I changed my schedule again. It’s funny coz I seem to be periodically be filling out my yellow Sacred Trust (the form where I write out what times I will be doing my 24 hours of prayer room time) form and trying to figure out where times in the prayer room, Hope City, and all the other things fit so that it is a schedule that is actually doable. Actually, if someone counted how many times “schedule” is used in conversations here at IHOP, I think it would a very high number. I definitely use it a lot... maybe too much. But in a place where things run 24/7 it is invariable that there will be challenges in connecting without having conflicting “schedules” going on.
The other day I was getting almost a bit stressed and overwhelmed. So many meetings and things to fit in, and even if I have enough hours in the day, it’s nice to have some times when I can just be and not have anything “scheduled”. Times when I can go for a walk, or have a nap, or just read a book or bake and get refreshed. And with it only being a couple of months till I move away I need to fit things in, yet keep in mind that this is building and investing in a sense for the short-term (although I believe that even what I do these next few months will have long-term impact in a good way I hope). So overwhelmed was how I felt. And I think coupled with still living in that tension of not knowing the way ahead it made me a tad stressed. I need wisdom. Wisdom to know how to run well, to know how to walk these next months with quality and not stress and know what I’m meant to do and walk in and what is not for me...wisdom, which God promises to give me in generous measure if I ask Him.
Anyways, today is my first day of a different schedule on a Thursday and I quite like it.
I had advanced training with Sozo this morning which was great and then I zoomed over to the IHOPU (the International House of Prayer University) campus which is maybe 7 minutes away to spend an hour in the contemplative room. It was so amazing. Here in the normal prayer room in the mornings there is usually 7-800 people here which obviously is quite crowded. Not in a bad way, but sometimes it’s nice to just be able to sit and focus on Jesus without so many people around. The contemplative prayer set (room) is lovely. It only opens every hour, so there’s no coming and going apart from on the hour. No phones or computers allowed. It truly is a time to gaze on Jesus. To connect with God in a deeper way. And after an hour of close to silence (quiet instrumental music is almost like silence ) I feel so refreshed, even if it was me and 5 other people in there, it felt like it was just me and Jesus. And my mind did wander....quite a bit. It strange how my mind so easily distracts even itself...how I can go from meditating on Psalm 27 to thinking about baking chocolate cake and how I should go about it. But I choose not to dwell on the wandering mind, but rejoice when I get back on track. And I know that with practise it’ll get easier. So that was a very well spent hour!
Now I’m back in the normal prayer room. I’m not usually her in the afternoon, and it’s really nice. I have a desk to work at. The prayer room is maybe only a quarter full, and the worship team are in the middle of worship before heading back into singing over a scripture. It’s very relaxing and easy to just sit. Sit and write this little blog update, and hopefully get started on my newsletter. And I’m here for 4 hours straight which is great. Really time to settle and get stuff done.
Yesterday at Hope City my heart was so moved and tugged. I was there in the morning, but then in the evening I drove down again with a few friends. There were a bunch of children there and a couple of little girls sat with me for a bit. It was an intercession prayer meeting and they called a “Rapid Fire Prayer” which basically means everyone is invited to come up to the microphone and pray a 10 second prayer. One of the little girls wanted to pray and wanted me to come with her. So we stood in line and I asked her if she knew what she was going to pray and she said “yes”. When it was her turn this little 7 year old prayed a lovely heart-felt prayer for her family and people in the community. It was so powerful and it so struck my heart that these are the children we need to raise up to walk with Jesus. They are the ones who are the future leaders and they are the ones who are going to transform their communities. It so blessed me to hear her prayer and feel the delight and approval of the Lord.
So that is a little glimpse of where I’m at. Hopefully I will be writing more often now I have changed my “schedule”. I think it would be cool to remember how this transition is going the same way I was able to write as I was transitioning away from Brazil almost 4 years ago.
The other day I was getting almost a bit stressed and overwhelmed. So many meetings and things to fit in, and even if I have enough hours in the day, it’s nice to have some times when I can just be and not have anything “scheduled”. Times when I can go for a walk, or have a nap, or just read a book or bake and get refreshed. And with it only being a couple of months till I move away I need to fit things in, yet keep in mind that this is building and investing in a sense for the short-term (although I believe that even what I do these next few months will have long-term impact in a good way I hope). So overwhelmed was how I felt. And I think coupled with still living in that tension of not knowing the way ahead it made me a tad stressed. I need wisdom. Wisdom to know how to run well, to know how to walk these next months with quality and not stress and know what I’m meant to do and walk in and what is not for me...wisdom, which God promises to give me in generous measure if I ask Him.
Anyways, today is my first day of a different schedule on a Thursday and I quite like it.
I had advanced training with Sozo this morning which was great and then I zoomed over to the IHOPU (the International House of Prayer University) campus which is maybe 7 minutes away to spend an hour in the contemplative room. It was so amazing. Here in the normal prayer room in the mornings there is usually 7-800 people here which obviously is quite crowded. Not in a bad way, but sometimes it’s nice to just be able to sit and focus on Jesus without so many people around. The contemplative prayer set (room) is lovely. It only opens every hour, so there’s no coming and going apart from on the hour. No phones or computers allowed. It truly is a time to gaze on Jesus. To connect with God in a deeper way. And after an hour of close to silence (quiet instrumental music is almost like silence ) I feel so refreshed, even if it was me and 5 other people in there, it felt like it was just me and Jesus. And my mind did wander....quite a bit. It strange how my mind so easily distracts even itself...how I can go from meditating on Psalm 27 to thinking about baking chocolate cake and how I should go about it. But I choose not to dwell on the wandering mind, but rejoice when I get back on track. And I know that with practise it’ll get easier. So that was a very well spent hour!
Now I’m back in the normal prayer room. I’m not usually her in the afternoon, and it’s really nice. I have a desk to work at. The prayer room is maybe only a quarter full, and the worship team are in the middle of worship before heading back into singing over a scripture. It’s very relaxing and easy to just sit. Sit and write this little blog update, and hopefully get started on my newsletter. And I’m here for 4 hours straight which is great. Really time to settle and get stuff done.
Yesterday at Hope City my heart was so moved and tugged. I was there in the morning, but then in the evening I drove down again with a few friends. There were a bunch of children there and a couple of little girls sat with me for a bit. It was an intercession prayer meeting and they called a “Rapid Fire Prayer” which basically means everyone is invited to come up to the microphone and pray a 10 second prayer. One of the little girls wanted to pray and wanted me to come with her. So we stood in line and I asked her if she knew what she was going to pray and she said “yes”. When it was her turn this little 7 year old prayed a lovely heart-felt prayer for her family and people in the community. It was so powerful and it so struck my heart that these are the children we need to raise up to walk with Jesus. They are the ones who are the future leaders and they are the ones who are going to transform their communities. It so blessed me to hear her prayer and feel the delight and approval of the Lord.
So that is a little glimpse of where I’m at. Hopefully I will be writing more often now I have changed my “schedule”. I think it would be cool to remember how this transition is going the same way I was able to write as I was transitioning away from Brazil almost 4 years ago.