guest prayers

  • Simeon's waiting / Payson's waiting / our waiting

      
    Luke 2:25  Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27  And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28  he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

    29  “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
    30  for my eyes have seen your salvation
    31  that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
    32  a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”


    33  And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34  And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35  (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
     
    I've loved reflecting on this incident in the temple with Simeon on several levels, but would like to consider what an encouragement it is for those of us who have been longing for and praying out to God for reformation and revival in the Church...

    God had put into the heart of Simeon that he would not see death before he saw the Lord's Christ. Now, I've not had a sure promise from the Lord spoken to me, "You will see reformation and revival in the Church before you die," but God has put the longing to pray for those things on my heart and He continues to put that before me, to the point where I MUST pray. However, I must confess even though the Spirit is willing, the flesh is often weak. But I must also say that I have blessed to taste and see the firstfruits of revival, and cannot despise the day of small things.

    Much like Simeon had been looking forward to the coming of the Lord's Christ, those of us who have seen and been grieved over the current state of the Church particularly here in the west have been led to pray in the hope that our Savior will return again with times of reformation, refreshing and revival to the valley of dry bones.

    We are in desperate need of the Holy Spirit to be upon us like Simeon, so by faith and patience we might inherit the promises, that we might be strengthened to continue to tarry in prayer and seek God's face with importunity, to be watchmen who are crying out to Him day and night to rend the heavens, to plead for Christ's baptizing fire to fall again upon His Church (should His second coming tarry). O! that our Lord might keep us steadfast, immovable and always abounding in this work of the Lord – this work of prayer – knowing full well that our labor in Him is not in vain (~ I Cor. 15:58).

    I'm going to include some of a personal account, which I first wrote earlier this fall, but which I've edited & expanded upon today. I present it here in the hope that God might use it as an encouragement to your souls, for I suspect you will have, if you have not already had, similar struggles. We are all prone to doubt, and we are all tempted to question and wonder what it is we are doing and what we should be doing, to the point of great discouragement and even to the point of being on the verge of quitting. The devil is the author of every type of confusion. And there are two things the devil does not want us as God's Church to be engaged in: prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). The Church can try any and all means, and we see so many congregations and denominations doing just that today, but the real battle and the real warfare starts when we are wholeheartedly engaged in prayer and the ministry of the Word, i.e. - when we are using God's ordained means of reforming and reviving the Church, it is then that the devil will do all he can to undermine us in any way he can. But our God has promised to equip us with all we need for doing His will:

    Hebrews 13:20  Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21  equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

    What began troubling me were such questions as these: What has God promised in regard to a revival? And should I really be praying for revival? Is such prayer misguided, that is, are these desires and prayers all of my vain hope and my invention and imagination? What use is it? And so on.

    Well, deep down, I knew it was not my invention. I knew I wasn't looking to pray for revival; it wasn't something I picked up, but rather God put it upon me. Yes, I'd read Lloyd-Jones and a few others about revival, but all of that hadn't impacted me. I was reading, but not understanding fully, though yes, I knew there was something to it. Plus, if this were my invention, I am more and more convinced that I would have long ceased to care about it or would have quit. The temptations have been far too great. But here I am keep getting called back to prayer for revival. I know my personality to be one that starts one thing and once I've gone so far with that, I can too easily put it down and start up again with a whole other thing. So certainly, it is no strength or stick-to-itiveness or desire of mine that is propelling me to keep praying for the same things over and over with no real change or visible result. God has given me this bone and anytime I start to turn away or anytime I try to toss it away, He tosses it back at me, and I MUST pick it up!

    As Oswald Chambers wrote: "There is no other competitor for my strength!" The love of Christ constrains me! It makes no earthly sense to keep planting seeds and casting a net which bears no fruit. But when you are driven by the Spirit, you have a holy compulsion that is ever working to subdue the flesh.

    And so, in short, the devil's plot to get me discouraged based on some recent circumstances has helped to firm up my resolve (well, the resolve is a divinely implanted one - Phil. 2:12-13).

    But how refreshing it was for me to open up Payson's memoir, actually to a portion I'd already read previously, but I didn't really remember it until I started reading it – or else I might have picked it up to reread in conjunction w/ my reflecting on my recent disappointment. I am ashamed to say it, but I must confess how I found my frame was swayed and tossed about due to outer circumstances, so there I was once again being pulled down and choked by the mephitic air! And afterwards, almost immediately when it happened, I was grieved over my faithlessness and how despicable that was! And so I ran to the throne of grace, for I knew I had no other place to go - and I did have some sense of assurance come to me. One of the hymns I remember from my Catholic church upbringing came to mind, one I'd not sung or heard in a while:

    Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
    O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
    All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
    Praise Him in glad adoration.

