October 11, 2012
Preface
This is now my sixth day of fasting and I should have come to this text on fasting by Piper (1997) earlier, but I had not yet finished on the book on intercession. I love Piper's work but never had the chance to reflect on it. My feet are very cold and I feel weak and very hungry. I know I will quit this fast soon. In fact, fasting and prayer should go hand in hand. We as Christians do not fast merely for health reasons.. Today had been a difficult day but not nearly as bad as yesterday. Today was about disappointment and delay. The product I was looking for since I am running out of calcium was not in today and I need to wait one more day and such is the nature of delay and the need for patience. I mean the whole system of why we have both a Weste Sacramento as well as Sacramento branch is puzzling to me. Something goes through west Sac first. That is besides the point and God uses delay in our lives to show us something about spiritual growth. I am not any bit healed today, but somehow I continue to have faith. There was a powerful devotional this morning from Chambers this morning on silence. It said that God gives us silence because He trusts us and it is His greatest gift of intimacy. I guess we can make the human comparison as when we're with our wives and can simply sit together on a park bench and not need to say anything but can trust in that silence that there is a deep and intimate bond. I was deeply refreshed by the devotional on silence as well as being able to finally listen to Christian radio again because I finally asked my brother to hook up the clock radio next to the sofa where I sleep. I heard a powerful sermon on clinging on to favorite promises when we're going through tough times. 
"Beware of books on fasting. The Bible is very careful to warn us about people who "advocate abstaining from foods, which God created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth" (1 Timothy 4:1-3). The apostle Paul asks with dismay, "Why... do you submit yourself to decrees, such as 'Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch'?" (Colossians 2:20-21). He is jealous for the full enjoyment of Christian liberty. Like a great declaration of freedom over every book on fasting flies the banner, "Food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat" (1 Corinthians 8:8). There once were two men. One said, "I fast twice a week"; the other said, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Only one went down to his house justified (Luke 18:12-14)."
Piper opens his book on fasting with the word beware. The interesting thing here is that the tax collector did not even fast while the other man did. This is to say that by virtue of fasting we are not more righteous if our heart isn't right and in the case of this man, he thought he could earn his righteousness and standing before God with good works.


""Desires for other things"—there's the enemy. And the only weapon that will triumph is a deeper hunger for God. The weakness of our hunger for God is not because he is unsavory, but because we keep ourselves stuffed with "other things." Perhaps, then, the denial of our stomach's appetite for food might express, or even increase, our soul's appetite for God.
What is at stake here is not just the good of our souls, but also the glory of God. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. The fight of faith is a fight to feast on all that God is for us in Christ. What we hunger for most, we worship.
His goodness shines with brightest rays
When we delight in all his ways. His glory overflows its rim
When we are satisfied in him. His radiance will fill the earth
When people revel in his worth. The beauty of God's holy fire
Burns brightest in the heart's desire.
Between the dangers of self-denial and self-indulgence there is a path of pleasant pain. It is not the pathological pleasure of a masochist, but the passion of a lover's quest: "I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8). That is the path we will try to follow in this book."
We are stuffed with other things. I cling on to this piece. I ask myself, what am I stuffed with. What lesser things am I full on so that God is not what I hunger for. I confess that it is not one thing but a mix of different things. Sometimes in the Chinese church, we believe that serving God is the same as relationship with God. Many I have seen get involved in two, three, and sometimes four different ministries thinking they are doing God some kind of service. I do not minimize the idea of Christian service, but often, when service is not motivated by and saturated by a deep relationship with God then it is meaningless. Right now, I have yet to find my ministry place, and I have not found my place in the world. I hunger for career and ministry purpose and things to be involved in all the while God has given me this special time of joblessness to be close to Him and hunger for Him. I should grow closer to God while I have the opportunity. What we hunger for, we worship. Some hunger for power, or money, or fame. Can I say I hunger for God? I don't know. I have a difficult time seeing the beauty and awesomeness of God because this season has been marked by His silence.

"That I could even attempt the journey is owing to God's grace, which I live on every day. It has come to me in Jesus who loved me and gave himself for me. It has come to me in my wife, Noel, who supports me in the work of preaching and writing and tending the flock. I love you, Noel, and thank you for your partnership in the great work. God has been good to us. Grace has come to me again in the faithful labors of Carol Steinbach, whose careful reading has left its mark, and whose industry created the indexes. And grace has come to me through my fellow elders at Bethlehem Baptist Church. They forged a mission statement for our church that I embrace as the mission of my life. And they gave me the charge and the time to write this book and make it a part of that mission: "We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples." That is my prayer for this book. When God is the supreme hunger of our hearts, he will be supreme in everything."
Prayer:
Father, I am asked the question about what I hunger for. In the midst of a fasting season, right now, I hunger for food. I am reminded from Jesus that man does not live on bread alone, but by every Word from the mouth of God. Do I hunger for You or am I so satisfied on littler things? In my season of joblessness and health issues, I search for meaning and purpose. I have a hard time right now with my faith and thus seeing You as my deepest desire. Father, You seem so far and so silent in this season where I need You the most. As I continue this fast and beyond, I continue to seek Your face and pray for breakthrough in my life. Father, more than any other time, in my weakness, I need You.

October 10, 2012

The Intercessor and the World

This is an appropriate title for the last chapter. The entire book switched between the personal and the global. I really like this book because it not only encouraged and challenged me in my faith, but it really painted a vision of what could be especially the last chapter on revival. I rank this book up there with the book on breakthrough prayer as a must read.

Biblical: 10

Readable: 10

Inspirational: 10

Practical: 10

Total: 40/40

Many books are poor on practical steps, but not this one, there was actually some activities to do at the end of the chapter which I like. This book had stories as well as extensive use of Scripture. Overall, I really like this book. There is this feeling at the end of a good book that I am quite sad that this is the last chapter.

As good as the book was, this day was aweful. This is now day five of the fast. Starting during the afternoon, I felt tremendous pain with nothing to bring relief. It was possibly something I ate, but I don’t know. This week I have also been having more muscle spasms. Today was horrible. The only positive now was it was the first King’s game of the pre season and they won. I finally asked my brother to put my clock next to my sofa where I now sleep and can now listen to the radio while resting. I can listen to music and talk radio now. One thing that was quite insensitive of my brother was that he aid I can listen in his room and I said I cannot walk upstairs, I have been sleeping downstairs for several weeks because I cannot walk upstairs and he did not think of that. Needless to say, I know I ned to forgive him in my heart. Overall, today, the book has been good, but today really sucked.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." -Matthew 5:U-16

"While in North Africa, I realized that reaching that region of the world for God was going to take an army of dedicated prayer warriors and a passionate, loving bride of Christ to dismantle the ruling powers of darkness that now captivate and imprison millions of people. What will speak to the multitudes? It has to be people who are completely captivated by God Himself, who are dedicated to His heart for the world and filled with His love and compassion. This will move the hearts of the people because they really are looking for His true love and compassion to fill the God- sized void in their lives.

It is you and I, as we are increasingly in love with God and His cause, who will make the difference. You may ask, How can I bring the touch offesus into my world through my personal prayers? How can my personal prayers change the world? Let's look into the heart of God for the nations and discover how we can be the salt of the earth and the light of the world through our prayers and lifestyle."

People really have God-sized vacuums that they try to fill with so many other things. Everyone is searching for something. I too am searching. It is those Godly men and women filled with the love and compassion of God that really make an impact on the world. I know because I have met some of them. They really light up a room and encourage others. Sad to say, in the church where I am at now, there is not anyone like that. I hate to speak negatively about a church, but seriously, the love and compassion of God cannot be found in the church where me and my dad now attend. When it is rare that someone visits, the people make no effort to welcome them. There is no mercy ministry at the church and no outreach effort. Where God’s love is not present, missions is weak. 

"Terry Teykl, author of "Ushering People into God's Presence," says,

Simply put, personal prayer ministry is one person ushering another into God's presence through prayer. It is a human encounter through which God ministers to the needs of one of His children. It is grace in action, and it can happen at any time, in any place.1"

"Be aware of the needy world around you. Enter each day with a desire to minister the life of Jesus to others in some way. Ask the Lord, "To whom can I minister today? Make me aware of the needs of others, and show me for whom You want me to pray." Watch for God to open doors of opportunity. Have an expectant heart. Believe that God wants to use you every day in some way to bless others with the touch of Jesus. The Holy Spirit will guide and give you opportunities.

