Book twelve here.
Book eleven here.
Book ten here.
Book nine here.
Book eight here.
Book seven here.
Book six here.
Book five here.
Book four here.
Book three here.
Book two here.
Book one here.
This is a continuation of my practice to take notes on what I prayed.
Book ten here.
Book nine here.
Book eight here.
Book seven here.
Book six here.
Book five here.
Book four here.
Book three here.
Book two here.
Book one here.
This is a continuation of my practice to take notes on what I prayed.
Chapter One
1. It's hard to let go of the "used to be's." I used to be a songwriter but now I'm called to prayer. I used to be a leader but now I'm a cheerleader. I used to be a visionary but now I'm a intercessor.
2. The biggest impediment regarding your plans for me is what I think those plans should be. Similarly, the biggest impediment to your plan for a church is the church's idea of what that plan should look like.
3. If we have an idea of what a perfect church is, it's probably wrong.
4. It's a mystery how anyone could expect to know God's will without praying.
5. Rev 1:18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
"Hold,"Greek, echō, to own, possess. The devil never had these keys. He never had the ability to unlock death. The keys belong to you.
These are the keys that open the door from death to life. You were dead, and you must have possessed these keys to unlock this door to rise.
Literal Greek, forever and ever: "I am" to the ages of the ages.
6. 1 Cor 15:45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
Death came by Adam's sin, life came by the Last Adam.
7. John 5:24 Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
We rightly rejoice for our sins getting forgiven, but the real victory is the defeat of death. The cross is the beginning, not the destination.
We should be more focused on life than on not sinning.
8. I just remembered that Easter is this week. Funny how my thoughts went to resurrection life. Now I know why.
9. Matt 12:40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Friday to Sunday is the parts of three days, but only two nights. Tradition fails us.
10. Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
Fallow: characterized by inaction; unproductive.
Father, it's time. Raise up those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. It's time for us to move. It's time for the flame to be fanned.
11. Matthew 3:11 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
We have the Holy Spirit, we now need the fire. Let your passion become our fire.
12. Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
This verse is about Jesus, not the Bible. The Bible didn't exist. "Word" is logos, and the logos became flesh (John 1:14).
Also, the word "it" does not appear in the Greek. So there is no "it," there is a person with this ability, Jesus the logos.
We need to stop believing lies.
13. Father, it's time we abandoned the powerlessness we are so used to. It's time we understood that the glory is the real normal.
1 Thes 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit...
Forgive us Father for allowing the flesh to mess up the Spirit's presence and work.
14. I pray that every gathering of the saints would be accompanied by the glory. Sunday church, connect groups, elders meetings, coffee together, families, band rehearsals.
Chapter 2
I really appreciate how the Greek words that came up this week challenge my understanding.
1. I feel like I'm letting the church down if I miss a morning prayer. Father, I know you don't mind so much, but the church is entitled to my intercession. The church should expect it.
Honestly, if the elders were to come to me and say, "Hey, we heard you missed Wednesday morning. Dude, get your act together," I think the church would see the glory. Not because of me, but because of the expectation that people are to be praying.
2. Father, I pray that Easter, the power of resurrection life, would stay on our church's radar. Easter shouldn't be just an event.
I pray that the big Easter crowd is a firstfruits, a precursor of a greater move.
I know numbers are not important, but numbers are important.
3. If we do all the right things, will you send revival? Maybe, maybe not, but we still need to do all the right things anyway.
4. Luke 12:49: I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
"Ignite" is the Greek word balló, to throw, cast, put, place. This is widespread, purposeful. "I have come..." your purpose. It's the reason you came, to spread fire.
John 12:47: “...For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world." Not to judge, but to save. This is your purpose.
I used to think this particular fire was a fire of judgment, but now I think it's the poured out Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
5. Spirit and fire first, judgment later.
6. Matthew 3:11: He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Father, let fire-refined purity and passion be our portion in these last days.
7. Father, teach our church how to implement the spiritual gifts the people have. How amazing would it be if our church was comprised of people who knew exactly why they were here and knew exactly what they needed to do.
8. 1 Cor. 14:1: Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
"Earnestly:" zēlóō (an onomatopoetic word, imitating the sound of boiling water) – to bubble over because so hot (boiling); (figuratively) "to burn with zeal"
9. 2 Tim 1:6: For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Fan into flame: anazópureó, to rekindle, to stir up.
10. Wow, lots of thoughts going to fire. Father, bring your fire. I know fire is painful to my flesh, but it's good for my soul.
11. It seems your fire always brings calamity and death to the unrighteous, but benefit to the saved.
12. Heb. 12:11: No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
"Discipline" is paideia, instruction that trains a child to reach maturity. "Trained" is gymnázō, to train or exercise.
Hmm. I always thought this verse was about correction but it's not.
13. It's so easy to fall back into fleshly thinking. Holy Spirit, I need your help to be able to keep in step with you.
Gal 5:25: If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
"Keep in step:" stoicheó, To walk in line, as in a good soldier following military order.
14. Father, I'm still asking you for breakthrough for this church. I think there's something you want to say to us about this, but we're just not ready.
It takes a concerted push to break through. Stoicheó. We really haven't submitted to the discipline (paideia) we need to take this step.
Would you bring us into conformity with your purpose so that we might have what we need to break through?
Chapter Four
I've now completed one year of coming to the church to pray in the mornings, so this would be the last of posting my notes. But what's next? Should I continue? Will someone take my place? Will people start joining with me? I don't know at this point.
