The first week of Fire in the Night!

Wow, so much has been happening these past days, I can't even begin to write it all. I have been journaling everyday during prayer room time, teaching, and classes almost every time and yet I still didn't capture near all of it. So, I will try to highlight some of the main things that stuck out to me and some of the things I feel the Lord is teaching me in this time. Sorry, once again this is going to be random. Because its over the span of about 30 hours of prayer room, teaching, and classes :)

Here are some points on intercession that we covered combined with some of my thoughts.

Impact of Intercession:
Intercession develops and draws us into intimacy with God.
Intercession unifies us with the people of God. In the place of unity God commands a blessing.
Intercession brings humility in us
Intercession trains us to function in his government.
What we say moves things.
Prayers transform your heart, our hearts become like God's heart. The more we pray for the things on God's heart the more we begin to develop passions for those things. And the more we develop passions for God's passions, the more our hearts change themselves, and our lives will reflect the change.

Random things on my heart :)

1. Everything bears fruit (in this case, I'm using fruit to go either way). Therefore, in everything we do we must examine the fruit of it. Does it draw us closer to the Lord or does it pull us from him? I would really encourage everyone to seriously consider some of these questions...I want to really search my own heart and life to find the things that I do and enjoy that do not bear good fruit. How can I cut those things out of my life? What things bear good fruit? How can I cultivate those things? Matthew 3:8 tells us to bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

2. The need for balance. I love the fact that I get to spend what seems to be endless hours in the presence of the Lord, in teaching, in worship, in prayer, in discussion of his word. But I feel the urge and need to have an outlet to the Lost as well. Actually at our sunday night service, the preacher spoke on evangelism and it was amazing! I felt the teaching spoke to what I was exactly feeling! Of course, during these three months I realize I won't have much of an outlet to the lost and that's okay. But I am talking about a rule for my life. As good and biblical it is to surround ourselves with amazing Christian people who love the Lord, it is also very biblical to step out of our “bubble.” We need to let our light shine, instead of keeping it hidden inside of that bubble. Things work so amazingly in the Kingdom of the Lord. For example because I am spending so much time with God and learning about Him and his word it only fuels my loves for him. My love for him creates an urgency and desire to share him with those around me. And that in turn will give me boldness for evangelism. It's a never ending awesome process! :)

We had a good teaching on whole hearted love for God that I would like to share briefly.

- Matthew 22:37.
- Loving God with all of our heart is the great commandment because it is the one that encompasses all else.
- The only way to fulfill the Great Commandment is to fall in love with a real person. We cannot love Him unless we love him in a very personal way. This commandment demands a holy lovesickness, a fierce passion for Jesus. Only those who are pierced by the passion of love in a personal way will overcome the hindrances of love in heart, soul, mind, and strength.
- The self-giving nature of love. Love always gives itself. Real love does not withhold and is without reserve. We need to yield and obey Jesus in every area of our lives to truly love him.
Realizing that when it seems Jesus is distant it is us not him. Jesus is filled with compassion, he does not put distance between us. When we don't give ourselves up completely in love, we are actually resisting him. That resistance produces distance and the feeling that he isn't listening or doesn't care. Do not accuse Jesus of what is in your own soul. Although the Bible has a lot of power, it is the person of Jesus that uproots the sin in our hearts, the things that were resisting him. That is why it is so crucial to be in love with the person of Jesus, to know him.
- He is asking us to give him our everything. But not for nothing, we are giving it because he gave us his everything. Wow, what a powerful thought. When we do not withhold anything in our hearts from Jesus both love him in everything, we are truly give him what he desires from us.

Love is so huge. Seriously. Actually it was kind of cool, one night I was reading my bible in the prayer room. I think I was in Matthew or something, not sure. All of a sudden I felt drawn to read 1st Corinthians, the “love chapter.” I ended up reading it through over a couple times. As I was reading, a fellow fire in the night-er went up the microphone and began praying about the Love of God. It was in reference to the city of Kansas City, I believe, for reaching the lost and the churches. But she kept talking over and over about love. It was so cool :)

Well, I suppose I gave you guys a lot to think and pray about. May your hearts become more like our heavenly father's as we meditate on his word and spend time talking with him and praying for the things he is passionate about to come to pass.

Love,

trisha