The language is prayer, the rhythm is worship, the passion is intercession, and the outflow is radical exploits of evangelism!
These words leapt off the pages and landed like an explosive missile in my spirit as I began to be completely drawn into the revelation of prayer and worship portrayed by Sean Feucht and Andy Byrd in their book - Fire & Fragrance. Phrases like "heavenly vertical worship" and "extravagant sound of love, adoration, and praise" and how the "Gospel of the Kingdom is forcefully advancing and exploding across the darkest and hardest nations of the world," made my spirit scream "YES! YES AND AMEN!"
The Lord has been clearly speaking to me about the importance of prayer and worship in this hour of the world's history. If ever there was a time to get before the throne of God, to get into His face, it is NOW. God is preparing His Bride for a Global harvest that is going to draw in literally billions of souls. And they will be drawn in by the beauty and glory they see on the Bride, which is the mark of being fully saturated in His presence. His presence is the answer! It is only through His presence that we are made ready for what God is about to pour out. We can not handle the coming move of His Spirit without His presence.
It is crazy to me the weight of this word for right now. It feels as if everything has shifted. Even from a week ago, when I was wondering what my purpose is right now here in Ecuador (my last blog post - "Waiting for the Storm"), I have felt the shift in the spirit. It's as if the Holy Spirit is breathing Himself onto the hidden treasure of prayer and worship. So much of the Church sees prayer and worship as an exercise to spiritually better yourself. This is far from the truth. It is pure and undiluted warfare! It is the hidden weapon of the Spirit.
For me, it's like a call has gone out in the spirit and something inside of me is recognizing that call as the very one that I was born for. I am hearing a drum beat that is in complete accordance with the drum beat that I carry in my heart. There is a whole new excitement, urgency and pure life that is flowing from the place of prayer and worship right now. This is why I am called to the Nations! This is why I am in Ecuador for such a time as this!
Fire cannot burn without fragrance being released, and you cannot have the fragrance of smoke without first starting a fire. The fire of passionate, zealous love for Jesus has always been the foundation of the fragrance of Christ impacting the spheres of society, nations, and the entire globe in truly Kingdom-building way... The fragrance of a burning heart is the greatest evangelism scent the world has ever smelled.
There is so much opportunity for ministry here in Quito. Sometimes it's overwhelming seeing the great need of even just one city in one nation in one continent of the world. I hear the cries of the broken, the poor and needy, the sick and the dying, and the ones in bondage, and I wonder how one person or one organization could even begin to make an impact. But that is the beauty of prayer and worship! I am doing more in one hour spent before the throne of God than I could possibly do out of my own strength in an entire lifetime.
I want to be strategically placed in the place of darkness, the place of brokenness, the place of great need, and simply burn. I know that God is going to set up crazy, divine opportunities and scenarios where He will use me to release His glory, but that will come from a place of adoration and worship.
May the knowledge of the glory of God cover the earth in our lifetime!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Waiting for the Storm
What to say? I'm back in Ecuador, the Middle of the World, right on the equator with the brightest sun in the sky. The season is still the same as when I left, seeing as there really are no defined seasons here. And yet, hanging in the atmosphere is a thick knowing that the seasons have indeed changed.
What do I mean by that?
My time back at home for Christmas was relaxing, enjoyable, busy, fun, relational, refreshing, and much needed. At the onset of the trip, I wondered if 4 weeks would feel too long. Would I be constantly wishing I was back in Ecuador? Would I be chomping at the bit to get back? But those early questions came back to confuse me as I lay in my bed the night before my return journey.
Why am I not ecstatic about going back? I love my life in Ecuador - I love my team, all the places we minister, the culture, etc... So it would make sense that I would be over-the-top excited. So why not? This time spent at home, I have grown so much more passionate about our work and Casa Mis Sueños, so shouldn't I be ready to launch back in?
I wasn't dreading going back. There was simply a lack of anticipation. Where is the vision for 2013? Where is the thrill of stepping into the "new thing"? But as I talked with Jesus about all of this, all I kept hearing Him say was that things were going to be very different.
