Journaling. (will be updated throughout the week of prayer).

Saturday, April 19th. Kick-off 6pm-9pm.

During the corporate prayer time, we prayed for prodigals to come home, and to be welcomed home. During the meal before the corporate musical worship and prayer time, I had been given the insight that I too am a prodigal, in being delivered from strongholds and false idols I have chosen over God. During the prayer time, someone told me they felt God speaking to me that God doesn't want me to be sick and having this heaviness, and that I need to pray to see myself as He sees me. She spoke Isaiah 30 into my life, specifically Isaiah 30: 19-22 (a passage God had given me back on Feb 4, 2008)
"O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will respond instantly to the sound of your cries. Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and affliction for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. you will see your teacher with your own eyes and you will hear a voice say 'This is the way; turn around and walk here. Then you will destroy all your silver idols and gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, "Ugh!" you will say to them "Begone."

Another powerful prodigal verse from Isaiah 30:15b: "Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength." I am now about to enter the prayer room and I pray that verse as an anointing over my time dancing with the Holy Spirit however He shows up.
Kirsten, 11:57 pm

Sunday morning, April 20th.

During the kick-off last night as I was searching through Song of Songs for the verse, "many waters cannot quench love," my eyes landed on
Song of Songs 2:9-12--"Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. My beloved spoke and said to me, 'Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.' "
As I headed to bed for the night, I was once again brought to that scripture as I read in my devotional book: "O My children, there is the sound of the turtledove echoing throughout the land. It is the voice of the Bridegroom calling His Bride. It is the wooing of the Spirit bringing forth a people for His Name. It is the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ Himself, drawing together those who are His. It is the call of love and those who truly love Him will respond...I tell you, there shall be a revelation of My nearness given to My dear ones before My second coming. Anticipate Me. Watch for Me. Your heart will listen, and your heart shall hear. I am not far off. I am looking though the lattice ( Song of Solomon 2:9). You shall see Me--you shall know--you shall rejoice" (Roberts, Come Away My Beloved).
This morning as I wandered into the prayer room for my morning prayer slot, I saw a small scribbled note lying on a couch dated with today's date, quoting Song of Songs 2: 10-14. I headed into the Poustinia room to pray and there hanging on the wall were the words "Arise my darling, my beautiful one. Come away with me. Winter has gone. Spring has come. Arise, come away with me."

He is speaking.

Lacy, 10:32 am

Monday. April, 21st.

Jesus said, "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." (Luke 7:23). He said this because he came in a way and manner that was the opposite of what was expected. Constantly throughout the Gospels he responds to the disciples, Pharisees and others in ways that are opposite of what they anticipate. He was offensive and still is an offense to many. Even within the Church, many fall away because he does not fit into their understanding. He still speaks this same word over us today, "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
We must guard our hearts against falling away on account of Christ not being what we expect or think he should be. God is always about humbling us when we think we are wise or intelligent. This society has bought completely into wisdom, intelligence and reason. For society, there is nothing greater or above the human intellect. It is the ultimate. But God has a different perspective. In Isaiah 29:14 God says, "Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
The fulfillment of this is found in the mystery of Jesus. His coming was in such a way that completely shatters so called wisdom and intelligence. His conception, birth, life, teachings, death and resurrection baffle so called reason. He is a stumbling block! Scoffers, mockers, cynics, skeptics and intellects cannot accept him! The Church has also bought into wisdom, intelligence and reason. As a result Christ is hard for us to accept as well. We forget that, "What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight" (Luke 16:15). We must come back to the foolishness and weakness of the cross. We must come back to the paradoxical nature of everything Jesus is, says and does. We must remember that no student is above his teacher. Only to those who believe is the cross the wisdom and power of God. Only to those who humble themselves and walk as Jesus did does anything of the Kingdom of God make sense.

O, infinitely wise and gracious God, let us not fall away on account of the foolishness of your message. Let us have faith and belief today to accept the mystery of your Son. Shape us, transform us, renew us from our brains, hearts and limbs. Let us become living stories of the foolishness and humility of your Son. Praise be to you Father who has shattered the wisdom of the wise and the intelligence of the intelligent. Let us become holy fools for you Jesus, the Holy Fool!

11am.

