Join Us for Forty Days of Prayer

February 5, 2014 we will begin a forty day journey of prayer focused on DESIRING . . . 

God’s desire for us and our desire for Him.  We will be posting daily and encourage you to sign up and receive the postings as emails so you might have direction and encouragement during this time.

 

Our hope in this forty day journey will be to develop an understanding of the raw, intoxicating, passionate desire God has for His chosen bride.

 

We resist his advances in so many ways.  Why?  We’re afraid. 

 

His love for us is passionate, intimidating, furious, jealous and overwhelming.  The scriptures are saturated with His desire for His Bride.  All the covenant language.  Old testament – speaking of God the Father’s chosen Bride – Israel – he enters into a covenant of faithfulness with Abraham – wedding vows, so to speak – “I will be their God, they will be my people”.  

 

This is all throughout the sacred early books - He instructs Hosea to marry a prostitute to demonstrate his perspective of how “she” (Israel) was unfaithful, yet his love for her and longing for her remains.   New Testament – new covenant (renewal of vows) – God the Son and his chosen bride – the Church (US!) – same deal – referring to the church as “her” – instructing husbands to love their wives as much as he loves his (the church) – love letters pining about how “she” has lost her passion – that “first love” that we have all felt at some point in our marriages, the butterflies in the stomach, constantly thinking about being together, the consuming desire to be with, touch, hear, talk with our chosen ones.

 

What if our desire for Him rivaled His for us?  Not sure that’s possible, but what if we began to ask Him to empower us to desire Him the way He wishes to be desired by His bride?  What would change in the church?  Would it cause us to become all that He wants us to be?  What other motivation is there to do his will?  How would an overwhelming desire for our Lord change how we function as a body? 

 

A Lovesick Bride.  Nothing weak here.  If we became as furious in our longing for Him as He was in His for us, what could prevail against us?  Nothing?  Do we really believe what the Bible says about jealous love, love driving out fear, love being our highest goal?   Is this really the key to the Church becoming all she is ordained to be as the hope of the earth? 

 

I believe the front steps of revival of the Church in the world begins when we understand our place in the heart of God and respond to it.  I pray that as you begin to consider this, it will set fire to your heart . . .

 

Doug Bishop

Pastor of Prayer

Ada Bible Church