Book eleven here.
Book one here.
This is a continuation of my practice to take notes on what I prayed.
This is a continuation of my practice to take notes on what I prayed.
Chapter One
1. When praying about a need, how do we know when to stand in faith without action vs. stand in faith and take action?
Holy Spirit, I realize afresh that I just don't understand you very well.
2. Holy equations:
4. Do I really know you? Not asking in the sense of my salvation. I'm not in an identity crisis. I'm not doubting. It's just that there's so much I take for granted.
I really, truly, want to know you. Apart from my preconceptions. Without the veil.
It requires revelation to know you. A series of supernatural exposures. Sermons, doctrine, and Bible study are only meaningful if the truth is revealed via supernatural exposures.
5. Father, prepare us for the kingdom's next advancement. We're going to need more Holy Spirit. More supernatural exposures. Help us to hear.
"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
"Hear." The Greek word "akouó" implies not just auditory reception but also an attentive and obedient response to what is heard. It's where we get the word "acoustic."
6. Act 10:28 He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean."
Peter was a Jew. He followed the Law his whole life. But he saw a vision of a sheet descending from heaven, and what he thought he knew was uprooted. "But God has shown me..." you revealed yourself and it changed everything.
"But God has shown me..."
7. Holy Spirit, what mysteries do you want to tell us?
8. A stronghold get torn down, unless I helped build it. Then I surrender it and let you invade.
9. As I consider this cold winter season I realize you're the God and creator of seasons. It takes a mind-boggling amount of energy to change the temperature even one degree, yet this sort of thing happens every day.
Expanding my thoughts to the entirety of the universe, I am now completely incapable of even thinking about the amount of power at work here.
Heb 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
10. Father, I pray yet again that this church would commit to prayer. Would you pull down every stronghold and remove every obstacle that is preventing us from being a praying church? Would you make us a people who are happy and eager to join together in prayer?
11. Isaiah 56:6-7 And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD ... 7 I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
This was the verse quoted in Matthew 21 when the moneychangers were driven from the temple. It almost seems like this was the breaking point regarding Israel, because then in verse 19 the fig tree was cursed.
Then, in verse 43 we find this: Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you [Israel] and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
Father, is our church risking being left desolate? Will you take your promise away to another church? May it never be! There must be people in this church who you are preparing to raise them up as prayer warriors. I plead, don't take your Holy Spirit from us!
A house of prayer for the nations... a people who will produce fruit.
12. Fan into flame the embers of passion and zeal in our church. Cause faith to arise in us, a hunger for your presence and your word. A holy dissatisfaction, where nothing less will satisfy.
13. Psalm 42:3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
But I know you are near. I know you have not forsaken us. I know that despite our weakness you are strong here. King of glory, you are welcome in this church.
Psalm 27:13-14 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Holy Spirit, I realize afresh that I just don't understand you very well.
2. Holy equations:
- Honor comes from how given we are to worship
- Generosity flows from Thanksgiving
- intercession descends out of care
- Servanthood is a product of obedience
4. Do I really know you? Not asking in the sense of my salvation. I'm not in an identity crisis. I'm not doubting. It's just that there's so much I take for granted.
I really, truly, want to know you. Apart from my preconceptions. Without the veil.
It requires revelation to know you. A series of supernatural exposures. Sermons, doctrine, and Bible study are only meaningful if the truth is revealed via supernatural exposures.
5. Father, prepare us for the kingdom's next advancement. We're going to need more Holy Spirit. More supernatural exposures. Help us to hear.
"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
"Hear." The Greek word "akouó" implies not just auditory reception but also an attentive and obedient response to what is heard. It's where we get the word "acoustic."
6. Act 10:28 He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean."
Peter was a Jew. He followed the Law his whole life. But he saw a vision of a sheet descending from heaven, and what he thought he knew was uprooted. "But God has shown me..." you revealed yourself and it changed everything.
"But God has shown me..."
