Saturday, February 27, 2010

When You Don't Want to Leave

This past Monday night there was a winter storm warning out and we wondered if we should cancel Monday night prayer. It wasn't icey on the roads yet so we decided to go ahead and have prayer. I expected it to be down a little in numbers. But no, people are hungry for Gods presence. At prayer on Monday nights we continue to experience a strong presence of God in our gathering.

The past two weeks as I have sat down to pray during our devotional prayer time that precedes corporate prayer I quickly recognize God is there in a tangible way. There are times when I would rather not facilitate prayer because I just want to be still and soak it all in.

This night we had extended worship. On the last Monday of each month the focus is intimacy with God so we spend more time in adoration and waiting on His presence and a little less on supplication. It is a night we focus on praying for revival for West Texas. Our team has been using a new song from Shane and Shane called "Worthy of Affection". This is a song that people at prayer really connect with.
At the end of our worship time we spent some time being quiet in His presence.

Then there were three people that read a portion of the bible and then prayed over that portion and we opened mikes for others to pray into those verses. The first was Psalm 19 which speaks of the law of the Lord, The second was from Psalm 25 and the third from Isaiah 64 where Isaiah is asking God to open the heavens and come down. We had many who followed this, praying for God to move upon us.

It was one of those nights where you don't want to leave. I didn't want to close prayer. I knew it was snowing outside and we needed to let people go home but God was so in the place. Many people caught me later and voiced the same: "I don't want to leave tonight." There is something amazing that happens when the tangible presence of God touches our lives, we don't want to leave.

Jesus we love it when you love us and we love loving you back.

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Thanksgiving:
12 salvations this week and 20 last week.

comments:
•Today in church my thoughts about God changed and now I want to believe in HIM!!
•This church has made my husband want to come!!
•Awesome! Eye opening! REAL!
•Thank you for making me feel like I belong.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Is anybody laughing at you ? MNP Reflections

















Reflections from Monday night prayer this week. . .

Celebrating over 70 first time commitments to Christ in the last three week.  This never gets old !

Experience Life had another record breaking attendance weekend, 2950.  Numbers aren't our goal, life change in Christ is.

Victor John, one of our missionary partners from India was with us. 

·         If nobody is laughing at your vision, it's probably not from God.: V.J.

·         One pastor/evangelist had his chickens stolen one day.  He prayed about the situation.  Late the next night the thieves brought back the chickens.  Their explanation was that since they stole the chickens they had gotten diarrhea.  V.J.

·         Prayer target for their ministries in India: By 2018, 30 million people coming to Christ.

Fear will try and keep us from Gods vision for us.  Confront those fears and be made whole.

A man visited our prayer gathering.  He went back to his church in Seattle and began a weekly prayer gathering there.  The results: For the first time in years some people committed their lives to Christ.  A son and father were reconciled.  A financial need was met for the church.

Prayer focus:

·         Praying for people to be healed from physical problems.

·         Praying for God to continue to do what He is doing and bring even more.

·         Praying for God to continue the work of people being reconciled to others.

·         Praying for the courage to forgive those who have wronged us.


Comments from the weekend:

  • I forgave my Dad today. (this college student also committed their life to Christ for the first time)
  • We need tissues ! Everyone's crying ! :)
  • Breathless!
  • Unforgettable!