“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” Psalm 42:1
It is a Wednesday evening, and I am ready to begin our monthly prayer time. I look out the window and see cars passing by to other destinations. No one has the prayer time on their calendar tonight.
I decide to play worship music and pray and listen. The worship song arises from Psalm 42 repeating the words of our longing for the Living God. But I wonder if we, the church, are really to the point of true hunger and thirst for God and the things of His kingdom?
He directed my thoughts to read Acts 1:4-8, 14;
” For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then they gathered around him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’” The disciples still did not understand that the kingdom of God was not of this earth. They were still hoping for Jesus to free Israel and restore her physical kingdom on earth. What about you? What is your focus? The church membership numbers? The bank account? The educational degree?
Jesus did not scold them or show his frustration. He knew they needed the gift of the Spirit to get the kingdom understanding. He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem until the Father sent them the promised gift. Then they would receive power to be witnesses to the work of Jesus in the whole world.
So they waited, and “they all joined together constantly in prayer.” Acts 1:14
God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thank you for all you have taught us in Scripture concerning Jesus’ saving, healing, and miraculous works! Thank you that you have called us into the kingdom work. We pray your church will be a a house of prayer. We pray for satisfaction to come to us through the Bread of Life and Living Water! May we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to do the same works that Jesus did for the glory of the Father.