    And with that I felt some relief.

    I ended up writing about disappointment. The words came quickly and wasn't planing to write about it at all, though it was very heavy on my heart. I'd been rereading something a friend had written to me about Abraham, and then I pulled up the Matthew Henry commentary on my laptop and began to wonder: "Here is this man who has got the supreme assurances of God spoken directly to him, and yet, there he is asking for more!" And after that, I read these words of Matthew Henry:

    Note, True believers sometimes find it hard to reconcile God's promises and his providences, when they seem to disagree.

    That described my state: I found it hard to reconcile - O, very, very hard! The recent providence seemed to strongly disagree with God's promises! I often find it hard day in and day out . . . week in and week out. . . .

    It makes me weep for I continue to see other saints who have no SENSE of the LIVING GOD and the REFRESHING He wants to provide. . .  We have this fount of blessing, and it is bursting and meant to be shared freely among the saints, but how often are we able to do so? I know once in a while I do, and I can tell by the response, that there is a hearing but not an understanding of my words. . . For those who have not, it is just like speaking another language. Those who speak the language of Canaan do recognize the language of Canaan!

    There are professing Christians who are thirsty, O! some of them are desperately thirsty, but they are not getting to the Living Water, and it grieves me to see that. I want them to get there and drink and be filled and satisfied and glorify and enjoy God there with us!  The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.  Well, I tell you, no wonder the Church is in such a decrepit state: Is she crying out with the Spirit to come and drink? No, of course, not. And why not? BECAUSE SHE HAS NOT DRUNK DEEPLY OF THE SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER. How can anyone call another to a spring he's not known, much less not drunk of! Well, it's really impossible. . . .

    But with that reminder from Matthew Henry, I began to fix my eyes on Jesus! – and on God's good sovereignty! – and was enabled to write:

    As the visible disappoints
    With His truth gird up your loins

    Turn from the seen, look beyond
    Look away, look to your God

    His providences may seem stern
    But all His promises are firm

    Every sheep called by His name
    Hope does not put us to shame

    God's love into our hearts poured out
    Give Him the glory, do not doubt

    That poem expressed some of my deep grief and recent disappointment, but with it a reassurance and a refocus on the invisible God in the midst of the continuing visible disappointments. ~ he endured as seeing him who is invisible. In the world we WILL have tribulation. And sad to say, even in the CHURCH we will have tribulation.

    Now to those Payson excerpts (taken from Memoir, Select Thoughts and Sermons of the late Rev. Edward Payson, Volume 1 by Edward Payson (1783-1827) and Asa Cummings, boldface mine):

    The year 1816 was the most remarkably distinguished for the effusions of the Holy Spirit on his people, of any year of his [Payson's] ministry, with the exception of that in which his happy spirit took its flight, when he preached so much from the bed of death. This fact the reader will regard as a striking commentary on the subjoined extracts from his diary:—