7. Holy Spirit, what mysteries do you want to tell us?
8. A stronghold get torn down, unless I helped build it. Then I surrender it and let you invade.
9. As I consider this cold winter season I realize you're the God and creator of seasons. It takes a mind-boggling amount of energy to change the temperature even one degree, yet this sort of thing happens every day.
Expanding my thoughts to the entirety of the universe, I am now completely incapable of even thinking about the amount of power at work here.
Heb 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
10. Father, I pray yet again that this church would commit to prayer. Would you pull down every stronghold and remove every obstacle that is preventing us from being a praying church? Would you make us a people who are happy and eager to join together in prayer?
11. Isaiah 56:6-7 And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD ... 7 I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
This was the verse quoted in Matthew 21 when the moneychangers were driven from the temple. It almost seems like this was the breaking point regarding Israel, because then in verse 19 the fig tree was cursed.
Then, in verse 43 we find this: Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you [Israel] and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
Father, is our church risking being left desolate? Will you take your promise away to another church? May it never be! There must be people in this church who you are preparing to raise them up as prayer warriors. I plead, don't take your Holy Spirit from us!
A house of prayer for the nations... a people who will produce fruit.
12. Fan into flame the embers of passion and zeal in our church. Cause faith to arise in us, a hunger for your presence and your word. A holy dissatisfaction, where nothing less will satisfy.
13. Psalm 42:3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
But I know you are near. I know you have not forsaken us. I know that despite our weakness you are strong here. King of glory, you are welcome in this church.
Psalm 27:13-14 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Chapter Two
1. Father, I'm so glad you are growing our church. But I want us to continue to move forward in worship. The new people don't necessarily know how to worship. I saw yesterday that very few were lifting their hands.
2. Many times prayer is energizing, but it is also draining. Why does prayer affect me so much? At times, I just break down in weeping.
3. Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
This is not to just go through the motions. It real rejoicing, real mourning. This is the duty of the intercessor.
4. Psalm 118:13 I was pushed so hard I was falling, but the LORD helped me.
Many in our church are being pushed hard. Holy Spirit, I pray for strength to push back, even to push these things right out of our lives.
5. I'm weeping again. When I pray for this church I frequently get overwhelmed. Will we ever get desperate enough to know you? When will our hearts start yearning for your presence?
6. I keep pushing against some sort of barrier when I pray. It's not my access to you, it's my access to the true heart of this church. Why is this veiled and shrouded?
I don't want to know how this church is being led, I want revelation into the spiritual foundation so I can pray. I want to help uproot any unholy things. I want to bless the things you are building.
Yes, I know you know what these secrets are. I think you want me and others to push our way through in prayer. Throw open the the doors.
7. I'm tired of 2 steps forward and 1 step back. I'm tired of gaining ground just to give some of it back. I'm tired of the same old Sunday routine. I'm tired of comfortable faith and riskless church. I'm tired of the show. I'm tired of faking it.
I know deep down that the church should be different. Powerful. Filled with faith. Laying waste to the kingdom of darkness. We have yet really set foot on this path. I think some of us see the trail head, but we need to gain the faith and vision to walk it.
8. Isaiah 62:6-7, 10 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD shall take no rest for yourselves, 7 nor give Him any rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth...
10 Go out, go out through the gates; prepare the way for the people! Build it up, build up the highway; clear away the stones; raise a banner for the nations!
Watchmen. You have posted them in our church. Intercessors and prophets. You are coming to your church to draw the nations to salvation. Oh, that we would be diligent in building up the road! Let your banner be raised high over this house!
9. I pray for our pastors and leaders to stay on the narrow road. I pray that their hearts would be soft towards you and towards the people. I pray they would have insight into your desires for this church.
10. Matt. 13:25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
Wake up, church!
Rom. 13:11 And this, knowing the season, that now it is high time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed.
I think there's more and more people who are awakening to a hunger for more of you. They might not know what it is, but there's something stirring. Holy dissatisfaction (thanks, Hannah Lauenstein).
