Prayer Meeting
We had an awesome kickoff to our Pentecost Fast tonight. We had an "old-fashioned" prayer meeting at the Third Place. I felt like the Lord gave me a couple words of knowledge.
I sensed a confused understanding of humility. Focusing on our sin produces a false humility. Focusing on God's righteousness produces true humility. I really sense God wanting us to stop focusing on what we've done right and start focusing on what He has done right. Humility is not beating ourselves up over what we've done wrong. Humility is celebrating what God has done right.
I also sensed a "spirit of discouragement." Here is the scenario I've seen in my own life and so many others. We believe God for something, but when it doesn't happen how we want it to or when we want it to we become discouraged. We give up on God. We stop believing because we can't overcome the discouragement. The other scenario is when we fall into a sinful trap. We become discouraged and quit striving after righteousness. We give up on ourselves. I really believe the Lord wanted to encourage us tonight.
One more thing.
I'm praying that God would close the gap between my theology and my reality. Too often we make our theology conform to our reality and end up with a watered-down or dumbed-down faith. I'm praying that my reality would conform to my theology.
I sensed a confused understanding of humility. Focusing on our sin produces a false humility. Focusing on God's righteousness produces true humility. I really sense God wanting us to stop focusing on what we've done right and start focusing on what He has done right. Humility is not beating ourselves up over what we've done wrong. Humility is celebrating what God has done right.
I also sensed a "spirit of discouragement." Here is the scenario I've seen in my own life and so many others. We believe God for something, but when it doesn't happen how we want it to or when we want it to we become discouraged. We give up on God. We stop believing because we can't overcome the discouragement. The other scenario is when we fall into a sinful trap. We become discouraged and quit striving after righteousness. We give up on ourselves. I really believe the Lord wanted to encourage us tonight.
One more thing.
I'm praying that God would close the gap between my theology and my reality. Too often we make our theology conform to our reality and end up with a watered-down or dumbed-down faith. I'm praying that my reality would conform to my theology.
2 Comments:
Two things I've been struggling with in the last few weeks- overwhelming focus on my sin and a resulting discouragement in my walk with God. These have caused me to shut down in a way, completely stifling my pursuit of God. I was unable to make it to the prayer meeting tonight, but I spent the hour in prayer and worship in my apartment. I asked that the Lord would somehow tie me into the believers gathered at the Third Place. I think it's an answer to that prayer that you sensed the two things you did. Your blog completely ministered to where I am. This Penecost fast could not come at a better time for me! Thank you for being open to the Lord's leading!
Mark, I think you are right on target with what you sensed. It hits right at the core.
These last few years (3 1/2, but whose counting....)have seen me lose all faith in one particular area and only recently had I really started to face the reality of where I was spiritually in this. Our focus over the next few weeks couldn't come at a better time. You spoke about unplowed ground on Sunday - its funny how often, we as Christians, forget how proactive our faith must be, that it takes hard work and pushing forward and letting Jesus give us a heart of flesh in place of our heart of stone. Mark, thanks for being willing to lead us into this.....I can't wait to hear and see and sense all the exciting things that will happen as a result of this teaching.
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