Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - The Greatest Gift You Can Give - #5357

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

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An acquaintance of mine is a recently retired Marine who had the great privilege of working security for the President of the United States. He's even worked as a spotter for President Bush when he's in the weight room, working out! On a couple of occasions, my friend has had the opportunity to tell the President something that was very much on his heart. He said, "Mr. President, the folks from my church wanted me to tell you that they are praying for you all the time." At that point, the President turned to my friend, looked him straight in the eye, and said, "Then, would you please give them a message for me? Tell them the President is deeply grateful. There's nothing greater they could do for me."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "The Greatest Gift You Can Give."

The most powerful man in the world realizes the most powerful thing you can do for a person - even for him - especially for him. And that's to pray for him. At the National Prayer Breakfast, President Bush talked about working the rope lines at events and being stopped often by people who tell him that they're praying for him. He said, "I tell them this is the greatest gift you can give a person." He's right. It's a gift I hope you are giving to people every day, with all your heart.

Our word for today from the Word of God shows us a revealing picture of what really happens when you pray for someone. It's found in Exodus 17 , beginning with verse 10. The Jewish General, Joshua, has led his troops into battle against the brutal Amalekites. And old Moses goes to fight the real battle. The Bible says, "Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning ... Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on one side, one on the other - so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So, Joshua overcame the Amalekite army."

Just in case someone wondered what this "holding up his hands" business was all about, Moses later explained. He said, "Hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord." Moses made it very clear that he was praying up on that hill. And notice how the battle was decided. Not by what the warriors were doing on the battlefield, but by what the prayer warrior was doing on the hill! That is always where the battles are decided - in the Throne Room of the Most High God as someone intercedes there for someone or something they care about.

God must get tired of us saying, "Well, I can't really do much. I guess all I can do is pray." What? All I can do is go to the One who rules a hundred billion galaxies and focus His love and His power on some person or situation or need? There's nothing else you can do that is even remotely as powerful as that! So who are the people you're praying for on a regular basis?

Commit yourself to be the Moses for some folks you know, and for some servants of God who are fighting on the front lines. And for some lost people for whom no one else may have ever prayed. I can tell you, as one person trying to serve the Most High God, there is nothing more decisive, more important, that you could do for us than to be a regular prayer warrior as we fight for some of those lost people.

Let people know you're fighting for them in the Throne Room of God. Find out what they need you to be praying for. You'll be their Moses, praying down victory for their battle. You'll be their Aaron or Hur, holding up their arms when they can't go another step. When you pray fervently for someone, you are playing a vital part in guarding their life, in meeting their need, in changing their heart, in winning their battle. You are praying for them, you are going to the Throne Room of God for them. You are indeed, giving them the greatest gift anyone can give!