Hi gang - you know I have an immature/not quite ripe thought I want to pass your way regarding the prayer & fasting that will precede the Call in Nashville. Ordinarily I’d let it ripen, but I’m feeling a little reckless and immature today – so anyway, here goes . . .
I had a dream the other day about a group of young people who were being separated into two teams. Neither group was good or bad. Actually, it seemed like I loved both groups. However, there was a group of little boys in front of me that I suddenly cared for. Something about them reminded me of Timothy, Paul’s adopted son in Christ.
They were expressing concern about the way the teams had ended up because they were intimidated. The other team seemed too strong, i.e., the odds were stacked against them.
Corey Russell (a teacher on intercession at IHOP-KC ) was sitting on the floor with them in order to identify with them, coach them and communicate at their level. I said to the kids, "Don't worry, you have Paul and Silas on your team and they are pray-ers." Corey took my hand to let me know that he agreed with me and his hand lingered there and although it was awkward, I was aware that he really wanted to communicate encouragement that what I said was right - and as I let go, I suddenly felt the Holy Spirit lingering over us.
When I woke up, I was puzzled because it seemed to me it would have been more likely for me to think “Paul and Barnabus”. But the dream was clear, so – I waited for God to make sense of it. It turns out that He was quick to do so because I ended up in a seminar last night and my friend was talking about Paul and Silas. She recounted the story of Paul and Silas in prison. They were imprisoned for a couple of reasons that are too lengthy to go into right now, but the passage of focus was Acts 16: 25ff
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" 29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Now, here’s the deal - Paul and Silas most likely were not praying and singing hymns just to get God to release them. It seems to me that they were just loving Him because they loved Him. The reason I say that is if you look at the passage, they never sought to escape when the earthquake broke their chains. As a matter of fact, at the end of the chapter, when they are set free, Paul is quite cranky and says that they were jailed without cause, so he insists that the dudes who locked them up ought to come and escort them out – justifying them completely. In the meantime, their prayer and worship preceded an earthquake that not only broke their chains but broke off the chains of all of the prisoners and one result was that the jailer and his family sought salvation.
All righty then, one more thought and I’ll try and tie all of the pieces together . . .
At the beginning of this chapter, Paul has just been aggravated by John Mark not sticking things out and he runs into Timothy. He’s quite soft hearted toward Timothy and he wants to take him with him on his missionary trip. Timothy’s mom is Jewish, but his dad is Greek and apparently did not allow him to be circumcised when he was a baby. Paul does something bizarre considering that he advocates so staunchly for the Gentiles to not have to be circumcised. He tells Timothy that he’d like him to be circumcised. It appears that something is different here - he’s looking for young Timothy to have a voice to the Jews. He knows that the Jews will not listen to young Timothy unless he fully identifies with them. So Paul, in essence, steps in as a father and circumcises Timothy himself.
So what’s the connection to the dream? This 40 day prayer/fast and The Call are in essence a time of separation for our young people; Timothys perhaps? I believe we are called to get down on the ground with them and intercede (Corey) and encourage them by identifying with them; communicating that they have fathers and mothers in the faith that will link hands with them in prayer and worship.
The gift that we have to offer them is our prayer and worship and an offering of love for love’s sake. It’s the kind of kiss that really moves God’s heart because it’s not a manipulative act of affection to bring about the change of our circumstances. At its heart, it’s truly and simply because we really love and trust our Father’s intentions . . . while also caring for the next Generation; helping them to develop the same/better in their own lives.
Now, I know that some of us feel imprisoned right now as well and God cares about that – He’s on it. But this act of love expressed in prayer and worship, like Paul and Silas offered in their prison, inadvertently yields a result that is not really just about us, it’s about all of the other prisoners and the jailers that God wants to set free and He’s willing to move both heaven and earth in order to do so.
Additionally, if I were to walk out the analogy, perhaps our young Timothys will have an opportunity to identify with and speak into the Jewish people about Jesus as we take up our roles as Moms and Dads and identify ourselves with them; bringing the youth alongside us and helping them to circumcise their hearts to the Lord.
If you are going to engage in this solemn assembly, can I encourage you to grab a young person and pray with them during this time? Teach them about their role and their invitation. Identify with some young soul that needs to be loved and encouraged to step into their rightful identity. If you don’t have some young dude or dudette that will pray with you, ask God if there is someone He would put on your heart to simply pray FOR. But in the midst of it all, let’s look at God and just love Him BIG, simply because He’s just so good, so wonderful and we are falling deeply in love with Him in all of His beauty. Let’s thank Him for this opportunity and watch for the earthquake that set prisoners and jailers free.
Hosea 6:1-3 "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us that we may live in his presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."
Much love, t