During prayer i am coming to an overwhelming realization of the greatness and satisfaction of Jesus. There is no one like him! There is no other thing i desire to know or to make known. There is no greater thing i desire my family, friends, neighbors to know than the living Christ. He is worthy and there is no end to his love. Philippians 3:7-11 sums it up.

Along with this is the realization that we were made by Jesus and for Jesus. Colossians 1:15-17 says he made all things and that all things were made for him. It is only when we give ourselves fully to loving him that we are whole. Father, give us dreams and visions of our families, friends and neighbors. Let us see who they are called to be in Christ. Let us see what you see Father. Holy Spirit show us the destiny of each person in Christ. I was made for you Jesus, to lose myself for you that i may truly be found. We were made to give ourselves fully to God. Jesus lived this out as the perfect example. There is no greater calling, mission or achievement than to love God by giving oneself fully to him.

4:30pm

Boiler Room 7pm-9pm

I saw all of us sitting at a banquet table... feasting with one another. truely loving one another. Laughing, sharing stories, sharing our lives with one another. If anyone has seen "Hook," (a really good movie).. i can better explain it referencing to that movie. You know when they're all sitting at the table in neverland, and everyone is SOOOO excited for dinner, but the grown up Peter Pan can't see the food.. he just can't get it. I saw that picture; but we GOT IT! We are no longer satisfied with the crumbs that fall off the table, but we will sit with one another, look each other in the eyes and feast on love and fellowship, and whatever God puts at our table.. OPEN OUR EYES LORD TO SEE IT!

psalm 131. The Lord gave Mark a vision of a one-three-one defense (reference to basketball).. DIAMOND SHAPE.. Prophetic in the way that God is changing our defense.. it's not going to be man to man any longer.. Peter usually guards the big man... but we are now moving to zone... we need to cover for one another.

Tuesday, April 22nd. 5-7 PM Happy Hour Shift

I really needed to rest. So absolutely restless and burdened down. It took about 90 minutes to calm down and just rest and finally release the heaviness. The heaviness really comes from a fascination and a focus on SELF. My eyes were on me. Meditated on Hebrews 12:2 FIX YOUR EYES on JESUS.
The New Living Translation says at the end of verse 1. "And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Verse 2 "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith." Reminded me of Ecclesiastes 9:11, The race is not to the Swift, nor the battle to the strong. Again in the new living Translation it says, "It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time." Whoa! To me that is encouraging. Lord let us be in the right place at the right time.

Art Prayer Time 7-10

Thoughts continue around beauty. And the contrast of beauty and ......... If you have one with out the other you don't quite appreciate the fullness and depth of abundant life. They are fluid and yet separate within the same sphere. One springs forth life and growth the other stagnet, and death. So we pulled up the old, dead plants in the front pots of the Art Center and planted fresh life. As we watered and our prayers were pored out "Maria" came, she was thirsty. Walking for miles, needing to walk for many more miles yet tonight. She drank, and then water was sent with her for the journey. She's been a friend for a couple of years that passes through from time to time. Oh to give water to the thirsty....Water what a valuable and yet common resource to share with one another. Nothing else quenches our thirst. Then flowed into beginning to create the "Little Children Come unto Me" station in the prayer room.
Artists/Creative People are often thought of as capturing an "essence" of childlikeness. Some full of life and beauty, flowing and healthy. Others come from childhoods with much pain and need for restoration. We prayed for one another and the tensions of work and play. One spoke of the tendency to always want to play and yet seem to be working. And anothers prayer was realizing the challenges of letting God have His way with us. Molding and shaping us. It feels like work, discipline the fruit is beauty, abundant life, character, an inner stength. Peace.
Our prayers centered around relationships and God building and planting. The FAI being a well, the water being Christ, many of us being ladles, praying that God would bring people to the well. Some who would bathe in the well and others who would come, take a drink, leave and return from time to time. Time was also spent in thanksgiving for all God is doing and for some specific requests around the FAI/Urban Art Center, Coop, and Creative Service Initiatives.

Wednesday, April 23

Over this week, the person of the Holy Spirit has become so much more real to me--that He/She is continually with me, speaking to me, longing to teach me, to heal me, to bring me joy, to be my source of life. This is ushering in peace and joy I've not known before. Peace in the midst of intense trials.