Join with hundreds of women in fasting Monday lunch and praying these three things: 1) that God would provide life-giving marriages for those who desire them, 2) that men would have the courage to walk upright before God, into marriage, and 3) that we as women would have the courage to see if/how God might be calling us to change for the sake of life-giving marriages. If you would like to subscribe to receive the weekly prayer updates please e-mail fast.pray@gmail.com.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

⁹But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Titus 2:11-14 (NIV)

¹¹For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹²It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

Making One’s Calling and Election Sure

³His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 (NIV)

³¹But eagerly desire the greater gifts.
      And now I will show you the most excellent way.

1 Corinthians 13

Love

 ¹If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Revelation 6:9-11 (NIV)

⁹When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” ¹¹Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

Luke 6:22-26 (NIV)

²²Blessed are you when men hate you,
      when they exclude you and insult you
      and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

²³“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
²⁴“But woe to you who are rich,
      for you have already received your comfort.
²⁵Woe to you who are well fed now,
      for you will go hungry.
   Woe to you who laugh now,
      for you will mourn and weep.
²⁶Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
      for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

James 1:2-4 (NIV)

Trials and Temptations

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

1 Peter 1:13-25 (NIV) 

Be Holy

¹³Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ¹⁴As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

¹⁷Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. ¹⁸For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ²⁰He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

²²Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. ²³For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. ²⁴For,
   ”All men are like grass,
      and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
   the grass withers and the flowers fall,
    ²⁵but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.

Luke 6:27-36 (NIV)

Love for Enemies

 ²⁷“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. ³⁰Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

 ³²“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ love those who love them. ³³And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ do that. ³⁴And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ lend to ’sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

The wine of the Lord (joy,renewal, healing) began to stir starting from the first year Apostolic Preaching students at IHOPU (IHOP’s seminary) this past Thursday at 9am. It all began at student chapel the previous Wednesday (November 4) after a student shared a healing testimony of how the Lord healed her digestive system that has afflicted her every since she was 15 resulting from a situation where she was nearly raped. This particular young lady has never shared this incident with others due to the shame and condemnation she suffered from it.

Leaders at IHOPU felt led by the Spirit after this testimony to call for repentance of self hatred resulting from similar situations of sexual assault or molestation. Many students, male and female came forward to confess, repent and receive healing from the Lord. Males who were once the perpetrators in similar situations in the past, who continue to suffer from the accusations of the enemy also came forward to confess, repent and receive forgiveness.

This move of the Lord has lead to nightly meetings which have brought about many cases of personal renewal and physical touches from the Lord.

In the midst of this move of the Lord, Bob Hartley shares his heart on the the outpouring of the spirit and invites us all to drink deeply of his presence.

In today’s CentCom Bob Hartley addresses this outpouring, prophesies about a “three-year glory train”, and gives perspective on what is taking place in the Body of Christ to usher in a world inheritance. Hartley highlights three primary movements of the Holy Spirit: wind, fire, and rain. He explains that the wind opens up a greater knowledge of Jesus causing people to give up control, and then the fire of His purifying love brings repentance to burn away sin.

After this revival fire, God’s refreshing rain pours out a renewal of love providing the ability to respond differently to circumstances. There is an abundance of rain coming which will produce a culture of life, honor, and hope. “Some of the most marvelous mantels will be released in the next three-year glory train,” Hartley says.

Hartley also shared a dream about the increase of angelic activity. Angels of awe will reveal who God is in the past and future while angels of harmony will bring unity between various denominational streams causing the rain to overflow and spill into the marketplace. He explains, “There is a lack of understanding about what each group has to offer, but when we come together we’ll be able to see a little boy feed 40,000!” Our posture in this season is to ask for more of the Holy Spirit and to steward the rain without attempting to control it as we honor the various manifestations of the Spirit unto revival and the great harvest.