Ask God for guidance, and learn to listen and wait. Wait upon God for guidance. Listen to the Holy Spirit. He will guide you in prayer that will reach deeply into the spirit of others. Learning to wait before praying helps in praying the prayers God desires rather than ones we think are important.

Go forth in faith, and ask individuals if you can pray for them. Many times people are afraid to offer prayer because they think that lost people don't want prayer. Actually the opposite is true. People are more willing for us to pray for them than we realize. When we go out willingly to pray for others, God sees our faith. These little steps of faith are like seeds that will bring forth a large harvest in due season. My husband and I train others in prayer evangelism by encouraging them to pray for the needs their neighbors express. Try it, and I believe you will be surprised at the response.

Realize that spiritual need is at the core of the problem. Many times physical and emotional problems are connected to the spititual tealm. Be sure to pray through possible areas of sin and any strategies of the Devil. Often someone comes to me with a surface problem and I find a spiritual stronghold at the core. Though we may start with the mention of a surface problem, as we pray, God reveals the spiritual stronghold so we can bring it before the cross. We then find that the surface need is met.

 •          If God reveals a course of action, encourage the person to follow through. It may be confession of sin, restitution toward others, or some act of obedience. Encourage the person to obey the Lord and to follow through by taking action.

 •          Stop when you are done. Sometimes we try to help the Holy Spirit, but He may want the person to approach Him alone. Faith grows the most when people take action themselves. We need to know when we are finished so we don't hinder the progress of others by doing everything for them.

 •          Keep your motives pure, making sure God gets the glory. We want God to be glorified. Continually give Him praise and thanksgiving after ministering in prayer to others, knowing that it was all His work and we were His privileged vessels."

This is one piece that I have enjoyed about the book. It is this practical steps and ideas that make this book really stand out. I have rarely asked non Christians how I can pray for them because I assume they don’t believe in God or prayer. I should really try this. Being at home most of the time I don’t get to meet people. So, I have joined an online prayer network and I see how many people are really hurting right now. I mean a lot and so many real issues like addictions, broken hearts, poverty, illness, and so many things. Sometimes God seems so much smaller than the problem and I forget God is still sovereign.

"God is looking across this whole earth to find those whose hearts are as His, those who will intercede. Will you be one to stand in the gap? God is looking for intercessors. Will you be one who intercedes for the nations? Will you let God lay a country on your heart for the purpose of prayer? Can God give you His passion for the world? A key to our authority is when our heartbeat aligns with the heartbeat of our almighty God.

While a student at Moody Bible Institute, I was impacted by the life of school founder Dwight L. Moody. He was known for his effectiveness in winning souls to Christ. During one of his famous evangelistic tours, several British clergymen asked why he could be so effective. He was just an uneducated man. He then brought them to his hotel room. Pointing out the window, he asked them what they saw. Each man described the people below. Moody looked out the window with tears streaming down his cheeks. He told them that he saw thousands of souls that will spend eternity in hell if they do not find Christ. Moody saw people differently from the average person. He saw eternal souls, and it changed his whole approach to life. We as intercessors must see the lost just as he did. This will impact not only our prayer lives but the way we live as well.

Begin to pray for the wotld. Ask God to lay a burden on your heart for a nation, a people group, or a particular region. You may want to pray for troubled areas of the world you hear about in the news. God wants every one of us to open our eyes, enlarge our vision, and begin to pray for the needy world around us. There are many ways to ptay. Some intercessors like to pray through prayer cards with prayer requests for different nations. Others like to pray over a large map of a country. Some like to use the book or website for Operation World, which lists detailed requests for every nation.3 Each method is valuable, but the main thing is to begin.

As you incorporate prayer for the world into your prayer life, be creative. Let the Holy Spirit lead you. Let Him burden your heart for different parts of the world. Adding countries into your prayer life develops your effectiveness in a powerful way. I like to pray for a different nation every day. Your burden for the world will grow, and you will begin to see the world and life in a new way. Our own problems seem smaller when we focus on the needs of whole countries and people groups. Bringing the touch of Jesus to the nations is a powerful way to pray."

I love the story about Moody. We need to see people not just as people but people who spend an eternity in hell or heaven. Even with that perspective, it is not always helpful. I know my mom and brother will spend an eternity apart from God but I feel so powerless to do anything about it. Each morning as I have breakfast with them, I feel so powerless to change their hearts. I want them both to know Christ, but they resist the Gospel no matter who shares it to them. They right now are content with their lives and have no need of God. This is sad.

"Thank God for how He is working in the nations. "How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth! . . . God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne" (Psalm 47:2,8). Pray for just laws, for righteous moral standards, and that the Word of God will be given its rightful place. "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people" (Proverbs 14:34).

Pray that God's people will walk in holiness, the fear of the Lord, and obedience. "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). Pray that the church will reach out to the poor, needy, and imprisoned. "Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering" (Hebrews 13:3). Pray for God to send His workers into the harvest field. "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). Pray that 24/7 prayer and worship will start in every major city in every nation. "These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations" (Isaiah 56:7)."

And they sang a new song:

"You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals, because you were slain,

and with your blood you purchased men for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation."

(Revelation 5:9)

"While I am very excited about what is happening, yet as an intercessor, I can never forget that over half of the world's population has never heard of Jesus. The task ahead is still enormous. As darkness covers the earth in the last days and darkens the people, the glory of the Lord will shine brighter and brighter, brighter and brighter in the face of a people who love Him absolutely and uncompromisingly. In this way, the whole world will know that there is a God who reigns in the Heavens and man will be left without excuse on the day of Christ's appearing. The Spirit is still heralding a call for watchmen to join the great choir of intercessors." - Michael Howard, Tales of an African Intercessor

"God's people are His preserving agents for a world that is corrupted and degenerating because of sin. Your life is designed and commissioned by God to enhance a community and to preserve what is good and right. There is deep significance today for a godly life that is involved in its community. The presence of Christ in you makes all that He is available to others. His salvation can free an addict, mend a broken home, heal the pain of the past, restore a wayward child, and comfort a grieving heart. All of this is available to those around you as Christ expresses His life through you. - Henry and Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God, Day-by-Oay

In the ministry of prayer and intercession, we must remind ourselves daily that we are to be salt and light. It is with a sobering sense of responsibility that we realize that the very life of God in us touches the world around us wherever we are. Just as Jesus, we must not only pray in our closet but also recognize that as we rise from our knees and go forth, we are God's hands, feet, and mouths to a lost and desperate world. We are commissioned to live our daily lives speaking words of life and truth to those who are hurt, broken, and lost. What a tremendous task this is!

Our prayers have tremendous effect on the world, and often God uses us to be the answer to our prayers. We are the ones to reach out and speak the truth of the gospel. Begin to pray for God to give you opportunities to shine His light into the world and enhance what He wants to do in the lives of your friends, coworkers, and neighbors. We must live what we believe."

I often share this idea with friends who seem discontent at their jobs. God places us right where we are so that He may use us to share the love of Jesus there. Right now, I have no office or workplace, but I do have my home. I feel so powerless at home because I am in the worst health and when days that I have incredible pain I get really depressed and sometimes frustrated. I do not seem Christlike at all on days like these. I wonder sometimes if God can ever use me to touch lives when I get so discouraged and so upset at myself.

"We should no longer hide our lights. It's time for every intercessor to step out by faith and shine for Jesus in this dark world. Reaching out with the gospel of Jesus always lights a bigger flame of passion in my own prayer life. Because we are the salt of the earth and lights in the world, with hearts full of thanksgiving to God, we need to pray that the church will fulfill its responsibilities in a world that is dying without Christ."

"Continually radiate the gospel message and the light of God's glory.

