I've been thinking a LOT these last two weeks about prayer and worship...about why we do church the way we do church. I had missed out on so much by being sick or having sick kiddos and it gave me time to think things through. I am glad for the time. I don't really have many answers for anything but it feels good to be challenged to figure it all out.
We know that being here in Denver has been the craziest thing we've ever done. We have not only had to rely on Him in ways beyond what we imagined in the practical realm but also, being removed from all that we know of what church is, how we do church, WHY we do church, has allowed us to seek His face for answers we may never have asked for otherwise. It's been so sweet.
Prayer. Wow, we have been challenged in this. We have always known that prayer is important. Prayer before a service, check. Prayer when we read our Bible, check. Prayer before we eat, double check (the kids always add to our prayers ha!) But seriously, we did know to pray. But I don't think we have ever before understood the power that is fueled by hanging out with Jesus and just trying to seek His face. I mean, I'm not saying we've never prayed fervently before, but I don't think we have consistently fervently prayed the way we have been challenged to now. Then again, even daily needs are daily prayers so that helps. but no I mean specifically FOR THE CHURCH. Yes we prayed that God would show up and do a work...and then after ten minutes we got up TO DO stuff. Now I am not saying that the stuff doesn't need to get done (it does) but I dont want to have any more Mark 9 moments. Jesus says this kind only comes out by prayer and fasting. This kind of demon? Or this kind of faith? Or both? Or maybe even MORE than we can imagine, more than the demon being cast out, more than we could think to ask. The disciples were always falling asleep praying! That's so me. Maybe not actual sleep, but I have spent far too many prayer times sleepy in my spirit. my mind wandering. And do you know what I have found out? It's okay to have a prayer life that involves effort. Jesus is teaching me to not give up just because my grocery list or worries for my family creep into my prayer times. Press in! Find His heart!!!! Like a good Daddy, He wears His heart on His sleeve. All we have to do is ask. Saturday nights have been just the sweetest ever times in worship and prayer that I have ever spent in any group setting ever before. We pray for vision. We pray for direction. We pray for the sweet people Jesus has brought to fellowship with us. And Jesus is moving. Tangibly moving. Man! It's exciting! We pray for Denver as a whole. We pray for Boulder, that God would do a work there too. We pray for all the surrounding churches....and guess what?! We are seeing Him move in those churches! (funny how I forget that He will actually answer prayer!) We are seeing hearts stirred for revival and it is so incredibly exciting!!! At some point every week someone always asks, Lord show us what to pray. Even that has been answered. I have been so amped!!!! We are excited to press in. To pray for the hearts of people in Bible study, during worship, during the rest of life that should be an act of worship too. Good times are happening on Saturday nights.
Worship. Oh man, we all feel this stirring. Worship is this beautiful thing that we so many times make into this buffer that allows us to go to the bathroom and grab more coffee before we get to the real stuff. Now I wouldn't have ever said it like that, but it is what so many of us make it into if we arent on guard. And thats the point. We have to be on guard. This isn't going to just happen! True heartfelt worship demands that we battle for it. It is done bought and paid for in the positional sense of things, but we need to battle in prayer for the hearts of the people and ourselves too. Musical praise and worship is pleasing to God, therefore satan hates it. Of course he is going to work to demean it and make it seem small. Do it if you feel like it, or if you like the song, or if you like the style of worship. NO WAY!!!! I am so excited to spit in his eye by singing out no matter how I feel, no matter how silly it will look if I let loose and let the Spirit move. If you watch me in worship you'll notice I'm a sway-er (dude if you only knew how much I actually want to move and dance!) you might notice me crying or lifting my hands or sitting down with my face covered in my hair...believe me Ive had people comment on my weirdness. But dude, this is the God of the universe I am singing to here! He is worthy!!!!!!! So I am going to let go, and I am not apologizing for it. I depserately desire to be part of a church that is free to worship in Spirit and in Truth. and since were starting from scratch here, we are praying that that is what happens for the hearts that enter into our junior high cafeteria for church on a Sunday. We are praying that people would be free to worship jesus, to celebrate Him, to draw close to His heart and give Him a "hug." Worship is our preparation, its our response, its our celebration! I know Jesus is teaching us stuff and I am only standing on the shore at this point. I cant wait to dive in and know more about what it really means to worship Him. I have just started listening to a series that Dominic Balli from Reality taught and it is rocking us. Click here to check it out. And I'll keep you posted as the Lord does more cool stuff in this area.
The Word. Other wise known as the Bible study or the message or the sermon. So why do we do this? The Bible calls God's house a house of prayer. and we see over and over in Scripture the people of God coming together to praise His name and bring Him glory through worship. Cool beans. So why do we have a big old hunk of a Bible study plopped in the middle? The journey for this answer is like so many others. At first glance all I can say is, well, because. (How very mommy of me huh:)) I mean we always have and hey its God's word...duh. But, like so many of the answers we have sought on this journey, the answer isn't to stop what we are doing but instead to really know Gods heart and then keep doing what we are doing. And there IS a purpose for what we are doing. We DO need an emphasis on the word. Not because we just always have but because there is precedence in the Word for it (Jesus was constantly gathering people and teaching them His truths!) but also because there is a distinct purpose. First of all, faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God. And dude I need more faith! But also, as we dive into God's word we see more of Him, more of His character and nature. And the less likely we will be to listen to the lies of the enemy, that He doesn't care, that our petty problems annoy Him or that He is through with us. As we read His word we become accustomed to His voice and we see that He is a sweet merciful loving JUST righteous HOLY forgiving awesome God and it changes the way we walk. When I am careless with the word of God, it affects the way I see Him which in turn affects the way I trust Him. It's like my crazy awesome hubs. He rocks the house! Really, like a lot. He is working his cute tooshy off to honor God's call to come to Denver and be faithful in this auto glass job and trying to make this new opportunity with My Green Home work so we can pay the bills with a little more regularity and still pour his heart into the people of Denver while he's at it. We run in different directions some days and I don't always get to connect with him. I really hope I don't sound like I'm complaining. I am super blessed during this season and God has been so sweet through all of this so please don't take it that way. It's just that this is such a great picture. There are days that I barely see him and sometimes the being apart can affect the way I see him. I can forget his loving caring nature if I am not INTENTIONAL about bringing it to remembrance. Now its not that I start to think negative things about him. I'm not being super dumb and thinking he doesn't love me or he would rather be gone. It's just that I forget quite how blue his eyes are or how sweetly he looks at me while Im unloading the days worth of kid antics on him. Im not sure if this is making sense. here's the parallel....if I am not intentional about bringing to remembrance Christians love for me, I can begin to see him in a passive nature. He is great, but he is over "there," not involved. But dude! No matter how our days go crazy opposite directions, he never loves me less or thinks of me less or is less invested in who I am as a person. The same is true of Jesus, but in an even more full way. If we aren't intentional about being reminded of who He is and how He rolls, we will begin to see Him as passive, not involved, not that interested. And then it's an easy step sideways over into living like heaven isn't real and Jesus doesn't want to be a part of everything. Man that slide comes up fast. So why do we get in the word every wednesday and Sunday??? Because it is there that we get to know the character, the face, the heart of this sweet King Jesus that loves us so intimately.
So that's been my journey these last few weeks. I am so amped to be totally wrapped up in his arms!
Oh we also found this crazy cool park right next to our house this week.
I am foreseeing some awesome playtime at this park during the spring...if we can just make it past tomorrows BLIZZARD, I think we can safely say Spring is close by :)
Love it as always:)
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