Watch the HOPE TV broadcast “Perspective of God’s Moving at IHOP”:
E-News
CentCom

“You said there would be joy in the letting go. You said there would be joy in the laying down. You said there would be joy in the giving up my rights. And now I see. Your River it rushes to the lowest place. Let Your River flow. Come and rush over me. I’ve gotta go lower, lower. I’ve gotta go deeper, deepr. I’ve gotta get to the wells of joy. I’ve gotta dig for the wells of joy!” – Laura Hackett

These words penetrated the core of my being as I let go of everything I’ve been clinging to in life and embraced the fullness of joy found only in God’s presence!

I thought I had let go of everything and surrendered all my dreams to the Lord, but I have been struggling to loose my grasp on one last temporal desire: marriage. I’m not the only one. I know a number of people over the age of 30 or 40 who are longing for their earthly spouses. I have gone through all the stages from pursuing a long-term relationship to kissing dating goodbye completely and focusing entirely on pursuing the Lord, then praying daily for my future husband while expressing interest in subtle ways and waiting for specific men to pursue me until finally initiating activities and expressing interest in more obvious ways since it appeared that men were not pursuing. Now I am letting go like Abraham laid his only son Isaac on the altar reasoning that God could raise him from the dead. I cannot make anything happen. I have wrestled with God like Jacob, sought His face like David, cried out like Hannah, and concluded like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that He is able, He will, and even if He does not fulfill His promise, I will not bow down to the idols of this world but will honor the One who is faithful.

I believe it is God’s plan for me to be married and have a family, but if His promise is not fulfilled in this life it is only one of many injustices. I have an eternal Bridegroom who will come with vengeance to make war with the enemy as He rides forth victoriously on my behalf. We live in a generation where injustice abounds. Millions of babies have been and are still being aborted; men and women are being trafficked in the sex slave trade; sexual immorality and murder plague our society; we live in a fatherless generation full of broken hurting people. Is it any wonder that so many marriages end in divorce and so many people never marry at all? This is not the way God created the Garden of Eden. He said, “It is not good for man to be alone,” and formed a suitable companion from Adam’s flesh. What has become of this Paradise? It has been corrupted by evil. But there is going to be a Wedding! It’s the reason we are living, to marry the Lamb.

Do you ever wonder about the purpose of life? Is it to fulfill some grand business venture or leave behind a family legacy? When we stand before the Lord how will He measure the success of our lives? Will God consider our wealth, our accomplishments, or our children? What is the standard He will use to determine our eternal inheritance? What must we do to hear those words, “Well done good and faithful servant”?

Paul gave us the answer when he showed us the most excellent way: LOVE. Absolutely nothing we attain in this life will remain for eternity except this one heart motive. The evaluation of our entire life will come down to this one question, “Have you learned to love?” What is this love? It’s patient (long-suffering) and kind, not envious, boastful, or self-seeking! I have spent most of my life absorbed with my Self! The other day my roommate pointed out that we have a much greater burden to rally prayer for issues that affect us personally. So are we willing to look out for the interests of others and consider their needs as more important than our own?

Jesus showed us the greatest love of all in laying down His life for us. Are we willing to love by “suffering-long” with Jesus? He died for the joy of having each of us as His inheritance. That’s how we experience “joy in the letting go” and “in the giving up our rights”. His river of pleasure rushes to the lowest place of humility. We must be emptied of ourselves so that we might be filled to overflowing with His Spirit. Like John the Baptist our role is to decrease so that Jesus might increase.

As I participated in a small group discussion about 1 Corinthians 13 I became acquainted once again with my love deficit. Afterward a friend challenged me to “let go” of the things I was clinging to. On my way home I decided to stop into the renewal services at the International House of Prayer where the Holy Spirit had begun to move powerfully setting people free of self-hatred, eating disorders, and addictions, as well as healing people both emotionally and physically. Upon entering the celebration Jesus encountered my heart with “joy in the letting go.” I danced around with such freedom and excitement! When I stopped for a moment to receive His love I began to sway like a weeping willow tree in the wind. As I leaned back to one side I heard Him speak to my heart, “Do not lean on your own understanding,” before I toppled to the ground.