1 encourage you to realize all that you have in Christ. May the truth presented in this book motivate you in your prayer life. You have the chance to develop intimacy with the living God. You can choose to depend on Him, and this opens the way for His unlimited opportunity to bless you. You can learn to speak words of life that can uplift and bring grace to everyone you meet. You can hear God's voice and walk in the purposes of God for your life. May your personal prayers change the world!

You can learn how to pray the promises of God and cultivate perseverance in prayer even in difficult situations. You can learn to pray God's purposes rather than dwell on your own problems. You have the ability to make God your stronghold and choose life rather than death. You can know what it means to be forgiven for everything you have ever done wrong. You can personally prepare for the revival that is coming on the earth and bring the touch of Jesus to others through prayer. This gives you and me every reason to thank and praise God.

Henry and Richard Blackaby remind us,

There is no mistaking the effect of light upon a darkened place. Light boldly and unabashedly announces its presence and vigorously dispels darkness. God's desire is to fill you with His light. He wants you to shine as a brilliant testimony of His presence and power in your life, so that the darkness in the lives of others around you will be displaced by the light of God's glory.4"

Prayer:

Father, this world has so much darkness. I want to be Your light to the nations but I am not even light in my home. I got really depressed today about my health situation. I continue to pray for healing and breakthrough in my life. I pray that somehow I can be salt and light, a preserving and shining witness of Christ. I see with the eyes of Moody, but feel powerless to help a dying world to experience the love of Jesus. I badly want to touch the lives of the nations, but feel tremendously weak and in this season feel like You are silent. Please help me to see that You are still sovereign and still care.

October 9, 2012

Intercessor and Revival

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! - Isaiah 64:1-2

Revival is something I have thought a lot about. IVCF was big on praying for revival but they appear to be in the minority. The Baptist and Methodist churches I have been a part of never talked or prayed for revival. In this season of droubt in my life revival is something I pray and long for both personally and globally. This is now my fourth day of fasting and I am almost to the end of the book and I am thinking about looking at fasting next since it fits well with learning about prayer. I feel fine today, a little bit better than yesterday. However, I was not well enough to join my dad and go down to the bay area which saddens me because this is now the second time.

"All the true revivals have been born in prayer. When God's people become so concerned about the state of religion that they lie on their faces day and night in earnest supplication, the blessing will be sure to fall. - E. M. Bounds, f. M. Bounds on Prayer'

"Behind the concept of revival is the Hebrew word chayah, which means "to live." In Strong's Concordance, the word is translated "make alive, nourish up, preserve, quicken, recover, repair, restore, save, keep alive and make whole."2 Who among us does not desire that the church be quickened, made whole, preserved, and kept alive? We must pray with heartfelt passion for this to happen. And it will. When the church is revived, she will be stronger and mightiet against the powers of darkness. She will be a brighter light in this dark world. She will be victorious and attract the lost.

When revival hit Wales, the whole community was shaken by the power of God. Crowds would go to the prayer meetings at 6:00 a.m. Because the Holy Spirit affected many people, the entire community was soon turned into a praying multitude. Evan Roberts, the young man God greatly used in the Welsh Revival, would speak of four tenets or keys to walking in revival. These are helpful as we seek personal and corporate revival in our own lives:

 1.   The past must be made clear by sin being confessed to God and every wrong to man put right.

 2.   Every doubtful thing in the life must be put away.

 3.   There must be prompt obedience to the Holy Spirit.

 4.   There must be public confession of Christ.3

We live in serious times. We need to cry out fervently to God, asking Him to revive His church worldwide. We need to be in intensive prayer, asking God to move in our cities and nations. Studying the characteristics of revival will help us prepare both personally and corporately for a great move of God in His church. Understanding the deep need to prepare our own hearts for revival and learning how to cooperate with God as He pours into the earth will keep us from hindering the move of God as it comes."

The four pieces of revival can be summarized as being right with God and setting things right with man. I like the definition of revival. Yes, who would not want to see the church whole and made alive so that she would be radient and draw many people to Christ. I totally see that the church is sick today and very weak. I mean even when I attend a megachurch with ten thousand, and worship is full of loud music, that does not determine spiritual vitality. It is the state of people’s hearts. We can have ten thousand gather for a rock concert but it does not mean people are close to God. Sadly, in the church I attend, I see no evidence of spiritual vitality. People don’t like to pray and are indifferent to spending time in the word. There is no confession of sin or hunger for God. Yes, I see more and more that the church is dying today and we need revival.

"Spiritual Preparation. Unity and prayer are two key elements needed for revival. We must pay this price of spiritual preparation. Revival will not come without a hunger and thirst for God that brings intense prayer. There must be a longing to see Him manifest and for His glory. We cannot be indifferent or apathetic but must rend our hearts with the cries that are born by the yearnings in God's heart.

Forty days after Jesus ascended to heaven, His followers obediently prepared for spiritual revival: "They all joined together constantly in prayer" (Acts 1:14).

Conviction of Sin. In true revival, people are seized by an overwhelming conviction of sin. Even the smallest sin seems big. Sin is not taken lightly, and God deals with both the saved and the lost. Revival is intensely personal; God convicts you of personal sin, and your soul is in the agonizing grip of a holy God. Often there is weeping because of the awful conviction of sin. In one revival, the hearers were holding themselves up against the sides of the pews because they felt as if they were sliding into the pit.

The writer of Acts tells us about that first revival crowd, "They were cut to the heart" (Acts 2:37).

God-Consciousness. In revival, there is a consciousness of God, an awareness of His holiness and power. People caught up in revival know without a doubt that God is there. They feel a divine magnetism toward His presence. Evangelist Winkie Pratney reminds us, "There was nothing humanly speaking, to account for what happened. Quite suddenly, upon one and another came an overwhelming sense of the reality and awfulness of His Presence and of eternal things. Life, death and eternity seemed suddenly laid bare."4

On the day of Pentecost, "everyone was filled with awe" (Acts 2:43).

May God prepare each of us to pay the price for revival — the price of fervent prayer and allowing Him to work deeply in our lives. Let us ask Him to make us conscious of His presence and learn to abide in Him moment by moment. Pray that He will convict us of even the smallest sin in our lives. Press on in prayer and

God consciousness Is something I have prayed for months. Right now, God seems so silent. I don’t see or feel Him. Back in grad school, I sensed His nearness and power often. I had courage and wisdom in doing things I would never be able to do apart from Him. Now, I feel weak, afraid, and discouraged most of the time. I don’t see God’s power and certainly not His healing. I long to see God heal me completely and to see God heal the multitudes. I have an assignment for seminary that asks if we think the Holy Spirit still heals today because the position of our textbook is saying that the healing gift ended when the apostles finished writing the NT. Many of my classmates think healing exists today while I am undecided.

   

"God must prepare us, His church, personally and corporately for the self-sacrifice that revival entails. May we not draw back but prepare to lay hold of this glorious end-time outpouring of God with all our hearts as the radiant bride of Christ who is willing to sacrifice all so that people might be saved."

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, 0 Lord, and grant us your salvation. -Psalm 85:6-7

"Let's look at the way God works supernaturally in revival.

Spontaneous and Unexpected Working. The Welsh Revival came dramatically in November 1904 on the exact day in both the north and the south of the country. There were no special organizations, meetings, or preaching involved when the Welsh Revival started. It started suddenly and spontaneously.

Luke described the sudden revival that swept Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost: "And suddenly there came" (Acts 2:2, nasb).

Supernatural Manifestations. God can do in a moment what human strivings can never achieve. It is God's divine supernatural work and not man's. In one revival in 1859, there were sudden, supernatural, and extraordinary manifestations. Pratney describes for us, "They were still taken by surprise, so sudden, so powerful and extraordinary were the manifestations of the Spirit's Presence. . . . About one thousand people were suddenly, sensibly and powerfully impressed and awakened."6

Luke reminds us of the origin of the Pentecost revival: "There came from heaven" (Acts 2:2, nasb).

