This morning God showed up at early morning prayer (EMP). It truly felt like a holy moment lasting for more than 30 minutes. At the end of prayer, God confirmed by speaking to multiple people who were there that we were to continue our corporate daily prayer gatherings.
What does that mean? It means tomorrow we will again meet at Ruggles for 6AM prayer. Saturday we will meet for our previously scheduled 6-8PM church prayer meeting. Beyond that we will together continue to weigh and assess how long to keep meeting for daily early morning prayer.
What are we longing for? Themes that emerged this morning (and throughout the week) were a greater measure of the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives, a deeper understanding of Jesus' love for us, and the salvation of our family members.
What is our passion? Like Jacob (Genesis 32:24-26) and the persistent widow (Luke 18), we will not stop coming to God until we receive the fullness of what he has for us in this season.
Sarah Neslund captured this mornings encounter with God well. I pray you will be encouraged by it. For those pondering a Biblical model for this type of persistent prayer, our model is the Jerusalem Church which met every day and was devoted to prayer. (Acts 2:42-47)
Sarah's account of today's prayer gathering:
David encouraged an attitude of reception and invitation for the Holy Spirit to fall, inviting anyone to receive prayer and be filled. At least four people expressed a desire, but even after at least 25 minutes of intense spiritual prayer, that sense of urgency, of desperate thirst for the Holy Spirit still remained. And we agreed that, yes, we are contending-- our appetites have been whet and now we are hungering for more. Even though he can fill us, even when we don't ask, as a lover He seems to be romancing us, leading us closer, causing us to long more for Him. And to this we are responding with passionate pursuit, declaring, "WE WANT MORE OF YOU, GOD."
We will wrestle with him, clinging tightly until we get more of Him! We want to be filled; to receive His presence and experience all that it confers- spiritual gifts, power, love, compassion, mercy, courage and conviction. And, we will not easily relent. No. Just as he has pursued us, so we pursue Him fervently with that same intent of Jacob-- to receive His blessing and a greater impartation of the Holy Spirit. And, like Jacob, knowing it may cost us everything or just something, we lift up our hands in full surrender and complete desperation saying, "There is no place I'd rather be and no joy outside of You. You are my only desire and I don't want to be anywhere without you fully there."
What does that mean? It means tomorrow we will again meet at Ruggles for 6AM prayer. Saturday we will meet for our previously scheduled 6-8PM church prayer meeting. Beyond that we will together continue to weigh and assess how long to keep meeting for daily early morning prayer.
What are we longing for? Themes that emerged this morning (and throughout the week) were a greater measure of the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives, a deeper understanding of Jesus' love for us, and the salvation of our family members.
What is our passion? Like Jacob (Genesis 32:24-26) and the persistent widow (Luke 18), we will not stop coming to God until we receive the fullness of what he has for us in this season.
Sarah Neslund captured this mornings encounter with God well. I pray you will be encouraged by it. For those pondering a Biblical model for this type of persistent prayer, our model is the Jerusalem Church which met every day and was devoted to prayer. (Acts 2:42-47)
Sarah's account of today's prayer gathering:
David encouraged an attitude of reception and invitation for the Holy Spirit to fall, inviting anyone to receive prayer and be filled. At least four people expressed a desire, but even after at least 25 minutes of intense spiritual prayer, that sense of urgency, of desperate thirst for the Holy Spirit still remained. And we agreed that, yes, we are contending-- our appetites have been whet and now we are hungering for more. Even though he can fill us, even when we don't ask, as a lover He seems to be romancing us, leading us closer, causing us to long more for Him. And to this we are responding with passionate pursuit, declaring, "WE WANT MORE OF YOU, GOD."
We will wrestle with him, clinging tightly until we get more of Him! We want to be filled; to receive His presence and experience all that it confers- spiritual gifts, power, love, compassion, mercy, courage and conviction. And, we will not easily relent. No. Just as he has pursued us, so we pursue Him fervently with that same intent of Jacob-- to receive His blessing and a greater impartation of the Holy Spirit. And, like Jacob, knowing it may cost us everything or just something, we lift up our hands in full surrender and complete desperation saying, "There is no place I'd rather be and no joy outside of You. You are my only desire and I don't want to be anywhere without you fully there."
Update: Early Morning Prayer will continue Mon - Fri for another week (Jan 9-13).
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