Turn On The Light!

3rd week in-

Teaching, after teaching, after teaching. Blessing after blessing after blessing. Now to the point where it's become a tad on the overwhelming side. As people who've taken the "Intro To Ihop" track in the past attested to- too much information! Like trying to drink while putting your face in front of a fire hydrant. Haha. I'm not complaining though. It's better to be on the side of receiving too much, than too little! Just have so much to process and pray through, but it'll keep me busy for a while seeking after more of the Lord. :) Lord keep me hungry and thirsty for more of You!

Anyways, I just wanted to share a paradigm perspective I was recently reminded, in a fresh new way. So, throughout this internship we're learning new apostolic prayers each week- prayers throughout the epistles prayed by Paul, and the other disciples- that help us in engaging into the heart of God. One of which, the most well known and well used apostolic prayer at IHOP- Eph. 1:17-19 "That the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him"...

In the spirit of praying these prayers, one thing they reminded that when we pray- we want our prayers to be, as such, God focused- "on thankfulness, love, faith and releasing God's grace, power, Word and victory as opposed to focusing on negative things like sin, division, demons."

For example- when you're in a dark room, to get rid of that darkness, what would you do? You wouldn't curse the darkness or speak it down, or what not. You'd simply go turn on the light to dispel the darkness.

This idea of proclaiming who God is and His works, in the Spirit of adoration and thanksgiving- as opposed to focusing on the enemy in a spirit of frustration, intimidation- is actually something that's been well ingrained from attending Joy Christian Fellowship for the past few years. But just the simple profundity of- how do you get rid of darkness? Just turn on the light!! Just kinda struck me.

Anyways, if this type of prayer is new to some of you, go and try it out!

Just like the illustration suggests- the only way to dispel darkness in a dark room is by turning on the light, not by focusing on the darkness. Too often we get caught up in what the enemy is doing- we get caught up trying to fight the enemy by focusing on ourselves, circumstances, the devil that we unknowingly glorify him in our heart postures and prayers toward him- we make him larger than he's ought to be. ("God, my life is so tough right now" "Lord, I pray against this, or that", etc)

There are times when we need to be honest before the Lord, but more than anything I really think what we need to do is emphasize and proclaim how big, awesome and good our God is in every situation and circumstance through the channels of praise and thanksgiving. "God, I just declare that over this situation that You are still good, still faithful. That You hold me in the palm of Your hand. That I trust You- that You work for the good of those who love You" Or, when it comes to the apostolic prayers, "God, I ask for the spirit of wisdom and revelation- that the eyes of my heart may know the HOPE to which I was called- the RICHES of the glory of being YOUR inheritance; your INCOMPARABLE power at work for us who believe- (Eph.1:17-19)" When we're able to do this, the enemy is defeated and he doesn't have a hold on our lives and thoughts.

All in all, I think the devil's greatest victory was in hindering us from giving our hearts to God in worship and gratitude because we've been effected by a certain situation or circumstance, whatever it may be. Shelley Hundley, one of the leaders here at IHOP- when she was struggling with a debilitating Crone's disease- something she sought healing for a painful 3 1/2 years, after Mike Bickle told her that she would be healed by God- she believed in that promise and contended for it for a long and miserable 3 1/2 years. Yet in the midst of that she would nevertheless continue to move in a Spirit of worship and thanksgiving with the mentality that in this "valley" season, she should treasure this opportunity to give a meaningful and costly praise offering to God- it would be the only season where she would be able to do so in this way, because in faith she believed that after she was healed, she would no longer be able to give such an offering after having reached the comfort and glories of the "summit". With that kind of heart and attitude, she was eventually miraculously healed after 3 1/2 years of praising, waiting, and contending. Amazing!

The devil lost. But I think the devil lost not when Shelley was healed, but just as soon as Shelley made the heart resolve to glorify God in her season of hardship and pain. She "turned on the light" in a room full of darkness. And as darkness tends to do when light is turned on, the darkness was shattered and dispelled.

Let's turn on the light people! You'll begin to notice faith, hope and joy arise as you exalt and celebrate the knowledge of who God is.