Divine Drawing. There is a divine consciousness in revival, a divine drawing from God. Winkie Pratney again helps us understand this process:

As one man was praying, all present became aware that the prayer was heard and that the Spirit of God was being poured out on the village. They left their house to discover the villagers also were leaving their cottages and making their way, as though drawn by some unseen force, to one point in the village. There they assembled and waited. When Duncan Campbell commenced to preach, the word took immediate effect. In a few days, the small community had been swept by the Spirit of God and many souls truly converted.7

Luke reminds us that what began in a private gathering soon captured the attention of a city: "When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment" (Acts 2:6).

Will your testimony of love toward Jesus and your fervent prayer spark the end-times revival? Or will it be all of us together testifying to our love for God and earnestly praying in unity that will prepare the way for God to spread the supernatural flame that will touch the world?

On an unexpectedly cold day, I had to start a fire in our wood- stove to keep warm. The big logs wouldn't catch fire, but it was the tiny twigs broken together that seemed to catch hold of the match's flame. Quickly the fire blazed. Let us each realize that we must be broken, united in prayer, and bent on God's glory alone to be prepared for the release of the fire of God and His supernatural workings. May God personally touch each of us so that we might be the twigs broken together in prayer before Him. Let us do our part, and our Sovereign God will do His in His own timing and way."

I like the part that talks about suddenly. Revival comes suddenly. It is unexpected because God is unexpected. We try to put God into some formula and He does not work that way. God comes upon a church and community suddenly and with an overwhelming sense of His presence. I want to see an end times revival happen in our time. Many think it is close. Right now in the midst of this election month, our country is a bit of a mess. Could this be a possible time of God’s visitation. I sure hope so.

"Revival is divine intervention in the normal course of spiritual things. It is God revealing Himself to man in awful holiness and irresistible power. It is such a manifest working of God that human personalities are overshadowed, and human programs abandoned. It is man retiring into the background because God has taken the field. It is the Lord making bare His holy arm and working in extraordinary power on saint and sinner. - Winkie Pratney, "The Nature of Revival"

Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in. every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God's salvation. -Luke 3:4-6

We are right now living in desperate days. The church in many parts of the world needs revival, and God wants to use each one of us to prepare the way for His moving. It is truly time to cry out to the Lord. The valleys of defeat must be filled, the mountains of disbelief must be leveled, the crooked places of dishonesty must be straightened, and the rough places of disobedience must be made smooth. Almost twenty-five years ago, I wrote in my personal newsletter the following paragraph, and I find that today I must still ask myself the same questions.

"Am I desperate enough for revival?" "Do I realize the desperate condition of my country?" And if I trust in religious organization, material wealth, popular preaching, shallow evangelistic crusades, there will never be revival. But when confidence in my flesh is smashed and I realize my desperate wretchedness and emptiness before God, then and only then will God break through. "Lord, make me ready for revival. Revive me." I challenge you to join me in prayer for revival for our lives and for the nations. I call for prayer that is strong, prevailing, and believing and that takes all that we are and have. God Himself will motivate us to pray these prayers that have extraordinary consequences if we are only willing, willing to pay the price. Pray that God may fill us all with the very passion of Christ and with the power and persistence of the Holy Spirit."

"How do we personally prepare for revival? Andrew Murray encourages us:

The coming revival must begin with a great prayer revival. It is in the closet, with the door shut, that the sound of abundant revival will be first heard. An increase in the secret prayer of ministers and members will be the sure herald of blessing.8

Prepare Yourself in the Way of Blessing Through Intensive Prayer. Pray with all your heart, asking God to enlarge your prayer and worship life. Make time for God, and practice fasting. Remember God's words, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray . . ." (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Be Serious About Personal Revival. Instead of watching TV, pray. Don't get caught up in the ways of the world. Lay aside those worldly pursuits. The rest of 2 Chronicles 7:14 reads, "and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Become Dissatisfied with Sin, and Ask God to Convict Your Heart. Be sensitive to His conviction.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Revival begins with us. It is all of us individually getting our lives straight and turning from the crooked paths. Just as we experienced personal conviction on our ship when we were bobbing up and down outside of New Zealand, God is dealing with His church. Take seriously the need for personal revival. Take seriously the need for prayer."

Prayer:

Father, I am hungry tonight and it is not just the hunger of fasting for four days, but a hunger for more of You. I want to see revival in me and in my church and city. Our city and nation is a mess. We are an unclean people that have gone our own way. I am an unclean man and my thoughts are not towards the common good. I think of how I can accumulate wealth and my heart is not focused singly on You. I see my deep need for You moment by moment for I am a sinful man. I hunger for Your presence and power to heal and bring hope to me and my community. I have so many doubts because I have not seen Your healing power in my life. I pray in the awesome name of Jesus that You bring healing to my body that my unbelieving mom and brother will see Your power to heal and be touched with an overwhelming sense of Your presence and power. I long to personally see the sudden manifestation of Your glory and strength to do the impossible in healing intervention. I want to believe the promises of Your word especially those promises of healing. Lord Jesus, You healed all who came to You and so I come to You tonight for healing.

October 8, 2012
The Intercessor and Forgiveness

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:9
WWE Monday Night Raw was in Sacramento tonight. There is something about a major event being in this town that gives me a sense of temporary happiness. This city is far from being a major city and for some still is considered a cowtown. I don’t take pride in my hometown, but at the same time it is my hometown. I often wonder to my parents why they chose this city and they really didn’t choose, those who brought them over here chose for them. Some choices we make while others choose for us. Forgiveness as I have learned is a choice.

"For those who want to grow in intercession, there is a need for a clean heart. We must forgive everyone who has hurt or offended us. We need to know God's forgiveness of our own sin. But how can we forgive others? Can we really receive forgiveness from God and others? Is there a way to walk in freedom? Let's discover the power and freedom of forgiveness and see how we can choose to forgive those who have hurt us."
"We have been sent into the world to implement the rule of God on earth. Where there is discord we are to replace it with harmony. Where there is hatred we are to replace with agape. Where there is an offense simmering into a murderous conflict, we are to replace it with forgiveness. When we choose to forgive, we invade the realm of darkness and defeat those dark forces with the power of a resurrected life. - Dudley Hall. "The Toxic Choice"
Forgiveness is one of the most powerful, Christlike responses that we could ever have, yet the steps in forgiving others — or even receiving forgiveness — may be difficult. The love of Christ is the only way we can set free those who have deeply wounded us. The love of Christ gives us the only context we have for believing that God has forgiven us.
There is perhaps no greater gift you can offer God than a heart that knows the power of forgiveness and decides to set others free. Forgiving shows that the love, grace, and mercy of Jesus are operating in our lives. It is time to access this life-changing grace of forgiveness. Is there someone who has offended you? Are you able to release the person in forgiveness? God gives us divine power to forgive. We who have received the freedom of forgiveness have the power to set one another free. This is a power that truly sets the captive free and can affect the whole world. Forgiveness defeats darkness on a massive scale because it involves the resurrection power of Jesus. Nothing can defeat the greatness and glory there is in one act of forgiveness."
Forgiveness has not always been something I have paid much attention to. Actually, this chapter has really helped me see the power and value of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the essence of the Gospel and Christ’s death on the cross and His love demonstrated is the motivation and prime example of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not natural. We want to repay evil with evil. If someone hurts me I want to hurt them back. This is not operating under a Godly principle of replacing hate with love and evil with forgiveness. I have wondered sometimes why certain people learn how to fight and purchase massive amounts of firearms. I think it is sometimes an issue of relying on ourselves to carry out the justice we think is due. The agnostic without God has no sovereign to put trust in and I can even say sometimes I do not trust God enough to believe He will repay evil with what is right. Forgiveness is really hard. For years I could not forgive my girlfriend of nearly three years for leaving. She simply said “I don’t love you anymore”. I wonder so often, how do you stop loving someone as if love is some sitch you sometimes flip on and sometimes off. For years I felt hurt from the breakup which I did not initiate and I blame God for it. I blame God for letting me have the relationship. I blame God for allowing it to end. And then I wonder if God even cared. This would probably be the biggest and hardest situation to forgive.

