On Monday of this week we began 40 days of prayer with the people of the church I pastor. On purpose, we have stripped away any and all of the normal fanfare that accompany our regularly scheduled services. No announcements, no lights, no projectors or graphics and very little singing. We haven’t publicized it much, other than simple invitations for anyone to come and join us between the hours of 6 & 8 in the morning. Some come at 6 and stay until we are done. Others come after we have begun and have to leave before we finish – it has been a blessing to see anyone come and participate no matter how long they could stay. We haven’t mandated that our leaders come, haven’t subtly hinted that people aren’t committed believers if they declined the invitation and haven’t presumed that those who do show up are any more spiritual than those who could not or did not. I suppose that it has been made intentionally organic and I, for one, am really enjoying it and being greatly impacted. We didn’t want any hoopla and we didn’t want it to feel like ministry…there was just a strong sense in a handful of us that Jesus was inviting us to meet with Him over the span of forty days and we wanted to come to Him and learn why He was drawing us near.
One the first day we were broken and spent the morning in personal repentance, representative repentance for our church family and interceded for repentance on behalf of our nation. Brokenness was the key word from that first morning.
The second day would be characterized by our hunger. We cried out loudly and passionately for the presence and power of God for our lives, our families, our churches and our nation. We had the audacity to ask God to send revival to the land because we believe He will if we desire it. We prayed to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, to be infused with agape love in our relationships and to behold undeniable evidence of God’s power to be added to our longstanding commitment to His word here at our home church. Appetite was the key word from the second morning.
Today was the third day and from the moment we entered we knew the Lord would be still among us. The loud praises from the second day were not with us today – our praise was whispered. The gushing tears from the first day didn’t fall today – we expressed our soberness in quietness. We learned about three occurrences in John chapter 12 where Jesus received worship while He basically remained still: while Mary anointed his feet with costly perfume, while Lazarus reclined with Jesus at supper after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead and while Jesus sat still on a donkey as the people waved palm branches and shouted His praises. Tenderness was the key word for our third day as we prayed for children, widows, forgotten people and rejected people.
In all of these scenes of worship, Jesus was still and received adoration and worship from others. Interestingly, all of these scenes of worship were challenged by those who did not love Jesus. Judas rebuked Mary for pouring out the expensive perfume. The priests plotted to kill Lazarus because people were coming to Jesus after hearing of Lazarus’ testimony of resurrection. The Pharisees told Jesus to silence the worshiping crowd who waved palm branches as he rode in upon the donkey (See Luke 19 for this detail that is not found in John 12). Here is what I find noteworthy about what we learned in our short study before we all engaged in prayer today:
The enemy will seek to suppress your private worship (Judas vs. Mary). The enemy will seek to stamp out your public testimony (the priests wanting to kill Lazarus). The enemy will seek to silence your corporate praise (the Pharisees wanting to silence the adoring crowds).
Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is a contested commitment. We are called to persevere and are empowered to overcome. Sometimes Jesus will be still when we worship, as He was in three scenes described above. Sometimes His presence and movement will not be easily discernible. Sometimes He chooses to be quiet and to listen to your words of confession, thanks, praise and need. Sometimes it seems like He is not doing anything. But He is. He is paying attention to you and that is something you must remember if you are to pour out your life on Him, if you are to live as one risen from the dead and if you will join your voice with others in the gathering of worshipers to proclaim how great is your King.
What you are doing in removing all the trappings of position, power and prestige is a MOST INCREDIBLE action! I respect you so much Jeff for relentlessly pursuing integrity in the Body of Christ.
I love corporate praise, I enjoy a great choir, and Transforming Truth is a very valuable tool in my life. Sometimes, though, I imagine what it would have been like just to eat some fish on the beach with Jesus. I imagine it would be akin to your three days of prayer!
I can’t wait to hear about all He does in setting folks free over these next 37 days!
Not many people hear this, pastors and disciples especially. Thank you for your service to the Lord, and our nation. We as a whole should stand together more, persevering to become more Christ-like. Your words and knowledge bless me everyday. Thank you Jeff Lyle! I pray that the Holy Spirit reveals the spirit of knowledge upon my life, as he has yours!