Falling on my knees

What is this movement of 24/7 prayer really about?
Is it just the latest church buzzword?
Is the newest church structure?

Jesus says in the gospels that His house shall be called a house of prayer but what does that really mean for you and me? I believe Jesus was more talking about the core foundation of our lives then He was talking about a church structure. We have to guard against taking the things that the Holy Spirit is doing in these days and not just put them into programs and structures when really He is wanted a heart shift in His people. We can so quickly merchandise and commercialize the "new" things He is doing and step right back into the things that were happening in the temple when Jesus utter those words, " My house shall be called a house of prayer." It can't just be about an outward expression but an inward heart cry.

The prayer movement of our day is about God calling His people back to the place of pure, undivided devotion to Him. It is not about establishing a building where prayer goes up night and day but about establishing a people whose hearts are crying out to Him and dependent upon Him every night and every day. Now, I am not against houses of prayer. At this moment I am helping to get one started in Brussels, Belgium and we are in the process of looking for a building. I believe we need them to help establish this culture. What I am saying is that we can't make it about the building but about the culture that God is wanting to bring. Through His people being established in that place is what will bring about His Kingdom being established on the earth.

One of the problems is sometime we strive in our own strength to establish His Kingdom that brings salvation, healing, and deliverance and when that doesn't work through our striving then we turn to prayer for a little bit before we give up or get burned out. Instead we should establish ourselves in a lifestyle of prayer and fasting not for the sake of revival but because we our in love with Jesus. The reality is you can pray and fast with wrong motives and your heart be far from God. When we pursue Him for the sake of loving Him then His heart is moved and He moves on our behalf. He may not move when we think He should or how we think He should but He will move on behalf of His elect. Prayer should be the first thing we run to because it is in that place that we are running to Him but so often we try everything else and then say, "well I guess I'll go pray about it." It is amazing how backwards we have been living.

So fall on your knees today with no other motive or desire but to see His face and dwell on His beauty and I promise you, He will reveal Himself and begin to move on your behalf in any and every situation. He will speak to you and reveal to you the path that He has laid out for you each day. Set your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith and lay aside every weight and sin that so easily ensnares.

The Acceptable Year

I was having my time with the Lord this morning - which was a special one because it was my first morning living here in Brussels - I turned in my bible to Luke 4. There was no particular reason I went to Luke 4, I just ended up there.
Well, as I begin to read I got down to verse 18 and 19 and the Lord begin to speak to me once again about the call of God on me and my family for Belgium and Europe. If you are not familiar with Luke 4 it is right after Jesus gets back from the wilderness and He reads Isaiah in the synagogue. He reads about the anointing of the Spirit being upon Him to preach, heal, deliver, and bring liberty to people but in Luke 4 it goes on to talk about how Elijah was only called to help one widow even though there were many widows in that day. Also, Elijah only healed one leper even though there were many lepers in that day.

So...where am I going with all this...I was encouraged this morning and I want you to be encouraged too. I want you to be encouraged that God has anointed you to walk in the same way that Jesus did. The anointing of the Spirit that resided on Jesus is the same Spirit that lives inside you and I. If we believe we can and will do the same works that Jesus did. What is cool is that we will not just do the same works but the word says we will do more!!!

I also want you to be encouraged that just as Jesus talked about all the widows and lepers that were in the world, Elijah was told to go to only a certain one. There are many problems and hurting people in the world today, but if we will keep ourselves from getting overwhelmed about all of that and just concentrate on the one that God wants us to help today then we can make a difference.
Don't get so overwhelmed with what all is going on in the world - or even in just your life - that you rend yourself ineffective. If we will ALL choose today to go to the ONE that God speaks to us or brings our way and then tomorrow do the same, I believe we would be blown away with all that God does and how fast the world would start to be changed and transformed! This is the acceptable year of the favor of our God...be one that shows it!