I am so excited about the things that are happening at Calvary. We have come through some very difficult challenges oner the past few years. However, the Lord has brought us to a place of freedom like never before. There is still a lot of fleshly pride to deal with, but the Lord has chosen to heal our woundedness before we move to the next level.
That level is a season of prayer. The Lord calling us to an increased season of prayer speaks two things to me. The greatest part of the battle is behind us (dealing with human flesh) because we are now moving into the area of spiritual battles. The other thing is, that if God is calling us to prayer, he has already purposed to bring us into a revival. Yes, as we pray, I can see revival on the horizon.
There have been some great transformational things happen in my life. Several of them are directly related to spending time in prayer in the Prayer Tower. Even though the construction is not complete, the anointing is already resting on it. There is a sense of awe, a sense that God has moved into the tower and resides among his people here at Calvary.
Fleshly posturing has been kept at bay in our church by an actual fear of God in our midst. We are being careful in our lives and in our relationships, not to offend the Spirit of God's grace. In short, we are learning to work together as God's holy people, "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:3)
Brining this newfound unity into the ministry of prayer here at Calvary just seems right. We currently have a prayer team meeting in the Prayer Tower before each service. It's just 10 or 15 minutes, but it sets the tone of our entire time together as a church. There are those who com ego the tower to look at the progress on renovation, but there are others that come to the tower to meet with God. I bee live this will grow. People will see the new Prayer Tower as a place of refuge, a place dedicated to maintaining the presence of God's Spirit through prayer.
In preparation for this new move of God in 2013, I will be spending the remainder of this year sharing about three areas of prayer we will need in the coming year. Three messages (Dec. 2nd, 9th, and 16th) will be dedicated to teaching about the model prayer which the Lord gave us (Mark 6 and Luke 11).
In restudying these passages, God has given me new insight into what Jesus was instructing us to pray about. Typically we pray for healing and finances. A close third is usually the salvation of our loved ones. However, the Lord's prayer is all about petitioning God for our needs. Jesus wants us to have the things we ask for. One, because we do the things that are pleasing in his sight. Two, because he wants others to see what a good Father he is and how he gives his children what they ask for.
"I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.
Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”
John 16:23, 24
What a joy it would be in out lives to ask specifically for something and see and know the answer was from God. God does not try to hide the fact that he answered our prayers by making it a mystery. He wants to plainly show others that God answers our prayers.
A common mistake we make if that we forget we are co-labors with Christ and as we ask of God, he asks of us also. We must pursue our answers to prayer by faith. You would not believe how many times the kings of the Old Testament asked God for victory over their enemies and God's answer was, "Go, and I will be with you."
This is the trumpet call for 2013, "Pray and I will be with you." The Lord is going to be in our prayers. I will be preaching a message this weekend in our woundedness series entitled Strike While The Iron Is Hot. One illustration about this statement, on which the sermon is based, is if we intend to do anything for the Lord, we much stay in his presence until our metal is pliable to him. The hotter the iron gets the less force is required to fashion in into the shape God has planned for it. We must wait before the Lord until we are able to stretch ourselves around his plan for us in life.
Lord bring us to the melting point in your presence and prepare us to be vessels of prayer.