"Would you like to see the Lord shatter the spiritual prisons in your life, the areas where you feel ttapped? Then forgive those who put you there, for surely the walls of your imprisonment are made of your own anger and unforgiveness toward others.1
Here are some basic steps toward extending and receiving forgiveness:
•   Recognize and call sin what God calls it. Be specific and thorough. Remember that forgiveness is not excusing and approving of inappropriate behavior or saying that an offense isn't important. Be honest with yourself and recognize your emotional response. You may feel angry, sad, let down, or disappointed. It isn't wrong to have emotions. They are natural. It's what you do with your emotions that can be sinful. Make sure there is no offensive way in you (see Psalm 139:23-24).
Share with God honestly and let Him heal you. Tell God what happened to you and how you feel. Look at His evaluation of the situation. Focus on Him and His faithfulness. Spend time with Him, and let Him restore where sin has destroyed. Fotgiveness releases God's divine healing power. Remind yourself, "O Lord my God, I called to you fot help and you healed me" (Psalm 30:2). Set the offender free, understanding that it is a process. Declare forgiveness. Say, "I forgive [name the individual or group] for [name the offense]." Don't say, "I want to forgive." It takes time to go through the process of forgiveness. The hurt can come up at different times, and we must choose to forgive again. It doesn't mean we automatically forget the offense. Paul knew this: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each othet, just as in Chtist God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). Release the offender to God. Repent of yout desire to punish or take revenge. Let God deal with the offense. Focus on today rather than the past. Let the offendet off the hook. Declare God as judge over the person and the situation, as Paul reminds us to do: "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is wtitten: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19).
Bless the offender. Apply God's forgiveness. Trust and reconcile when possible, but realize that forgiveness does not always mean we have to relate to the petson in the future. In some cases, this is not possible. Know God's protection and justice. Paul tells us, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not cutse" (Romans 12:14)."
This is a really solid list of things to do and it all centers around being honest with God and recognizing that forgiveness does not happen over night. When in situations of a close relationship ending, this can often take years. Recently, a guest pastor preached three messages on forgiveness and so I have really been hit hard with this importance of forgiveness. His first sermon was taken from Matthew 18 and with the unmerciful servant. God forgave us of an enormous debt and whatever someone does to us is small in comparison

"We are God's called-out people, who know who we are in Christ and walk in love with God and one another. We become partakers of His resurrected life. Forgiveness is essential if we want to walk in personal and corporate revival.
God will give us the gtace to fully set everyone free. May we be like Jesus, who was the first one to love. When God forgives us, He gives us the power to forgive. May the river of God's life flow through us in that we bless everyone we meet. May we remind people of how much they are loved by God. As we give our lives away in love and forgiveness, we become free ourselves."
“We see forgiveness demonstrated in the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis. He is a tremendous example of choosing to forgive family members who had deeply hurt him. Through Joseph's act of forgiveness, God used him to bring about a great deliverance in the lives of his family. Joseph had every reason to be bitter. He lived in prison for years because his brothers had sold him into slavery. When he rose to a position of power in a strange land, he could have lorded it over his unknowing brothers and exacted the ultimate in revenge. However, he chose to forgive and be reconciled to his family. He had no bitterness or sense of revenge when he forgave them. He was so full of forgiveness that he begged his brothers to forgive themselves: "Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. . . . But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance" (Genesis 45:5,7). Joseph saw how God used the past, even though painful, fot His highest glory and his family's greatest good."
Joseph is always the prime example of forgiveness. What strikes me this time is not tjust that Joseph was able to forgive his brothers after what they did to him although that too is powerful. What strikes me this time is how Joseph saw the big picture. He saw God’s hands in the whole thing. He saw how God was glorified and how the situation would benefit his family as well as nations. It is really hard to have that kind of perspective especially when going through something hard.

"Let's beware of the following hindrances that can keep us from choosing to forgive:
 • Lack of understanding of God's judgment and righteousness. We think we must take the matter into our own hands. If we don't think others are being punished properly, we try to help God. We must trust Him to be judge and get out of the middle of things.
 • Pride in our lives. We want to be right. We don't think others deserve forgiveness. We may think that there is no need to forgive. We forget that we, ourselves, have already experienced the rich, undeserved forgiveness of God through Jesus' sacrifice. Now we are called to extend that grace toward others.
 • An unwillingness to face the pain of the offense. We must know that we can bring the pain of any offense to Jesus. Jesus bore all sin: "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).
 • Bitterness in our hearts. We may hold revenge and want to punish. Bitterness and unforgiveness bind us to the offender. We must cut the rope and be set free.
 • Not regarding sin seriously enough. Sin is serious business. We cannot rationalize nor try to explain away a sinful response on our part. Unforgiveness puts a barrier between the Lord and us."
"We need God's help to forgive. Jesus knows the pain of betrayal. He understands humiliation, misunderstanding, shame, and hurt. Jesus is the greatest example of one who forgave others freely and fully. Our Father God develops and shows His character in and through us by allowing us to experience difficult situations, His grace enabling us to react in a Chtistlike way that gives Him honor. The choice to forgive opens the prison doors so that we are able to walk in a new freedom. As a result, we can walk in righteousness, peace, and joy, demonstrating the life of Jesus here on earth."
I can say firsthand how bitterness and captivity can take hold of a man who cannot forgive. Forgiveness brings freedom. Forgiveness brings healing but the difficult part is letting go of what happened. Not excusing it, but letting it go can be really difficult. We learn from this passage that forgiveness honors God and Jesus went through hurt and betrayal. He understands. It is not like Jesus does not know what we are going through,. He got betrayed by His own disciple who spent three years with him. He experienced Peter who denied Him three times. Jesus knows hurt. That is one thing that really touches me is the humanity of Jesus.
"If we want to grow in intercession, we must walk in holiness and purity. It is absolutely necessary that there is no sin blocking our relationship to God, for anyone who wants to come to God must have clean hands and a pure heart. Learning to repent quickly when we fall is key to a successful prayer life. I once heard that you could tell how mature a Christian was by the distance of time it took between sinning and asking God for forgiveness. Walking in daily holiness and confessing all known sin must be one of our greatest ambitions. It is one of our greatest weapons in intercession.
Forgiveness is the very spirit of heaven removing the hiding places of demonic activity from the caverns of the human soul. It is every wrong made right and every evil made void. The power released in forgiveness is actually a mighty weapon in the war to save our cities. - Francis Frangipane, "Forgiveness and the Future of Your City"
Prayer:
Father, a powerful prayer warrior is someone who walks in holiness and purity and having clean hands and a pure heart. Bitterness and unforgiveness block our communication with You. I know I don’t have a pure heart and have a hard time letting go sometimes with both small and big issues. I want to walk in the freedom of forgiveness and a clean heart. I want also to see things with an eternal purpose just like Joseph. I know I can’t do this on my own but need the Holy Spirit.

October 7, 2012
The Intercessor and Strongholds

 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. -Psalm 18:2
I have seen spiritual strongholds throughout my life. I have battled with depression through most of my life. I can remember early childhood having happy memories in grades prior to middle school. Middle school onward has been really difficult. Now, in this season of new challenges, the spiritual battle has been intensified and the thoughts of ending it sometimes grows with the level of difficulties I face. I don't understand what my pastor says most of the time through his thick accent, but I do appreciate that he often says that "our God is a living God" and that "prayer is powerful" and "you are never useless" cause I have thoughts that says prayer is weak, I am useless, and God seems dead. I am convinced these are lies of satan that are planed into my mind because I am at a difficult place right now facing a joblessness situation, health concerns, singleness, and a lack of direction. I appreciate my pastor and it is pastor appreciation month.There was a really big miracle today. We had six visitors today. This is six more than we usually have. The even bigger miracle was that they were all native to the Philippines. If it was a white church this would not be unusual but it is a Chinese church and the thing is they really liked it here. We haven't had any visitors since I first came half a year ago. Dad and I were the visitors and people were super surprised to see us. God can do miracles. I have been thinking that this church is beyond hope. I really wanted to see some young people and God sent two young adults who are a brother and sister pair.

