Tuesday, March 3, 2009

REFLECTIONS FROM PRAYER


Sue Tinworth, Associate and Prayer Coordinator of Transforming Melbourne, shares the following reflections from prayer:
Week One: Seeing Jesus as He Is.
I was blown away by the invitation to have the eyes of my heart enlightened and for the images of being one with Jesus; being filled by His Spirit.

A pivotal moment on earth had to be when Jesus was born human and heaven opened to say something… Luke 2:14 isn’t just a Christmas carol. Last week I unpacked it.

From Luke 2:8 it’s all great, great, great … for all people… Great news of great joy from a great company of the heavenly host praising God and saying… “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

The word peace means to be set at one again! Quiet rest, satisfaction, delight because we are one with Him again. The word for men means the countenance – the faces of people- and it refers to those who gaze open eyed at something remarkable. This is us as we focus on who Jesus is in these weeks of prayer and fasting!

Heb 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…
2Cor 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Matt 5:8 Those who see God are pure in heart.

The words favor of God mean a divine influence that comes upon the heart and its reflection in the life -graciousness in manner and action. I see gracious radiance and peace on those who spend time gazing at who Jesus is!

From Luke 2:15-20 the words see and heard and all repeat in a crescendo because when they see they have to tell others. And it was just as they had been told – this experience had integrity!

And this is for all who will receive! Are you one of them?

Week Two: Seeing the Church as Jesus Sees it.
Am I open to see and respond to what He shows me?
I was shocked on Sunday night – the first night to get a revelation that challenges me to responds to what I have been shown.

As I prayed, I was seeking to bless our Lord and I remembered if we seek Him we will find…
I prayed to have no agenda but Him/His and felt the Spirit sigh into this.
His agenda is to love and be loved. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain by loving Him.

But then I felt Jesus’ invitation to love ‘her’ for Him.
This wife he loves so much. Ephesians 5:25-27
This dear woman whom He entrusts to his son to take to his home. John 19:26-27
He entrusts His bride to us, friends of the bride groom, while she is waiting for Him. John 3:29
Before he left Shepherd entrusted His lambs to those who truly, truly, truly love Him, saying, Take care of my sheep. John 21:15,16,17

Do we see the Church as lovingly as Jesus does?