Showing posts with label revival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label revival. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Prayers of Revival


If He came so that we could have life and have it abundantly, do you ever owner if you're just missing something? The difference between what He actually wants for us and what we think he wants for us is cavernous sometimes. We are so good at playing church or acting "the part" inside our little boxes, that we can lose ourselves, we can lose the unique identity he plugged into our DNA.  We all go through seasons of struggle and survival... it's when those seasons go on for months and years that the enemy rejoices. I know I have allowed life, autism, financial struggles, insecurity, fear, and my need for security and control keep me in seasons of spiritual decay (aka complacency) for too long. I also know that it's those things that cause everyday to feel like groundhog day that keep me feeling discontent and disconnected to God and His people.

Last night a group of women came up to fight for the important things in life... we came together to fight for our marriages, our kids, our callings and our identities in Christ. Don't break out in song yet... rather than stringing together fluffy kumbaya moments we proclaimed truth over each other and in prayer for ourselves. IF WE LONG FOR TRUE REVIVAL IN OUR LIVES WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT, we have to long for it, we have to stand up and accept that abundant life Christ promised us... and that's just what we did!

We finished the night with these african revival prayers I stole from Brian Brennt in his Circuit Rider's pod casts. There is something powerful about 70 ish women standing together and shouting them out loud together. If you couldn't come last night, here is what we prayed, say these words, believe these words and the embers of revival will ignite!

{Prayer 1}
I receive Christ's fire and fresh ANOINTING in the name of Jesus!

{Prayer 2}
Every yoke working working against spiritual growth in my life, BREAK in the name of Jesus!

{Prayer 3}
Every area of incomplete deliverance in my life, receive complete deliverance BY FIRE in the name of Jesus!

{Prayer 4}
Every destructive habit designed to waste my calling, DIE in the name of Jesus!

{Prayer 5}
Holy Ghost fire DESTROY every work of darkness in my life!

And here is what we proclaimed over each other:

“Arise, _(insert your name)__! Let your light shine for all to see.
For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you_(insert your name)__.
Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth,
but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.
All nations will come to your light;
mighty kings will come to see your radiance_(insert your name)__.
-Isaiah 60:1-3 (thanks Kelli for this!!!)

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." -James 1:5-8

Today pray these prayers and believe HE WILL ANSWER THEM! It's a new day time for a fresh start... it's time to move mountains, no more excuses!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Revival starts at home...

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.-Romans 12:2

God has done some UH-MAZING... INCREDIBLE things up here on HOPE HILL in the past month! There has been repentance, acceptance, baptism, community, REEEEEVIVAL people. I feel like it's just a snowball effect and God is doing it all! 

How amazing it is to see other people transformed and to see how God is using this huge gift He has given us only a year after the "build".  Here's the thing though and it's powerful and true and right and it is something my mom told me about 17 years ago as I prepared to leave for my first long term mission. I believe I was in the living room calling my little brother an effing little SOB when my mom popped her head in and said, "Hey Linz, guess what... your mission starts here.. at home, with your family." I think I rolled my eyes and finished mutalating little denny with my hate and anger.

This morning at 33, as I was weeping in her kitchen, she reminded me the same thing. I am being transformed... GOD IS CHANGING ME!!! hmm hmm, but I wonder if my husband and kids would notice the change. I'm game for whatever God has up on The Hill.. but asking me to be joyful or have grace at home... not so much. Praise GOD FOR HIS GRACE! Praise God that he used my moms words again to remind me where the revival he has set before needs to start... HOME... HUSBAND... CHILDREN... 

Today I confess and repent for the anger and control that have been dictating my attitude toward my family... today I claim victory... I claim surrender and the opulent freedom that comes with letting go. I give my agenda for the day to you jesus! Not just in words but from the depths of my guts Lord! Transform me... not just the me people on the outside see... transform my core... let me husband and kids be the recipients of your work in me... REVIVAL LORD... TRUE REVIVAL is what I'm calling out and longing for... get rid of all of the other crap that has kept me bound and held me back!!

AMEN...

Monday, April 30, 2012

They'll Know We are Christians By Our Love... I think...


{They Will  Know We are Christians By Our Love} 
Peter R. Scholtes, 1968

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored 
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride 
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

By our love, by our love
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land 
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

By our love, by our love
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

Love is patient, love is kind
Never boasts, not full of pride
Always hopes, always trusts
The evidence of Christ in us


As I pray my guts out to seek what God has for me and how He wants to use me in His kingdom two words keep resurfacing ... UNITE and IGNITE. How can I be a part of a revival call to UNITE when I am leading the charge to tear others down... with jealousy, hate, and cynicism?

