As I catch another plane I am sensing a growing excitement for the assignment the Lord has for me on the island of Negros.
One of the things that the Lord is prompting me in is around the process of preparation. As much as I would love a translocation from Strathalbyn to the Philippines I have to submit myself to early mornings, car rides, plane rides, taxi’s, and flight delays. All these things take TIME.
So what do we do when the Lord forces us to take time prior to the assignment? PREPARE. I can’t control the delays, I can’t control the speed of travel. What I can control is my own mind and heart. I came up with a little acronym which is helping me focus during the preparation.
P.ray – As much as I think I know what the Lord has for me, I must submit myself to His will and seek Him. 1st in the process of preparation, I come to the Father and seek Him first. I don’t assume; I don’t dictate; I don’t expect; I don’t petition, but I simply come into His presence. I have put on some worship music and simply soaked in Him.
R.ead – How awesome is it to have the time to simply read scripture and allow it to minister! When you are forced to wait, this is a perfect, divine opportunity. Reading scripture. I was tempted to start planning and scheming the task at hand. I was tempted to read about Negros, about Silay City, about the region, researching and filling my mind with information. Whilst this is okay, it isn’t what the Lord needs of me in the waiting. I have to recognise the moment I am in and embrace. So, I commit myself to soaking in His Word. This has been has been both a revelation of knowledge useful for the mission. (All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. – 1 Tim 3:16-17)) and also dictating the direction of my thoughts and leads me into ENCOUNTER.
E.ncounter – When I pray and read I must go into ENCOUNTER with a living God. I don’t merely read and pray to gain knowledge! I do so to interact with the creator of the universe, with the author of my faith, with the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. This is intimate and personal. As I allow His presence to minister to me in my prayers and reading of scripture, He moves me to an encounter which brings hope and peace. I need more of your ENCOUNTER God!
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
P.eace – The missing piece is PEACE! At the centre of my little acronym is the peace of God. It is so important to “Stay in Peace” when I am experience the pain of impatience. To stay IN peace is to stay IN Christ. Scriptures tells us this is to ABIDE. To abide means to live, continue, or remain; so, to abide in Christ is to live in Him or remain in Him. As we abide in the true vine we are held complete, connected to His power, SAFE, secure. What better place is there to find PEACE.
In John 15:4–7, Jesus tells His disciples that drawing life from Him is essential, using the picture of branches united to a vine:
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
A.sk – It is only now I found that I am positioned to seek of the Lord. It’s about getting things into the right order. How often have I, in my impatience, cried out to the Lord with my demands. As I move into the encounter and peace, my heart is positioned to both seek and receive.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
R.enew – What a great opportunity to RENEW. Renew passion, hope, belief. When you are forced to wait, let the ministers of Holy Spirit RENEW you. Invite Holy Spirit to begin a work in you. Without renewal, we continue in our old nature. But as we allow the Spirit of God to renew us, our new nature starts to take shape. We operate out of a new nature and restored identity. We have to choose to do this and put on this nature. When you are waiting……start RENEWING!
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. - Ephesians 4:23-24
E.nter – There is something about INTENTIONALLY Resting.
Take every opportunity to rest in Him. Stay in Peace, and Rest. Again, God’s rest is an intentional act. We must choose and ENTER in to the rest. Like stepping through a doorway into a palace, we enter into a divine and holy space where God can operate freely.
God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest.
Hebrews 5:1-3
Why do I say all of these things???? The Lord is wanting to prepare you hearts and minds for something HUGE in 2024. The process of preparation is for us to Hurry Up and Wait on Him!
Love this Dan!
Thanks Mel!