And different it most certainly has been! Upon returning we have moved into a different house, registered for a 20 hr/wk spanish school, attended a training seminar for how to work with victims of sex-trafficking, and had our entire schedule from last year thrown out the window.
What's more, within the first few days I was slammed with spiritual warfare like a ton of bricks. The second night I woke up with a fever and then spent the next 4 days at home in bed. (I'm currently on antibiotics and am recovering.) With this came an intense amount of fear. I could sense the enemy suggesting the worst possible outcome to my heart.
Although I fought this with the Holy Spirit and was able to overcome, the next few days I battled so many other thoughts and feelings that were in direct opposition to my purpose.
WHAT AM I DOING HERE? Do I even belong here? Can I make it through 4 more months?
I shared this with my sister over Skype who was also feeling the exact same things. Her roommate, who overheard our conversation, gave us a prophetic word that changed my perspective. She told us that often times right before a tornado is about to hit, instead of raging wind and lightning, the air will go suddenly quiet and still. She felt that that is where we are at right now. Everything seems still and lifeless, like nothing is happening. But we are in the very eve of this tornado that will come with a raging force.
Yes and Amen! This word fully resounds with what I am now seeing is truth. God IS doing something new in this season, but it is coming in a very different manner. If all I know is to watch the sky for green clouds, hail, lightning or tornado sirens, I could very easily miss the tornado if it comes with stillness. This is also true of how God speaks. Often we grow accustomed to one way that He speaks to us. But we must learn how to press into Him so that if He ever changes the way He speaks to us, we will not miss it.
With this revelation, I am growing more and more excited for this next season, no matter how different it may prove to be!
What do I mean by that?
My time back at home for Christmas was relaxing, enjoyable, busy, fun, relational, refreshing, and much needed. At the onset of the trip, I wondered if 4 weeks would feel too long. Would I be constantly wishing I was back in Ecuador? Would I be chomping at the bit to get back? But those early questions came back to confuse me as I lay in my bed the night before my return journey.
Why am I not ecstatic about going back? I love my life in Ecuador - I love my team, all the places we minister, the culture, etc... So it would make sense that I would be over-the-top excited. So why not? This time spent at home, I have grown so much more passionate about our work and Casa Mis Sueños, so shouldn't I be ready to launch back in?
I wasn't dreading going back. There was simply a lack of anticipation. Where is the vision for 2013? Where is the thrill of stepping into the "new thing"? But as I talked with Jesus about all of this, all I kept hearing Him say was that things were going to be very different.
And different it most certainly has been! Upon returning we have moved into a different house, registered for a 20 hr/wk spanish school, attended a training seminar for how to work with victims of sex-trafficking, and had our entire schedule from last year thrown out the window.
What's more, within the first few days I was slammed with spiritual warfare like a ton of bricks. The second night I woke up with a fever and then spent the next 4 days at home in bed. (I'm currently on antibiotics and am recovering.) With this came an intense amount of fear. I could sense the enemy suggesting the worst possible outcome to my heart.
Although I fought this with the Holy Spirit and was able to overcome, the next few days I battled so many other thoughts and feelings that were in direct opposition to my purpose.
WHAT AM I DOING HERE? Do I even belong here? Can I make it through 4 more months?
I shared this with my sister over Skype who was also feeling the exact same things. Her roommate, who overheard our conversation, gave us a prophetic word that changed my perspective. She told us that often times right before a tornado is about to hit, instead of raging wind and lightning, the air will go suddenly quiet and still. She felt that that is where we are at right now. Everything seems still and lifeless, like nothing is happening. But we are in the very eve of this tornado that will come with a raging force.
Yes and Amen! This word fully resounds with what I am now seeing is truth. God IS doing something new in this season, but it is coming in a very different manner. If all I know is to watch the sky for green clouds, hail, lightning or tornado sirens, I could very easily miss the tornado if it comes with stillness. This is also true of how God speaks. Often we grow accustomed to one way that He speaks to us. But we must learn how to press into Him so that if He ever changes the way He speaks to us, we will not miss it.
With this revelation, I am growing more and more excited for this next season, no matter how different it may prove to be!
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