Here is extract from another book by E.M. Bounds called, The Necessity Of Prayer published by Wilder Publishing.
When we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are, in a measure, shutting tomorrow out of our prayer. We do not live in tomorrow but in today. We do not seek tomorrow’s grace or tomorrow’s bread. They thrive best, and get most out of life, who live in the living present. They pray best who pray for today’s needs, not for tomorrow’s, which may render our prayers unnecessary and redundant by not existing at all! True prayers are born of present trials and present needs. Bread, for today, is bread enough.
This series on prayer have been challenging. Keep them coming.
Hi Commissioner Ray, I have been a regular reader of TC today and ever since “Bring them Home” I felt the bond become very stonger. I appreciate the way you always echo your thirst for Territory and Beyond. I happen to read “You are not of this world “. What a relevance of spiritual experience of another commissioner. I loved it and thought it would be relevant as Prayer is binding all of us together.
Raj Kulandai
Geelong.
International Secretary’s Column: You are not of this World
by Commissioner Lalkiamlova
Almost two decades ago I was one of the secretaries based at the Salvation Army Headquarters in India Eastern territory. Due to the irregularity of public transport and in spite of the shortages in those days, travelling by Headquarters vehicle for the staff was the normal practice but, for some unknown reason, whenever I was about to travel a vehicle was not available. For quite some time I thought that I was out of favour with my leaders but I was wrong about this as the leaders, at that time, were very good to me and were even willing to part with their own vehicles to assist me in my travels.
I recall very vividly one time when the Territorial Commander sent his vehicle to fetch me from the airport which was about 200 kilometres away from Headquarters. Unfortunately, the vehicle arrived the night before I did and not wishing to take it all the way back to Headquarters the driver parked it at the airport and went off somewhere. However, it so happened that, on that day a member of the Headquarters staff (who was not on official duty) happened to be in the city and saw the Headquarters vehicle. He thought I had already arrived and did not understand why the car should still be parked at the airport so, being in possession of a key for the vehicle, he got in the car and drove it back to Headquarters – of course when I arrived the next day there was no driver and no car – so no vehicle for me yet again!!
One day the Lord revealed to me the reason why a car never seemed to be available to me. I was travelling on a public bus. It was a rainy day, in fact the rain was very heavy and the road became very slippery. The bus was packed completely full and the driver was driving rather roughly – also he was drunk. No one talked or made any noise as everyone was very tense. At one point the conductor asked the driver to stop at the bus stop and said: “friends our journey today is not safe. The rain is so very heavy and it may cause a landslide which will block the road. We have also heard a rumour that there is a strike in the city where we are going – can someone offer prayer to God?”. All eyes turned on me (maybe because I was in uniform) so I stood up and offered prayer asking for divine protection and peace of mind. As soon as I sat down the couple sitting behind me patted me on the back and said “thank you, we are so comforted by your presence and your prayer; we left small children at home today and so were worried about losing our lives for their sake”. As we travelled some others passengers expressed their appreciation also and said that they were glad I was travelling with them. To me, the message from God was unmistakable – it was “this is the reason why I want you to travel by public transport”. If it is God’s will, who will dare to say no? Since that day I have travelled by public bus most of the time without having any expectation of a Headquarters vehicle. The Lord always manages to arrange a seat for me next to someone who needs counselling.
One day a vehicle broke down and the traffic from both directions came to a stop. I got down from the bus and greeted an ex-officer who was travelling in another bus on the opposite side. After I left our bus conductor approached the ex-officer and asked her my name. When the road was clear and we started moving he called me by my name and asked me whether I would allow him to sit beside me as there was a vacant seat. So he came and sat beside me and asked me “Why do Christians say that “we are not of this world”. This opened a good conversation followed by personal counselling. When our conversation reached its climax – ['Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to spirit'. '… We are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ'. (Romans 8: 16)] the atmosphere in that moment was electric – the conductor was so happy and excited with what I had told him that he even forgot to drop the mail bags at the next two villages!!
Yes, those who are born of the Spirit belong to God and are the citizens of heaven. Though still living bodily in this world, they consider their identity of heaven more than of earth. They live here according to the law of heaven which the world does not understand. Theirs is the right to inherit eternal life and heaven with all its wealth and to be with Christ Jesus for eternity.
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Commissioner Lalkiamlova is the International Secretary of South Asia zone, London
My dear friend, what a pleasure to hear from you. Thank you for your words of encouragement and your partnership in the gospel. The fellowship of prayer is broken only by death and is greater than this world can know.
God bless you every day.