Wednesday, March 31, 2010

YOUR FACE LORD I WILL SEEK


Psalm 27:8


There are times in our walk with the Lord we long to see His face. Here is an opportunity if you really desire it from your heart. This does not happen nor can be achieved overnight or by just sitting one time before the Lord.


In order to see the face you first make a choice. A firm decision from the heart to seek and see His face.


Psalm 27 :9 “Do not hide your face from me, do not run your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me O God my savior.”


Heart in the Bible is referred as a place that makes decision. The word of God is hidden in heart.God always says do it from your heart. So, if you really desire to see His face and know His plan for you, make a decision.


James 4:8-10 “ Come near to God and he will come near to you, Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”


The first step is to set a side time for Him. Sit at His feet and learn to dialogue with Him. A very difficult step as one has plenty of distraction. One needs to slowly get detached from five senses ideally done with fasting to discipline oneself. The five senses keep us in touch with the world. And as a result we miss out on spiritual gifts. People who are distracted are in bondage and such problems can be solved by fasting and praying. Another way is to prepare yourself for your prayer time by praying to the Holy Spirit in advance and ask for help for a better and good prayer time. This exercise takes some time to master.


Once we get detached we enter the Holy of Holies.


Sometimes it happens that every time you sit to pray a particular incident or a person comes to mind. Then bring it up to the lord and ask the lord what you need to do in that situation. If you need to forgive or reconcile with the person or sometimes the situation needs healing ask God to heal that incident that hurts so much. Heb12:14-15 “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no better roots grow up to cause trouble and defile many.” The fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace. All efforts should be made towards it. Sometimes you do not see the face of God because of this reason.


Mathew 5: 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart”


Song of songs 2: 16 “My lover is mine and I am his.” That is the intense love we need to have for our lord. For He is our bridegroom.


Heb:10:22-23 "Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”

Song of songs 3: 1-4


Taking into consideration the above point and genuine effort to sit before the Lord is the first step to seek His face.

(Contributed by the Intercession head)

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Gethsemane

There is this soul stirring song by Gaither choir " Have you had a Gethsemane?" as part of their Israel Homecoming. They show the garden of Gethsemane where the Lord was in agony and sing this touching song.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Watch and Pray!


"Watch and Pray" International Night Vigil
All prayer warriors for Agape come together this night to watch and pray.

I have often reflected on how the apostles found it difficult to watch and pray at Gethsemane.

Matt26:40-41
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Note that the Lord tells them to watch and pray for themselves that they may not fall into temptation. He does not tell them 'pray for me, I suffer'. Though He loved all His apostles, He had taken the ones closest to Him -Peter - chosen to lead the flock, James-his own cousin and John- the Beloved apostle. Even these failed to support Him in prayer when He needed comfort the most.
I wonder if it would have been the same if the apostles had a clue as to what was in store for them. To witness the passion and death of their Master, to face the persecution for being His followers, even the death that each of them had to face?

Matt26:38
Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

Any human that experiences sorrow so deep and intense cannot sleep. Can you remember the times that you were so overwhelmed with sorrow that you could not sleep?

Do you think it would have been different if they could only understand the sorrow in His heart? The apostle John I think would have lasted longer than the others. He passionately loved the Lord. Thus we have a detailed account of the Lord's agony in John 17. But he too succumbed to the weakness of the flesh.
Do share your thoughts and reflections.

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