During the course of the next few days the Lord continued to do a work in my heart to purge my selfish ambition. I went forward on an altar call. The leadership team prayed for people from California to receive a burden of prayer for this state. I remember saying over and over, “Lord, help me to suffer long with You. Your people shall be my people.” I shook like a surge of electricity was flowing through my body and went to the floor again the moment I mentioned the names of friends who live in California. Similar manifestations of God’s presence occurred as He continued to realign my heart and motives with His. My prayers often seemed quite repetitive. At one point I recall saying, “More of You and less of me,” over and over. I also sensed waves of angelic activity causing me to sway and spontaneously erupt in laughter or squeals of joy as if I were riding the rapids of a roaring river.

I practically did a back-bend before falling on the floor when someone called out prayer for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and gastro-intestinal trouble. As soon as I was on the ground the leader said it was related to fear. This confirmed what the Lord had been speaking to me about my fear of not getting married or having a family. I have been struggling with this for a while. I didn’t feel like I was completely healed physically at that moment but believe the Lord used that manifestation to highlight and confirm that He is delivering me from this fear and working His perfect love, which casts out all fear, in my heart. He reminded me that the one who fears is not made perfect in love. Basically, the whole experience has been about perfecting me in love and helping me let go of getting what I want when I want it. Later I told Jesus, “Not my will but Yours be done. I don’t want my own way any more. I want Yours!”

Another time I stopped to hug a friend. When she began praying for me in the Spirit I doubled over crying as the Lord did a deeper work in my heart. I cried out for Him to deliver me of my self-focus and selfish motives, to make me a lover, and to transform my heart so I could truly love. I told God that this was my only dream in life, that it was okay if I never got married. I committed my heart to fulfill the greatest two commandments of loving Him and others. I cried until I was slumped down on the ground and could barely breathe because my nose was so stuffed up from bawling. My friend continued praying,  then all of a sudden I felt His perfect peace. I got up to talk to some others and went back to my seat to rest in His presence a little longer before going home.

It was quite an exciting adventure, but there were times when I felt nothing. Sure, I might have been able to control myself and prevent any of those manifestations from happening, but had I resisted the child-likeness of it all I believe I would have missed out on the transformation the Lord was working in my heart to rid me of selfish motives and cause me to surrender to His reshaping of my priorities.

Interestingly, the same song struck my heart when I came to IHOP-KC for the last 15 minutes of another service after being stirred in many other ways apart from these manifestations. Earlier that day I had watched the movie 2012 and was provoked by the extreme motivation of self-preservation exhibited by some of the characters, even at the expense of others’ lives. I asked myself what my response would or should be in those types of hopeless situations. I determined that the best thing to do would be to surrender and give my life up for the sake of saving another, which is the very thing Jesus did. Of course I need a heart of love and His grace to do this. If we try to save our life we will lose it, but if we lose our life for His sake we will surely find it in the end! I had also attended an underground church simulation where we identified with and prayed for the persecuted Church around the world. Being faced with the tangible concept of suffering as we read testimonies and prayed for individuals in prison, I realized once again that the whole focus of life must be love. How else will we stand firm to the end in the face of all kinds of tribulation and persecution?

People often question the move of the Holy Spirit when demonstrative manifestations take place. They wonder, “Is it real? What does it accomplish?” Everyone has different experiences, but we must all ask ourselves, “Is this affecting change in my life, my attitudes, and my priorities?” When all is said and done our lives must be transformed.

I can honestly say that God is doing a deep work in my heart to deliver me from this body of flesh so that I may learn to love as He loves. I find myself growing in His love more and more, becoming conscious of others’ needs, and actively seeking to prefer the interests of others above my own. I share my experiences as a reminder to myself of the things God has done in my heart during this time and as a testimony to others of how He humbles His people in ways we cannot explain in order to fashion us into vessels of honor that are quipped to carry His glory to the nations!

May the Lord reshape us on His potter’s wheel as we surrender all our control to Him! May He carve out a place of humility and empty us of ourselves so that we may be filled to overflowing with His love. Let us decrease so that He may increase. There is joy in the letting go. Let’s get to those wells of joy!

