To begin with, my goal in having a time with the Lord every morning is to touch the Lord. This is always my focus – I must touch Him, I must enjoy His sweet presence and receive His dispensing into my being.
I normally begin with confession of my sins, laying my hands upon Him, taking Him as my sin and trespass offering. I have some key verses that I pray to Him in application most mornings – Heb. 9:14; 10:22; John 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:18-19. These verses I have committed to memory, and then I can pray them back to the Lord in a personal way.
Using the Word of God as your prayer ushers you into His presence.
I also pray using Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19. It is very interesting that he bowed his knees to the Father, of whom every family in the heavens and on earth is named. I practice praying on my knees every morning, and I use these verses to pray for every member of my family, that the Father would strengthen each one (according to the riches of His grace) with power through His Spirit into the inner man.
This is with the goal that Christ would make His home in our hearts through faith. This includes our thoughts, the way we feel, and the decisions we make. There are so many rich experiences in this prayer that I could never exhaust it.
At this point, I get into the morning revival daily portion and outline. First, I enjoy pray-reading the daily verses for nourishment and supply. There is so much light contained in the Word, but it takes time to pray over the verses until the light comes. This is the fresh supply that will lead to the development of your prophesying.
After this, I read the portions from the ministry and highlight the sentences and phrases that touch me. I also highlight the parts of the verses where I receive light.
It is also crucial to get into the outline to see the subject and main points of the message. Without this, you lose your focus. The outline is like the “roadmap” to the week, and you cannot neglect getting into it. I also highlight the important points in the outline, so that I understand the key points from beginning to end. This understanding really helps me in my prophesying.
One last point: it is also very good if you can help others who do not have much experience with morning revival. You may be able to pick up the care for one young brother or sister by calling them in the morning to help them develop a taste for pray-reading the Word and enjoying reading the ministry portions.
Be patient and go according to their capacity, waiting for them to enter into this experience. It is a great joy to see their progress and enjoyment over time.
Sharing by bro. Bill S. (Harrisburg, NC, USA) from his enjoyment with the Lord in the morning.
