This verse reminds me of Peter's vision on Sunday morning of people in our church enjoying the River in various ways, specific to our personalities:

Psalms 46:4 TPT

God has a constantly flowing river whose sparkling streams bring joy and delight to his people. His river flows right through the city of God Most High, into his holy dwelling places.

Father, may we step deeper into fellowship with the Holy Spirit, enjoying Him and glorifying Him forever.  His power demonstrated through us is a byproduct of intimacy with you.  I want to know you better and be more like you.  I love you.

Praying for more power of the Holy Spirit

Our church met last night to pray for more power of the Holy Spirit.  These verses in my daily reading this morning echo/synthesize several of our prayers last night!

My heart is on fire, boiling over with passion. Bubbling up within me are these beautiful lyrics as a lovely poem to be sung for the King. Like a river bursting its banks, I'm overflowing with words, spilling out into this sacred story. ... In your glory and grandeur go forth in victory! Through your faithfulness and meekness the cause of truth and justice will stand. Awe-inspiring miracles are accomplished by your power, leaving everyone dazed and astonished!

Psalms 45:1,4 TPT

Father, may we be oil-soaked wicks on fire with the power of the Holy Spirit! May we be riverbeds through which the Holy Spirit flows powerful living water! May the signs and wonders you perform among our church be a bold poem sung in love for Christ!  We love you.

The hope of planting

Last night, I was standing outside with Brandi, enjiying the gentle cool spring breeze.  I could almost smell planting season.  Planting season is a lot of hard work, but there is an implicit hope in that work of putting seed in the ground.

Jesus was a seed, and He was planted in the ground.  He rose and made us a crop of Brothers and Sisters.  The magnitude of this reality can never be fully appreciated. The Creator King became creation to redeem us and transform us into an even greater dimension of His likeness.  Simply amazing.

Jesus has already suffered the hardest work of planting, that which was so hard that it was actually impossible for us. We are His miraculous harvest. And we are harvesters, planting seeds of His truth, power, and love.  The harvest is already ready.

Father, please send out more workers into the harvest.  Jesus, thank you for planting what we could not plant.  Thank you for making us your Brothers and Sisters.  Holy Spirit, help me keep in step with you today so that your truth, power, and love will be sown effectively.  Show me where to harvest. I love you. 

Praying for more power

Our church is uniting in prayer every morning and every Friday evening between now and Pentacost to specifically ask Holy Spirit for more signs and wonders to point people to Jesus.

Father, thank you for sending Jesus to teach us about your goodness and live as an example of a man in harmony with you, empowered by Holy Spirit.  Jesus, thank you for sending Holy Spirit so that we can do even greater things than you.  Holy Spirit, lead us to walk in step with you so that our character will reveal your fruit and our prayers will reveal your goodness, love, and power.  I love you.

I'm going to stop trying to "do my best"

I've been sitting on this one for a while.  This post is somewhat of a continuation of the previous.

God has been speaking to me through my running recently.  One concept that has emerged is that my internal personality/desire to be perfect or the "best" can run away with something innocent and make it oppressive to me or others.

When someone innocently tries to encourage me to "do my best", what they mean is "you don't have to be perfect, just be you", but what I internalize is "exhaust yourself completely until there is nothing more that you could have given".

So, instead of "do your best", I am going to tell myself and my children to "in everything you do, work for the Lord, not for humans (including yourself)".  This ethic frees me to include enjoyment as a fundamental value within my work.  Thus, if I catch myself pushing myself so hard that I am beginning to restrict enjoyment, then I am coming out of alignment with the will of God to do everything for Him and no one else.

Father, thank you for your high value of joy.  Jesus, thank you for enduring the cross for the sake of the joy set before you.  Holy Spirit, thank you for growing a crop of joy in my life. God, thank you for freeing me from working as a slave to humans and inviting me to work for you.  I love you.