size of our ministry, but to give an account of the substance of our ministry. Christ's evaluation, both now and in eternity, is based upon the fruit evidenced in the lives of the people to whom we minister.

in these times, it appears they were directly related to fresh empowerment for His self-less, sacrificial service. There are also occasions where Jesus blesses people, but His exact words are not given (Mark 10:16; Luke 24:50). In the final part of this book we will look at the

There is a difference between a church that prays and a praying church. One has prayer programs. The other develops a prayer culture.

Prayer becomes transformational when we embrace the original and enduring context for all praying. A worship-based approach fixes our heart first on the majesty of God, the person of Christ, the purity of His Word – and excites within us an appetite for Him. Our very motives for prayer are changed and elevated beyond anything merely earthly. Our heart is renewed with a longing for His glory.

our real need is not to be "relevant" through new self-styled efforts to morph into a more palatable version of faith. Our need is to be revived in the New Testament essence of church leadership that will answer a hostile and wary culture with a display of all that makes Christianity unique and triumphant—the power of the Gospel, lived and proclaimed in supernatural power.

R]eal prayer is not an excuse for laziness but, in fact, is one of the most arduous engagements I know of in ministry. Prayer is not a replacement for hard work but, in most cases, empowerment for even more fruitful work.