A Simple Prayer

Father,

Come into me

    Bring Your fire

    Bring Your desire

    Bring the yearnings and groans of Your heart

and

    Bring me into the knowledge of You

 

WAKE ME UP

 

The easy way

I was meditating on the temptation of Jesus as I was getting ready this morning (Matt 4), and I noticed a theme. Every time the devil tempted Him, he tried to get Him to step outside the bounds the Father had imposed on Him, specifically, to fulfill the will of the Father according to the flesh (Gal 3:3). I think this is a huge problem in the church today. We see the problems of the earth and we try to solve them the quick way, the easy way… the way of the flesh.

Had an abortion? We have a teaching series on that!
Just got divorced? We have a teaching series on that!
Struggling with pornography? We have a teaching series on that!

Now, I have a lot of respect for godly teachers and good bible teaching, but it takes more than just teaching to change a nation. A whole lot more.

Jesus told us that when we’re confronting the worst that the world has to offer, we must contend in fasting and prayer (Matt 17:21, Mark 9:29). This is the hard way, the slow way. The way of God, because it a) causes you to undergo change in the inner man (Eph 3:16) and b) it causes you to draw near to the Father’s heart, and learn his ways (Psalm 103:7).

The knowledge of God

0433 and all is well on the Nightwatch

“knowledge of God” is the most awesome query I’ve ever punched in to a bible search engine. Here’s the results:

Pro 2:5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.
Hsa 4:1 Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD [brings] a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land.
Hsa 6:6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable [are] His judgments and His ways past finding out!
1Cr 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak [this] to your shame.
2Cr 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Col 1:10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [Him], being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
2Pe 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

That’s just awesome. It makes me think of an incredible song by Misty Edwards, “Something bigger’s going on,” where she sings,

“fill me with the knowledge of God,
with the knowledge of You,
with the knowledge of the Holy, Holy!”