Spent a lot of today in prayer, obviously we are setting up a 24-7 boiler room here on the island, so you would expect that prayer was a big part of what we do.
We continue to meet everyday from 1.30 - 2.30 to pray as a community some days we don't always make it as we have jobs and people to see. At least 4 of us go every day. Sometimes it's boring, sometimes it's hard going, sometimes it's inspired, occasionally we really feel the Spirit in the room most times we just plod on.
I am amazed how much prayer is a help, Tracy and myself try to pray together a lot, if you're a couple I feel this is a very important part of your relationship. Often we get stressed and talk about problems and situations and then pray. Most times we end up feeling, "why didn't we pray sooner?". Even if nothing changes instantly, I find that prayer shifts your perspective, and a lot of our stresses come about by how we view our problems! So prayer somehow lifts us to see tham as God sees them.
I love that verse in Isaiah, that says "those who hope (wait) on the Lord will sore on wings like eagles" Eagles have a different perspective, they see the world differently, you could almost say it's a heavenly perspective. Prayer helps give me a heavenly perspective. A different view of my problems.
We have some good prayer times together, although occasionaly I have tried point scoring prayers. "dear God help tracy to snap out of it and get over it etc..." You know the ones, "Dear God please help Tracy to see that i am a man and have needs!!" Obviously they don't work....
I am a boring prayer person, I just like to get on with it say what you need to say and then move on, I try to practice the presence, whatever that means? But I get bored and distracted real easy. When we have long waiting on god times I end up having to lie down and have a daydream. God tends to show up for me more when I am busy or doing something else.
Here's a confession, when Toronto hit years ago people were falling like flies, it happened to me a few times. But on occasion I would just take a dive and succumb to Christian peer pressure and pretend the Holy spirit had knocked me over, come on anyone who has been in one of those situations must have done it?
Anyway, I'll keep praying, I believe it works.
3 comments:
Joining with you in your daily prayers over the island.
As a Southern Ontario born Canadian, (who now enjoys the mountain life of Alberta two time zones west) when "Toronto" hit, during those years, I used to take tours of my peers to witness everything there. I prayed everytime I went in there, "God, don't let anyone lay a hand on me that isn't from you!" I wasn't anxious. It was a simple prayer I've repeated my whole life amidst Church gatherings.
I prayed around that whole Toronto venue time after time. No judgement. Just a witness. I never got "touched". It's like I was hidden in Shaddai's shadow. I saw the angels at work. I saw the Spirit. I saw all the other spirits too. I am wide open to God having used all that Toronto thing - I "witnessed" it all, the good the bad and the ugly.
It's just interesting that I stuck close with HIM while I was in the midst of that Toronto incubator and HE taught me some incredible things about prayer. We have everything we need in Him! All power is in Christ!
Reminds me of a later time in BC I "responded" to a Holy Spirit fueled message from a revivalist and I walked forward to the front in a church full of thousands... hundreds of charismatic types flailing around the front. The preacher was on the other side of a sea of people when he looked my way, hundreds between us, by that time my wife Dar was standing beside me. This guy beelined through the crowded responders who all started falling to the ground all around him. When he got to us everyone was on the ground all around the three of us. He looked a bit put off by all the show on the floor all around us. He looked at us both standing there with him and asked if he could pray a blessing over us. I smiled and said, "Sure." He put one hand on my shoulder and the other hand on Dar's shoulder and said simply, "Don't slow down following Christ!" And then he walked clear out of the building.
I've been decked by God all on my own. Walking along praying on a mountain path and then WHAM, laid out flat weeping under the nearest tree, the glory so strong I can't even squint my eyes open... happens at least once a year.
And the times of prayer in community are different, its like missional prayer. Whenever anyone has had hands on me in prayer I've gone on journies into hell... and witnessed things all over the planet... It's very personal between God and I on my own and very missional between God and I and the community of many prayer filled hands.
I've witnessed God blast people off their feet. Nothing to do with my prayers. No hands. No manipulation - just witnessing someone get the slack jerked right out of them. I usually warn them, "Be prepared to hit the deck!" WHAM. Fascinating!
But nothing beats God joining us in the splendor of the ordinary.
There can be no doubt in our prayers. Any doubt we have is addressed to nothing and obtains nothing.
I join you daily in praying for that little meditteranean island. a gateway so significant to the will of the Father. There are other islands aroud the med where strongholds of prayer are being built up - malta being another one that is getting reinforcements.
Bless you in your daily rhythm of life together... like a deep methodical drumbeat anticipating the roar of a Lion.
From today's devotional reading this morning in W. Glyn Evans book "Daily with the King":
"I must commit myself to Jesus Christ, but He must also commit Himself to me. Some early followers of othe Lord "believed" in Him, but He did not believe in them (John 2:23-25). He did not commit himself to them, because He knew their hearts and saw their insincerity.
Since Jesus had the right of rejection, so do all His disciples. I must be as distinguished as my Lord and refuse to commit myself to triflers, tarriers, and in-betweeners. I must search for the lost sheep who are anxious to be found and the prodigal son who is willing to come home...
... I must beware of the frothy person whose religious commitment only takes care of his purse, his stomach, and his senses. These people abound. For them I must exercise the right of rejection..."
Is it possible to exercise this right or rejection and release a spirit of adoption at one and the same time?
There is a secret locked up in the answer - and the bodies start flying amidst "holiness that hurts the eyes!"
Thanks kirk, what a great comment, so encouraging I love the line "like a deep methodical drumbeat anticipating the roar of a Lion."
Hey Brian,
Thanks for your thoughts on prayer,
and Kirk's as well.
I am also from Southern Ontario...what is up with that, and was looking for some interesting perspectives on prayer for a 4 week study - look at, discussion, what have you with some other women. I found you both to have a refreshing view of prayer. God leads where He would have us look. I am interested in checking out the blog a little more, but thought that I would just share this and let you know if you have any women posting because of the study, you will understand or not :) I shall certainly cite both of you and your profound thoughts, giving credit of course to where the thoughts come from and remembering that the Holy Spirit inspired them for just a time as this. :)
God's blessings are upon you.
In Him,
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