Day 2: From Ducks to Doves

"Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests?" (Isaiah 60:8)


Today has been a sweet day in the presence of the Lord.  A day of preparation, a day of seeking, a day of praise and worship.  It has been a privilege to be together.  And it's not over yet (it's just past 6pm as I begin to write)!  Each one of us has felt and known your prayers and love...Alyssa commented on how extraordinarily good and rested she was feeling this morning (as were each of us), and as the day has gone on the Lord has been reminding us and encouraging us that we are just a little part of this mission.  We are three going 'out there' but each one of you, whether in the US, in Uganda or the UK, are as much a part of the mission in prayer and seeking after God's kingdom and purposes.  It is humbling and greatly encouraging.  One of Christine's friends emailed what she was sensing the Lord saying to us, and Paul had been praying & hearing the Lord as he mowed the lawn at work today - it has excited & strengthened us to see God working through the body of Christ. 


After a restful night and personal time to pray and read the Word, we met together, along with Kath, to 'court the presence of the Lord' (seeking to draw near to Him, knowing that He promised then to draw near to us - James 4:8).  As we worshipped and prayed, lifting up the name of Jesus, the Spirit of God was drawing us and stirring faith. I love the way the Lord stirs and speaks through songs and the prayers and cries of one another - that as we hallow His name and declare who He is, He is magnified in our sight... the vision of who He is expands and increases and brings both humility and praise.  One of the songs we sang was 'We speak to nations' sung by Israel Houghton... these are some of the words:

"Hear the sound, the sound of the nations worshipping.

Hear the sound of sons and daughters singing,

'We will go for you.  We will shout to the corners of the earth that Christ is King.

We speak to nations: be opened

We speak to nations: fall on your knees

We speak to nations: the Kingdom is coming near to you

We speak to strongholds: be broken

Powers of darkness: you have to flee

We speak to nations: the Kingdom is coming near to you

We speak to you: be free.'"

The Spirit was stirring faith and the reality of the authority that we have as we stand in covenant with Christ - that as we abide in Him, depending and trusting in His power, His faith, His life, we can speak to the nation, to the cities, towns, churches we are going to, and see them opened, humbled, brought to repentance, and the Kingdom of God established.  Over the past weeks of preparation God over and again impressed in my heart that our primary mission is to 'court His presence and exalt His name' - and as we declare who He is to the heavens and the earth, the demons will bow to the name of Jesus, and darkness will pushed back.

We spent time reading the book of Romans together and then sharing what God was speaking to us through it.  The Word truly is living and active - as we took time to fellowship around different verses that had stirred and been highlighted to each of us, the Lord wove a tapestry of wisdom, direction, encouragement and faith in our hearts.  The main points emphasised to us were:

• Humility - the need for it; to pray it in; to fight against pride; to return ALL glory to God ALL the time; to go out knowing we are no better than anyone else... and a reminder of one of the WTM mandate instructions: 'Do not despise or underrate My people because of faults or errors you notice among them.  If it were not for such thing, your ministry would have been unnecessary'.
• Faith - especially Romans 4:17, believing in the 'God who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did'. (Kath had earlier been reading John and the account of Jesus calling Lazarus from the grave, and His words to Martha: "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?").  "Everything that does not come from faith is sin." (14:23)
• Praise - in all circumstances, knowing that God will work all things for good and use trials & tribulations to produce perseverance in us, and character, and hope...
• Purity - the necessity of not allowing even a hint of evil to be in or come near us; and that even subtle things can cause the Spirit to draw back from us (the Lord was speaking to us regarding talking about food - that He is requiring a high standard and raising the bar, and whilst on the one hand talking about food is not wrong, if we exalt food or talk about it above or more than the things of God, it is an idol (14:17&20).

Please join us in praying in and fighting for these things.  We are deeply encouraged and our faith is rising for what God is going to do.  It is not all easy - there are some distractions we are having to fight through, and a deeper level of learning to pray together to come into - but we are grateful for your continued prayers and for the kindness of God to draw near to us and lead us forth, and are blessed to be here together at such a time as this!

Being British, I have inherited a tendency to talk to about the weather, and today it was BEAUTIFUL... the sun was shining, the breeze was blowing in the right direction (we are staying next to a maggot farm!), the blossoms were blossoming, the bluebells were flourishing and our late afternoon walk over the fields and round the woods, was glorious (we could even have worn shorts and t-shirts - it was that warm!).  The Lord is knitting our hearts together and it is wonderful to be growing together, to be increasingly vulnerable and real with one another, and to see God glorified.

He is worthy.

He can be trusted.

God bless you!  

We love you!

Clare


P.S. Please pray physical protection over us as a team - particularly backs and arms.  Thank you!