Embracing the fire.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZpPIKmiMuo

Part of the song connected to the link above goes, "Show me your heart, show me your way, show me your glory....."  There are probably very few of us in whom Christ dwells, that don't echo that cry or possess that hunger. 

In recent days I have been confronted once again with the reality, that no matter what wise counsel I may offer, how much love I have, or effort I put forth, I am limited in how much real and lasting change I can effect in the life of someone else......heck, I can't even change myself!!!!  It doesn't matter how much I want it for them, or even how obvious is it that change is needed, there is an inner work that needs to take place, that despite all my best intentions, well-laid plans, wisdom and intellect, or those of anyone else, will never be accomplished by human effort.

That's what I think of when I sing "show me your Glory...."  I think of those, some of whom I love SO much, who have never really experienced God, those that still are driven and controlled by rejection, rebellion, confusion, addiction, false concepts, self-preservation, a desperate need to control, bitterness, anger, worry and anxiety, depression, apathy, disease, poverty, insignificance, defeat and failure, abuse.....the list goes on and on and on, and my heart just cries out to see the power of God come and bring the healing, freedom, restoration, redemption, revelation, repentance, peace and rest....all the stuff that only He can do!!! "Show me your glory...."

But then part of the chorus says, "Fire fall down, on us we pray......."  Immediately I think of a glory fire, one that sweeps through and puts all things right!!!!  But then I am reminded that His fire is a refiner's fire, a holy fire, a consuming fire....and that those fires must burn all that stands in the way of the glory fire that I crave.  What am I praying when I pray "Fire fall down...."?  Am I willing to walk through the fire....because past experience has taught me that the truly refining fires, the holy fire that consumes all the crud and yuck that I allow to influence and control me......well, it's not always a pleasant experience at the time!!!  And often in the midst of it, I begin yelling and demanding that He make it stop, take it away, often because I view it as punishment, as rejection, as disapproval, and definitely as unfair!!  Isn't that how many of us view it?  We become confused and wounded, angry even, by what was meant to bring us to deeper and greater places of freedom and transformation.

I am learning that these "fires" are not things happening to us, but rather they happen for us!!!  For years, when things didn't go my way, I would get angry at God and accuse Him of not caring, not loving, but then time would go by and days or months, sometimes years would pass and I would look back and say, "Gee....I guess you knew what you were doing, and I'm glad that you didn't let me have my way!"  Then as I matured some more, the "fires" would come and I would grit my teeth and keep saying to myself, "It's okay, it's okay, just hang on, it's okay!"  Then, when I reached that point, I thought, "Whew!!  I've arrived!!!" :)  I figured I had learned the lesson and trials were over!! :)  Then Jesus begins to whisper, "Connie, you've done well!!  You have stopped rejecting the fire, you've even actually endured the fire, now if you want to really see my Glory, I want you to embrace the fire!!"

I don't know what all that may entail...and to be honest, I don't want to know ahead of time!!!  He hasn't given me the grace today that I am going to need five or ten days, weeks, months, years..........minutes, down the road.  No, I've learned that He can, and does, give it to me the second that I need it!!!  What I DO know, is that there are a lot of broken, lonely, empty people that need a real touch from God.  Some are in desperate circumstances, some are just like me, no longer satisfied to just go through the motions.  I want to be fueled by fire, a holy fire, a consuming fire, a refining fire, a passionate fire!!!!  Human effort just won't cut it!!  Oh, it can accomplish a lot, and it can even look pretty darn good, but it doesn't go the distance and it can never transform and heal the way Jesus can. 

So, again I sing...."Fire, fall down, fire fall down, on us we pray....."    In order to possess the fire, we must embrace the fire!!!

My thoughts on prayer.....

When you look at what we call "The Lord's Prayer"...Jesus taught his disciples to pray..

