Continuous Revival

It’s not all about ministering to other people even though I LOVE to do that and I want to do that more. But with my children – I love them SO MUCH – but my big priority is that I want them to KNOW that I love them so much. I don’t want them to think that we’re just rushing through life to get to the next thing which seems to be the way I function a lot of times – just rush rush rush to get to the next thing. “Okay, hurry hurry. We’ve got to get ready to go here or there!” I want them to know that THEY are my priority right now. I love them SO MUCH and I really want to be with them.

I just lift this up as a prayer,

LORD, would you help me to really speak that with my actions?

One thing that the Lord has been showing me lately is about tests.  I’ve been tempted and I know the Lord does not tempt. He makes that real clear. However, everybody has weaknesses, and my weaknesses are known and I just feel like I’ve been tested lately in those areas of weakness. It’s been a real struggle because they really are weaknesses for me and I’m aware in my mind that giving in is not the right thing to do.

I haven’t given in. Jesus was tempted in every way and yet was without sin. And it’s not that I’ve sinned in any way, but I’ve been tested in areas that I’m weak in.

It’s been a real struggle for me to stay strong and pure.

I realize the testings are coming so that the Lord can see: “Are you gonna stay faithful to me or not? When these other options come up as possibilities, how far do you want to go with me?

Do you want to stop and level off or do you want to continue to go deeper in the Lord?”

What’s really neat is that a friend of mine gave me a prophetic word not long ago – less than a week ago. He said in the next 2 weeks there would be some tests, and in about 4 to 6 weeks from then, there would be deeper measures of God’s glory. That was such a good word that I’ve actually held on – I’ve needed that prophetic word – to get me through the tests. As I’ve been faced with things that have been a struggle for me, I have been crying out to the Lord for more (of Him) because I really want to go deeper with him. As I’ve been faced with tests and trials – things that have been hard for me, things that I’ve wanted to give in to, things that I shouldn’t give in to – I’ve realized the Lord has been right with me the whole time holding my hand and saying, “OK, do you want to level off here? Remember, you can have more of me if you’ll just stay true to me.” It’s been really good because I’ve got the prophetic word to look forward to more of God’s glory if I’ll just stay true to the Lord.

So I’m looking forward just a few weeks from now to an intensity of God’s glory. I just feel like last weekend has been wonderful with the Lord. I’ve felt closer to him. I’ve not felt what I want to feel yet because I want to go even deeper with him, but I’ve felt so much closer than I have in a while. It’s been so good to worship him, and just to turn my heart to him, to read the word…some of the psalms.

For a long time now, I’ve been practicing some things that Bill Johnson has talked about that have helped him to go deeper with the Lord. Hopefully it would help someone else to know.

At night when you are drifting off to sleep, the last thing you think about is the Lord and mentally turn your heart toward him. I’ve been doing that. And even in the daytime, I’ve been doing that too. Anytime I think about him, I mentally say, “Yes!” My heart says, “Yes!” to the Lord. Whatever he wants. I put all my chips on the table. I give him everything and I just say, “Do with it what you want!” In the podcast, “Continuous Revival,”Bill talks about putting everything you’ve got – putting all your chips – in the middle of the table. And as you do that, the Lord wants to give you more. Scripture after scripture backs that up.

The Lord wants you to give everything you have to him.

And as you say, “Yes, Lord! I give everything I have!” Then he says, “OK, now because you gave me everything, here’s more! I give you anything you want.” And you say, which is it? Is it that I give up everything? Or is it that I get everything? And the Lord says, “Yes! It’s both!” When we give up everything we have, then he gives us more than what we had. What a deal! I choose you Lord. It’s just a YES to the Lord.

[Just a quick note about the link to the podcast above. If you are unable to watch that (you may have to subscribe to http://www.ibethel.tv/ to view it), you can download itunes and search through podcasts to find Bethel Church in Redding, California's sermon of the week. It is a podcast called "Continuous Revival" from September 13, 2009.]

Photos by Kelly Elizabeth Smith of Photos of Grace Photography.