    "Dec. 16 [1815]. Since the last date, I have passed through a greater variety of scenes and circumstances than in almost any period of equal length in my whole life, and have experienced severer sufferings, conflicts, and disappointments. Some time in February, I began to hope for a revival; and, after much prayer for direction, and, as I thought, with confidence in God, I took some extraordinary, and perhaps imprudent, measures to hasten it. But the event did not answer my expectations at all; and in consequence, I was thrown into a most violent commotion, and was tempted to think God unkind and unfaithful. For some weeks, I could not think of my disappointment with submission. There were many aggravating circumstances attending it, which rendered it incomparably the severest disappointment, and, of course, the most trying temptation, I had ever met with. It injured my health to such a degree, that I was obliged to spend the summer in journeying, to recover my health. This, however, did not avail, and I returned worse than I went away, and plunged in the depths of discouragement. Was obliged, sorely against my will, to give up my evening lectures, and to preach old sermons. After awhile, however, my health began to return, though very slowly. God was pleased to revisit me, and to raise me up out of the horrible pit and miry clay, in which I had so long lain; and my gratitude for this mercy far exceeded all I felt at my first conversion. Sin never appeared so odious, nor Christ so precious, before. Soon after this, my hopes of a revival began to return. About a month since, very favorable appearances were seen, and my endeavors to rouse the church seemed to be remarkably blessed. My whole soul was gradually wrought up to the highest pitch of eager expectation and desire; I had great assistance in observing a day of fasting and prayer; the annual thanksgiving was blessed in a very remarkable and surprising manner, both to myself and the church. From these and many other circumstances, I was led to expect, very confidently, that the next Sabbath, which was our communion, would be a glorious day, and that Christ would then come to convert the church a second time, and prepare them for a great revival. I had great freedom, in prayer, both on Saturday night and Sabbath morning; and, after resigning, professedly, the whole matter to God, and telling him that, if he should disappoint us, it would be all right, I went to meeting. But what a disappointment awaited me! I was more straitened than for a year before; it was a very dull day, both to myself and the church; all my hopes seemed dashed to the ground at once, and I returned home in an agony not to be described. Instead of vanquishing Satan, I was completely foiled and led captive by him; all my hopes of a revival seemed blasted, and I expected nothing but a repetition of the same conflicts and sufferings which I had endured after my disappointment last spring, and which I dreaded a thousand times worse than death. Hence my mind was exceedingly imbittered. But, though the storm was sudden and violent, it was short. My insulted, abused Master pitied and prayed for me, that my faith might not fail; and therefore, after Satan had been permitted to sift me as wheat, I was delivered out of his power; and. strange as it even now appears to me, repentance and pardon were given me, and I was taken, with greater kindness than ever, to the bosom of that Saviour whom I had so insulted. Nor was this all; the trial was beneficial to me. It showed me the selfishness of my prayers for a revival, and my self-deception in thinking I was willing to be disappointed, if God pleased. It convinced me that I was not yet prepared for such a blessing, and that much more wisdom and grace were necessary to enable me to conduct a revival properly, than I have ever imagined before. On the whole, though the past year has been one of peculiar trial and suffering, I have reason to hope it has not been unprofitable, and that I have not suffered so many things altogether in vain. I have seen more of myself and of Christ than I ever saw before: and can, at times, feel more of the frame described in Ezekiel xvi. 63, than I ever expected to feel a year since. The gospel way of salvation appears much more glorious and precious, and sin more hateful. I can see, supposing a revival is to come, that it was a mercy to have it so long delayed. My hopes that it will yet come, are perhaps as strong as ever, but my mind is on the rack of suspense, and I can scarcely support the conflict of mingled anxieties, desires and expectations. Meanwhile, appearances are every week more favorable, the heavens are covered with clouds, and some drops have already fallen. Such are the circumstances in which I commence the ninth year of my ministry; and surely never did my situation call more loudly for fasting and prayer than now.

    In 1816 there was revival. And later on in 1822, there was another time of revival, during which Payson wrote on February 26 that

    "The revival has been advancing, and there now seems to be every reason to hope, that God has begun a great work among us. I would not be too sanguine, but things look more favorable than they have for seven or eight years. Every day, I have two, and three, and four inquirers to see me, and their convictions are very deep and pungent. Three have just obtained hope.

    "I rejoice the more in this work, because it enables me to stop the mouth of my old adversary, and to prove to his face that he is a liar. I could not doubt that I had been enabled to pray for a revival these many years. Nor could I persuade myself, that Christ had not promised it to me. The essence of a promise consists in voluntarily exciting expectation of some benefit. In this sense, a revival had often been promised to me. And when it was not granted; when, one time after another, promising appearances died away ; and especially when I was left to such exercises as rendered it impossible that I should ever be favored with a revival,—Satan had a fine opportunity to work upon my unbelief, and to ask, Where is your God? what do you get by praying to him? and where is the revival which he has been so long encouraging you to expect, and to pray for?  Now, I can answer these questions triumphantly, and put the lying tongue to silence. But the work is all God's; and I stand and look on to see him work; and this is favor enough, and infinitely more than I deserve."

    Those two excerpts were perfectly suited to my need at the time, and the thing is, as I've said before: I had already read them previously, but there they were once again just at the right time! Our God does not leave us as orphans, does He? O, thanks be to God for the great cloud of witnesses! I am blessed beyond measure! To have these words of the saints piled up around me, in the Word of God and in these other books, richly preserved for me to help me not to loiter on my heavenly journey! To recapture the vision of Canaan's clusters, the land flowing with milk and honey, the wines on the lees well refined, the feast of fat things full of marrow:

    the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk...

    Much like Simeon waited for the Consolation of Israel, Payson had prayed faithfully, and then his faith had become sight, and with it he knew the time of prayerful waiting had not been in vain and the taunts of the devil were all lies. Even if we may not be privileged to see revival in our lifetimes as Edward Payson did, if the Lord has called us to pray, we will be able to say with assurance, "I could not doubt that I had been enabled to pray for a revival these many years," and we can trust the Lord is only waiting to be gracious to us, that He might be more highly exalted, and so long as His second coming tarries, one day He will come again to revive His Church to His praise, honor and glory; and even at the sound of our cries, we know He is already very gracious and is already answering, though we do not yet see the answer (Isaiah 30:18-19).