I have been hurt and felt some of the worse pain in my life because of other Christians... and I have also been the one to hurt and judge and criticize... I have been the one who gossips in the name of  seeking "prayer"... I have been the one to crush other sisters because I felt "entitled"... because they were wrong... because I thought my sin was somehow less disgusting than theirs. Who would know I was a christian by my love? Certainly not other believers.
"Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
but dwelling on it separates close friends." 
-Proverbs 17:9
I have been a splinter in God's Kingdom... I confess having been jealous of other people's callings ... I confess being bitter and hosting deep hatred and judgement . Not only hosting it in my mind and heart... but shouting it from the roof tops in the name of being a victim of their ugliness. When will it stop? When will the cycle of Christians tearing God's Kingdom apart end? 

When will we recognize this as the enemy having a foothold within Christ's church?? When will we stand up and fight against it? Maybe when I stop pointing fingers at others and realize the problem starts and stops with me.

I don't know when or how it will end for you, but the only way it can end for me is to fight day and night, minute by minute, rebuking the enemy in my thoughts and words. I have to stand up and declare "His love covers me so MY LOVE must cover you." I can sit here and be offended all day... I can sit here and be jealous and tear a sister down by patronizing her calling with a smile on my face because I'm too scared to step out and own my calling. OR I can be an encourager, I can have GRACE and LOVE even when others, maybe even unknowingly, do the same to me. I can cover another's sin with an expectant prayer of deliverance (See Circuit Rider's Podcast #24 by Brian Brennt) instead of writing them off and discounting their role in the Kingdom.
"And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows."
-1 Thessalonians 3:12
He wants us to live UNITED, the enemy doesn't. Where God wants us to seek love and grace the enemy reminds us of how we have been hurt and wronged. I am calling the enemy out today. In the name of Jesus I rebuke his attempts to divide God's kingdom through me... I will no longer be a tool for satan... 

Lord Jesus I proclaim your victory over the strongholds of jealousy, cynicism and hate... and I am declaring ownership of love grace and mercy in their place...

Because I know when I stand up and say I CHOOSE to be known for my love and grace like Jesus... others will want that too... I know when my life and my actions can reflect what these words are saying it will be POWERFUL. What would it look like if we all chose this path? What if we chose to be so secure in our callings that we could truly truly raise our sisters up in love and encouragement? What if we were sooo secure in Christ's power dwelling within us that offensive words ricocheted off of us leaving only marks that remind us to pray for the offender. 

I write this because I want this, and I know I have to have it before I can move forward into the depth of the plan that God has for my life. And no matter what we are called to... before we can answer and live  the revival inside of us... we have to recognize we all play a part in the "Great Division"... and then we have to decide what we want to do about it.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

A Call To Fight...

Last night CJ and I were talking with some friends about this spiritual revival that has taken over our lives,  and it made me start thinking about exactly what had changed in me. What was the breaking point for this breakthrough?? There was a miscarriage and then another miscarriage in a matter of months, friend drama, home drama, me drama... lots of drama... there were people speaking into my life and lots of self reflection. I think all of these things contributed to the change... but they didn't make the change... they didn't bring revival.

Revival came when I acknowledged that this journey is a battle I was willing to fight

I started fighting for my faith, fighting for my family, fighting for a life that is anything but stagnant and ordinary. I realized to have real breakthrough and serious transformation there could be no more sitting around waiting for life to happen to me. God showed me that HIS is an anointed fight... HIS is a battle we should all be up for... because HIS is the FIGHT that he has ordained for us all, from the beginning.

As this revival started to sprout in the depth of my darkest hours my eyes were opened to the heavy oppression and spirit of discouragement that filled our walls and covered our family. Like a mad woman I started rebuking the enemy first from my thoughts, then from my house and family. The verse of my soul was on my lips 24/7.

For God doesn't give us a spirit of fear or timidity, but of power, love and self control. 2 Timothy 1:7

I proclaimed these words over my household... mostly because it's one of the only verses I knew by heart, but hey it fit:) I knew that if the dark feelings of hopelessness, and discouragement weren't from God, they were from the enemy, and I wanted them gone. In the power of Christ's name and grace I rebuked the enemy and cast him from our house. I taught my boys in their fear to say the words, "In the name of Jesus Christ Get out of here devil!" and as they began to say them with power and joy it strengthened me.

This may sound a little hocus pocusy to some... but I could feel the oppression of the enemy lift as we rebuked him as a family. I could feel the contentment of living a life of survival start to disappear as we prayed consistently for the enemy to be bound. It's like scales were lifted from my eyes and a new passion and hunger for God was born in the depths of my guts!

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:11-13


As a new mission for my life is starting take form I know more important than any ministry or calling is fighting daily, hourly or even by the minute for my family against the enemy. I have accepted God's gift of the POWER of his GRACE and in doing that I have waged a war against the enemy. It's a war I am willing to fight, and it's a battle I will never back down from. These words are not written lightly, they come from the depths, I am a natural born fighter... HE put that in me. But now instead of fighting people and the strongholds of my own sin I will fight the great accuser, the deceiver... the evil one. I am waging a war to be fought with love, humility and grace, one that can only be won with power  that only comes with having faith in a loving, forgiving and merciful God. I will fight as an act of worship for HIM.

For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. 
1John 5:4-5

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