About 6 months ago I was in the woods of Tennessee at training camp watching people stand on chairs yelling out things like,
“I AM FREE.”
“I AM HEALED.”
“I AM WHOLE.”
“I WILL NOT BELIEVE THE LIES ANYMORE.”
They danced and spun around. They stood on top of their chairs. They didn’t stay still from the second they walked in the room. They were in the middle of the aisles, swinging their arms, screaming at the top of their lungs, holding nothing back. They were WORSHIPING. REALLY WORSHIPING. But then I remember thinking “oh man, what the heck have I gotten myself into?!” as I watched them. Then the other small part of me wanted me to join in too. (just a little bit)
Then… I came on the World Race… was put on Team Cherished Flame… came to Albania… Satan tried to attack us…
I felt extremely low. I felt tired. I felt annoyed. I felt defeated. Things from my past just kept coming up and hard. I couldn’t see the truth in the situation. But God never gave up on us! We have over 10 churched and about 1,000 people praying for us. Your prayers have been heard! Our God is GREATER! And we have been set FREE!
Our team was about fed up with Satan’s schemes. We made a commitment to not even “fight” anymore. Not give him the time of day or any of our emotional energy anymore.
We went to our meeting space, an abandoned corner bar on top of the local internet cafe that CRU rents out. We plugged in an iPod. We got out our journals and Bibles. Then on came Hillsong.
“I will not be silent! I was born to worship! I will not be quiet! The voice of fear, you can hold me back no more! I will not give up, what is my inheritance! I was born to do great things, God is alive, He is inside of me!”
After about a half hour after that, the arms started going up in the air, the voices louder, the speakers turned up, and worship started.
Now 6 months later…
I AM THAT PERSON! Dancing on top of a chair! Swinging my arms in the air! Praising the Lord! Thanking God for His presence!
Nine girls. In an abandoned bar in Albania. Dancing, singing at the top of our lungs, proclaiming our freedom in Christ alone. About halfway through a song called “The Anthem,” which declares much of our identity in Christ, we realized we had all taken off our jackets because we were so hot, and were all on chairs, hair flying, singing our identity at the top of our lungs to each other.
We had become those crazy people from training camp. Standing on chairs. Declaring truth.
I AM ROYALTY.
I HAVE DESTINY.
I HAVE BEEN SET FREE.
I’M GONNA SHAKE HISTORY.
I’M GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD.
THIS IS THE ANTHEM OF OUR GENERATION.
HERE WE ARE GOD, SHAKE OUR NATION.
ALL WE NEED IS YOUR LOVE.
YOU CAPTIVATE ME.
“WAKE UP, CHILD, IT’S YOUR TIME TO
SHINE, YOU WERE BORN FOR SUCH
A TIME AS THIS.”