"In the same way, Satan attacks us with his form of strongholds— deceptive lies that come in through our thoughts and take root in our lives. They seem true because we have believed them most of our lives, but they are like the dirty microscope. They are not showing us the true picture. The warfare that you and I are involved in is not a fleshly war, and neither are our weapons. It is a supernatural war and a spiritual warfare that centers within our thought life.
You might ask, What lies am I believing that have affected my life? What have these lies done to my prayer life? How do I destroy these strongholds and walk in God's truth? Let's open up the arsenal and find the weapons to destroy strongholds in our minds."
I am aware of the lies I often feel. They are lies about God. They are lies about myself. I am fully aware that the warfare I face is not one in the physical realm, but it is spiritual and also in the mind. For most of my life as a teenager and now as a young adult I have felt useless, ugly and worthless. I have felt that no one cares. I have felt at times in my faith that God is powerless to help and that He is a grandfather who was once strong and won many battles but now is weak and powerless. So many lies that leave me with a sense of hopelessness about life and about God and they are placed in my most difficult of circumstances.

"Read these examples of strongholds, and imagine what life would be like for the person who believes one of them:
 • "I will never change."
 • "I'm bad."
 • "Nobody loves me."
 • "I'm stupid."
 • "I'm a failure."
 • "It's all my fault."
 • "Life isn't safe."
 • "My situation is hopeless."
These thoughts become open doors through which the Enemy can defeat us again and again. We are then stuck in a rut. Picture a truck driving down an old worn-out road filled with deep rurs all along its path. It's hard to drive outside the gtooves. The trv^k automatically follows the path of the ruts."
I am amazed that I believe each one of these strongholds during my most discouraging times. My situations right now do seem very hopeless and everyone who was once close seems so far especially now as I rarely have the ability to leave the house. There is a lot of self blame that I have. If I never went to New York I would never had this problem I now have. If I went to Davis instead of Berkeley my life would be better now. I go through a lot of "what if" situations and regret the choices I have made. These are self-defeating thoughts that no one should have because they focus on the past and make life seem really hopeless.


"As you practice paying attention to yout thoughts and looking for false mindsets, you ate able to see them more clearly. Pray, "Lord, make me aware of my thoughts. Show me my strongholds and negative thought patterns in my life. Help me recognize these patterns very quickly. Open my eyes to see the lies I have been believing and the truth of Your Word." •   Be patient and persistent. It took you a lifetime to
reinforce these strongholds, these negative thought patterns. They are like grooves in your life. It takes time and effort to be free of them. We often want a quick fix. The quickest fix is if you determine to deal with them on a daily basis. Don't give up, but face them every time you start feeling down. Paul wrote to the Galatians, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). Pray, "Lord, give me endurance and patience to walk free of these negative thought patterns. I know that it is not a quick fix. I accept Your timetable in dealing with these strongholds. I choose to be persistent in dealing with them."
I am a little over a week into this book and I think this has been the least helpful chapter. The subject really applies and I face spiritual strongholds everyday, but the chapter is short on suggestions. I guess right now in my life I don't feel like prayer can change things and this itself is a stronghold and a lie. I have prayed for months for the destruction of these strongholds and I feel more hopeless than ever. I agree there is no quick fix but I feel like in this time of my life God is really silent and God seems to have forgotten me. I guess if I could see that God can help, the suggestion of prayer would help more, but right now, I can't see that God is able to help.


"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life. - Deuteronomy 30:19
Every day when we get up, we make a multitude of choices. The most important choice you or I can make in the details of everyday life is whether we will choose life or death. Will I choose to believe God's Wotd or a lie? Will I choose God's way of life — peace, God's thoughts, obedience, and walking in His Spirit — or will I choose death — my own way of living and thinking, my own will, and walking in the flesh? We need to be careful to always walk in God's Spirit and not give in to out own fleshly tendencies. Choosing life makes a big difference in our prayer lives. We read in James 5:16, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Righteous thinking and living results in a powerful and effective prayer life. It is choosing to go God's way with God's thoughts about us instead of going the way of death and believing the lies of the Enemy. It is holding on to God's Word and obeying Him moment by moment in every detail.
We need God's Spirit to help us choose life, and we need divine power to deal with strongholds in our lives. Emotions won't change overnight; out thoughts can be destructive and pull us down. God wants us to think His thoughts. We must cast out these negative thought patterns and take God's truth into our innermost being fot the rest of our lives. God is truth, and Satan is the fathet of lies. His aim is to defeat us, and he attacks us thtough nagging thoughts, doubts, feats, and reasoning. If the Enemy can conttol out thoughts, he can control our actions."

This is so true and so powerful. My mind in this season of my life has been full of negative thoughts about my life, my God, and my future. I feel so defeated and alone and it leads to self-defeating behavior. It is a really negative and destructive place to be. It takes God’s power to break the stronghold of satan’s lies and power over my mind. Choosing to believe the lies is a horrible way to live and I know I am powerless to change this in my life. I want to choose life but become full of negative emotions and thoughts whenever I think about my current situation.

"Look for a very real encounter with the Lord. What are some verses God has used to speak to you deeply? Spend time in His presence. Pray for God to show you how He thinks about you. Pray, "Lord, You have spoken to me so deeply in this verse [read the verse]. Thank You for Your love for me and for Your truth. Please speak to me." Replace the lies with the truth of His Word. Study God's Word daily, and hide it in your heart. Pray, "Lord, I want You as my stronghold. I never want to believe these lies about myself again. I choose to believe Your truth." Ask the Lord for new emotional responses to the lies of the Enemy. Pray for emotions that correspond with God's truth. Pray, "Lord, I want new emotions. I pray that You exchange my [name negative emotions] with Your peace, Your contentment, and Your joy."
Expect to walk in new godly motivations and reactions. When God becomes your stronghold, Jesus is your source. Your motivations change. Pray, "Lord, I choose to walk in Your Spirit. I choose to react Your way. I choose to lovingly react to others. Change me, and make me like You." Daily decide to choose life. The victory over our thought lives is a daily battle. Pray, "Lord, today I choose life. I choose Your ways. I choose to obey You. I choose not to isten to the Enemy's lies."
"I know that God is in control and I can trust Him.
I would encourage you to go over these truths about breaking strongholds again and again. It takes time to take them deeply into your life and thoroughly apply them, but it makes so much difference. So many believers struggle simply because they believe a childhood lie that has devastated their victory. Know that Jesus wants to give you an abundant life free of negative thinking. We no longer need to listen to the lies of the Enemy. Jesus Christ is our strong tower. Bring your false beliefs to the Cross, and watch Him bring you to a new level of freedom.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. -John 10:10"
Prayer:
Father, I want You as my stronghold. I never want to believe the lies of satan ever again. I want new emotions that correspond to my true identity in Christ. I want to choose life. For far too long I believe I am useless, hopeless, and have no value. For far too long I think prayer is useless and God is dying. I am facing some pretty impossible situations right now related to joblessness, singleness, and health. Father, please help me to see that Your word is truth and that You are still God and still care.

October 6, 2012

The Intercessor and Purpose

O great and powerful God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve. -Jeremiah 32:18-19

