hope|sounds

Day 8 in prayer room - October 19, 2010

I thought today's focus was going to be Mercy - after all, I woke up declaring that His mercy was new this morning, there was a song about mercy that came to me on the car ride to Onething, when I got to Onething one of the pastors referenced a verse to me about mercy...but alas...the Holy Spirit had different plans.

Forewarning: This is a bit lengthy post.

Good morning, Holy Spirit! I quiet my soul before you for I need to hear your voice - I need to know the things on your heart. This month of prayer has been good and you have been so faithful with the little that I've given you. I open up my spirit to receive from you today - for the hope of Your glory, not just my satisfaction.

I worship You today - I desire to praise you from a pure and undefiled heart - because You are worthy of pure praise...a genuine, consecrated heart. I thank you for your mercy! We don't even have a glimpse of how deep this river runs...but I thank you that you don't change and your mercy and love never fail!

What's on Your heart, Love?

I don't want this time to be in vain. I don't want to jump ahead of where you aren't leading. I don't want to fall behind. I want to keep in step with you, Holy Spirit. I want to walk side by side with you so I can hear you clearly. I thank you for drawing me to you. I want to partner with your heart and I believe that as I draw near to you, You WILL draw near to me and you will reward me with your presence and your voice as I diligently seek you with all my heart. I thank you that as I wait on you I will NOT be put to shame, for you WILL come and reveal yourself to me and you DESIRE for us as a campus and your people to walk in your will and ways. You do not lie...so it's just a matter of time. So I wait expectantly for you to draw near and make yourself known. I thank you in advance for a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of you - I receive your spirit's leadership and presence today.

As I've sat waiting on You, Lord, I have felt you lead me back to John 17 and the depth of emotion of Your heart. It's no coincidence that as I sit in the prayer room, Corey Russel begins speaking about the emotions of Your heart. It's no coincidence that just 4 days ago, Bishop Lana shared a word with us that You are bringing our emotions into alignment with Your emotions in this season.

So the question is...What does it look like to gaze upon your beauty and stare at your face to the point where we can know what each minor movement and expression of your face means and reveals about your heart?

Because it sounds great...but what does that look like? Bishop Lana mentioned our will being conformed to God's will.

John 17:11 - "...Holy Father, keep in Your name (in the knowledge of Yourself) those whom You have given Me, that they may be One as We are One."

1st - "those whom You have given Me" implies that these are the disciples who are actively walking out Matthew 16:24-27 - denying themselves, taking up their cross and conforming wholly to the lifestyle of Jesus. This brings about the conformity of our will to God's will - submission and obedience.

Bishop Lana also mentioned that unity is at the forefront. Submission to the Father, submission to one another.

Here's how we begin the process of staring at His face...We become a disciple!!

Matthew 16:24 - Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself (disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests) and take up his cross and follow Me (cleave steadfastly to me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also).'

This is where we are!! You are stripping us of things in the natural - possessions, security in world systems; and in the spirit - removing all other loves so that we can ONLY cleave steadfastly to You. NOT COINCIDENCE that You are exposing to us the areas where we have been dependent on ourselves or others - not relying wholly on You!

Oh God, give us grace to deny ourselves and lose ourselves for as we gaze at you, as we learn of you, become acquainted with you...you become more and we become less! The more we stare at your face, the more we lose sight of our face, the more removed we are from other loves, the closer we are with you! As we lose sight of our own interests by becoming acquainted with Your interests (the knowledge of God), we are spurred on to conform our will to yours. As we do this (and the only place it can be accomplished is in Your presence), we begin to unlock the new language for the new dimension we are in. And in this is accomplished that steadfast calm in the midst of the storm because we are no longer moved by how things affect US, but we live by the decrees of the Lord!