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Only OriginalFebruary 15, 2009 When we look at all the ways of God, every one of His creations and every one of his interactions and dealings with individuals, he always acts individually and totally uniquely. For me I want to systematize things. Let capture this and reproduce this. Think of the ways God led Israel into the promised land. At Jericho they marched around the city 7 times but never did they use that strategy again to conquer a city. Religion wants to establish ritual and tradition. We like things the same way every time. Because of that, we tend to limit God with our expectations and then miss Him and the opportunity to experience Him afresh. God, forgive me where I have had limited expectations of the way you want to work in my life, or teach me or supply my need. Today I choose to wait for you to intervein in my life and situation without demanding that you do it my way or in my timing. Lord I rest in your loving Care knowing that you do all things well and your ways are best, always original. I think it is amazing that God is never restricted to do anything the same way as he did it before. I think we feel we can control our world by thinking we have figured something out or we now know God’s ways. Even Moses who knew the ways of God did not know the way God would work in a situation before it was revealed to Him. The responsibility we have then is to obey God or align our lives with Him and His will. When we do, we see the miraculous unfold. Our Conversations with GodPRAY WITHOUT CEASING. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 The challenge to pray non-stop is virtually impossible if we see prayer as times we talk to God. Worse if prayer is listing our needs, wants and desires to God, eventually we simply run out of things to pray. When prayer is defined as conversations with the Lord that are flowing out of the intimate relation that we have growing with the Lord, then it is easy to pray non-stop. We all can have a non-stop relationship with God. When we see Jesus as the Bridegroom, rather than the dead statue on the cross or the limp and lifeless Savior in the arms of Mary, we find that He is quite exciting. He is thrilling to be with. Prayer then is no longer a religious formality but a life-engaging, dynamic activity of Spiritual life. I am so excited to see prayer coming alive at Zion. Our worship times are not just song services with its own kind of liturgy. More and more our prayer is getting quiet as we listen to what God will reveal in our group times together. I am speaking of a quietness of heart, rather than a silence. Being able to tune into the heart of our Lord may be extremely passionate and even loud but it is clear that God is in the midst and He is speaking to hearts. Into different ones, Father drops in Words or pictures into hearts that unlock truth or expose situations that He is addressing. Like the waves of the ocean, there is an ebb and flow of the ocean tide; sometimes gentle, sometimes powerful. Prayer changes things but not because of our volume or our brazen boldness to rail at the devil. Nor is prayer changing things simply by the number of words that we use or how spiritual they may sound. Prayer changes things when we get into agreement with the Holy Spirit and speak the same things we hear him say to us. It is conversational dialogue. -Pastor Rob Zimmerman |
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