    My heart is definitely lifted now as I write, I have had so many blessings come upon me from the Scriptures in these past few days. I can't even begin to start to recount them, and I feel I can't take it all in, and I won't be able to do them justice at all. I feel so unworthy that He has continues to pour out so much to me. But one was Zechariah 9:8:

    I WILL CAMP AROUND MY HOUSE...

    Consider who it is that is camping around us? And see how He speaks of His Church: MY HOUSE! And then, Heb. 3:6 - Christ being a Son over His house, and the end of Ephesians 2, etc.

    And this from Matthew Henry:

    Note, God's house lies in the midst of an enemy's country, and his church is as a lily among thorns; and therefore God's power and goodness are to be observed in the special preservation of it. The camp of the saints, being a little flock in comparison with the numerous armies of the powers of darkness that are set against it round about, would certainly be swallowed up if the angels of God did not encamp about it, as they did about Elisha, to deliver it, Rev. xx. 9; Ps. xxxiv. 7. When the times are unusually perilous, when armies are marching and counter-marching, and all bearing ill-will to Zion, then Providence will as it were double its guards upon the church of God, because of him that passes by and because of him that returns, that whether he return a conqueror or conquered he may do it no harm. And, as none that pass by shall hurt them, so no oppressor shall pass through them any more; they shall have no enemy within themselves to rule them with rigour, and to make their lives bitter to them with sore bondage, as of old in Egypt.

    We are in the midst of the enemy's country. No, let us say it: it is far worse, for the thorns have infested the flock of God, have they not? And yet we read the promises of God's continuing care for us, His little flock. He never fails to water the vineyard! Whoever touches His covenant people touches the apple of His eye!

    Late last night I went back and began reading at the beginning of Zechariah and right there is the full assurance of God's jealous love for His Church:

    12  Then the angel of the LORD said, ‘O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?’ 13  And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. 14  So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.

    And the same thing in chapter 8:

    1  And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, 2  “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath...

    I don't think there's any more to be said. God's mercy and zeal and God's jealous love for His people is never changing and persevering!

    And now, Whitefield's words, which I should plaster on my wall and on my forehead!

    "God NEVER sends any of His servants on a NEEDLESS errand. I long to see that time when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters shall cover the sea. even so, come Lord Jesus, come quickly!"

    God has called us to cry out to Him day and night for revival, much as He called Simeon to wait for Consolation of Israel. The errand is not needless, though we are sorely tempted to think so time and time again, so long as we keep looking to the visible.

    As the disciples were to go into Jerusalem and get the colt, when they would be asked, "Why are you loosing that colt?" Because the Lord hath need of him. And so, the same with us, "Why are you loosing your tongues in prayer to an unseen God for revival? BECAUSE THE LORD HATH NEED OF THEM. That's all we need to know, isn't it? He is a good Master, is He not?

    I hope you will indulge me... once more from Payson to close, this being less than three months before his entrance into the everlasting kingdom in 1827:

    Aug. 8. He had a violent nervous head-ache; and was much interrupted in speaking by a difficulty of breathing; but said, in a cheerful voice, to some of his church who were in, "I want you always to believe that God is faithful. However dark and mysterious any of his dispensations may appear, still confide in him. He can make you happy when every thing else is taken from you."

    O, Lord God, make us happy in You and surely we WILL be able to bear all things, to persevere in prayer through those dark and mysterious dispensations, and be more than conquerors and finish the race set before us with joy!

    May God take these words and bless them to your soul's need today and strengthen you to persevere in the cause of Christ for the sake of His blessed name. May God strengthen us to uphold one another in prayer as we seek His face for revival.

    ~ your sister Karen



    * Please add your PRAYERS below as the Spirit leads you. *

  • Half a dozen men: Is that too many to ask for? (from deerlife)

    In my last post "why deerlife?..." I let you know that I started up deerlife, another blog for mutual encouragement, edification and support in ministry.

    Today's post is a repost of something I put up on deerlife a few days ago here. I feel this message is an important one for those of us who have prayed and seem to see no visible results of our prayers. It is also a message for those of us who are tempted to believe that God cannot work through a single soul to accomplish great things for His Kingdom.

    Over the past couple weeks I've been feeling weak and weary, and I know full well we all face that same temptation. Our spirits are willing, but the flesh is weak. But as we remember who God is and the resurrection power we have been given through the cross by the gift of His Spirit, as we continue to gaze upon Him and His purposes for us and for His Church, we can take heart and run the race set before us – no matter what we see. We can continue to preach the word in season and out of season and to pray without ceasing.