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name
1. We need to get a revelation of who God is, not from others, not from people, but from the Bible. Jesus said if his disciples saw Him, they saw the Father...they are one! Jesus went around healing the sick, reaching out to the outcasts of society, those that the religious hypocrits rejected and looked down on. He took the woman caught in adultery and extended mercy and grace, not judgement and condemnation. We need to get our eyes on God...the God of all the earth, the God that created heaven and earth, the God that rides the winds and hung the stars. Read psalms....then mediatate on who God is!! We acknowledge Him, His power, His might, His majesty...His grace, His mercy, His extravagent love and we praise Him
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven...
This is us recognizing what heaven is all about and then bringing it to earth. Jesus said, "If I by the finger of God cast out demons, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you!" Jesus' sole purpose was to bring light to the darkness, healing to the broken, freedom to the captive....bringing the culture and atmosphere of heaven to earth...and now He wants to do it through us! WE are His body, His hands, His feet, His mouth to speak words of life, words of blessing not cursing, building up, not tearing down. We are to pray that HIS kingdom would be manifest to this broken world. I believe this part of the prayer is to bring us into agreement with His intentions and purposes.
Give us this day our daily bread - praying for our needs
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us - this is an attitude of humility...first admitting our own shortcomings, and then in extending the same grace and mercy to others.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil - This is an attitude of dependance and humilty as well. We realize that in and of ourselves, we can do nothing....but in Him, well that's a whole other story. We need to not be cocky and self-sufficient, thinking that "we wouldn't do that!!". The truth is that given the right set of circumstances we are all capable of just about anything!! So we need to walk knowing that except for His grace working in us, we might all be axe murderers!! It's also a prayer for protection.
For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, AMEN!
Again, finishing with praise and worship!! I really think praying is more about changing us, than it is about influencing circumstances. I'm not saying it doesn't influence, I believe it does. Philippians 4:6,7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds (I need that!) in Christ Jesus.

So, I believe that yes, prayer does change things...I believe that when we pray in agreement with God's heart, His purposes, His plans, His will....we are taking our God given authority and affecting the situations and circumstances around us. I don't understand it all, I don't know why sometimes prayers get answered as I think they should, and other times they don't, but I do believe that prayer matters!!

However, I believe primarily, prayer is about intimacy...developing that intimate, personal relationship that our Creator and Sustainer wants to have with each one of us....He is Abba...Daddy, and longs to reveal Himself to us in even greater measure... As we begin to know Him as He truly is, not as man and religion have portrayed Him, we are changed!!! We begin to have His heart beating in us....as He transforms our stony hearts into hearts of "flesh". As we see Him as He really is, and we see ourselves as HE sees us, love ourselves, accept ourselves, because HE loves us, HE accepts us...we are then free to become all that we were meant to be.

Anyway, that's a rather long answer to a short question...and I highly doubt I've even scratched the surface. James 5:16 says, "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

God isn't looking for mere recitations...He wants to hear your heart....He wants you to hear His heart....prayer is communing with God. He will whisper love songs to you [____]...He likes to laugh...He'll dry your tear....He cheers you on and tells you what an awesome job you're doing, even when you wish you had done better. Prayer is getting to know Him....prayer is taking what you learn in His word and declaring it in the heavenly realms...speaking out truth and life. Prayer has many different functions and purposes, but it is first and foremost about relationship and everything else flows from that!

January 26, 2010....a post from the past.

"I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love..."

As I felt God whispering these words to me, it was totally without condemnation. In fact, it was more of an encouragement, a recognition that I have gone through tough stuff and not wavered, faced boatloads of uncertainty and felt deep, excruciating pain, yet I'm still here, trusting, hoping, leaning on Him.....but now, now He is wanting to take me further, back to that deeper place, to renew the passion, to reignite the holy fire deep within...a place from which to launch into the "much more" that He has prepared for me, a place where I can experience Him in all of His fullness, taste of His glory and majesty, and rest in His amazing love and grace.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love (not just about it...) that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

I pray that we all will experience a revelation of His extravagant love, and His heart toward us. Only then are we free to really love Him, only then CAN we live the abundant life He died to give us!!