Voluntary Weakness :: What?!?!

Nita, pictured here with with me and my dear friends Kerry & Angie

"Prayer is the ONLY means to access grace... divine favor and power..."

- John Harrigan (teacher at IHOP-KC)

I've been blessed this past month to sit under the teaching of two of the most humble and anointed Bible teachers I have ever been privileged to know: Nita Steiner and John Harrigan. They've been teaching me about prayer and how to live my life today for the age to come.

Here's a little nugget that has been "messing with my mind" and beginning to change the way I order my life:
"The hearers of the Sermon on the Mount were people who understood all about a coming Messiah who would destroy wickedness and rule on David’s throne in Jerusalem, restoring the earthly paradise that was in the beginning. They saw in Jesus the signs of the Messiah and were following Him around because they wanted to be in that Messianic kingdom; knowing this, Jesus preaches this sermon, showing them the nature of His kingdom and of those who would be part of it; then He tells them what the lifestyle must be in order to persevere in this age and prepare for the age to come – it’s a lifestyle of watchful prayer and voluntary weakness in the areas of food, time, energy, money, and words. Through the activities of praying, giving, serving, blessing our enemies and fasting food (Matt. 6:1-18), we voluntarily embrace weakness and declare to God that we derive our life and strength from Him alone. Unless these are practiced with a heart motivated by love, they are vain and empty."

How contrary to everything we've grown to know and embrace in this life! We love strength, wealth, pleasure, receiving, free-time... and yet, if we are really honest with ourselves, none of that truly satisfies us in a lasting way, right? I know I was made to be satisfied in God now and for all eternity... God, I pray that You would give me grace to embrace voluntary weakness.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Matthew 5:6