The power of a moment

Our pastor invited people to come forward and pray. "Maybe you need more of God in your life, His peace, His presence. Come and kneel at the foot of the cross and lay your burdens down there."

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In front of me a beautiful moment began to unfold. A father walked up to the front and then knelt in prayer. His family showed their surprise with tear filled eyes. Then in a moment, I was moved to tears as his two teenage sons went forward and knelt beside their father. 

I have no idea what was happening in their life to cause them to go before the Lord, but I do know that in that moment, this family was in the most powerful position there is. 

It is on our knees where we can begin to understand how powerful God is and how much we need Him in our lives. 

He offers us Rest
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. Psalm 62:1

We can share anything with Him
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

God has power to share with us
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29

Colombia Bound!!

Today I leave with a group to travel to Colombia.  Please join us in prayer for the trip. You can follow our experiences here. 

Do it Lord!

I love this song By Tommy Walker

Do It Lord!

I see Your glory covering the earth, Lord Just as the waters are covering the sea. I see the millions coming to salvation. I see revival fire in the land.

I see the lost and nameless ones remembered. I see the widows shouting out your praise. I see the friendless loved and celebrated. Orphans fulfilling, Lord, Your calling on their lives.

Do it Lord, do it Lord,

Do it Lord we are praying,

Do it Lord, do it that your glory may be seen.

This song reminds me that we can pray for the things that are important to us and to the heart of God.

Years ago a dear friend of mine was battling cancer. I will always remember my tear filled fervent prayers. "Lord heal her, remove the tumors, give her more time to be with her children. Do it Lord." 
For a season those prayers were answered. She had more time with her children and the experimental medication was shrinking the tumors. I will always remember when she called to tell me that this horrific disease had returned and that this time there was little hope of more time.  


Suddenly the focus of prayers changed from giving this young mother more time, to "please give her sweet memory filled times with her children." From "heal her body, to Lord, make her whole in heaven. Do it Lord!"


Just because we pray doesn't mean that God will answer yes! But that doesn't mean we can not ask. I have full confidence that God wants me to come to Him, to tell him what is on my heart. Some people are afraid to ask God, to request that God move in a situation.  I would rather ask and have him tell me no or not yet, than never have asked at all. 

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.  I John 5:14-15

I love that this verse says "He hears us". Even if His plans are different than mine, I can trust that he has heard my heart and knows what is best.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

When we are thankful that God is at work, that he has heard us, that he has gone before us, we can ask and offer our request with full confidence that He is listening. This is what brings us peace. Do it Lord!

If I was rewriting this song, I would ask that; 

The hungry would be satisfied

 Orphans would have families

Cancer would be wiped out

Children wouldn't die

God's Glory would be seen

Jesus would return

Do it Lord!

Whatever your prayer is, ask God with confidence that He hears you!

Father, this is our prayer oh God. This is our desperate cry.

In these days that we’re living now. Let Your kingdom come let your will be done.

Waiting, waiting, waiting!

Waiting!

It seemed that all over Kenya people were waiting. Our trip started with lots of waiting in airports and in the airplanes. Throughout our trip we were in periods of waiting. Waiting for things to begin or to finish, Waiting to go somewhere or to arrive somewhere, Waiting for the generator to start and waiting for the last moment that we would have light, Waiting for coffee or chai, Waiting to see what God would do in every situation.

It is something that we as Americans have a difficult time with!

When we arrived in Kenya one of the pastors told us to leave our watches behind because now we were on Africa time! He wasn't kidding. Things happened as they needed to, not when we scheduled them to. Our waiting was going to be a lesson that we would not soon forget.

God was whispering that he was in control and that I didn't need to be. He had this covered!

I hope I am not the only one who struggles with this!

 Everywhere you looked in Kenya, people were waiting. Waiting for the bus, for their children, for the sun to go down, for food, friends and healing. There were some that were waiting for the touch of the Holy Spirit. There is a deep hunger and thirst for the touch of Jesus in Kenya.

 

While we were walking down a path in the village children who were playing by their mud houses saw us coming from afar and began yelling, "wazungu" (white people), as if they had been waiting for our arrival. Each time this happened they came running to us. They were waiting to shake our hands, to examine our skin, to play with us. We were the ones that they had waited for. Talk about pressure! They giggled as we tried to greet them in their language.

