A Hunger for More
I
don’t know about you, but every time I read the book of Acts, I get this
feeling that something is wrong.
Not with the first century church, but with the modern church. There is a stark difference between the
two. One has power, and the other
does not.
The
early church lived in a pagan society, much worse than the one that we are
living in today, yet they were able to turn the world upside down. Why? They
had received power. The Holy
Spirit was upon them.
The
difference between today’s church and the first century church is not only
power but Holy Spirit Power. The
reason that the early church experienced such power is prayer. The early church was dedicated to
corporate prayer. The result of
their worship-based corporate prayer was Holy Spirit Power.
I
must admit that I am not content with business as usual. I long and hunger to see life-changing
revival in my life, my family, and my church. The only way that this will happen is through prayer.
The
Lord has impressed upon me to set aside at least a week each year for First
Southern to do nothing but seek the Lord through fasting and prayer. This will take place at the beginning
of every New Year.
The
verse that he has given Seek Week 2012 is Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and
find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” This verse is a wonderful promise to anyone who will seek
the Lord. Therefore, we will seek the Lord through worship, prayer, and
fasting.
Seek Week: What It’s All About
Several
years ago, I had the opportunity to spend three weeks at a premiere preaching
conference. The three weeks were
great, except I was separated from my new bride. Needless to say, I was homesick; my hope was strengthened
with the return home on the horizon.
Seek
Week is about our souls being homesick for God. It is about a people who have tasted the goodness of the
Lord, and want more.
We
can’t be totally satisfied until the consummation of our salvation. Until that happens, our souls should
and must long for more of the fullness of God in our lives.
You
will be challenged to pray and fast during this time. For some, you are not sure about fasting. Let me give you a couple of
suggestions. First, a fast can be
from food, media, or activities.
The idea is that whatever you give up, you replace with prayer and
worship. For
example, let’s say I give up some of my television shows for the week
(Thank the Lord for DVR). During that time, I will seek the Lord through
worship and prayer.
Second,
realize the potential to change the course of history through prayer and
fasting. In the Old Testament we
find Ezra leading the people of God to fast and pray for God’s protection, and
the Lord heard their prayers (Ezra 8:21-31). In the New Testament we find the early church fasting and
praying. The Lord used that time
to send out Paul and Barnabas on a mission movement that changed the world
(Acts 13:1-3). Imagine the lives
that can and will be changed during Seek Week 2012!
Expecting
Revival,
Pastor
Patrick
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