The Spirit calls, are we listening? We are commanded to pray without ceasing. How do we stay in this constant place? We have been going through a study on prayer, given for our "Further in Faith" woman's retreat. We are at the end of the word "prayer", the acronym given for the purpose of this study.
"R" stands for ready to serve.
The end is really the beginning of a whole new life as a servant of the Most High. As the Holy One has worked through each element of the intimacy with Himself. We have been drawn into the Holiest of Holies...into His Presence. We have a perspective as to how to remain in the place of never ceasing prayer. It's all about relationship and keeping the lines of communication open and flowing back and forth.
Once we have touched the very Throne of Heaven and we are confident of the One who is the source of all blessings up to and including out next breath and heartbeat, we are ready to serve His Will and trust in His ways.
This is the point at which we can move out in confident service. We can rely on the Holy Spirit to give us our assignments, and the ability to accomplish those tasks to the Glory of His Holy Name.
As we begin to operate in Trinity unity, according to the Words of Christ Jesus, He will bring His great victories in and through our lives. Nothing will be impossible. Mark 10:27 says, "Jesus looked at His Disciples and said, "with man this is impossible but not with God. All things are possible with God". And again, John 14:13, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things because I am going to the Father."
We have been placed and positioned where we are by God's great Sovereignty and our freedom to choose. Both end at God's Heavenly Throne. Where we find ourselves is in the Lord's over arching plan for our lives as servants of the Most High. Life is not random nor does God make any mistakes. You and I were ordained to be here on planet earth for such a time as this.
Our life of service is to accept this truth and seek His directives and then be obedient to the Heavenly visions and the voice of our Shepherd.
As I was preparing this last portion of the message, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "A servant gives no thought to reward, but only to do the Will of the Master. The work of a servant must be done out of love for the Master, not repayment for the task accomplished, otherwise he is a hired hand who can be fired or discharged.
As I pondered that , I could see how we can get hung up on "works" and the expectation of reward. This is very different than expecting answers. The expectation of answers is the faith we need and the answers will bring Glory to the One who orchestrates them. But the expectation of reward, is a self-centered pre-occupation.
Our motive for serving the Most High must never boil down to "what's in it for me?" That in reality is an attempted theft of God's Glory and leads us to a ruinous life of self-glorification. The expectation of reward unmet can also lead to bitterness and self-pity.
Reward can mean different things to different people in different situations. Whatever we think we deserve because of our "work" must be set aside or else it might dictate an ungodly motivation, that the Master will not honor.
Our attitude as a servant must always be, "Abba Father, Your will, Your way, it is my honor to serve You."
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are His to manifest in and through our lives. We have been ordained at conception to have gifts, strengths and talents placed within us for the use by the Holy One. Being ready to serve is to acknowledge this and to surrender ourselves with all we have been given for the EXCLUSIVE use of our Master. The gifts of the Spirit are not nor ever will be self-generated gifts or talents.
We may have human talents or giftings but unless we surrender them to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to empower them to bring glory to the Trinity, they will always fall way short of the potential. It is not with our independent power or authority to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy or drive out demons, yet this is what Jesus said we can and should be doing as servants of the Most High.
Here again, it needs to be emphasized that we are His servants. By His Holy Spirit within, we received our individual assignment and by His Spirit and authority we have all we need to carry them out.
In our role as servant of the most High, our eyes will see God do amazing things even through us. Being ready to serve is now a matter of corporate unity with the rest of God's chosen servants. None of us are called to be lone rangers. God's will and His ways involve the entire Body of Christ. Each one of us represent a piece in God's Heavenly jigsaw puzzle of His plan and His people.
Our gifts strengths and talents are given to be used by Him for the common good. In I Corinth 12:4 "there are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. All these are the work of One and the same Spirit and He gives them to each one as He determines."
As we come to the close of this study, we have entered into the Holiest of Holies as individuals, to bind our hearts and minds to the Lover of our Souls. This study on prayer has been a call to relationship and intimacy and fellowship with the Creator of our lives and everything we know. In this place of established unity with the Trinity, we can take our position and posture as servant with confidence that we have all we need to accomplish His will in and through our lives.