    Though I may not be posting here so regularly at the moment, know that my heart is seeking revival and I am continuing to go to the throne of grace as God strengthens me. I know God has given others out there a similar burden to pray for revival. As I have said so many other times, there is no other help or hope for the Church today but through a sovereign movement of God's Holy Spirit. We are poor and needy! May God be gracious to us and rend the heavens and come down and revive and restore us to be a praise and glory in the earth! May our Savior who shed His blood to redeem us, our wonderful merciful, gracious and loving Father, the almighty, eternal, indestructible, immutable and only wise God, strengthen and sustain us by His grace through His Holy Spirit to persevere in the work He has set before us...

    Isaiah 62:
    1  For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
    and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,
    until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
    and her salvation as a burning torch.
    2  The nations shall see your righteousness,
    and all the kings your glory,
    and you shall be called by a new name
    that the mouth of the LORD will give.
    3  You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
    and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
    4  You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
    and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
    but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
    and your land Married;
    for the LORD delights in you,
    and your land shall be married.
    5  For as a young man marries a young woman,
    so shall your sons marry you,
    and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
    so shall your God rejoice over you.
    6  On your walls, O Jerusalem,
    I have set watchmen;
    all the day and all the night
    they shall never be silent.
    You who put the LORD in remembrance,
    take no rest,
    7  and give him no rest
    until he establishes Jerusalem
    and makes it a praise in the earth.

    * * *

    Half a dozen men: Is that too many to ask for?

    I read George Whitefield's Journals last year and have wanted to reread them (I've dabbled in them a bit since that time), but I did take them along with me on retreat last week (see here and here for more on my time away).

    Luke Tyerman (quoted by Iain Murray in the Introduction to George Whitefield's Journals, p. 19) wrote this about Whitefield:

    Half a dozen men like Whitefield would at any time move a nation, stir its churches, and reform its morals. Whitefield's power was not in his talents, nor even in his oratory, but in his piety. In some respects, he has no successors; but in prayer, in faith, in religious experience, in devotedness to God, he may have many. Such men are the gift of God, and are infinitely more valuable than all the gold in the Church's coffers. Never did the world need them more than it needs them now. May Whitefield's God raise them up, and thrust them out!

    After reading those words I wrote the following reflection/prayer in the margin and at the bottom of the page:

    Is He [the Lord] not the Giver of every good gift? Can we not ask Him for half a dozen? Are not half a dozen sufficient – so long as they are animated by the Spirit of God, devoted to the glory of God and driven by the zeal of the Lord of hosts? Matthew 7:7. He can save by many or few. His glory is magnified when it is but few.

    He provides workers with an eye and aim to HIS glory first and foremost. He will never provide a single worker more lest it obscure His glory.

    Let us rejoice in the workers He has provided.

    Let us pray He would send more workers into His harvest.

    Let us not question His ways, nor presume to be His counselor. All things are from Him, through Him and to Him and His glory. Romans 11:36.

    A worker He will not withhold should that soul in concert with the others work to magnify His Name.

    Let us trust His ways > ours.

    Amen.

    So there I was praying in faith for half a dozen workers, trusting God to work through that small number...I thought that was a pretty strong prayer of faith...

    But God showed me otherwise...

    During one the services I attended while I was away, Scripture was read from Isaiah 51...

    1  “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
    you who seek the LORD:
    look to the rock from which you were hewn,
    and to the quarry from which you were dug.
    2  Look to Abraham your father
    and to Sarah who bore you;
    for he was but one when I called him,
    that I might bless him and multiply him.
    3  For the LORD comforts Zion;
    he comforts all her waste places
    and makes her wilderness like Eden,
    her desert like the garden of the LORD;
    joy and gladness will be found in her,
    thanksgiving and the voice of song.
    4  “Give attention to me, my people,
    and give ear to me, my nation;
    for a law will go out from me,
    and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.
    5  My righteousness draws near,
    my salvation has gone out,
    and my arms will judge the peoples;
    the coastlands hope for me,
    and for my arm they wait.

    I had been asking the Lord for a half a dozen men and had been thinking that was a bold step of faith since in the big scheme of things half a dozen men is not very many, yet God rebuked and humbled me and reminded me all He needs is a single man. He doesn't need half a dozen men! He needs but one!

    Look to Abraham your father...
    for he was but one when I called him,
    that I might bless him and multiply him.

    Aren't God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours?

    for he was but one when I called him,
    that I might bless him and multiply him.

    We think (I think, anyhow) we certainly need more than one. We think (I think, anyhow) we need half a dozen men (or more, often many more). I continue to fall into the trap that we need more, more, more. More people to pray. More people to preach the Word. More. More. Grrr!

    Is anything too hard for the Lord? No, of course not!

