Prayer is a Place of Abiding – Part One
The following blog was contributed by Dave McDaniel.
Dave is one of our Men of Issachar and husband of Nancy McDaniel.
As Graham Cooke has so accurately describ
ed, the Body of Christ has moved into its finest hour by moving from visitation to habitation. Simply put, this is a place of abiding. Jane Hansen Hoyt recently added on April 16th, “I believe that Aglow has been coming into a new time of communion with God. I believe we have been realizing a new anointing on the new covenant, and walking with a greater understanding of the fullness of our identity in Christ. It is truly a transitional time for us.”
How do we transition into this place of fullness? How can we feel such a drawing of the Spirit into the secret place of abiding while at the same time being confronted with experiences of such hardship and testing? There is no mistake that we are experiencing a shaking in the earth today. The global financial market and political structures are quickly collapsing. Our faith is being tested, and the Spirit is urging us to press in to the place of abiding in Jesus.
Standing Tall in a Small World
John 15 beautifully describes the fruitful relationship of abiding in Jesus. While chaos and uncertainty become the norm in the earth today, we can press into the secret place of His presence and remain there. The key in this powerful place is to realize that we are not there for the purpose of avoiding the perplexing challenges that lie ahead; instead we are there to be empowered with revelation and wisdom to speak into these challenges. We are being empowered to stand tall in a small world with the power to declare the Word of the Lord. John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you.” Notice it didn’t say “Word” but “words”. Its particular meaning is “an utterance (individual, collective or special).” Jesus wants our relationship to be so close that He can utter a word for an individual He has scheduled to come across our path, a collective word that can change a mountain of influence, or a special word that can change the direction of a nation. Our commitment to live in habitation, rather than visitation, is essential for this divine exchange. Since abiding is the key to remaining in this place of empowerment, we all have permission to enter. However, it will be those who choose to dwell in this place who will operate as divine carriers of revelation, understanding and power in this hour.
(Watch for Part Two – “Preparing the Soil” and “How Do You Abide?”)
This is profound. Your words beautfully and accurately describe the deep stirrings in my soul ~ from answering the queston, ” How do I transition…?” to the answer, ” Abide…live in habitation..”. Each phrase of your writing is a splash of fresh living water! Many thanks for writing. Pat in Scottsdale, AZ.
I echo what Patricia O’Brien says in her comment… God’s whisper to our hearts through His Word is strong on my heart lately. Sitting with Him and listening for His heart. Thanks for sharing this and uplifting others to this truth.
Wow I know that ‘habitation’ principle and place! Thank you, Dave, for your picture of the gigantic tall trees. It made me smile because it reminded me (confirmation) of a Word of revelation and practicum the Lord gave me of 7 seven similar tall trees in my neighborhood in Auckland New Zealand to do prayer walks around them. This is a few months prior to deciding and going to the 2013 Orlando conference. It felt silly at first doing the prayer walk walking around 7 times in a public park! BUT I did it anyway because I felt God wanted me to do it and I needed to hear from God. Often the FLESH would resist with all kinds of excuses but my spirit knew for certain it was the right thing to do.
So through this seemingly silly exercise I learnt about, in retrospect, being in that secret place and in relationship with God and how he can and to wants to entrust to you certain Word for yourself and others, and/or for nations and many more revelation gems are yet to unfold! As an example, for me the recent Orlando conference was thought provoking, timely and prophetic. Some revelations at the conference; honey, amassing of the bees, fresh bread, spiritual lenses, honey bees/hive; the NZ parliament is called The Beehive!!, habitation, God’s empowering grace, language of Promise, Prayer and His Presence, to name a few!
Thanks be to God He came through for me. Thankyou for bringing that Word on Secret place to the forefront. Call it your Jerusalem, Gathsemane, House of Prayer or prayer altar. You will know because that’s where you meet with God! Amen.
this is great, i missed the past years but now iam going to be part of every prayer