- Chérie Blair

Due to a student awakening at the International House of Prayer University, we are holding extended meetings from 6:00pm-midnight (CST) at our FSM building (scheduled every night through Nov 22 … maybe longer). If you are in need of healing or deliverance of any kind I encourage you to go. Visit www.ihop.org for more information.

The FSM building is on the corner of Blue Ridge and Grandview Rd. 1 mile west of HWY 71 in Grandview, MO. Here’s the address if you want to Google it for directions: 12418 Grandview Rd Grandview, MO 64030

Here is a link to view IHOP-KC facilities: MAP

A friend who attends IHOPU described what is taking place in the news update below.

Blessings!
: ) Cherie

___________________________
Sent: Thu 11/12/2009 10:49 AM
Subject: Move of the Spirit at IHOP-KC

Dear Friends and Family,

There is a small but genuine moving of the Holy Spirit in the form of renewal taking place at the FSM building at IHOP-KC.  It started in Wes Hall’s class of 1st year FSM students at 9:00 am in the morning (see Acts 2:15) with a bunch of students getting drunk in the Spirit and Wes also manifesting in the presence of God (Toronto style).  It continued throughout the day, gaining momentum as more people joined.  With each new group that came in, the leaders would explain what had been going on, have people share testimonies of what God had done for them, and then take that new wave of people into the same things of deliverance, the love of God and the joy of the Lord.  Testimonies have ranged from being delivered from eating disorders, depression, father-wounds, and other traumatic experiences.

All FSM classes were cancelled and by 7 pm the whole auditorium was full, like at a conference 1500-2000 people).  The nightwatch continued it at FSM with the same intensity until 6 am.  Wes Hall’s class is meeting again this morning and they are continuing on with it, more emotional healing, deliverance and the experience of the love of the Father.  Time will tell if it increases into a full-blown renewal or if it was just an encouraging sign of what is around the corner.  Wes has said that he believes we are ankle-deep in the River, and Holy Spirit is inviting us in deeper, but we must respond to the Holy Spirit to enter into it.  Wes explained the River from Ez. 47:9-10.  Everywhere the River goes it is going to bring life and there are fish there.  The River is being released to bring a freshness to us so that we can bring life to those who are going to be brought into the harvest (the fish).  The Holy Spirit is bringing freedom from stagnation and demonic hindrances to the receiving and giving of the love of God and the joy of the Lord so that we can minister effectively to the multitudes that He is getting ready to bring in.

I’ll keep you posted as best I can.  Also, check the IHOP website for more info if you are interested (www.ihop.org).

Kyle Meythaler
Intercessory Missionary

Dear Fellow Fast & Pray-ers,

This is your encouragement/reminder about praying and fasting tomorrow (Monday) during lunch.  If possible, find a friend to pray with (good things happen when we take these things into the light, before God, with another person).  And if possible, do try fasting, seeing if God will sustain you.  And when you pray, please remember to join with us all in praying these three things:  1) that God would provide life-giving marriages for those who desire them, 2) that men would have the courage to walk upright before God, into marriage, and 3) that we as women would have the courage to see if/how God might be calling us to change for the sake of life-giving marriages (our own, but also in general).

—–

Well, I can’t believe how fuzzed out my brain has been all afternoon.  I’ve been working on writing this e-mail since about 4:00 p.m., and the content has fluctuated between the sublime and the ridiculous, landing primarily in the convoluted!

So, instead of making some brilliant point, I’d like simply to share what’s on my heart:

Be encouraged you all!  God is good.  He really is.  Sometimes I look around and think how crazy this whole Christianity thing seems:  Women sitting around praying and fasting for marriages (to men) when the broader culture is focused on debates about same-sex marriage.  Women (and men) wanting to believe that they are part of something bigger and eternal when there is so much isolation & loneliness experienced by men and women, single and married, in the present.  360+ people on this list committing to lean into the reality that God came to earth 2000 years ago and one day there really will be a new heavens and a new earth, even amid the many messages presuming that this material universe, experienced with the 5 senses (and baby, you better get all the sensory stimulation possible because that’s all there is) is the beginning & end of story.  Yep, it can seem crazy to hold on to hope and to lift our eyes out of ourselves towards a grand reality we can’t always see.

