All I have to say is wow.
From a gut-wrenching two-part introduction to Faith, brought forward by a true saint within our church, to a young man with wisdom ten times greater than his age allows who speaks of spiritual disciplines of old that MUST be reactivated in us, to a powerful man with a true and Godly heart who seeks that we should all understand the meaning and power of corporate prayer, this day was absolutely filled with blessing!
Our local saint doesn't speak to our congregation often, but when he does, we all take notice. Unfortunately, my wife was unable to attend these portions of the day. But the topic was just a small one... you know, just faith... nothing major. (Total sarcasm, in case you didn't get that!) And, as a married couple, there truly is nothing more important in our walk than faith. It gives us the purpose to move forward with the teaching of each other and our children. It allows us to know that better times (the for richer part) are indeed ahead of us and our current situation (the for poorer part). If there were a CD/DVD set to buy, it would be of this true saint of our church. He is, in no uncertain terms, a reflection of the grace that God has bestowed upon him, and his words are worth hearing.
The second man, younger than I but wiser than most, was intriguing. He spoke on the Spiritual Discipline of Pilgrimage, and I must say that I was moved. I, now more than ever, truly desire to see some of the places where Jesus traveled and performed miracles. And I want my wife by my side when I go. There is an unspoken additive to this point that is to the pilgrimage of marriage. The speaker is absolutely correct in all he says about pilgrimage being an action AND an attitude. And what greater pilgrimage than the one that never ceases, produces life-long fruits, earns great rewards for good work, and multiplies faith on faith and love on love for all of life; I speak, of course, of marriage. I must admit, though, that I never thought of it this way until today. (Thank you for that, Brother!)
The third, a man whom I was blessed enough to sit by for a long lunch, spoke to the power of praying together as Christians. We all know of the power a married couple has when their hearts are aligned behind the same purposes, so I won't dwell here for long. But imagine that power multiplied by one thousand couples, their children, and the friends who had not yet married! The families alone would be capable of lifting that mountain, splitting it in two, and casting it into the sea! The philosophy brought forward of S.A.M.E. H.E.A.R.T. Prayer is phenomenal, and allows us to look at how we pray and why. It also begs the accountability question, do I practice these simple principles as I lead my family at home in prayer? Or am I always asking God to fix something else without offering the praise that He alone deserves to receive from me daily?
And then, as the time of Corporate Prayer ended and our Keynote speaker came to the lectern, a wave of calm washed over us all. We listened with ears to hear as this speaker covered the "double-portioning" that Elisha received. (No coincidence that a double-portion is what we should seek and a marriage is double the people in unified flesh, I think.) We went through the life and times of this Man of God, from his wealth to his obedience without question, to his eventual transformation into a truly compassion filled man. We covered his name, as it transformed with him along the journey. We covered the differences between him and his mentor, Elijah. And all of this led us to one point; God uses anyone, from anywhere, and if you have lived a faithful life for Him, you can ask for a double-portion of the Holy Spirit to move you in the works God has planned for you! We are all on the mission field, every day... make no mistake, there are people watching you everywhere you go just to see you slip! But just as the mic went out and our Worship Leader stated so plainly, "the devil's gonna try, but he aint gonna win here!"
That last sentence, I believe, deserves an AMEN!
And so, it is with a humble heart tonight that I beg you to pray with your spouse. Pray in reverence about the AWESOMENESS of God. Pray with thanksgiving for the creation that you are, and for creation itself! Pray in humility for the sins that we have already been forgiven of, before our births, at present, and any uncommitted ones. Pray for guidance and direction in your calling. And pray for patience and love. But, above all else, whatever you pray about... do it together!
God bless you all!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment