Day 6 - Shameless Audacity -
“…yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give
you as much as you need.” Luke 11:8
Jesus speaks about a man who is persistent – who won’t take no for an
answer, in Luke 11. The parable is all about prevailing in prayer, and Jesus
honors this man’s bold determination. And there are times when we need to do
whatever it takes – “grab hold of the horns of the altar and not let go.”
Sometimes we shy away from praying for a miracle, thinking God won’t answer. But
the answer isn’t up to us, it’s up to God, and it’s His job to answer. Our job
is to ask. Keep asking, seeking, knocking – and circling!
Day 7- Put on Waders -
“They went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord…confirming the word
with signs following.” Mark 16:20
After we hit our knees in prayer, we need to take a step of faith. God
is honored when we act as if He is
going to answer our prayers. And acting “as if” means acting ON our prayers.
Not to be confused with “name it, claim it” – because if what we pray for is
not in the will of God, if it’s not for the glory of God, our acting “as if” is
a waste of time, energy and money. But if our dreams are ordained by the Lord,
then stepping out on faith honors Him, and He will honor our steps. The author
tells the story of a group of farmers who came together to pray for rain to end
a drought in their community. It was a serious matter. One of them came wearing
waders. He got a few funny looks, but isn’t that faith at its finest? If we
believe God is going to answer our prayer for rain… isn’t that exactly what we
should wear? Let’s make a move and watch God work the miracle.
Day 8 - One God-Idea -
“Speak to the earth, and it will teach you.” Job 12:8
God-ideas come from pressing into the presence of God and discerning
what He wants to do in us and through us. The call is for us to get into God’s
presence; the solution to every problem, and the answer to every question. The
author retells the story of George Washington Carver’s road to discovering 300
uses of the peanut – from glue, to soap, to shaving cream, to insecticide, and
fertilizer! Carver desired to know the mysteries of nature and in his 4:00 a.m.
devotions, he was inspired by Job 12:7-8, one of the most circled promises in
his Bible: “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the
sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or
let the fish in the sea inform you.” Brainstorming and planning are essential;
but let’s not neglect to “praystorm.” The best plans are birthed in the
presence of God.
Day 9 - Dream Factory -
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2
Corinthians 10:5
Pastor Batterson shares a powerful story that has multi-levels. One of
his friends , Mark Moore, had a God-idea that would help feed malnourished children in the African mission
fields where he had served. The miracle food, not coincidentally, is a peanut
paste – packed with nutrients and easy to digest in stomachs that had shrunk
due to malnutrition. His ministry is called MANA.Moore then needed to build the
plant, his “Dream Factory,” that would mass produce the paste at a low cost. An
angel donor in another state provided the $1 million needed. But Mark Moore’s God-idea had been prayed for
two years earlier in Pastor Batterson’s own “Dream Factory”, when he and congregants
dedicated Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse to the Lord. In a crack house-turned coffeehouse and
meeting place for believers and the community, Batterson had prayed that
Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse would be a dream factory for others. Mark Moore said the
dream of MANA was formed in the dream factory of Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse. We
must never underestimate the power of a single prayer in a place dedicated to
blessing all who walk across its threshold.
Day 10 - Crazy Faith -
“This woman is driving me crazy.” Luke 18:5 NLT
This crazy faith is spoken of in the parable of the persistent
widow. Batterson is careful to explain
that persistence in this instance is a nice word for crazy. And when the cause
is righteous, it’s a ‘holy crazy’! This woman crossed some professional
lines, going to the home of the judge – not waiting her day in court. But
justice was served on her behalf. There are times when “crazy faith” is
necessary. Jesus honored the “crazy woman” who drove a judge crazy because she
wouldn’t stop knocking. Jesus honored the prostitute who anointed His feet; He
honored the tax collector who climbed a tree to see Him; He honored the four
friends who cut a hole in someone’s roof to help their friend. There is a pattern
repeated in Scripture: crazy miracles are the offspring of crazy faith. “Bold
prayers honor God and God honors bold prayers.” In this journey, there will be times when we'll have to exercise crazy faith!
No comments:
Post a Comment