    Can the Lord save by many or by few? Yes and yes!

    Is not the Lord among His people wherever they go? Certainly yes!

    Is the Lord's arm shortened or His power diminished because the numbers of men He chooses to enlist in His work are small? No, of course not!

    On a retreat last spring God pretty much reminded me of this very same thing as I read Joshua 3 and reflected on His call to Israel to step out in faith:

    There God is saying to the priests and the people (and us) (my paraphrase, see also Psalm 78):

    "Yes, the Jordan is ahead of you. Yes, I see the Jordan is overflowing its banks because it is harvest time. Yes, I have eyes to see that. I see that. Of course I do. I see all things. Do you not know I created the Jordan River? But do you not also know I am the God of the Jordan River? Do you not remember that I created the seasons and control them all? Do you not know? Have you not heard? Have you forgotten I am the living God? Have you forgotten all things exist because of Me and all things were created through Me and for Me and that I am before all things and in Me all things consist?

    "Do you not see Me high and lifted up? No, you may not see me with your naked eye but do you see me with the eye of faith? Will you not trust in Me, the God who is invisible, but the God who abides in and with you? Will you trust me with a heart of faith? Do you not see that I am going before you and beside you and behind you? I am with My people whithersoever they go. You are My people. I have redeemed you and I have set my love on you because I loved you. I have promised to never leave you or forsake you. The Jordan is flooding now. But I command you to go on, to begin. "How can we go on?" you ask. "How can we begin?" you ask. I tell you, you go on by faith in Me and My promises to you. You begin by faith in Me and My promises to you. Don't limit me as your fathers did in the wilderness did.

    "Do you not remember My power, on the day I redeemed you from the enemy with the precious Lamb's blood and worked signs and wonders in Egypt and made you to go forth. Did I not guide you like a flock and lead you safely through the Red Sea? Will you not remember I am your Rock and I am the Most High God, your Redeemer? Will you be like your fathers? Will you limit the Holy One of Israel? Remember My power! Remember the day I redeemed you from the enemy. I am the God who did wonders then and I am the God who does wonders today and I am the God who will do wonders among you tomorrow. I am the same yesterday, today and forever. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the End, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty God."

    Once more I've been reminded of how small my view of God is, how puny my faith is, and how I continue to limit God.

    Did not God's Spirit move and bless and multiply through a single soul like Abraham our father?

    Did not God's Spirit move and bless and multiply through a single soul, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ?

    Cannot God's Spirit move and bless and multiply through a single one of us today?

    I confess I find that hard to believe at times. ("O, Karen, ye of little faith!")

    Yesterday on my other blog I was reflecting on Kingdom vision and posted some quotes from David Livingstone (from Rob Mackenzie's biography "David Livingstone: The Truth behind the Legend"). Here's one of them:


    A quiet audience today. The seed being sown, the least of all seeds now, but it will grow a mighty tree. It is as if it were a small stone cut out of a mountain, but it will fill the whole earth. He that believeth shall not make haste. Surely if God can bear with hardened impenitent sinners for 30, 40 or 50 years, waiting to be gracious, we may take it for granted that His is the best way. He could destroy His enemies, but He waits to be gracious. To become irritated with their stubbornness and hardness of heart is ungodlike.

    I know Livingstone meant this in a different way, but my friends in Christ, aren't we are that seed being sown, aren't we that small stone...

    John 12:24  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25  Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26  If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

    Yes, it's true that we are the least of all seeds now and we are a small stone now...seemingly insignificant in the eyes of men (and in our own eyes)...

    However, because we are called by God and because we are filled with the Spirit of God ... Will we not grow a mighty tree? Will we not fill the whole earth?

    Has God not called us like He did Abraham ... so He might bless and multiply us?

    We see how we are so much like Abraham. Abraham was weak and powerless, his body was as good as dead and Sarah's womb was barren (see the last part of Romans 4) and yet we see how he trusted God's word and was justified by faith and lived by faith and God wrought through him a great nation, of which we are now a part by faith in Christ.

    Romans 4:18  In hope [Abraham] believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19  He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20  No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21  fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

    This is the same type of faith we're to have in God and in the promises of God. Yes, we are as good as dead. Yes, we are the least of seeds now. Yes, we are the small stone now ... Yes, that's us. But what do we know about God? Is not our God is the God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Romans 4:17.

