It’s day 4 of 40. The excitement builds. I’m amazed I haven’t made this discovery before, but so much of spirituality is understanding personality–the way we’re wired. I need physical challenges–a goal, a race, a competition. I need to be training for something. In the same sense, I’m learning that I need spiritual challenges.
I think it started in May when I decided to stop drifting. I felt like I had hit bottom and I wasn’t bouncing. And I realized how far I had drifted from my original calling and passion for ministry. I decided to go back to basics and made several “vows” for the month of May. And it worked. I won’t forget spending part of an afternoon on the last day of April praying at Haines Point by the Awakening sculpture. It turned the tide in my life.
I think this forty days of prayer and fasting is showing me again how I’m wired. The way I gain momentum spiritually and get my rhythm back are via challenges with specific goals and timeframes. It’s that simple. And I think that’s the way God designed it.
There is a weekly rhythm called the Sabbath–it is designed to help us recalibrate spiritually. And then there were three week long festivals designed to get people out of their normal routine and refocus on God. I think the postmodern church is missing some of those rites and rhythms. We see glimpses with retreats and missions trips and extreme weeks, but we need to be more intentional and strategic in finding ways to keep momentum and rhythm.
Big Heart
I’ve learned that I develop a heart for those things I invest in. Prayer is a form of investment–I’m investing spiritual time and energy into whatever I’m praying for. The more I pray for the city the bigger my heart is for the city. The more I pray for my family the bigger my heart is for my family. It’s that simple. If you want a heart for missions invest in missions! Pray for missionaries. Go on a missions-trip. Invest in missions. The more I pray the softer my heart gets and the bigger my heart gets.
Bragging about God
I want to reframe evangelism. According to recent research I read, only 1% of Christians have ever lead anyone to faith in Christ. I think part of the problem is that evangelism needs to be a natural overflow of our love for God. I like to think of evangelism as bragging about God. You love God so much you can’t help but talk about Him.
Psalm 34:1 says, “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord.” Evangelism is a form of worship. The traditional way of thinking about worship is that worship is bragging about God to God. Our worship is directed toward God. Evangelism is not stopping when we leave a worship gathering. We just keep bragging about God to others! Evangelism is a form of worship.
Worship is one form of spiritual warfare. It is one thing the enemy can’t stand. I think part of the reason is that it brings back memories of Lucifer who was the chief musician before his fall from heaven. Worship is the way we push back the enemy and expand our boundaries.
I think II Chronicles 20:21 is a microcosm of worship as spiritual warfare. “The king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his glorious splendor.” And when we worship the Lord fights our battles for us. “Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” Verse 17 says, “You will not even need to fight.” And sure enough. God defeated the enemy and all King Jehoshaphat had to do was have his troops gather the plunder! Here’s the lesson: when we worship God fights our battles for us! Worshippers are on the frontlines!
Worship is the ultimate weapon and we don’t use it enough. I think it’d be cool to do some “worship warfare” at different places around the city as a way of expanding our boundaries. I never cease to be amazed the way God transforms a theater or night club into a sanctuary when we begin to worship!