But, there is a reason.  We lift our eyes up because there really is a God whose eyes are on us.  He is paying attention.  We saw him paying attention in Jesus.  Jesus paid attention to the woman at the well.  He paid attention to the widow at Nain.  He paid attention to Mary and Martha.  He paid attention to the woman who touched his cloak.  And Jesus is still paying attention–to you, to me, and to the world around us.  He is paying attention to where we live, how we feel, how our bodies work, how our brains work, what we do, what we long for, to our gifts, to our service, to our relationships, to our marriages or lack thereof, to our communities, to our families, to his people.  He is paying attention!

I have no idea what your needs are this week.  I have no idea what your heart longs for.  I have no idea where God is leading you.  But be encouraged.  He is real.  He is good.  He is present.  He’s not threatened by the chaos around or within us.  To the contrary, He is in the midst of it all, undaunted, with us, and, he is a God whose eyes are open and whose ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. (see 2 Chronicles 6:40).

So pray on.  He is good, and he is paying attention.

Blessings,
Connally
fast.pray@gmail.com

Are you facing giants in your life?

You can take ’em!

Is Goliath towering over you with a spirit of intimidation? Don’t lose heart. Go and fight! Do your weapons seem puny and inadequate? Use whatever you got. You’ll knock that uncircumcised Philistine off his feet and use his own sword to cut of his head. What gave David such confidence when the Israelites were wallowing in despair over the challenge delivered by their undefeated foe?

Hope! David remembered his previous victories. Though this battle seemed impossible he decide to face the taunting giant rather than cower in fear like the rest of the army. David, a humble shepherd boy chose hope. He dared to believe and expect great things from God in the midst of a hopeless situation (1 Sam 17).

When Hope comes up against Goliath, Hope wins every time!

We each have our own daunting adversary to confront. A friend had several pregnancies that ended in miscarriages. Hoping became more difficult with each disappointment. Other friends desperately want to have their own children but can’t get pregnant. Then there are those of us (age 30+) who have never married. Finding a potential spouse seems like it’s becoming increasingly difficult as the years drag on.

What is your Goliath? Marital strife? Cancer? Unemployment? A desire unfulfilled? Listen. It’s our Beloved! Look. Here He comes leaping on the mountains.

“The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.” – Song of Solomon 2:8

There is no problem too enormous for God. He is the Conquering Lion. Jesus has already overcome every obstacle in our path. He is the God of Hope. All we have to do is believe.

Now may the God of hope will fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:3 

If your battle seems unbeatable, expect a miracle! One of our greatest enemies is despair. It’s time to turn the tables. The Lord longs to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18). Are we anticipating good from him in every area of life?

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him. – Hebrews 11:6

We must have faith and diligently seek Him. Have we wrestled with the Almighty like Jacob or pleaded with Him like Hannah? Are we willing to hope for the fulfillment of God’s promises even when it’s beyond all human reason to do so? Abraham was impotent and Sarah barren but they chose to have faith in what they could not see (Hebrews 11:11-12, Romans 4:18-20).

Beyond all hope, we must believe! God is able. He is willing. Even when it seems His answer is delayed well beyond the point of any possibility we must continue to hope. Better things are yet to come. He does work out everything for our good. Don’t let that enemy called “Despair” steal your joy any longer.

Hope! This is the anchor of our soul (Hebrews 6:19). Who dares to defy the armies of the Living God? The Lord will be with you (1 Sam 17:26). He will empower you to advance against an entire troop (Psalm 18:29).

HOPE conquers GOLIATH!

- Chérie Blair

There are things we want so desperately in life.

Minutes turn to hours –
Hours turn to days –
Days to weeks –
then years and decades …

Tick tock. Tick tock. Still, we wait!