Today is my first day of fasting. When my dad was in the bay area, he had done some reading of his TCM books and was quite excited to share his new discovery concerning the healing properties of fasting. I had long wanted to go on a fast but could not do so without the support of my parents. They would not have been supportive of this as my mom was not supportive of this at first but my dad convinced my mom that it should be all right. I have not fasted since my freshman year of college about 12 years ago. That was a Thursday night to Friday night fast. We broke fast right after the Good Friday service. There seem to be not nearly as many temptations as I had today. Mom made a very fragrant baked chicken for lunch and I could not eat it. The far bigger temptation was going to Joni and Friend's Great Banquet tonight. It was indeed a great banquet. An hour before the dinner, there were a lot of snacks, breads, pastries, hot dogs, sausage, and then there was the dinner. There was pasta, there was steak, there was garlic bread, all my favorites. I ate none of it and people probably thought I was weird for showing up to a great banquet and not eating any of this really good food. And then there was desert. I mean wow, pumpkin pie, chocolate cake, and cheese cake, also my favorites. I was being tempted all night with good food and my dad eating all of it. I chose a bad day to start a fast. My dad said that I could start tomorrow, but I had already started and did not want to give in to the temptation of good food. I can't say it was easy because it was not. There is a spiritual lesson to be found here. God gives us the wisdom and strength to stand in the midst of temptation remind us there is a higher purpose. Nothing would be wrong with giving up my fast to eat some good food, but I wanted to commit to the fast. Tonight was a welcome time out. It would be the sixth day without sunlight and the morning was bleak because I had more pain hence the fast. I did not even know if I ould make it to the banquet. My brother had a movie to go to and I wish that I could go out with friends. It has been quite a while since I last saw friends. My mom too was invited b her friends to dinner. It seems like my mom and brother have so many activities lately while I stay home. It was so nice to come out to the Joni and Friends event. What was so amazing was that they had something called inclusion buddies who we could request who would stay with us throughout the night. And then there was the entrance. They had a red carpet laid out for handicap people to walk on and surrounding the carpet were people who clapped and cheered as we walked in. I felt like I got a royal entrance. I never had such an experience before and felt like a somebody rather than a nobody. But this illustrates a spiritual reality also. When we go home to be with the Lord, we too will be welcomed by the cloud of witnesses who are cheering us on now. There was a lot tonight. There was singing, presentations, prizes, games for the kids, and good food. We sat at round tables and there was a mom who had three very young kids who constantly bickered. She didn't say anything to us but we can understand. The drama presentation was taken from the story of the friends who brought the paralytic to Jesus by drilling a hole in the roof. Jesus has both the authority to forgive sins and heal people of their condition. This text has become very dear to me in my situation.. I could not see the drama but could hear the narration. I continue to see God's power and healing touch to provide a breakthrough in my situation.

"KING JEHOSHAPHAT WAS desperate: A vast army was coming against him. He resolved to seek the purposes of God. Instead of focusing on his problem and trying to figure things out on his own—what we often do—he looked straight to the Lord and said, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you" (2 Chronicles 20:12). When faced with an insurmountable challenge, Jehoshaphat responded by focusing on God's kingdom.

Jehoshaphat spent a lot of time praising God. He turned his eyes upon God first and praised Him for who He is and what He has promised. He praised God for His rulership over the kingdoms of the nations, fot His power and might (see 2 Chronicles 20:6-9). Then he described the situation to God (verses 10-11). Finally he asked God to intetvene and help (verse 12)."

I think it was two years ago when I did a study on this passage with Acacia. It was on worry. Back then and more so now I had a lot of worry. It brings out this concept of worship-based prayer. We need to focus on God rather than the problems we have but it is very difficult. For me, the problem seems so much bigger than God and so much more visible than God. This passage also has a crisis situation because an army is headed towards Israel and it seems very hopeless. We need a breakthrough from God in these seemingly hopeless situations.

"God wants to move us into a much higher realm of His will. We can get this revelation of His desires and plans only through intimacy with Him. As our hearts touch the heart of God, we have the same goals He has. His burden becomes our burden. We see things as He sees them, and we begin to understand His ways. We live in defeat when all we can think about is our own problems. We all have problems because we are not yet in heaven. It is time to enter into God's perspective to get the big picture and see God's heart. We become much more effective in ptayer when we learn to study God's plans and pray His will. We read in Psalm 33:11,

The plans of the Lord stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Whatever your present problem is, God has a solution that is uniquely designed to fit your circumstances. He sees and solves problems perfectly, using His unlimited creativity. He can bring forth something out of nothing just as He created the world. Yes, even those things that seem to presently overwhelm you are no problem to Him. We try to explain things to God, but He already knows everything. We try to tell Him what we think the answers should be. However, God is omniscient and purposeful."

The author separates problem-focused prayer and purpose-focused prayer, purposes being God's purposes. We all have problems, yes. I tend to be defeated and discouraged because all I see are my problems. It is hard to have a big picture mentality when we focus on the size of our problem. I have seen God come through so many times in the past in ways that I knew it was God, but it is always the present circumstances that are the most difficult. The hardest part is not seeing God's hand in the situation.

"Does this mean we don't pray about our problems? No, of course we pray about our personal concerns. But like Jehoshaphat, we concentrate on glorifying Him first. We seek the glory of His name (see Exodus 3:15; 9:16) and the establishment of His kingdom (see Psalm 145:13; Matthew 6:10; Habakkuk 2:14). As we take hold of this truth by faith, we move into a more effective level of prayer. Let's begin to move from our problems to God's solutions.

There are times in life when we cannot figure out what is happening to us. At times, I worry and become overly concerned with my problems. I have found that during such times, when I set my eyes on God and thank and praise Him right in the middle of difficult circumstances, things begin to change. Rather than rehearsing the problem over and over again in my mind, I am able to see how great and powerful God is. I notice that He works on my behalf when I choose to glorify His name. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." My faith increases as I proclaim His works and choose to live for His kingdom purposes. I begin to see the big picture from His perspective, and as I do, I begin to live a more focused life.

We often don't realize that God has a solution to our every problem and is always watching, always caring for us. Ir's like a library that is so dark it seems closed. But the closer you get to the windows, the more you realize that there are people inside."

I like this illustration of the closed library. God right now seems to be on vacation and no one is home. I wish I could get a closer look into the activity of God and know that He is present in my circumstance. It is so true that worship and focusing on who God is and that being the focus helps in making our problem seem smaller. I have enjoyed good times of praise the past couple of days at home and it has helped make the problems I have feel smaller.

“We lived for five years in Asia and experienced the typhoons that are so common in the Indian Ocean. Primarily they move in circles instead of from east to west of north to south. Before navigators understood theif movement, they would try to maneuver out of the storm and often suffered serious destruction in the process. With a better understanding of typhoons, navigators have learned to locate the center of the storm—where it is totally calm—and go there. This is so much like prayer and discovering God's agenda. As we pray, we are able to citcle in on God's agenda and find the centet of His will. In this place, we experience His peace. When we tty to get out of His will, we find destruction and chaos. Through prayer and renewing our mind in God's Word, we discover God's pleasing and perfect will (see Romans 12:2).

We must learn to ptay about everything and trust in God's wisdom, which far surpasses ours. At times, we may sense His direction and feel the peace that comes from the Holy Spirit even though nothing may look logical according to our human perspective."

Prayer:

Father, some days like today, it seems really bleak and I feel like in this season of my life that You are on vacation. I feel forgotten by You and left to face this all on my own. Today was so hard as the pain at times was more than I could take. I did not even know if I could make it out to Joni and Friends tonight. Thank You so much that I could to be around other human beings, for the praise and worship, message about hope, and good food that was there. I felt like handicap people were really honored and valued tonight,. Often at times, I feel so small and powerless. The problems during this season feel so much bigger than my God. Yet Your Word says that You are both with us and able to help us even in impossible situations for that is what You specialize in. I continue to pray for breakthrough as well as to learn how to trust in You even when I can’t see You at work in my situation. Please help me to know that You care and that You have a plan.

October 5, 2012

The Intercessor and Persistence

Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray give up. -Luke 18:1

This has been one of my favorite Bible passages because I am a man prone to discouragement and giving up especially when things appear very bleak. I have prayed very casually when I first faced my present challenges. After all, I had hope still back in May for employment and my health was relatively normal. I was fresh out of grad school with job interviews lined up and June came and July came and that began to birth a sense of urgency. When in times of urgency, I tend to be a bit more persistent. My health is a little bit better than yesterday and also my mood. Mom was invited to go shopping and to lunch at my favorite cafe, Blue Moon. It turns out the nice waitress was there too. Well, dad left the wheelchair in the van and he took the van to the bay area so I had no wheelchair. Today I can walk maybe 15-20 feet but I am nowhere near well enough to go outside so mom went shopping and to lunch while I stayed once again at home. This would be the fifth day without going out and without sunshine. These moments foster a deeper sense of persistent prayer.

 

"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God. (Psalm 50:23

My husband chose to discipline his mind and think about God's Word and His promises. Together we laid this burden before the Lord in prayer. All the way to the ferry terminal, we persisted in prayer and praised God regardless of what would happen. In the end, we made it right to the line of cars waiting to leave for England, found a man with extra gas in a bottle, made it up the ramp to the ferry, and departed onlyr seconds later.

