REVIEW:
The Lord has said that 2019 is the year of the family. A time when families will heal and be reunited. He said it’s a time when we are to focus on our family and to pour ourselves into them-to love them unconditionally, to train them in the ways for the Lord, and to also bring correction and restructuring within the home.
2019 is also a year of harvest. We will see our loves ones in our families come to Christ and be radically changed from the inside out.
It is also a year of harvest for lost souls in our community. We will see more and more people getting saved in our services and out in our communities. It’s a time of evangelism-winning people one-on-one and in churches, stadiums, and auditoriums.
2019 is a year of unity in the body of Christ. The Lord says, “I’m calling my people, the ecclesia, the church to a place of unity where denominations and church names are in the background; where my people can come together without competition and come together to unite under the cross for the salvation of this Valley.” It’s a year for Pastors and Leaders to come together in unity to pray and work together like never before.
It’s a year of Community. The Lord is still highlighting and focusing on becoming “community”to one another and becoming community through our LifeCare Ministries, through outreaches, and community projects. This is also part of the evangelism God is calling us to. People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
The Lord says, “This year will be a year of unspeakable joy, a year of prosperity, and a year of healing.” The Scripture the Lord gave me for this is 3 John 2 (NKJV) 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
And finally, but certainly not least, 2019 is a year of Prayer & Intercession. It’s a time to pray like never before where we need to hear God’s voice and intercede for the things on His heart. It’s a time of birthing things in the Spirit through travail. It’s certainly not the year to slack off on praying. We need to increase in our prayer and intercession. And as we increase in our “pressing in”through prayer the Lord says, “I will pour out My presence and glory like never before on those who are willing to seek Me and pray. You will see change that you never thought you would see. You will see things you never thought you would see! I will exceed all expectations says the Lord.”
Today I will minister on one of the deepest mysteries of prayer that not many know about or have experienced. This prayer is called travail.
Travail is described as painfully difficult or burdensome work, to toil. To suffer the pangs of childbirth; be in labor.
So how does this apply to prayer? Travailing prayer is the cry of the Holy Spirit inside of us that can take on different manifestations. Travail is not something we decide to do on our own. It is purely directed by the Holy Spirit. It’s not something you can work up inside of you, it’s by the moving and stirring of the Holy Spirit.
John 16:20-22 (KJV) 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
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Do the actions of man grieve the heart of God? Genesis 6:5-8(NKJV) 5 Then the Lordsaw that the wickedness of man wasgreat in the earth, and thatevery intentof the thoughts of his heart wasonly evil continually. 6 And the Lordwas sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.7 So the Lordsaid, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Genesis 9:12-15(NKJV)12 And God said: “This isthe sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that iswith you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which isbetween Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
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There is a great reward when we allow the Holy Spirit to pray through us and grief through us in travail.
Psalm 126:5-6(KJV) 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
You’re sowing precious seed in prayer and you will see that seed bring forth a harvest!
Romans 8:26-27 NKJV) 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is,because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
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What is the purpose of travail?
Travail produces spiritual children.
Isaiah 66:8“…for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.”
Christians are spiritually referred to in the Word of God as Zion (God’s people). As we travail, things are birthed in the Spirit. Many souls become “born again” through someone’s travail.
Paul was a man who travailed. He said in Galatians 4:19, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.”
Paul had already travailed for them to be born into the kingdom of God, and now he was travailing for the remainder of the work to be done, Christ being formed in them. Paul knew that the destiny of baby Christians was to ultimately come into the fullness of Christ. Those little children were not to remain “babes,” but were to be brought into maturity becoming sons of God. Travail produces sons.
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There are many different forms that travail may take and varying depths of pain involved. Some of these are mild sensations of heaviness or a weight, or just the general feeling of a burden. Some people weep, cry, moan or groan. Others even experience symptoms like birth pains or heaviness in the chest while in deep travail. One can experience any of these feelings separately or in combination.
Hannah
1 Samuel 1:8-20(KJV) 8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. 11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. 15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. 18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. 19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her. 20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.
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JESUS
John 11:32-34(KJV)Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept.
John 11:38-40(KJV) 38Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”
The greatest travail of all time was the Lord’s travail of soul in the Garden of Gethsemane before He went to the cross for the sins of the world.
Luke 22:41-44(KJV)41And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 43Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
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Communion Scriptures
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NKJV) For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Examine Yourself
1 Corinthians 11:237-32(NKJV) Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.