A Call to Prayer
Yesterday, our Spiritual Formation pastor, Heath Davis, sent this message to our small group leaders. I say, "Amen, Brother! Amen!"
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I invite you to make time today or tomorrow to enter into the inner sactuary of your soul. Move into the place that is deeper than your frantic pace and busy work. Continue deeper still beyond your yearnings, your fears, you hopes, your dreams. Journey deeper yet to that place inside of you where the Spirit of the Living God dwells. He dwells within the deepest part of you because we need Him at the very core of our essence. The problem with the Jesus being at the core is that He is buried deep within. If our lives remain at the surface and shallow, that which is at the core becomes forgotten and ignored.
So, find a quiet place. Go into the forest. Hide yourself in a closet. Go into the basement and light a candle. Drive your car to a remote place and sit. Then, get quiet. Create an environment where He becomes the supreme focus of your thoughts, your feelings, your hopes and your aspirations. Forget everything but Christ and Him crucified. And just listen for His voice speaking to you.
Very soon it will be Easter. Easter reminds us that while we were still lost in our sin, He died for us. We owe it to Him to make sure that we are listening to His Spirit. He payed such a high price to give us Himself. And yet, days and weeks go by and we do not spend time with Him like we ought. A.W. Tozer says that God is "waiting to be wanted". God has shown through His suffering and death that he would rather die than live without us. The question is do we really want Him?
Our staff has sensed a moving of God's spirit and a great receptivity of the His Spirit within the last month. The teenagers within our church are finding God and pressing deeper into Him. This has manifested itself in teens coming to Christ and re-ordering their lives around prayer and seeking His will. Also, in Alpha Monday night, God's Spirit was poured out on many who came to Him in an hour long prayer service. This time of reflection and private prayer and one on one prayer brought tears of pain and tears of joy and tears of healing. People came to Jesus for the first time and others rediscovered Him amidst their chaotic lives. At the Minong church plant, the Lord has brought new visitors each week. The church is still so young, yet already 100 people are attending. This is not the work of man, but the work of God. Recently, God has been moving in small, yet profound ways on the reservation and with the hispanic group in Minong. Yes, I sense clearly the movement of God right now.
Where the movement of God is strong, so are the forces of darkness. I am asking you if you would band together with me to be intentional about praying everyday between now and Easter specifically for the outpouring of God's spirit within this church and our surrounding community. Alongside of this outpouring, would you pray for a special receptivity to the Spirit within yourself and those around you. This is not a "fly by the seat of your pants" call to prayer. But, an intentional, on your knees sort of prayer. Would you commit to praying with me in spirit over the next week and a half. It will be a commitment on your part, but I know God will honor it.
I would like our prayer time over the next week and a half to culminate in a fast on Good Friday. Would you join with me in a fast on this day as we remember the Lord's suffering on our behalf? I realize that for health reasons, some of you may not be able to fast. But, those of you who are able, I believe God would be honored if we would band together for this purpose.
God works as His community bands together as corporately seeks His face. So, you are welcome to invite anyone else into this circle or forward this email to them. Please respond back to me if you are on board with this.
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I invite you to make time today or tomorrow to enter into the inner sactuary of your soul. Move into the place that is deeper than your frantic pace and busy work. Continue deeper still beyond your yearnings, your fears, you hopes, your dreams. Journey deeper yet to that place inside of you where the Spirit of the Living God dwells. He dwells within the deepest part of you because we need Him at the very core of our essence. The problem with the Jesus being at the core is that He is buried deep within. If our lives remain at the surface and shallow, that which is at the core becomes forgotten and ignored.
So, find a quiet place. Go into the forest. Hide yourself in a closet. Go into the basement and light a candle. Drive your car to a remote place and sit. Then, get quiet. Create an environment where He becomes the supreme focus of your thoughts, your feelings, your hopes and your aspirations. Forget everything but Christ and Him crucified. And just listen for His voice speaking to you.
Very soon it will be Easter. Easter reminds us that while we were still lost in our sin, He died for us. We owe it to Him to make sure that we are listening to His Spirit. He payed such a high price to give us Himself. And yet, days and weeks go by and we do not spend time with Him like we ought. A.W. Tozer says that God is "waiting to be wanted". God has shown through His suffering and death that he would rather die than live without us. The question is do we really want Him?
Our staff has sensed a moving of God's spirit and a great receptivity of the His Spirit within the last month. The teenagers within our church are finding God and pressing deeper into Him. This has manifested itself in teens coming to Christ and re-ordering their lives around prayer and seeking His will. Also, in Alpha Monday night, God's Spirit was poured out on many who came to Him in an hour long prayer service. This time of reflection and private prayer and one on one prayer brought tears of pain and tears of joy and tears of healing. People came to Jesus for the first time and others rediscovered Him amidst their chaotic lives. At the Minong church plant, the Lord has brought new visitors each week. The church is still so young, yet already 100 people are attending. This is not the work of man, but the work of God. Recently, God has been moving in small, yet profound ways on the reservation and with the hispanic group in Minong. Yes, I sense clearly the movement of God right now.
Where the movement of God is strong, so are the forces of darkness. I am asking you if you would band together with me to be intentional about praying everyday between now and Easter specifically for the outpouring of God's spirit within this church and our surrounding community. Alongside of this outpouring, would you pray for a special receptivity to the Spirit within yourself and those around you. This is not a "fly by the seat of your pants" call to prayer. But, an intentional, on your knees sort of prayer. Would you commit to praying with me in spirit over the next week and a half. It will be a commitment on your part, but I know God will honor it.
I would like our prayer time over the next week and a half to culminate in a fast on Good Friday. Would you join with me in a fast on this day as we remember the Lord's suffering on our behalf? I realize that for health reasons, some of you may not be able to fast. But, those of you who are able, I believe God would be honored if we would band together for this purpose.
God works as His community bands together as corporately seeks His face. So, you are welcome to invite anyone else into this circle or forward this email to them. Please respond back to me if you are on board with this.
I'll join you in prayer.
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