    Just as the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, died, was buried and rose again from the dead to be the firstfruits of many creatures, so too we have been buried with Christ and raised by His resurrection power and filled with His Spirit so we might bear fruit to God – much fruit, fruit that will last (John 15). As we put to death our fleshly desires and live the life by His Spirit He intends, as we die to our own interests and live to His Kingdom interests, to seek to serve rather than be served, there is no doubt the Lord Christ will bear fruit through us (e.g.- see Romans 6). That is God's intent for each of His children, not just the George Whitefields of the world, not just the ordained pastors, not just the worship leaders, etc., etc. If we are Christ's joint-heirs, we cannot help but bear fruit like our Brother because we have His same fruit-bearing Spirit dwelling within us.

    As Abraham was but one, we are but few when He calls us, but God's intent has always been the same for His people: to bless us and multiply us and bear fruit through us throughout the whole earth! Was that not Jesus' commission to us? Has our Lord not given us all we need to bear fruit as He commands?

    Luke 24:46  ...“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47  and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48  You are witnesses of these things. 49  And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

    Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

    Returning back to the title of this post...

    Half a dozen men: Is that too many to ask for?

    Perhaps it is too many. Perhaps not. No matter. Let us ask our Lord first and foremost to circumcise each of our hearts by His Spirit so we might die to self to live to Him, to hate our lives in this world so we might keep them for eternal life, so we might bear much fruit to His glory. By His grace, may we trust His ways and His timing, knowing that He is working all things for His glory, whether it takes 30, 40 or 50 years or more, for we can be assured that He waits only so He might be highly exalted (Isaiah 30:18)! And, by His grace, may we (I) not limit Him but leave the numbers to Him! For indeed He doeth all things well, does He not?

    Never did the world need them more than it needs them now!
    May Whitefield's God and our God raise them (us) up, and thrust them (and us) out!
    Soli Deo Gloria!

    * * *

    Brothers and sisters, please add your prayers as God's Holy Spirit leads you.

  • an open letter: reflections on tent of meeting, praise & thanksgiving

    A few days ago I wrote how God put it on my heart last year to pray for revival and to call others to pray as well.

    I've been rereading some of the prayers posted here at tent of meeting, both the guest prayers posted here as well as many of the other prayers (comments) offered up here for revival. And with all those I know there have been countless other prayers offered up that have not been posted here.

    I have to stand amazed at what God has been doing here. I thank God for each of you and for the prayers you have offered up for revival in the Church. Let us consider that when we pray we are speaking with the living God, the God of all flesh, the God who sits enthroned above the earth!

    Though we may not be many, let us not despise the day of small things. Our God is mighty and He continues to work immeasurably above all we can ask or imagine to the praise of His glory for all eternity.

    I have been so blessed by those whom God has brought together to this "tent of meeting" and by the many prayers you have offered up for revival. I know some of you, but there are some of you I don't really know well, and there are others I don't really know at all.  But I do know that God knows you all. He sees us and welcomes us all as we seek His face in prayer and for Jesus' sake, He hears our prayers as we pray according to His will.

    As I thought about this I couldn't help but wonder: If I have been blessed so much by what is happening here, how much more is our Lord blessed when we all come to Him in prayer? The Lord Jesus Christ died for us so we might seek our Father's face in prayer, to enter into His glorious presence with boldness and confidence, so we might not to be anxious about anything, but that we might instead cast our cares on Him, including our cares about His Church. Many of us have great cares about the Church because God has opened our eyes to see the ruins in the Church, including those in our own lives. As children of God when we avail ourselves of the high privilege of prayer purchased for us at Calvary, is not our God blessed and glorified beyond what we can imagine? Christ died in order that dead, lifeless sinners like us might be made alive and holy and sanctified and able to enter into loving fellowship with God the Father without fear. How He must rejoice that we are coming to commune with Him in the most holy place and intercede for His Church! (Please see my post about treasuring the blood-bought privilege of prayer.)

    In the past few days it's struck me how truly wonderful the work is God is doing among us. I've come to see in a greater way the privilege (and responsibility) we have in coming together in prayer. We have had brothers and sisters in Christ coming to this website from all around the world, from all across the Body of Christ, seeking God's face in prayer. The grace of God, the love of God and the Spirit of God have been compelling us, working in us do will and do to His good pleasure, so we might come together into the presence of God with one mind and one heart and seek Him. We come with one plea, the blood of Jesus. We all admit we are poor and needy, yet we come with with a holy boldness to ask Him to revive us again for we know His desire for His people is that we be alive and bright and shining forth His glory and praise throughout the earth. We are in desperate need of revival through His sovereign Spirit.

