Day 21 AWAKENING 2012

Well here we are the last day of our prayre and fasting. It has really gone by fast (no pun intended). Last night at Generations Church we had our AWAKENING CELEBRATION & TESTIMONY service. Oh my!!!! The testimonies were off the charts amazing! People got direct revelation from God, healings, rent paid for 8 months, deliverance, and that is just a sampling.

Did we pray and fast to move God's hand? NO! Did we pray and fast to get miracles? NO! WE PRAYED AND FASTED TO RECEIVE HIS HEART FOR US AND TO CLEAR OUR SPACE SO THAT HE COULD FILL IT. He did that and so much more.

Matt 7:9-11
9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! NIV

My final AWAKE 21 challenge for you is for you to know that our God is the God of HOW MUCH MORE. I have learned during this time of prayer and fasting to take the limitations off of all that God wants to do inside of me HIS CHURCH.

Please take some or your valuable time and reasearh the places in the Bible were you can find Him as the God of HOW MUCH MORE. I will help you with one in the O. T. that is found in Genesis 22.

I promise you the God of the Bible wants so much more for us than we could even thnk or ask if we would just be AWAKENED TO A SURRENDERED LIFESTYLE. That in a nut shell is what this time of prayer and fasting has been all about.

Be Blessed,

Ed



Day 18 AWAKENING 2012

I heard or read somewhere that "WORRY IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF SPIRITUAL ARROGANCE." I thought to myself WOW! that is a strong statement. Then I began to meditate on this in the light of scripture.

Matt 6:34
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. NKJV

When we waste time, energy, and effort in worry we are really telling God, "I GOT THIS." When in reality we do not because we should be praying for the answer to our circumstance to a God who is ready willing and able to bring us the answers that we need (not necessarily want). We have chosen the path of pride and arrogance that says, "I CAN DO THIS, I CAN HANDLE THIS, I HAVE THE ANSWER TO THIS." When there is really no way that we do or we would not be worried. The "what ifs" and the "if onlys" are signs that we have not been praying enough.

AWAKE 21 has given God the space for us to focus our energy and faith on God's truth and answers for the dramas of life. Take it to God as quickly as possible.

^{Philippians 4}

^6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. MESSAGE 

We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.

Oswald Chambers

Lets repent of our arrogance and be bold and quick to take all our drama to Jesus.

Loving God - Loving People

Ed

Day 17 AWAKENING 2012

THIS IS BREAK THROUGH WEEK FOR AWAKE 21!!

I  have three observations for you that I believe will encourage to finish strong.

1. The devil only attacks us if we are on the right track. Opposition is usually a sign that you have made head way and you are doing damage to the devil's kingdom. (See Luke 4 how Jesus fasted and prayed for 40 days before entering public ministry - the enemy attacked)

2. It really is true that with out prayer and fasting some things just will not happen.(see Matthew 9:20,21) Prayer and fasting is that SMART BOMB that zeroes in on the exact poiint that change needs to happen. That change is usually in us and not others: our thinking, our words, living out of our feelings rather than our faith. Just to name a few.

3. Jesus said that we would fast so we should. (see Matthew 9:14-17) Please consider making prayer and fasting a part of your regular spiritual disciplines. Many of us will move into worry and complaining rather than going into a brief time of prayer and fasting that will help us hit the RESET BUTTON on all drama and decisions that we wrestle with.

Finally, I have noticed that my perspectives on people, places, and circumstances has totally changed during these days of AWAKENING 2012. They have definitely changed for the better! That does not mean that there are not still challenges out there but it does mean I look at them differently now.

BREAK THROUGH TODAY!!!
Ed

Day 11 AWAKENING 2012

PRAYING AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN . . . .

Have you ever felt that way? Like when is God going to give me an answer?


1 Kings 18:43-44


43 Then he said to his servant, "Go and look out toward the sea."
The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, "I didn't see anything."
Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, "I saw a little cloud about the size of a man's hand rising from the sea." NLT

In many instances it is in the process of waiting for the Lord to answer our prayers that we find Him doing His work in us. I have written about the before, but if we ABORT THE PROCESS WE ABORT THE MISSION (see archives). Many times the answer to prayer is about the preparation for the answer to come as much as it is about the answer itself. Sometimes we may think that it is cruel of Him to make us wait for the answer but in reality if we do not work through the process and the answer came we probably would not be ready to walk in it.


James 1:4
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 
NKJV

Stay engaged and persist until the answer comes. When it is over you will be better for it!!

Loving my Lord

Day 10 AWAKENING 2012

James 5:16 . . .The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. NKJV

The word "fervent" in Webster's dictionary means bring to boil or white hot. To pray fervently it takes constant and consistent prayer which translates into PERSISTENCE. The original language of the N. T. indicates that this word means to intiate action with purpose and intentional actions.

At this point of our 21 days of prayer and fasting this is where I find myself. Actively in fervent, persistent pursuit of our Lord and Savior. I am not PURSING something from Him. I am PURSUING Him. I am finding out that He has been PERSISTENTLY PURSUING ME.

The end result is that our prayers "avail much." Spoken another way our prayers change circumstances, change hearts, and invades hell which brings in the King and His Kingdom.

Persistently Blessed

Day 3 of AWAKE 21

During these days of prayer and reflection I have been reading through some of my past journals. I have come across many written prayers that have been answered and some  not and some others that are in the process of being answered.

My thought for you today is that He does this Psalm 37:4 DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD AND HE WILL GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEAR.

I would also strongly encourage you to read "The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson. This book has deeply challenged me about my prayer life.

Keep going!!