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Anne Graham Lotz shares difference prayer makes
Harper McKay, SEBTS
March 08, 2016
5 MIN READ TIME

Anne Graham Lotz shares difference prayer makes

Anne Graham Lotz shares difference prayer makes
Harper McKay, SEBTS
March 08, 2016

Anne Graham Lotz encouraged listeners at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) to be like Daniel who was compelled to pray, centered in prayer and persistent in his petitions.

Southeastern hosted “An Evening with Anne,” featuring Lotz, renowned author and speaker and daughter of Billy Graham.

More than 900 guests attended the Feb. 25 event.

To open the evening, Lotz expressed thanks to everyone who has supported her family since the passing of her late husband, Danny Lotz.

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BR photo by Dianna L. Cagle

Anne Graham Lotz spoke Feb. 25 during “An Evening with Anne” at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest.

“I know many of you have been praying for me and my family,” she told the crowd at the seminary’s Binkley Chapel in Wake Forest, N.C. “The Lord has heard your prayers, and we are doing so well.”

Lotz also gave an update on her father saying that at age 97 he is doing well and is stronger than he has been in some time.

Speaking from Daniel 9, Lotz posed a question, “What can one person do when we’re faced with a mess or a disaster?”

“Our world is in a mess,” Lotz said. “My challenge to you tonight is … wrap your mind around your sphere of influence – your family, your church, your nation … and [say] God I will not let you go until you bless those who are in my circle.”

Lotz outlined a pattern of prayer exemplified in the life of Daniel, specifically in chapter nine when Daniel pled to the Lord to deliver His people.

Like Daniel, Christians should pray the promises of God back to the Lord. “Daniel was compelled by the promises in God’s Word,” she said.

“So I don’t know what the problems are in your world, but whatever they are would you ask God to give you the promise to match it and then pray those to Him?”

Lotz explained how Daniel centered on God in his prayers, turning from everything else to focus on God. We likewise, she said, should put everything else aside and get in our quiet places to petition the Lord in prayer.

Daniel also prayed for forgiveness of the sins of Judah in a very unique way, she said.

“He was so identifying with the sins of his people that he took them upon himself,” Lotz said. “He stopped pointing the finger at them. He stopped blaming others, and he took on the sin of his people as though it were his own.”

Lotz said Christians today should keep short accounts of their own sins, confessing every day, and stop seeing “others” as the problem in this world.

“The basic problem in Judah was sin,” she said. “And in America the basic problem in our nation is not political, not immigration. The basic problem in America is sin.”

In closing, Lotz urged listeners to continue in prayer until an answer comes.

“My challenge to you this evening is, what difference does the prayer of one person make,” she said.

“You’re not going to know until you choose to be that one person. Would you pray until God delivers His people and takes them home?”

Lotz, president of AnGeL ministries (annegrahamlotz.org), spoke on material from her newest book, The Daniel Prayer, which will be released in May. She was invited to speak at the end of the Seminary Women’s Network (SWN), an annual meeting between the wives of the six Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) seminaries and other women leaders at SBC entities.

Dorothy Patterson of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary said the women get updates on what is happening with women’s ministry at each of the seminaries and learn of new resources to use to facilitate ministry. The SWN meeting rotates each year to a different seminary.

“They are asking us to do a pretty big job in training women,” Patterson said.

The yearly gathering is an opportunity “to encourage women to use their gifts not only to grow personally but certainly to reach evangelistically those who do not know the Lord, and then to help disciple those who do,” said Rhonda Kelley of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

While there are 20 women on the roll for SWN, only 12 were at the meeting.

“It’s not a large group but it’s a wonderful, intimate fellowship because many of us – while our works and our maybe spheres are somewhat different – we all have a similar passion and call, so there’s quite a strong sisterhood,” Kelley said.

While the women meet together on a small scale for most of their time, the goal each event is to have a broader event, like having Anne Graham Lotz share.

Denise O’Donoghue, SEBTS assistant professor of ministry to women, said all the pieces fell in place for the event to take place.

“We’re great friends, and the Lord has just given us an incredible bond because of our relations to each other and our work with the SBC,” she said.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Harper McKay is a news and information specialist at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dianna L. Cagle, Biblical Recorder production editor, contributed to this story.)