For the longest I have known that God desires more of my worship than just sitting in a pew. For many that means I should sing in the church choir, usher or be apart of a ministry in the church. I’ve always grown up learning to be active in the church, but what I’m talking about is much more deeper than that. I don’t want to be known for being head usher one Sunday. I don’t want people to constantly mention how beautiful I sound when I sing. I want to worship God in SPIRIT and in TRUTH. I understand that worship styles are different for each person and I respect that. But for me I have always known there to be more, and hadn’t had the opportunity to tap into it. I have felt for quite some time that God wants to take me to a new level of worshipping Him. God wants to show me how to not just be in the church but be the church.
While at training camp I was introduced to the Holy Spirit in a way I’m not accustomed to seeing. It didn’t feel odd though. It felt so right. It thought “Where has this been all my life?” There was a lot I needed to see right here in the USA so that I could have a greater testimony of God’s goodness to share with the people of 11 different countries. I saw the Holy Spirit bring about deliverance not only to my life but the lives of others. I saw Him bring a sense of peace not only to my life but in the lives of others. I witnessed His healing power not only in my life but in the lives of others. I heard God speak to me like never before and I heard clearly what He wanted me to fix in my life and I acted on it. He gave me words to tell others. He impressed it upon me to pray for others. He gave my dear friend the gift of intecessory prayer right before my very eyes. I watched as she moaned and groaned for people she didn’t even know. I listened as God sped her tongue. I couldn’t help but just rejoice as one moment she was crying and the very next I heard her pray out for the people of those 11 countries but I promise she was speaking a mile a minute.
There are many who don’t understand this new movement that is coming about. There are many who are so stuck on tradition that they aren’t allowing God to manifest Himself in their lives. GOD IS. GOD IS. GOD IS.
He is the same God yesterday, tomorrow and forevermore. He is still doing wonders. I seriously feel that God wants to do wonders in the church but many of us are guilty of not inviting Him in. We are so glued to our traditions of “devotional group” and certain ones leading scriptures and prayers that we just can’t let God lead. We are so used to coming in church and only standing up during certain parts of the service that it is “wrong” to do anything else. We are so accustomed to call and response with the minister or priest that we fail to respond to God’s call on our lives. God wants to move. He wants to move in the church and we can’t forget WE ARE THE CHURCH. We have to allow Him to move through us.
We have to get up off our traditions and just open ourselves up so God can do what He wants to do. You know, maybe that will look strange to you. Maybe for one it will look like running around the church. For another it will look like jumping in place. For another it will look like dancing. For another it will look like prophesy. For another it will look like tongues. For another it will look like interpretation of tongues. For another it will look like healing. For another it will look like words of affirmation. For another God may place it on your heart and mind to pray for one. No matter what it looks like for you, God still wants to move. And if we are so stuck in our pews and stuck in the “religion” our grandparents passed on, we are far behind- we are not allowing His power.
I’ve been in the same church for 18 years. I love my church family. I have grown in many areas of my life because of different ones in the church. It’s the knowledge and biblical truths I’ve been taught there that has caused an uproar in my Spirit for much more. There are times when we have had a “halleluiah good time”. However like many of your churches there have been times when I just pray for more. But it starts with me and it starts with you. I have seen what God can do and I know that He will do even more when we give up ourselves and just allow Him to be Himself.
