Whenever I think about the prayer of consecration, I am reminded of the testimony of Rees Howell. An extraordinary man of God from the nation of Wales, the Lord used him mightily in prayer to affect the outcome of World War II. Anyone who has heard about the amazing power and effectiveness of his prayer life is sure to wonder what his secret was.
In the book, Rees Howells, Intercessor, that secret is revealed.
Quoting extensively from Rees Howell’s own journals, the book tells of a time of tremendous consecration in his life when he gave his all to God. Describing in detail the sanctifying encounter he had with the Holy Spirit (an experience which was just as real to him as his initial encounter with Jesus at the time of his salvation) brother Howells wrote:
“He [the Holy Spirit] said to me, ‘As the Savior had a body, so I dwell in the cleansed temple of the believer. I am a Person. I am God, and I am come to ask you to give your body to Me that I may work through it. I need a body for My temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), but it must belong to Me without reserve, for two persons with different wills can never live in the same body. Will you give Me yours? (Romans 12:1). But if I come in, I come as God, and you must go out (Colossians 3:2 – 3). I shall not mix Myself with yourself.’ [The Holy Spirit] made it very plain that He would never share my life. I saw the honour He gave me in offering to indwell me, but there were many things very dear to me, and I knew He wouldn’t keep one of them. The change He would make was very clear. It meant every bit of my fallen nature was to go to the Cross, and He would bring in His own life and His own nature.”
The Holy Spirit asked brother Howells for an unconditional surrender. During the next few days as he considered his decision, the Spirit began to put His finger on various areas of brother Howells’ life. He pointed out areas of personal ambition, desire for material wealth, and for the respect of men. All those desires had to be given over to God for destruction. They had to die.
At that point in his Christian life, brother Howells began to understand the truth of Romans 8:13: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” He learned not just theoretically but practically what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow me.”4
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:25 – 29
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”