Will the desires of our hearts ever be fulfilled? We ask the agonizing question again and again, “How long?” We believe that no one else has endured so long for promises and dreams to be fulfilled. Have we forgotten that Someone has been waiting over 2,000 years? Jesus is longing, yearning, even aching for the day when we will be one with Him.

“Father, I desire that they … may be with Me where I am …”  – John 17: 24

We haven’t begun to touch the depth of pain our Bridegroom feels as He eagerly anticipates returning to claim His Bride! This ache in our hearts will only be quenched once we are united with God for all eternity. This is why we must loose our grasp on the temporary pleasures of this earthly life: the ideal job, that big promotion, our dream vacation, the perfect spouse, a legacy imparted to the next generation, whatever the desire may be. Out of everything you ever think you want in life you’ll find that God is the only One that ever really satisfies. Jesus is ALL. He’s everything. He is the Desire of Nations, and He is our Jealous Husband.

“For jealousy is a husband’s fury …” – Proverbs 6:34

Every time I try to chase after another “lover” the Lord hedges me in and blocks my path so that I cannot find my way. We can pursue other pleasures, but we will not find satisfaction. When other things in life become idols, He destroys them. Our Beloved removes everything that hinders love, including anything that competes with our affections for Him! In doing all kinds of things to fashion the life we want, somehow we end up forgetting the Lord. And so, He lovingly allures us into the wilderness. In this place of barrenness we discover that the intimacy we had with Him at first was better than our current striving to attain earthly desires. But it is in the midst of this troublesome valley that He speaks comfort and gives us a door of hope (Hos. 2:5-19). When we reach this place – when we forsake every other longing and return to our “first husband” – we enter into fullness of joy and eternal pleasure in His presence (Ps. 16:11).

Why do we struggle with our Maker? How can the clay say to the Potter, “What are you making?” (Is. 45:9). We can’t always make sense of our circumstances, but His ways are higher and wiser than ours (Is. 55:9). His leadership is perfect.

God does want us to dream, hope, and plan, but He commands that we love Him first and most, that we don’t chase after everything the pagans run after, and that we seek first His kingdom by returning to our first love (Matt. 22:37-38; 6:32-33, Rev. 2:4, Hos. 2:7).

I so easily obsess about my heart’s desires and attempt arranging however I can to fulfill them (Journey of Desire by John Eldridge). I have to constantly remind myself to put God first as I make my declaration to Him, “Earth has nothing I desire besides You” (Ps. 75:23). My constant confession is becoming, “Jesus, I love You more than the desires of my heart.”

I may get temporarily sidetracked, but I am lovesick for God and longing for Eden – the day when He will make all things new as it was when He created the Garden, restoring heaven and earth to His original design. Truly, I am homesick for eternity. I am just a stranger wandering about. This earth is not my home. I am on a pilgrimage to a heavenly home, the eternal city whose builder and Maker is God (Heb. 11:10, 13-16). This is my destiny. I know it well though my heart and flesh may fail. Whenever I get preoccupied with the minute details of this brief journey my Beloved reminds me that He is the strength of my life and my portion forever (Ps. 73:26). His grace is sufficient for me. His power is perfected in my weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Nothing else in this life brings true satisfaction. The Lord is my exceedingly great reward (Gen. 15:1). God alone can fill my heart with eternal joy!

Our Father loves to give good gifts to His children, and He will give us the desires of our hearts, but we must first delight ourselves in Him.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. – Psalm 37:4

Think about the things you are longing for in business, finances, relationships, and other arenas of life. Now consider your desire for Jesus. Which is more important? For real!

“Your love is better than wine.” – Song of Solomon 1:2

“Because your love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” – Psalm 63:3

If you wish for temporary fulfillment more than eternal, take a moment to repent and invite the Lord to transform your heart. Through the power of His Spirit you will be able to say to your Beloved, “I love You more!” Even if you are not convinced keep professing this and it will become so. Regardless of how the events of our lives play out, let us delight in Jesus. His love is better than life.

When our Bridegroom comes, may He find us longing for Eternity!

– Chérie Blair