The Sleeping Giant is Awakening
We have been being encouraged to pray that the Holy Spirit would give us a hunger to pray – a thirst to pray – a desperation and a burning in our heart for prayer… PRAISE GOD, I BELIEVE HE HAS BEGUN TO ANSWER THAT PRAYER.
During the prayer time on a Wednesday evening recently, I was impressed to blow a Conch Shell. The Spirit of the Lord spoke to us through my wife to “begin saying YES”. Then a reading of Deuteronomy 28 took place and the Conch Shell was blown again. We responded to the Lord and said yes to the Lord and His word in Deuteronomy. It seemed as though there was a cracking that took place in the spirit realm. Not a breakthrough, but the beginning of one. The Holy Spirit was impressing on me about obedience vs. disobedience from Deut. 28. That element was strong and I linked it directly to the “building of the altar” that has been taking place here. The church as a whole needed to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit as He was directing us to “build an altar” – not just a handful of people responding. We needed to put our lives on hold!
The following Sunday the crack was made even larger and it seemed as though this sleeping giant, our church, was awakening to the voice of God’s Spirit regarding the “altar”. During the praise & worship time I gave an exhortation about II Chronicles 7. Much of this scripture was about obedience, hunger, thirst, desperation, change, making room for God (or the opposite of those things) – In the end, Solomon was not obedient and the magnificant temple he built long ago is not only in ruins, but today has a mosque sitting right on top of it – WOAH!!!! (Read the whole chapter).
God also says in that chapter “At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or I might command locusts to devour your crops, or I might send plagues among you.” These are 3 areas our church has been struggling in – but the exciting thing is verse 14 – – there is a way out of the lack of spiritual rain – there is a way out of the devouring of our finances – there is a way that leads to health – – God put a big IF in there – “IF my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN and will forgive their sins and heal their land.” Oh Praise His Name!!!
It’s what God has been speaking to us since the beginning of the year, but our spiritual eyes were blinded and our hearing was hindered. The next thing that happened during Sunday’s service, we prayed (through a song) that God would OPEN OUR BLIND EYES! – UNLOCK OUR DEAF EARS! and He did. The breakthrough was almost there – we were on the verge of it.
After that, a powerful message was delivered on prayer and on how we sin if we fail to pray – there was the obedience issue again! the church responded by everyone coming to the altar. Many people testified about what the Holy Spirit was doing in their hearts. I believe the Spirit of God broke through!!
The following Wednesday night the evidence of the breakthrough was with the turn-out – and the ease of prayer – fervent prayer. A large percentage of the church showed up desperate to pray and obey the word of the Lord! With a cry in our hearts and a longing to be in His presence, we declared:
“Spiritual Rain over our church, over my family, and over the families of this church!”
“Financial Prosperity over our church, over my family, and over the families of this church!”
“Physical Health over our church, over my family, and over the families of this church!”
The Conch Shell was blown and I believe it was the sound of a new beginning for us. The fire of our Lord is burning in our hearts. The flame has been ignited by the Holy Spirit and I, for one, don’t want to go back. I want to keep moving forward in God!!
My prayer is that our hunger, thirst, desperation, and passion for change and revolution in our day-to-day lives will grow – and that no “spirit of darkness” will ever be able to shut up “the voice of the bride” … ever!! Let’s make room for the King in our lives.
