A Very Good Reason!

There are a number of reasons my writing has gotten a little scanty lately, but a big reason is a very good reason. Darin and Kacie, two wonderful NightWatch persons, are getting married tomorrow (Saturday). Yay! I’m very happy for them and am looking forward to seeing them make their vows tomorrow. I will be out early (oy. very early) to help set up a little bit, but it promises to be a good day. My roommates and I (plus a certain person’s particular friend) will then go out for dinner while we’re all weddinged-up and looking amazing, and we’ll take lots of pictures.

So you might hear from me Sunday, but that will depend on how alive, coherent, and caught up with my work I am. Until then, I just wanted to stop in and say hi. Oh, and please pray for the new couple, and if you feel led, send them some support (if you don’t know how, ask me via the contact box).

Word Nerdery: Coming Back to Haunt Me

So I’m studying through the notes I got in my Zechariah class at FSM (taught by Wes Hall — this is a great course, so take it if you have the opportunity). One of the things I appreciate about the notes given out at IHOP and FSM is that, while the notes are very thorough, there’s still room to write stuff in the margins. I made good use of those margins when I took the class over a year ago, recording extra scripture references and thoughts.

Tonight, I opened to the session on Zechariah 14. I found this scrawled in the margins, unmistakably in my handwriting.

“Wheedle” is a great word…

It’s true. When speakers use cool language it perks up the word nerd in me. Apparently, it does so severely enough that it will actually make it into my notes. I guess if I’m quirky to begin with, I might as well take it all the way.

No, I haven’t forgotten…

If you’ve wondered about the lack of Word of Life Bible study posts lately, that’s because we haven’t met for several weeks. Today, for instance, half of the group is out of town and the other half unavoidably detained. So while I suppose I could have gotten out the book and talked to myself about it for two hours, that seemed a little silly. (“Gee, Amanda, that’s such great insight!” “Why thank you, Amanda. It was actually something you just said that made me think about it…”)

Um. So. Anyway.

Instead, I wanted to leave a quick thought I’ve been chewing on while studying Zechariah. It’s from 13:7-8, “‘Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered…’”

Prayer: An End in Itself

If you keep up with the comments, you probably saw this topic surface in the discussion of a previous post. But what really prompted me to write this entry was a search term that brought someone to Meditations by Night — a search term which just about knocked me off my chair when I read it. Someone Googled this.

“prayer is a means to an end, not an end”

No, no, no, no… O dear Googler. Bless you, but you know not of what you speak.

If prayer is only a means to an end, I will have to borrow a quote from Paul, “we are of all men most to be pitied.”

Persistent Prayer: it’s worth it.

Two days ago, I was meeting with a couple of friends of mine to study the book of Daniel. We’re taking our time and going through the book chapter by chapter, and we had gotten up to chapter 10.

One of the things we noticed is that Daniel was fasting and mourning for “three full weeks” (Dan 10:2). Daniel, who was by now a very mature saint, over eighty years old, had been foregoing any pleasant food or personal care for twenty-one days. Despite being a well-respected ruler, and having access to any amount of pleasure he liked, he mourned for twenty-one days. While the text doesn’t explicitly say what he was mourning for, he was most likely distressed over the current condition of his people.

For three solid weeks, this eighty-something year old man gave himself to fasting, prayer, and mourning. The kicker is that during those three solid weeks, he had no answer from heaven. Nothing. Zip. Later in the chapter, the story comes out that the messenger angel had been spending the whole time hacking his way through the principality over Persia. From the moment Daniel began praying, an answer had been sent forth — but it took three weeks of spiritual warfare to get the message through.

I don’t know how that all works, but I can imagine being in Daniel’s shoes for those three weeks. The last time he gave himself in a uniquely focused way to praying for Israel, he received an angelic visitation and a profound revelation of things to come (chapter 9). This time, there was nothing. No word from heaven. As far as we know, there was not even a warm fuzzy feeling. Day after day passed. He probably craved some good food and a nice long bath. He had no way of knowing that an angel was fighting at that very moment to get through to him. He did not know that the angelic activity which was set off because of his prayer would shift the course of history, ultimately bringing down Persia and making the way for the rise of Greece. All he knew was that he was mourning, and heaven was silent.

He is such a good Shepherd!

God is really, really, really good.

He is kind. Even when He takes the props out from underneath us, He does it so tenderly and gently. He is unfathomably kind with our hearts.

Just had to say it.

Random Video (again)

Okay, so way back when, I posted this little guy, declaring that it would most likely be the only time I posted such a thing on my site. It’s a good thing I put the “most likely” in there, because I’ve gone and done it again. I am too inexplicably amused by this one to pass it up.

Make sure you have your speakers on and you can read the subtitles.

 

12 Reasons I Love the Book of Daniel

1. It says a great deal about the End Times.
2. Daniel’s example shows us how to live godly lives in the midst of great ungodliness — especially key for the End Times.
3. It teaches us a lot about intercession and how radically God responds to it.
4. It teaches us to trust in the sovereignty of God.
5. It teaches us to fear God alone, not transient, mortal humans.
6. It demonstrates that God is a deliverer and vindicator.
7. It casts vision for a long-term journey in God (Daniel walked steadily with the Lord for more than seventy years).
8. It gives us hope for the age and the kingdom to come.
9. It trumpets the value of humility and the foolishness of pride.
10. It confirms future prophecy with tons of historically fulfilled events.
11. It’s the first place to call Jesus “Son of Man” — which was His favorite title for Himself.
12. It will provoke you to fast and pray.

Speaking of Dangerous Prayers…

Wes Martin preached a powerful sermon tonight on embracing voluntary weakness, otherwise known as the fasted lifestyle. Especially since my job is that of an intercessory missionary, this is something I believe strongly in and want to pursue in greater depth. However, there’s just one problem.

I don’t like being weak.

The battle I wage with perfectionism has lasted longer than I can remember. My mom has told me stories of when I was a baby learning to walk — I refused to do it in front of anybody. If one of my parents came into the room when I was hazarding a few wobbly steps, I would immediately plop down until they left. They had to sneak up on me and watch without me knowing, or otherwise I’d just quit, because I hadn’t gotten it right yet.

Combine that with my desire to be indepedent, and combine that with my desire to be as low-maintenance and untroubling to anyone as possible, and you’ve got yourself a gal who really doesn’t like weakness, voluntary or otherwise. Lately, this has been an interior battle that’s raging harder than normal… or at least, closer to the surface than normal.

So all that said, the Global Bridegroom Fast starts tomorrow (well, I guess technically today). That means three solid days of embracing voluntary weakness. I’m looking forward to it, yet somewhat dreading it at the same time. I’m sure it will be good. I’m sure there will be some tears and some collisions with my own barrenness. I’m sure it will be painful. I’m sure God will not leave me hanging, and that it will be worth it. Time to fasten my seat belt.

Since misery loves company, I figured I’d share the notes with you. Enjoy. And grace, grace to you.

“Dangerous” Prayers?

Most of us have probably prayed them. Most of the “most of us” have probably also laughed about them in terms of what a silly idea it was. Most of that “most of us” consequently made decisions to think twice before we prayed them ever again.

I’m talking about dangerous prayers. You know the kind I mean.