1. I pray that we would find our place in the place we are in. Often we think our place is somewhere else and we need to change it. But it's rarely the place, it's usually us.
2. Acts 3:19-20 Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...
"Refreshing" - anápsyksis, breathe easily again, cooling, or reviving with fresh air.
3. Sin burdens our souls, while repentance brings rest and revival.
4. The best worship song ever written, How Great Thou Art:
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin
"I scarce can take it in." How can I understand so great a sacrifice? The magnitude of the cross boggles my mind.
The God of heaven and earth walked the soil of an obscure middle eastern desert as a man, found twelve losers to teach, performed great wonders, then endured the abuse of men to become the one great sacrifice. Astonishing.
5. 1 Peter 2:24 - He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
"Bore" - anapheró, to carry, to lift up as a holy act.
Jesus, our burden-bearer. It's inconceivable that you would carry our sins away and nail them to the cross.
Many Christians think you punished your son in our place. I see that isn't true. You carried our sins. The cross is enough. The blood is enough.
6. 1 Cor. 15:42-43 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
In this sense your death was dishonorable and weak, but your resurrection was glorious and with power. This passage is about the Last Day resurrection of the dead, but I'm thinking of all the parallels between this and your resurrection, and us being born again.
Death/dishonor/weakness
versus
Life/glory/resurrection power
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses...
2 Cor. 8:9 ...though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
7. Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God...
The verse doesn't say, "enough faith." Though faith is sometimes expressed as a quantity, for this verse I either have it or I don't have it. Father, I want the kind of faith that pleases you.
"Faith," Greek, Pistis, a conviction or belief in the truth of something
Faith is related to trust.
Psalm 125:1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
"Trust," Hebrew, bah-takh, confident, secure
For Christians these days, faith and trust are casual words. I wonder if the reliance and conviction we have is really adequate enough.
8. What might shake us, if we really do trust you? If we truly knew you our trust would be off the chart.
9. John 14:23 If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.
This is not about theology or doctrine or even obeying the Bible. "Word" is logos: word, speech, divine utterance.
I've now completed one year of coming to the church to pray in the mornings, so this would be the last of posting my notes. But what's next? Should I continue? Will someone take my place? Will people start joining with me? I don't know at this point.
1. I pray that we would find our place in the place we are in. Often we think our place is somewhere else and we need to change it. But it's rarely the place, it's usually us.
2. Acts 3:19-20 Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...
"Refreshing" - anápsyksis, breathe easily again, cooling, or reviving with fresh air.
3. Sin burdens our souls, while repentance brings rest and revival.
4. The best worship song ever written, How Great Thou Art:
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin
"I scarce can take it in." How can I understand so great a sacrifice? The magnitude of the cross boggles my mind.
The God of heaven and earth walked the soil of an obscure middle eastern desert as a man, found twelve losers to teach, performed great wonders, then endured the abuse of men to become the one great sacrifice. Astonishing.
5. 1 Peter 2:24 - He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
"Bore" - anapheró, to carry, to lift up as a holy act.
Jesus, our burden-bearer. It's inconceivable that you would carry our sins away and nail them to the cross.
Many Christians think you punished your son in our place. I see that isn't true. You carried our sins. The cross is enough. The blood is enough.
6. 1 Cor. 15:42-43 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
In this sense your death was dishonorable and weak, but your resurrection was glorious and with power. This passage is about the Last Day resurrection of the dead, but I'm thinking of all the parallels between this and your resurrection, and us being born again.
Death/dishonor/weakness
versus
Life/glory/resurrection power
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses...
2 Cor. 8:9 ...though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
7. Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God...
The verse doesn't say, "enough faith." Though faith is sometimes expressed as a quantity, for this verse I either have it or I don't have it. Father, I want the kind of faith that pleases you.
"Faith," Greek, Pistis, a conviction or belief in the truth of something
Faith is related to trust.
Psalm 125:1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
"Trust," Hebrew, bah-takh, confident, secure
For Christians these days, faith and trust are casual words. I wonder if the reliance and conviction we have is really adequate enough.
8. What might shake us, if we really do trust you? If we truly knew you our trust would be off the chart.
9. John 14:23 If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.
This is not about theology or doctrine or even obeying the Bible. "Word" is logos: word, speech, divine utterance.
10. Spiritual gifts may or may not be related to natural abilities. But natural abilities are not spiritual gifts until empowered by the Holy Spirit.
11. Father, turn our thoughts to your desires. Turn our eyes to what you see. Turn our hearts to your kingdom work.
12. There's always more of you.
13. I need to learn to not be so easily triggered. Some things just set me off. Self control, a fruit of the Spirit.
14. I can't shake the feeling that there's something going on in the spiritual realm that is the primary obstacle to what you want to do in this church. Something, I don't know what.
Holy Spirit, tear down any and every stronghold that is an obstacle to your presence and glory in this church.
I also pray that in our church there would be no agreement with any spiritual forces of darkness.
15. Envy, resentment, cliques, and ambition are death to churches. Fake honor, fake fellowship, and fake worship are the inevitable result.
16. I sometimes feel disappointed in myself. I feel I'm capable of more. I don't have to be impatient or cynical. I can control my tongue better. But too often I fall short.
Where is the maturity? By now I should be strong in faith, resistant to temptation, and a role model for younger Christians.
17. 2 Peter 1:5-7 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
I used to think that this verse meant diligent effort. But I've always missed the part "for this very reason." What is that reason? Verse 3: His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness...
Oh. The "make every effort" is by "his divine power." I can do that.
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