11. How do we reconcile our staid church experiences with the holy dissatisfaction arising in us? The feeling that something's not quite right. But also the idea that we don't want it to get too crazy.
12. I don’t know what church is supposed to look like, but it's not what I see right now. In fact, I don’t think I've ever seen it. I've been waiting for something I have no idea about.
There's the Holy Spirit component that's lacking. Not that we don't have you or don't experience you, it's that we are satisfied with less. Sometimes when you move we think, wow this is incredible. But the dial is only set to 1 when we could at 10. Or 11. Or...
Holy dissatisfaction. Let it arise in us, Holy Spirit. May we never be satisfied with less than your fullness.
13. You are the Lord, you do as you want. But you will act according to someone's prayer. Everything happens according to your purpose, but you don't predetermine everything. You don't change your mind, but you do make changes to what you planned to do.
Some people have the need to reconcile these supposed contradictions, but I don't. I just marvel at the God I cannot explain.
14. Heb 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
There was a point in linear time when the Lord declared the second person of the trinity to be the Son.
Heb. 2:9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Jesus, thank you for lowering yourself, even to death, that I might experience resurrection power.
"For everyone." "For" is huper, on behalf of, for the benefit of. It does not mean "in the place of."
1. Father, I'm so glad you are growing our church. But I want us to continue to move forward in worship. The new people don't necessarily know how to worship. I saw yesterday that very few were lifting their hands.
2. Many times prayer is energizing, but it is also draining. Why does prayer affect me so much? At times, I just break down in weeping.
3. Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
This is not to just go through the motions. It real rejoicing, real mourning. This is the duty of the intercessor.
4. Psalm 118:13 I was pushed so hard I was falling, but the LORD helped me.
Many in our church are being pushed hard. Holy Spirit, I pray for strength to push back, even to push these things right out of our lives.
5. I'm weeping again. When I pray for this church I frequently get overwhelmed. Will we ever get desperate enough to know you? When will our hearts start yearning for your presence?
6. I keep pushing against some sort of barrier when I pray. It's not my access to you, it's my access to the true heart of this church. Why is this veiled and shrouded?
I don't want to know how this church is being led, I want revelation into the spiritual foundation so I can pray. I want to help uproot any unholy things. I want to bless the things you are building.
Yes, I know you know what these secrets are. I think you want me and others to push our way through in prayer. Throw open the the doors.
7. I'm tired of 2 steps forward and 1 step back. I'm tired of gaining ground just to give some of it back. I'm tired of the same old Sunday routine. I'm tired of comfortable faith and riskless church. I'm tired of the show. I'm tired of faking it.
I know deep down that the church should be different. Powerful. Filled with faith. Laying waste to the kingdom of darkness. We have yet really set foot on this path. I think some of us see the trail head, but we need to gain the faith and vision to walk it.
8. Isaiah 62:6-7, 10 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD shall take no rest for yourselves, 7 nor give Him any rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth...
10 Go out, go out through the gates; prepare the way for the people! Build it up, build up the highway; clear away the stones; raise a banner for the nations!
Watchmen. You have posted them in our church. Intercessors and prophets. You are coming to your church to draw the nations to salvation. Oh, that we would be diligent in building up the road! Let your banner be raised high over this house!
9. I pray for our pastors and leaders to stay on the narrow road. I pray that their hearts would be soft towards you and towards the people. I pray they would have insight into your desires for this church.
10. Matt. 13:25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
Wake up, church!
Rom. 13:11 And this, knowing the season, that now it is high time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed.
I think there's more and more people who are awakening to a hunger for more of you. They might not know what it is, but there's something stirring. Holy dissatisfaction (thanks, Hannah Lauenstein).
11. How do we reconcile our staid church experiences with the holy dissatisfaction arising in us? The feeling that something's not quite right. But also the idea that we don't want it to get too crazy.
12. I don’t know what church is supposed to look like, but it's not what I see right now. In fact, I don’t think I've ever seen it. I've been waiting for something I have no idea about.