Was this a miracle from God? I believe it was. When we practiced God's presence through praise and persistent prayer, God turned our circumstances around. Does God answer praise and persistent prayer in the middle of the night in a strange country? Yes, He does.

Discipline and persistence in prayer are not always easy. Sometimes we simply have to persevere, even when it looks the darkest. We ask, How can I continue praying? Is there a way I can persevere in prayer even in difficult circumstances? Let's explore how to keep on praying even when it's hard. We'll talk about burden-bearing intercession and how to carry God's heartfelt burdens in a proper way that can change our own circumstances and those of others."

Although this passage does not specifically mention persistence, it does mention thank offerings. Praise is so important in prayer. Last night, was perhaps one of the more difficult nights emotionally and physically. I decided to look up some praise songs that express who God is and that really helped change my attitude. Immediate breakthrough in my challenges did not come, but I was able to focus more on God and less on my problems. I hope to see how God performs miracles in our worship-based prayer.

"Persistent prayer is a mighty move of the soul toward God. It is a stirring of the deepest forces of the soul toward the throne of heavenly grace. It is the ability to hold on, press on, and wait. Restless desire, restful patience, and strength to hold on are all embraced in it. It is not an incident or a performance, but a passion of soul, it is not something half-needed, but a sheer necessity. - E. M. Bounds, f. M. Bounds on Prayer'

Persistence is an important quality necessary for intercession for the needs of the world. Most of us have experienced praying for a long time for a specific prayer request and not yet seeing the answer. It takes faith to pray years and years for something. Don't give up! God continues to hear you. Persistent prayer carries a wrestling quality and an earnestness of soul. When you experience this, God is bringing you into a deeper level of intercession that is not through fleshly energy but by the Spirit of God. You will reap a harvest if you do not give up.

My mother prayed day after day for more than thirty years for my father's salvation. Many of us joined her in this prayer request, but we saw no indication on his part of even an interest in spiritual things. When he became very sick at age eighty, he easily could have died because of two major heart problems. We persisted in prayer for his spiritual and physical life. While he was in the hospital one night, he took the initiative and called us to come see him immediately. We hurried to his hospital room, not knowing what to expect. My mothet led him in a prayer to receive Christ as his Savior. God used her to answer her own persistent prayer request! This was a huge reminder to all of us that God does answet prayer if we persevere.

If God can save my father after thirty years of prayer, I know that He can do anything. He wants each one of us to persist in prayer even when the answer seems impossible."

I am right now praying for loved ones. Earlier this week on Sunday, my brother was in a car accident, and his wife and he e-mailed the family and shared the Gospel and more specifically how the situation reminded them of the Gospel and they did this knowing that my other brother would read this. They asked how my brother took the e-mail and it turns out my brother who is not saved was very apathetic about it. We have been praying for years for both my mom and brother to know the Lord but their hearts seem so hard and this looks like such an impossible thing that only God can breakthrough. This story helps me know that God is still in control even when heearts seem hard.

"She shares this picture with them: Imagine getting a big platter. Put all your burdens and prayer concerns onto that platter as you pray. Then take the platter into your hands and throw it like a Frisbee up to God in heaven. Every time that concern comes and you begin to worry, remember that you prayed and gave it to God. Throw that platter of personal concerns back up to heaven. Remember that you gave it to Him and that God's burden is light.

Colabor with God. Burden-bearing prayer means working with God. Successful intercession begins in God's heart. The Holy Spirit takes the initiative and calls us into partnership with Himself as He acts. God stirs our hearts for the things that touch His heart. Sometimes we may sense the grief, hurt, pain, or anger of individuals or nations. The burden for people, cities, or countries can last for a single prayer, weeks, months, or even years. The battle to heal nations will call for great intercession and the burden for souls. God lays His burden upon our hearts, and we have the joy of praying it back to Him. He wants us to grow in His love and pray His burdens with joy, knowing that such prayers will dramatically change the world."

I have two of the struggles mentioned here. First, when I pray and give my burden to God, moments later I find myself with that same burden, I did not really give it to God in the first place and took it back. I like the suggestion, but it does not work for me. Some people like visuallizing or physically doing something to indicate this posture of giving the burden to God but so far I have not found something that works. Also, concerning burdens I recently have been made of so many prayer concerns. I feel overwhelmed by the issues people face and whether or not God cares about these situations. I am also not sure what to do in this situation.

"The world's confusion and chaos will cease because our prayers have touched the Enemy's strategies in a supernatural way. Satan's schemes will be thwarted and God's salvation can spring forth unhindered as we help ease the misery of humankind by praying prayers that come from the heart of God Himself. These are the goals of burden- bearing intercession.

Results of Burden-Bearing Intercession

 •          You die to yourself faster. When you carry God's burdens, you have to deal with sin issues in your own life. You experience death to self in a deeper way daily.

 •          You love God more and grow in intimacy. You share the heart of God and become more thankful to God as you bear burdens with Him.

 •          Your Bible comes alive. You identify with the hearts of biblical men and women as you gain greater understanding of how they carried the burdens of their time.

 •          You experience personal repentance. You learn to hate sin, because you see how much it cost Jesus. You repent as you learn to cry out to God for other people.

 •          Your conscience becomes more sensitive to the Holy Spirit. You are more aware of His conviction, whether in words or action."

"Intercession is expressing a holy dissatisfaction with the way things are and taking the necessary steps to bring change through prayer. I envision a day will come when thousands of intercessors with militant, reckless abandonment for Jesus will stand for the lost, stand against the powers of darkness and stand for the Kingdom of God. They will be radical. - Alice Smith, Beyond the Veil"

I love these results of burden bearing prayer. What I especially like is having a greater consciousness with the Holy Spirit and intimacy with God. We become in tune to the heart of God and the things He cares about. I have found recently on the radio a ministry for victims of sex slavery of teen girls. This injustice and wrong happens not only in other countries but in our own backyard. God is not only a God of love but justice. The more I read the Bible and the prayers of Godly men and women the more I become in tune with what God cares about.

 "Without persistence, prayers may go unanswered. Importunity is made up of the ability to hold on, to continue, to wait with unrelaxed and unrelaxable grasp, restless desire, and restful patience. Importunate prayer is not an incidental occurrence, but the main thing; not a performance, but a passion; not an option, but a necessity. - E. M. Bounds, f. M. Bounds on Prayer*"

 

"We, too, must persevere in prayer. If we do, many things will happen spiritually. Through our prayers, we can spiritually give abundantly to the Lord's work. The value of prayer is like a rich treasure. Your prayers are more valuable than gold.

The following are several ways you and I can be diligent in prayer:

•   Stand your watch. An intercessor is also a watchman, for a watchman's task is to be aware of any danger

approaching the city. God places you as a watchman in prayer, being alert for potential Enemy attack. God is looking for intercessors to stand in the gap for entire cities and nations. What is the watch God has given you? Is it your workplace, home, neighborhood, or city? The psalmist exhorts us, "My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. Hear my voice in accordance with yout love" (Psalm 119:148-149). Pray fervently. Fervent prayer means that we spend enough time in prayer. We do not quit easily, but we cry out with our whole heart and soul. We may even pray with tears or groans that are too deep for words (see Romans 8:26). As James reminds us, "The [effectual fervent] prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). Pray steadfastly. We must not be tempted by the distractions all around us. The life of Jesus is our example. He set His face resolutely to go to the cross. He was set to accomplish God's will. Faithfully labor with Him in this new dimension of holy resolve and steadfast prayer. The gospel writer recounts, "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51).

Hold on to what is good in prayer. We must diligently hold fast to what is good and what has been won in ptayer, for the Enemy will try to take it away. Satan hates what is good, and he comes to rob, steal, and destroy. He is after our victories. Hold fast to what we have won, even as we pray for further breakthroughs in intercession."

Prayer:

Father, it is so hard to persist in prayer. I am prone to become discouraged and give up when I can’t see that You are at work. I have prayed so long for my brother and mom, for my neighbors and church. I have prayed for my health, my job situation, my singleness, and purpose in life. I have prayed for breakthrough in all these areas and have received Your silence. Please help me to see that You are at work, even now. Please help to strengthen my faith even when I feel like giving up.