Patrick Henry was spot on when he called for the American people to be ever vigilant to the abuses of an overly aggressive and ever expanding government. The Constitution of this nation has two enemies. There are those who abuse power, and there are those who refuse to protect it from those who abuse it.
Religious Liberty must be secured by courageous Christian citizens who understand they hold dual citizenship. They know this world is not their final home. It only serves as God's Waiting Room. Still, Jesus told His followers to be salt and light in it.
"As He is, so are we in this world."
I John 4:17b
Government is not a man-made curse. It is a gift from God. "We the people" are not the owners this government, but as citizens we are the stewards of it.
Ignoring a gift from God, leads to the abandoning of the responsibilities that accompany His gift. The price of Liberty requires paying attention. Christian citizenship is expressed by two simple, yet powerful acts. They are: "Registering to Vote" and "Voting Christian Convictions."
Pastors! Pay attention. Lead your people to show up and vote to STAND UP for Religious Liberty!
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Concert
Spiritual Awakenings have always been marked by concerts of prayer. You may feel you are praying all by yourself, but you are not alone.
Spirit led prayer often begins in the heart of one man, one woman, or one young person. The enemy tries to convince these prayer warriors into believing that they are alone. They are not.
Christ's Spirit calls on prayer warriors to pray together. He skillfully maneuvers them into new positions and relationships in a concert of voices crying out to The Father.
Spiritual Awakening is an answer to prayer. Concerts of prayer release greater power than a single person could ever generate alone. Together the cries of desperate people encourage one another to believe God for what often seems to be unbelievable.
NOTE TO SELF: You are called to prevail in prayer. Settle for nothing less than a Spirit-led revival. What looks impossible with man is still possible with God. Through answered prayer Christ Jesus turns the impossible into the HIM-possible.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Shade
My heart was drawn to this passage of Scripture this morning.
"The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand." Psalms 121:5
Matthew Henry explains, "4. He not only protects those whom he is the keeper of, but he refreshes them: He is their shade. The comparison has a great deal of gracious condescension in it; the eternal Being who is infinite substance is what he is in order that he may speak sensible comfort to his people, promises to be their umbra-their shadow, to keep as close to them as the shadow does to the body, and to shelter them from the scorching heat, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land, Isa. 32:2. Under this shadow they may sit with delight and assurance, Cant. 2:3.
5. He is always near to his people for their protection and refreshment, and never at a distance; he is their keeper and shade on their right hand; so that he is never far to seek. The right hand is the working hand; let them but turn themselves dexterously to their duty, and they shall find God ready to them, to assist them and give them success, Ps. 16:8."
NOTE TO SELF: In the cool of the day and in heat of the battle, God is at your right hand. He casts a giant shadow. Cast your cares upon Him. When you pray in the name of Jesus, you rise to work and you stand to fight in His shade.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Candle
Vision is from God. His Word reveals His Way. He desires to help me, not to hurt me. When I follow His Light, I find His presence and His happiness in a dark and lonely world. The healed blind man in The Bible could not have said it better, "I once was blind, but now I see."
The church is still God's Vision Center on earth. A single candle can penetrate the darkness, but gathered candle power is greater than the sum of the parts.
NOTE TO SELF: Crises can snap your candle in two. The relentless voice of evil always lies and tells you that you are no longer of any use to God. Don't believe the lie. God will light you up at both ends. You will always shine brighter at the broken places of your heart.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Ride
The roller coaster ride of emotion is one of the things prayer warriors share with the nature of Elijah.
At the pinnacle of answered prayer, Elijah became vulnerable to attack. Gaining a great victory did not make the prophet immune from sliding down the mountain and into the valley of despair. It set him up for it.
NOTE TO SELF: Be warned. Watch your step when you are in the middle of a victory dance.
You can get busted up while busting a move. Pray anyway!
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Effect
Effective Prayer is a display of Spirit-filled energy. This kind of praying is not a play on words, a well-rehearsed speech, or a display of eloquence designed to scratch the ears of men and women. It addresses an audience of One.
Effective Prayer is energized piety flowing from a broken heart, with a white hot intensity. Effective prayer expresses a single-minded, fully devoted person's desire to be on mission for God.
NOTE TO SELF: To pray effectively, don't seek to be eloquent to the crowd you face. Seek the face of God, in the name of Jesus. Don't measure your prayer by its length, but by its power.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Victor
With the anointing of oil, and believing prayer the elders of the early church interceded before The Father and expected their prayers to be heard and answered. Anything less glorifies a victim mentality in the prayer room. Believing prayer saturates the prayer room with a spirit of victory, and converts it into the war room.
NOTE TO SELF: Believing prayer turns your battleground into holy ground. Believing prayer transforms a victim into a victor. This only happens…EVERY TIME.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Cheerful
“Is anyone among you cheerful? He is to sing praises.” James 5:13b
“Cheerful” is not a word that I usually associate with the Book of James. Wedged among the thorny warnings to “weep and howl” and to have “the patience of Job” is this beautifully scented word.
In a world filled with the poisonous thorns of challenges, chaos, confusion, and critics, the church produces the refreshing rose of cheerfulness. How? Intimate, consistent companionship with Jesus provides welcome relief from the intimidation of the immediate.
Cheerfulness is one part goodness, and one part passion. Christian cheerfulness confronts the powerful heat, and the fierceness of the world's rage with goodness. It converts intimidation into courageous passion marked by an expression of joy.
NOTE TO SELF: Cheerfulness is your heart enflamed with the courage to overcome. When you are cheerful, you stay in the battle with a smile on your face and the will to win in your heart.
In every sense of the word, cheerfulness describes those happy warriors who fight in the shade of "The Champion," Jesus Christ. Don't face your fears. Face Him.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Will
No matter how long it takes or how senseless the suffering may appear to be, believing prayer turns “I will” into “Thy will.”
NOTE TO SELF: Believing prayer is not a result of your wishful thinking being expressed by, "I would wish.” It is not about your prideful preferences, but your absolute obedience.
Believing prayer begins with a spirit of humility and ends with, "Thy will be done.” This only happens…EVERY TIME.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Yoke
When you pray, you are leaning into the yoke with Jesus.
NOTE TO SELF: You lean. He leads.
The longer you lean, the more you pray, and the less you say.
When you pray, don't over promise to others what Jesus is going to have to underwrite. He doesn't have to make good on your word. He fulfills God's word.
Turning prayer into a form of name-dropping is insulting to Him. Don't drop His name. Pray in it.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!