    As I've been reading in Nehemiah, I think I may have felt like Nehemiah as he looked out and saw the wall being rebuilt and the gates being repaired, as he saw everyone working and doing repairs on his specific area on the wall. It is an amazing thing to stand back and see any group of people being like-minded about anything. And how much more glorious it is when the people of God come together, in this case to seek God's face in unified prayer, with one mind. By the grace of God at work in us, we are attempting to put aside our own interests to seek that the glory of God be restored to the Church once again as we pray for the restoration, renewal and revival of His Church, starting with ourselves. How wonderful it is that the one God and Father of us all has been calling some members of His Body to be watchmen, to seek His face in prayer on behalf of His Church for the sake of His holy Name.

    Philippians 2:1  So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2  complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

    Like Paul, I have great joy and rejoicing (yes, my eyes are tear-filled now) to think of all of you coming together in His Name to seek His face on behalf of His Bride. Certainly it gives our Father joy to see His children unified for the sake of His Name, for the sake of His Gospel, for the purpose of unified prayer for His Church. My continuing prayer for us is that our Lord would keep us of the same mind, having the same love and remaining in full accord and of one mind. May our good Shepherd protect, guard and guide us as we continue to seek His face in prayer for revival.

    Prior to these verses about our having the same mind and the same love, Paul wrote:

    Philippians 1:27  Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28  and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29  For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30  engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

    Let's make no mistake about it: Prayer is striving. Though we are not striving physically side by side like the Israelites who repaired the wall in Jerusalem, we are striving spiritually side by side. Paul wrote that we ought to be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit. As we come together to the throne of grace as one Body we are maintaining that God-imparted unity. Truly we are showing that

    There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-6).

    Though we are not physically repairing, prayer is work. Isn't it sometimes harder to lift a prayer than to lift a brick or hammer a nail? We are laboring against powers and principalities in the heavenly realms. The other day I wrote here about some of the opposition Nehemiah and Israel met in rebuilding the wall and how we should not be surprised when we meet with similar opposition.

    We must remember that anytime we seek the welfare and well-being of the children of God (see Neh. 1:10), we know there will eventually be opposition and we will be tempted to be frightened. I am praying God would keep the vision clear and the passion fiery in the hearts of those of us He has called to this ministry of intercession. I am also praying God's Holy Spirit would continue to implant that calling even more deeply in our hearts, so it might bear abounding fruit of persevering and zealous prayer for revival. From time to time we all have our vision dim and our passion flicker, yet our God is gracious and merciful to us and never fails to call us back to Him so we might walk in all the works He has ordained for us.

    One of the devil's favorite tactics is to bring about dissension and division within the Church of God. May we never divide over nonessentials to our faith, yet may we never compromise on the essentials. And may our God give us love in all things. (For more on that, please see my post here.)

    In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.

    I am praying our heavenly Father would continue to call and raise up more watchmen to join us on the walls. His eyes run to and fro across the earth. There are people from all around the world who have come to visit this website. I am praying God might use our prayers to spur those He is calling on to concerted prayer, either here or elsewhere. May He put a desire to pray in their hearts as He has ours, and may all of us continue to seek His face together in prayer side by side striving on the walls...being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

    Isaiah 62:6  On your walls, O Jerusalem,
    I have set watchmen;
    all the day and all the night
    they shall never be silent.
    You who put the LORD in remembrance,
    take no rest,
    7  and give him no rest
    until he establishes Jerusalem
    and makes it a praise in the earth.

    May Almighty God strengthen us and sustain us so we might labor in our particular places on the wall and pray without ceasing. The Lord Jesus Christ, our great high priest, intercedes for us without ceasing at the right hand of the Father. Our God neither sleeps nor slumbers. May Christ's eternal Spirit help us and work in us so we take no rest and give Him no rest. May He strengthen us mightily to persevere in prayer. Though we will work and labor hard, may we gain our needed strength from remaining in Christ's easy yoke and then work out what He is working in us. Our God will never fail to provide all we need. May we all be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

    Lord God, complete in each of us the work You have begun. We long to see ourselves and Your Church revived. Please establish Your Church once again and make us a praise in the earth to Your glory alone.

    Please add your prayers as His Spirit leads you.

"he called it the tent of meeting..."

I am burdened to pray to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the reformation and reviving of Christ's church.

The phrase tent of meeting comes from Exodus 33:7: Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.

This site is devoted to God first and foremost. In all that is done here, my prayer is that God is glorified and His Name magnified and Christ and Him crucified is lifted up so He might be preeminent and God might receive all the praise, honor and glory due His Holy Name. All who have come to a saving knowledge of our Father by grace through faith in the all-sufficient sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are welcome to enter this tent of meeting to seek the Lord.

This blog is a place for all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to come and seek God's face for revival. My intention is for this tent of meeting to be a holy place where we can enter into PRAYER together to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit leads you, please enter into prayer either here (think of "comments" as prayers) or on your own.

Habakkuk 3:2 O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

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