Each year at the House of Prayer, we welcome in the New Year by gathering 10,000 young adults (give or take a few thousand) in the local sports complex for an event we call OneThing. We saturate them in worship (an hourand a half to two hours at a time), teach them about how much God loves them and talk about the End-Times (since we believe it's really close). Intimacy with God and the urgency of the hour is what it boils down to.
Intimacy and urgency are two key components to every believer's heart, and they specifically give fuel to the prayer movement. Intimacy without urgency creates a lazy, introspective, self-absorbed church. On the other hand, urgency without intimacy creates a lot of tension without any real reason for having it, or a bunch of doom-and-gloomers who get burned out quickly. We must have both.
Last year, there was a father who came to the young adult conference. He accidentally fell asleep during a worship set (going for four days straight at a conference will wear you out). When he woke up, a monumental shift had happened in his spirit and he immediately moved to Uganda as a full-time missionary; a year later he is still there pursuing God and reaching the lost.
Last year some high school students came for the event and were radically touched. One of the guys comes from a well-off family. His father had just built a game room in their guest house two months prior. When he returned home, the teen asked his father if it would be okay to move out the pool table and other stuff and turn it into a prayer house for anyone who wanted to come. It is still going. This is only two stories that I know of, but many more will follow.
The prayer movement is unstoppable. And throughout history the prayer movement has always preceded the outpouring of God in renewal, revival and outright spiritual revolution. The prayer movement birthed the Welsh Revival. Charles Finney had a small group of intercessors that went two weeks ahead of him into the next city. It was led by David Nash and Abel Clary. Once Nash died, Finney's ministry stopped--cold.
Intercession is Heaven's way of invading Earth; God will have it no other way. And intercession (agreeing with God) is one of the few things that will continue on in the next age. And we are proud to be a part of it.
2 comments:
Hey, this is Kelly - Hope you don't mind some rendom person posting on your blog. I followed the link from Brians blog...
Actually, I think I remember remember you and Amy way back from NCF and Riot days! :o)
Anyway, a friend and I are coming from Virginia to "One Thing" conference. I'm really excited about what God is doing!
Will you guys be there?
Kelly,
Thanks for stopping by. Yeah, Amy and I were at NCF for quite a while. Amy lived with the Bowens and did some worship, then she left for Australia followed by Kansas City. Meanwhile, I was at Manassas Assemby of God and showed up at NCF a month after she left. I joined as RIOT's drummer (and I was pretty dang loud) and was there for about a year or so, then went into the Air Force which sent me to CA.
Glad to hear that you are coming for the conference. It's going to be awesome--and very intense. Amy and I will be attending it as well, but we will most likely have to take turns since our two girls are too young to be there. Look us up when you get in or drop us an email. Blessings to you!!
Josh
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