salt-shaker.blog

The wonder and awe of being translated from a kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light can be deftly dulled by the mundane grind of life. We forget that we are kingdom creatures who can threaten the powers of darkness. We slip into surface evaluation of situations and people, forgetting that there is a cosmic battle for the souls of men. The book of Acts refocuses our calling to something beyond personal sanctification – “be My witnesses”. As the lives of Jesus’ close followers were being shaped to reflect radical kingdom love, their devotion to Him overflowed into their speech, their trust released them for selflessness, and their message and care transformed lives. They caught the attention of the empire.

This was the birth of the church, so the Spirit was explosive, a near irresistible force in those early moments. How did that happen? Jesus told them to wait for His enabling Spirit before fulfilling His mission for them to make disciples. What did they do while they were waiting? Did they brainstorm programs, organize outreach, set up training sessions? They knew the Spirit was coming, He had been promised. So they did what they were told. They waited. Together. And prayed. Prayed fervently. Prayed with one soul. Prayed expectantly. Prayed wholeheartedly. Prayed patiently, clinging to one another in harmonious expectancy.They were not disappointed! God treasures unity.

One cannot help but notice the group’s solidarity, unreserved and fierce. Prayer demonstrated their humble realization that God’s work required God’s provision. Impetuous hearts were quieted to be receptive to the Spirit’s leading. Timid hearts were emboldened by the infusion of the Spirit. One cannot help but notice the difference between that scenario and our current tepid church practices of prayer. (Although there seems to be a revival happening. Alleluia!) What happened? The call is the same. Jesus’ promise of His presence extends to us at the ‘end of the age’. Perhaps we do not expect to see such a powerful explosion of power, and rightfully so. These are not the birthing days of the church. But maybe we have conditioned ourselves to lower our expectations too much.  “We’ve tried that before and it didn’t work.” Maybe  personal sanctification is the dominant focus. Perhaps we are so busy with programs that we don’t have time to come together for fervent intercession for the hearts and souls of our neighbors. Maybe tested programs replace God’s leadership and make prayer superfluous. Perhaps we are afraid to ask because we are afraid of His answer. Just maybe He will upset our church community more than we would like. 

Whatever the reason, we can return to the place of purposeful unified prayer. Jesus’ church, not the angels, has been given the sacred trust of the truth – its preservation and its proclamation. Yet they are watching to see what the church is doing. Of those one hundred twenty gathered for that first prayer meeting only a few had the gift of evangelism. Many were women, most were not highly educated, and some had spectacularly failed Christ. And yet all were empowered. The message went out through those who were … wait for it ….committed to rely on God! In these crucial times let us open our hearts to the Lord and embrace His desire that no man should perish, trusting His enabling presence. Our devotion to Jesus can spill over onto everyone we know. It’s a community calling, so we band together with one heart, supporting one another in our mission. Even if there are just two or three likeminded saints – commit!  Begin on our knees – confess our weakness and invoke His anointing – serve with our hands, and speak truth with love. Then stand back and watch the Spirit work. 

“My prayer is that when I die all hell rejoices that I am out of the fight.” C S Lewis

Shalom