Accents

Just a thought: when you talk with someone long enough, you begin to acquire their accent.  You will sound like they do.  You can tell if someone is from New York, Australia, England or South Africa just by hearing their voice.

When we pray, we talk to God.  We speak, and we listen.   I wonder how long it takes to start speaking in the accent of Heaven?  In what we say, how do we reflect our encounters with Him?  Others can tell who we’ve been hanging around the most.  Let it be the right One.

“Never stop praying.”—1 Thessalonians 5:17

Do Not Lose Heart

What does depression do?  Where does depression hurt?  It’s your heart.  It makes you lose heart.  I have friends who are struggling with this horrible, deadly disease, and I can say that most times I feel powerless to in any way help them.  It is almost unfathomable to me, how anyone could be so down, especially Christians who are supposed to know the ever-reaching love of God.  It’s frustrating.

But you know, I have the love of Christ in me.  So I know that I won’t ever give up on them.  I can be there to encourage and to pray.  I can come against any and every evil spirit of pride, hate or depression that’s taken a hold of my brother in Christ.  I just wish something would really happen, like drastically.  And I can’t see much progress.  I wish God would work faster, but I must trust in His perfect timing.

There’s only so much encouragement I or anyone else can give.  There is a limit to our human abilities, our medical remedies.  But there is no limit to the glorious power of the Spirit of God.  He places light and hope into our hearts.  He transforms us from the inside out.  He does it for me, and He does it for the suffering people around me.  My role as an intercessor is this: to lift them up into the hands of God and let Him do His perfect work.  It’s hard sometimes, but I’ll keep praying.  Because that’s what love is.  Love doesn’t give up.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”–2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Relentless: the Luke 18 Internship

Today, I start an internship with the International House of Prayer Tallahassee.  I’m doing it because I believe God is calling me to it, which is really the best reason to do anything, I think.  I’m not sure I even fully understand why I’m doing it, but I’m going to step out in faith regardless.  I haven’t been doing much of that lately; I think this is a great place to start.

To give you a little idea of what I’ll be doing, it’s a forty hour per week commitment, plus a little extra sometimes.  I’m taking four classes: Eschatology, Developing a Heart After God, the Heart of the Nazarite and the Lost Art of Intercession.  In addition to that, I’ll be in the prayer room for the most part, and I’ll probably be doing a good bit of worship leading.

My heart for this internship is really just to meet God and receive His love.  I’m devoting the next three months specifically for that purpose.  Maybe I’ll find something significant to run with.  Maybe I’ll get the guts to embrace the call of God on my life.  Will I change?  I don’t doubt it.  Will the world change around me?  I hope so.  So I will make my requests.  And God will be faithful.

“And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?  Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
–Luke 18:7-8

The Love of Calvary

A Poem:

What do you mean when you say you love me?
Am I really worth that much to you?
I am thirsty, and I am weak.
Will we fly together?  I want to.
Please pick me up.  Take me with you, please.
You are everything I want…

What have they done to you?
Pale, bleeding, hanging there, most beautiful one
Pierced, crushed and heartbroken
You cry out in agony, “I LOVE YOU!”
Torn, shredded, naked flesh, dripping beautiful blood
You see me and smile.

A Prayer:

How precious Your love is, oh my God.  I thank You for your sacrifice.  Let me never forget, that You love me THAT much.  You endured all the pain that I deserved.  You took me from the mire and made me a man.  You deserve all my worship, all my life, all my everything.  You know, I don’t even know what my “everything” even is.  But you do.  Show me how to be the mighty warrior you’ve called me to be.  Amen.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”–Hebrews 12:2-3

Sitting at the Feet of Jesus

I was praying at IHOP yesterday, trying to press in and listen to the Spirit, asking for something to intercede for.  I came across this passage in Ecclesiastes 5:1-3:

“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.  Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.”

So I was thinking, why do we pray?  Obviously, Jesus told us to pray.  Jesus gave us examples of how to pray.  He also told us to personally pray in secret, not to be seen by others(this doesn’t include corporate, or group, prayer).  Simply, prayer is communicating with God.  It’s not for show, and it’s not because we’re required to by any religious means.  Why do we pray?  Because we want to know God.  Take a look at this passage:

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”"–Luke 10:38-42

Prayer is not really about the words we say, but more about the heart we bring to the throne of God.  God knows what we’re going to say before we even say it.  Have you ever had an entirely one-sided conversation?  The person you’re talking to doesn’t even give you a chance to speak.  I wonder if it’s like that with us and God sometimes.  He really wants to tell us something, but our mouths are running a mile a minute, listing every request we can think of.  Like Martha, we need to learn to slow down, forget our worries, and sit at the feet of Jesus like Mary did(I don’t know about you, but I can be like Martha sometimes).  Because of our love for God, we should want to be with Him.  That is the “good portion” of prayer: the chance to be still and know that He is God.

Next time you pray, try something different if you haven’t in a while.  After making your requests, be quiet and listen to His voice.  I’m sure He has something to say to you.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”–Mark 12:30