I talked in the previous blog about church services being 4 hours long. There is an expectation that God will meet them in the service and that they are to wait for Him. To wait upon Him. They expect it and are blessed in their waiting on Him.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary.

 Father, I don't want to forget this waiting lesson. I know that you have a plan that you will carry out. Strengthen us as we wait for you. Jann

Open the eyes of my heart!

How long is your church service? Usually ours is an hour and half plus the Sunday school hour. In Kenya theirs goes for 4 or 5 hours! There is praise and worship, teaching of the Word, testimonies, and that is just the first two hours! The excitement that Kenyan Christians have in Worship is expressed through song and dance and sincere praises and cries to God. Most of the time you will hear (Bwana asifiwe) (Praise the Lord) in which everyone replies “Amen”.



As a christian I know that demons are real, that spiritual warfare is real, that satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Even though I know this and pray against this, I have never really seen this in action. Certainly not in my local church, Scripture tells us several things regarding demons.


He appointed twelve—designating them apostles]—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons. Mark 3:14-15

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." Mark 16:15-18


Several times in a service when the invitation to accept Christ was given someone or multiple people would fall to the ground and begin screaming, crying and flailing around. Now in my American, Evangelical background I have never seen this before and the first time I was, let’s say. “skeptical”. On one occasion a teenage boy was literally slithering and contorting his body in such a way that it was obvious that he could not have done this on his own. The church however knew exactly what to do and everyone moved forward to praise God and pray for him. The Americans instinctively moved away at first. As we joined in and moved towards this child and then as a body we prayed and prayed and prayed. After the service we found out that this boy had epilepsy as a child and had charms placed on his body. The culture of intertwining witchcraft and daily life was now at war with his desire to follow Christ.

The next time it happened was after Kevin and I preached a message about God’s name “EL Roi” The God who sees me.

I was touched by how God sees them. These are men and women who have been struggling to live.  They have been hurting and longing for a savior.  Many have lost more than we can ever imagine.  The message that God sees them and that they are known by Him is so timely. The Spirit's presence was sweet and It was a precious time.

Many people came forward to receive Christ. It was a miraculous time of having the Corinth team lay hands on people and pray for them. Interestingly the language we spoke did not matter. God knew what these brothers and sisters needed and we were there to minister in Jesus name. As we were praying several people again fell to the ground. This time our team knew what to do. We just kept praying and praising. Later we learned that one of the women had been involved in witchcraft in her home.

Now I understand this passage.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.  ICorinthians 10:22
For some people this experience may seem scary, out of our ordinary way of worshipping. All I know is that we were sent to help set the captives free and be the hands and feet of Jesus. In the culture of Kenya there are many who are held in deep bondage. I praise God that my eyes have been opened to see how prayer and praise can thwart the schemes of the evil one.

Bwana asifiwe! Praise God!

Prayer is like a vacation.

Did you know that the words "Be still" mean to vacate?  It is where the word vacation comes from. Each time we come to the Father in prayer and are still, we take a vacation, a breather, a repsite.  It is a time that we can rest and listen and just be still.


Ruth Haley Barton writes of a time that she was told to do this.

"you are like a jar of river water all shaken up.

What you need is to sit still long enough so that the sediment can settle and the water can become clear."

What are the things that are swirling around you?

busyness,

   emotions,

     strife,

       relationships,

         pressures

           worries

Sit still long enough so that the sediment, the (junk) can fall to the bottom.

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about      many things."

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Let the things of this earth fall to the bottom and you will see more clearly!

Father, thank you that you have made us to need the connection of prayer. Thank you for being God! Thank you for taking the craziness out of what is swirling around us and bringing peace. 

Thank you for giving us a vacation anytime that we are still and invite you in.  Please remind us to do this more often.

Will this ever get easier?

Humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you up. James 4:10

I have heard this so many times.  From the time I became a Christian in the summer of my 9th grade year, I have sung the worship song. "Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord".  It seems like such a simple idea. 

God is bigger and better than me. 

• He is the ultimate Creator. 
• The Alpha and Omega.
• The Great I AM.
• The one who called me by name.
• He sent His son to save me.

And yet, I still struggle at times to give Him the glory due His name.

I think about my wants and needs instead of His plan and purposes

I know he is calling me to bow before Him, to allow Him to lead me, to surrender to His will.