May our lives always reflect the peace that comes from unbroken fellowship with the One who calls us to Himself and may we all move out from here fully devoted to our Master and King, saying, "here I am Lord, send me!"
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
"R" stands for ready to serve.
The end is really the beginning of a whole new life as a servant of the Most High. As the Holy One has worked through each element of the intimacy with Himself. We have been drawn into the Holiest of Holies...into His Presence. We have a perspective as to how to remain in the place of never ceasing prayer. It's all about relationship and keeping the lines of communication open and flowing back and forth.
Once we have touched the very Throne of Heaven and we are confident of the One who is the source of all blessings up to and including out next breath and heartbeat, we are ready to serve His Will and trust in His ways.
This is the point at which we can move out in confident service. We can rely on the Holy Spirit to give us our assignments, and the ability to accomplish those tasks to the Glory of His Holy Name.
As we begin to operate in Trinity unity, according to the Words of Christ Jesus, He will bring His great victories in and through our lives. Nothing will be impossible. Mark 10:27 says, "Jesus looked at His Disciples and said, "with man this is impossible but not with God. All things are possible with God". And again, John 14:13, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things because I am going to the Father."
We have been placed and positioned where we are by God's great Sovereignty and our freedom to choose. Both end at God's Heavenly Throne. Where we find ourselves is in the Lord's over arching plan for our lives as servants of the Most High. Life is not random nor does God make any mistakes. You and I were ordained to be here on planet earth for such a time as this.
Our life of service is to accept this truth and seek His directives and then be obedient to the Heavenly visions and the voice of our Shepherd.
As I was preparing this last portion of the message, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "A servant gives no thought to reward, but only to do the Will of the Master. The work of a servant must be done out of love for the Master, not repayment for the task accomplished, otherwise he is a hired hand who can be fired or discharged.
As I pondered that , I could see how we can get hung up on "works" and the expectation of reward. This is very different than expecting answers. The expectation of answers is the faith we need and the answers will bring Glory to the One who orchestrates them. But the expectation of reward, is a self-centered pre-occupation.
Our motive for serving the Most High must never boil down to "what's in it for me?" That in reality is an attempted theft of God's Glory and leads us to a ruinous life of self-glorification. The expectation of reward unmet can also lead to bitterness and self-pity.
Reward can mean different things to different people in different situations. Whatever we think we deserve because of our "work" must be set aside or else it might dictate an ungodly motivation, that the Master will not honor.
Our attitude as a servant must always be, "Abba Father, Your will, Your way, it is my honor to serve You."
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are His to manifest in and through our lives. We have been ordained at conception to have gifts, strengths and talents placed within us for the use by the Holy One. Being ready to serve is to acknowledge this and to surrender ourselves with all we have been given for the EXCLUSIVE use of our Master. The gifts of the Spirit are not nor ever will be self-generated gifts or talents.
We may have human talents or giftings but unless we surrender them to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to empower them to bring glory to the Trinity, they will always fall way short of the potential. It is not with our independent power or authority to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy or drive out demons, yet this is what Jesus said we can and should be doing as servants of the Most High.
Here again, it needs to be emphasized that we are His servants. By His Holy Spirit within, we received our individual assignment and by His Spirit and authority we have all we need to carry them out.
In our role as servant of the most High, our eyes will see God do amazing things even through us. Being ready to serve is now a matter of corporate unity with the rest of God's chosen servants. None of us are called to be lone rangers. God's will and His ways involve the entire Body of Christ. Each one of us represent a piece in God's Heavenly jigsaw puzzle of His plan and His people.
Our gifts strengths and talents are given to be used by Him for the common good. In I Corinth 12:4 "there are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. All these are the work of One and the same Spirit and He gives them to each one as He determines."
As we come to the close of this study, we have entered into the Holiest of Holies as individuals, to bind our hearts and minds to the Lover of our Souls. This study on prayer has been a call to relationship and intimacy and fellowship with the Creator of our lives and everything we know. In this place of established unity with the Trinity, we can take our position and posture as servant with confidence that we have all we need to accomplish His will in and through our lives.
May our lives always reflect the peace that comes from unbroken fellowship with the One who calls us to Himself and may we all move out from here fully devoted to our Master and King, saying, "here I am Lord, send me!"
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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