Setting off explosions

Over the last few months, the Lord has been speaking to us about the importance of praise in bringing down the spiritual walls of the Simplicity – Corpus Christi neighborhood.  So when the opportunity to host The Burn 24/7 was extended, it was a “no-brainer.”

This past weekend, people from a variety of denominational backgrounds came together at 805 S. Staples and for 24 hours, they worshiped, prayed, danced, painted, played and glorified God.   During this time, we had several people come in off of the streets and were able to minister to them.  It was truly a nuclear event in the spiritual environment of this neighborhood.   One of my intercessors said it best:  “Foundations were shaken.”  This weekend was also strategic, because it was exactly 1 year ago that my church voted to release the staff and ministry, so they could afford to keep the church property.  It was that set of events that led to the implementation of the Simplicity vision that God had been birthing in me for a number of months.

Sunday was in my mind, the best worship experience we’ve had at Simplicity since we began in November of last year.  We shared how God had touched our lives throughout the week and during that time I began to look at the banner that had been given to us by one of the worshipers over the weekend.  The Lord prompted me to hand the banner to Brooke and I gave her permission to move throughout the room with that banner to praise Jesus to the best of her 3 year old ability.   The Lord then took me to a song that I had not sang since I was a child…His Banner Over Me is Love.   We sang that song and then the Lord began to write the verses.  Before our time together was done, the Lord had given us 6 or 7 new verses to this song that we sang with great joy.   Our service ended up lasting nearly 2 1/2 hours and yet no one seemed to notice or care.

Yesterday, Mike and I attended a pastor’s prayer retreat in Banquete.  This retreat has become a highlight of my year each year and this year was no different.   The morning speaker came out of the worship time with a word for nearly each one of us.  To Mike and I, he said this:  “Sit in the saddle.”  “All that you are going through is by God’s design, don’t rush the process.”   Throughout the day, God reminded me of the need to be a conduit, not just a cup.  The day ended with 2 intercessors praying over each of us.   The words spoken over me included:  “Courage; a willingness to go where no one else will; the opening of multiple harvest fields unto me; the need for me to have wisdom to manage the resources that God is releasing into my hands; and a prayer of thanksgiving for the resources being released that are not only sufficient, but exceedingly abundant.”

I ended my day by speaking via phone with Pastor Santhosh about our upcoming ministry in Delhi and Kerala.  Pastor Santhosh has been unable to raise the $2,000 necessary to put on the conference he had intended in Delhi, so I had suggested that we invite a handful of leaders for a few days of private meetings.   Santhosh had been praying and fasting over that suggestion and is being led to invite 15 pastors to join us.   We talked about my lack of air travel and fiances, but I assured him that God was going to provide.   It is now 13 days until I leave and the airfare is beginning to creep up, so I know that we are not far from the provision, but this is an exercise in faith and trust.

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