Will this ever get easier?

The promise in the verse is that "He will lift you up".

I am choosing to humble myself, holding onto His promise that as I do, He will lift me up.

Father,

I know I sound like a broken record.  I want to live for you and serve you, yet I struggle to do so consistently. I apologize for forgetting who you are. I am humbled as I write this.  Please accept my apology and fill me with a deeper awareness of your kingdom and of your majesty. Thank you for your promises. I will put my trust in you because I know that your mercies are new every morning.

Jann

Stones of Forgiveness

Last night I partook of a wonderful experience with women in prayer.
Set up all around the room were prayer centers. There are many great ideas at a website http://www.creativeprayer.com/index.php?blog=1. I am grateful that they had so many experiences listed and ready to try out. We had 8 stations each one with a focus, verse, picture, object or task.

One of the stations focused on forgiveness. At this table were smooth flat stones and washable markers. As we prayed if a person came to mind that we needed to forgive we were instructed to write their initials on the stone and then asked to offer a prayer of blessing for them.

As I held onto the stone in my hands,I realizedhow powerless I am to forgive anyone. Only through Christ can I even attempt to forgive. Only through His blood and forgiveness in my life, do I know how to forgive and to receive forgiveness.

The next step was to wash the stone in water and watch the name drip away. This was very significant for me. I have been holding onto this for way to long. God does not remember my sins, should I hold onto the sins of others? It felt good to release this and ask blessing for this person.

Holding onto unforgiveness takes up space that God wants to have in our hearts. I wonder how much space I have been wasting? If I truly want to be filled to overflowing with the Spirit then There has to be room for Him.


I have a suspicion that I may need to use some more stones! :)

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. Mark 11:25

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13


Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times Matthew 18:21-22

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Romans 12:14

Father,

How many times have you forgiven me? I am grateful and humbled by your mercy and grace. You have also blessed me beyond belief. I stand before you as one who has experieinced your love and peace and yet struggle to let go of old hurts, dissappointments and forgive. Outwardly I may appear as one who is upright, but you oh Lord know the condition of those places in my heart. As I hold these stone in front of you, may I be as Abraham and offer them to you as an altar of praise. Bless these dear ones of yours and remove from me the stain of unforgiveness. I am humbled by you longsuffering and crave to know you more.

Jann

Advice.....

Image by koalazymonkey via Flickr

A friend asked me yesterday what advice I would give to someone who was 20 years younger. After I was insulted to think that anyone would be 20 years younger I really liked the question.

What are the important things that I would tell someone?

The following are the first things that came to mind. Some have a spiritual reference and others well, they are lessons that I learned along the way.

• Follow hard after God. Make Him first. "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." John 12:26
• Develop your prayer life. Learn to Abide in Christ. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.'"John 15:5
• Pray without ceasing. Pray for and with others.
• Do what God tells you to do the first time! "My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words." Proverbs 4:20
• Ask God for Directions. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. " Psalm 32:8
• Enjoy your health. Take good care of your body. I Corinthians 6:19
• Develop your gifts. If you don't know what they are, find out and ask God if you can begin to use them. I Corinthians 12
• Passionately serve in the church and in the community.
• Remember that ministry is a lifestyle. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. I Peter 4:11
• Say you are sorry. Make the decision to not do it again. "Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do so again." Job 34:32
• Go on Mission trips. Romans 10:14-15
• Find a mentor. Someone who will listen and challenge you.
• Be a mentor. Pass on the the things God has taught you.
• Commit to a small group. Hebrews 10:24
• Enjoy your parents. Have fun together. I Timothy 5:4
• Go to school- Don't wait.
• Don't worry about the small stuff. Give it to God and move on. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. "Psalm 139:23
• Learn to read and apply God's word daily. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2Timothy 3:16
• Watch older Christian couples. How they relate to each other, parent their children and serve.. You can learn alot!
• Say thank you. "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

These challenge me even today. I wonder what I would be like if had started all of these twenty years ago? Still, I praise God that he has taught me the importance of this list and more.

What would be on your list?

Father,

I am humbled by your reminders of trusting you each day. thank you for always teaching, always guiding, always loving. Forgive me for being such a slow learner. I pray that the next 20 years will be spent serving and abiding in you. Help me to reflect you today.

Jann