There's the Holy Spirit component that's lacking. Not that we don't have you or don't experience you, it's that we are satisfied with less. Sometimes when you move we think, wow this is incredible. But the dial is only set to 1 when we could at 10. Or 11. Or...
Holy dissatisfaction. Let it arise in us, Holy Spirit. May we never be satisfied with less than your fullness.
13. You are the Lord, you do as you want. But you will act according to someone's prayer. Everything happens according to your purpose, but you don't predetermine everything. You don't change your mind, but you do make changes to what you planned to do.
Some people have the need to reconcile these supposed contradictions, but I don't. I just marvel at the God I cannot explain.
14. Heb 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
There was a point in linear time when the Lord declared the second person of the trinity to be the Son.
Heb. 2:9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Jesus, thank you for lowering yourself, even to death, that I might experience resurrection power.
"For everyone." "For" is huper, on behalf of, for the benefit of. It does not mean "in the place of."
1. Disillusioned. Defined: to stop having illusions. I have had these illusions about the way things should be, but you added the "dis" and slowly but surely my illusions are being dispelled.
2. Closure. By definition, the coming of something new means something old has ended. Our Old Man and its habits and ways of thinking must be closed out before the new new can fully come.
Father, what closures must happen in my life?
3. There's only so much glory the Old Man can bear:
Exodus 33:20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
But it's different now:
John 14:9 Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.
2 Cor 3:28 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Holy Spirit, unveil my face that I might see and be transformed by your glory!
4. Surely you must come. Our church has no hope without you. Everything is vanity without you. Come, Holy Spirit, fill us! Come and move in us.
We don't even know how much we lack... we are so accustomed to powerlessness.
We don't obey in the little things. Why should we expect big things?
Holy Spirit, help us. Help us. Help us. Help us. Help us.
Help us.
5. Bowing our heads and closing our eyes... But praying looks much different in the Bible:
John 17:1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed...
1 Tim 2:8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands...
I think we're pointing in the wrong direction when we pray. Our eyes and our hands are disobeying Scripture.
6. Our church is growing but our prayer meetings are shrinking. There's something really wrong here.
7. 1 Sam. 12:23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you.
This is where you have me. This is my singular call for this season that I'm in.
Rich, what do you do in this church? I pray for it, lest I sin.
Rich, what's your position?
What's your title?
What's your ministry?
I pray for this church, lest I sin.
8. Terminology - pray with my spirit vs. praying in the Spirit:
1 Cor. 14:15 What then shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
"Pray with my spirit" is praying in tongues. But "pray in the Spirit " involves more than one kind of prayer. We should always "pray in the Spirit," and one of the ways to do so is praying with my spirit.
9. Da. 9:23 - As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given...
Daniel hadn't even finished before the angel came, and the angel told him his prayer was answered right when he began praying.
The content of our prayers is no surprise to you. You don't even have to wait for us to finish our prayer before you answer. Holy Spirit, would you change our prayer lives into Daniel-praying?
10. James 5:15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Prayer of faith. It's not our sincerity, zeal, fervency, or spiritual status. "You just don't have enough faith" is not in operation here.
11. Psalm 63:6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
Father, would you awaken us in the middle of the night with intercession on our lips? Cause both our thoughts and our night dreams to turn toward you.
12. Psalm 77:12 I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.
I often wonder about they way the early believers were so "all in." The endured such hardship and persecution yet did not not yield. They had so much trouble but also so much power.
All in...
13. Luke 9:62 Then Jesus declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Conventional wisdom is that this means a plowman looking back will not have straight rows. I wasn't able to confirm this.
It seems clear from the context that Jesus was calling people to serve but they had excuses.
It's important to consider how this would have been understood by Jesus' audience. A plowman does not walk out to the field, get the oxen ready, get lined up, then decide to go back to his house. While in the middle of a field he does not look back to where he's already been, he doesn't look for excuses to leave the field, he keeps going until the field is done.
This metaphor is not about the quality of work done by the plowman.
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