Randy Sprinkle - Follow Me (Revised Edition): Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker

Becoming a Lifestyle
PRAYERWALKER

Randy Sprinkle

New Hope Publishers

P.O. Box 12065

Birmingham, AL 35202-2065

NewHopeDigital.com

New Hope Publishers is a division of WMU

2013 by Randy Sprinkle

All rights reserved. First printing 2001

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of the publisher.

The Library of Congress has previously cataloged this book as Follow Me: Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sprinkle, Randy, 1949

Follow Me : Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker / Randy Sprinkle.

p. cm.

Originally published: Follow Me : Lessons for Becoming a Prayerwalker, c2001.

ISBN 1-56309-948-9 (pbk.)

1. WalkingReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. Intercessory prayerBiblical
teaching. 3.BibleTextbooks. I. Title.

BV215.S67 2005

248.5dc22

2005010863

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE , Copyright, The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

ISBN-10: 1-59669-374-6

ISBN-13: 978-1-59669-374-6

N134115 0613 2M

To the Intercessors

Known to God because they were a gift from Him.

Given, they then gave of themselves for years
to see this book come to your hand.

I am humbled by their love and sacrifice
and I am irredeemably in their debt.

While there is no end to the writing of books, the truth is that very few books ever reach print (or e-print), and of those that do most get a brief few moments of notice and then spend whatever residual life they may have on thrift shop shelves or garage sale tables. Rare is the book that lives on.

After multiple printings and now a new 3rd edition, the fact that a book that intentionally doesnt read, but instead requiresrequires its user to daily work and think and acknowledge and respond and repent and pray and dieand yet still lives, is a marvel, a divine one, I believe.

This new edition launches out on a different sea than its forbearer did. If that wasnt true, there wouldnt be the need for a revised edition. The truths are timeless because they are biblical. Different, though, are the many related insights and experiences and stories because life is a journey, and inherent in a journey is new scenery and experiences that require new light if they are to be understood and applied.

In just the dozen years since Follow Me was published, two sea changes have become evident and increasingly difficult to deny: 1) Americans are rapidly becoming secular in their life orientation, adopting values and lifestyles that are unbiblical and self-validated, and 2) so are Christians.

do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed

Cultural Christians do not know this admonition.

Biblical Christians know it.

Followers of Christ heed it.

As researchers ask us and our neighbors about our religious identification, a steadily growing number of us respond with none. In fact, this is the only religious category that is showing growth in all 50 states.

And New England, where I live, leads the way

We dont like to think (and certainly do not acknowledge) that all of us are followers. We want to be leaders. We think we are at some level, in some way. But were not. Were followers. And we generally follow those who say what we want to hear and affirm what we want to do so we can think and live as we please.

As we live this way, we eventually hear (or overhear) the mention of someoneJesus. If we angle our ear a bit in His direction, we hear things that seem interesting. Something, though, always rises up from within us to say no or later, and we go on our way. Until, we get still in the deep of the night or we lose our job or we lose our love, and then we know clearly, even if we cant hear Him clearly, that this Jesus might be onto something. And so we buy His book (after all it is the best seller of all time) or we give to His campaign or, in extreme cases, we join His club.

And while these actions do make us feel a little better, we really arent any better because were trying to get Him to come with us and bring whatever help and benefits He can as we live our lives. His local group leaders often even counsel people to Receive Jesus into their lives. When all the while, Jesus actually wants to receive us into His life.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? Come to me.

Follow Me and I will make you

If we do, we immediately begin to realize two things: The world isnt any better off, but we sure are. He isnt changing the world, Hes changing us. Hes making (really remaking) us.

Were no longer being conformed to this world and this age. Were being transformed, and part of this transformation is a declining demand for our own way and a living, growing desire for His life and His way. And then, one day, we recognize something. Hes in conversation with us and were responding. Were agreeing. Were wanting what He wants. And its then we wake up to a new reality We care about the things He cares aboutespecially people. And we long for them to know life like weve come to know it, and we ask for them and seek for them and knock on their closed doors. And He answers and opens and receives them too.

The world forms from the outside in. Jesus transforms from the inside out.

The key to this transformation is shutting the world out and letting the Savior in. The first way to do this, and still the best way, is to walk with Him, letting Him lead, letting him work His life into ours.

In a small way this book lives on because it urges us onon to and along this way of new, real life.

Right now, New England leads the way. It seems the nation will continue to follow. You dont have to.

You could follow Jesus.

R ANDY S PRINKLE
New England
Revised Edition
Follow Me

By Steve Hawthorne

Author of Prayerwalking: Praying On-Site with Insight

Prayerwalking is so simple that the only teaching you need is that which would keep it from getting complicated. The trouble is, we are already complicated. Thats why we need a book like this.

I see three ways that we are complicated regarding prayer. Each is dealt with by what youll find as you walk through this book.

The first complication in prayer that I see today is that we usually prefer a mediator. We seem to think well do better if someone else gets through to God for us. Of course, God loves people to intercede for each other, but its not hard to get lazy and let someone do your praying for you. It makes as much sense as having someone eat for you. Although the Bible is clear that there is one mediator (count em: one! 1 Timothy 2:5), we like the convenience or comfort of having an expert, higher-tier prayer person to broker our urgent requests.