Discovering "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire"

Two things stand out to me as I read over some of these books from days gone by – timing and stirring.  God’s timing is precise.  In dependable love He shows up just on time.  He does not get in a hurry and never shows up late.   I am just as amazed at how an insight goes from good to dynamic when He is stirring our hearts.  Transformative moments are in His hands.  Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire was both for me. 

It tells the story of Jim Cymbala, the pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City.  He was physically sick, failing in ministry, and facing burnout when he was able to get away to Florida for recovery.  While on a fishing trip he sensed God’s direction.  Arriving back at the church he announced, “I want to say to you today with all the seriousness I can muster: From this day on, the prayer meeting will be the barometer of our church.”

He goes on to persuade us all, “Does the Bible ever say anywhere from Genesis to Revelation, ‘My house shall be called a house of preaching?’ Of course not.  The Bible does say, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.’  

"The honest truth is that I have seen God do more in people’s lives during ten minutes of real prayer than in ten of my sermons.

“We must face the fact that for our churches and ministries to be all God wants them to be, they must be saturated with prayer.  No new revelation or church-growth technique will change the fact that spiritual power is always linked to communion with God.

“If a meeting doesn’t end with people touching God, what kind of meeting is it?  We haven’t really encountered God.  We haven’t met with the only One powerful enough and loving enough to touch our lives.

“The more we pray, the more we sense our need to pray.  And the more we sense a need to pray, the more we want to pray...The apostles had this instinct: When in trouble, pray.  When intimidated, pray.  When challenged, pray.  When persecuted, pray.”