when all is said and done, part one
condemption (n.) to have redemption through Christ Jesus, but still live under condemnation, for various, foolish reasons. To be used in a sentence: "That one is living in condemption, girl, go pray for her to be set free."
It's late Friday evening and the intercessors are gathered in suite 40, on the top floor of the arena behind the stage. We are looking down at an empty arena and going through the prayer cards the students have filled out. As we silently read them, we begin to amass a pile of ones that are more serious than the others. It probably contains half the cards. We keep going through them, and pass them to each other to read. After our prayer session that lasted during the main session below, our mood has lightened but these cards require more focus. I'm proud of this team who takes prayer seriously, but themselves not so much. We read the cards and then stare out into space. It's heavy stuff.
"I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her." Zechariah 8:2
God took me to Zechariah 8 a few weeks before, for Chicago and most times I have not been able to get beyond verse 2 as I pray for the students. I have sat on my porch with tears in my eyes and imagined and prayed for these students. Now I am among them and I just want to watch them worship, to see them connect to God. I am jealous for them to know the Jesus I know.
Earlier Friday evening, we gather for the first time and pray together. Our hopes and spirits are high for the weekend ahead. Half of us go down into the arena to pray, half of us stay upstairs. My group is upstairs and we really have no idea what to expect of God, or what message He's given Louie Giglio to share. We have no idea where these students are spiritually, emotionally - nothing other than what God is saying.
We are praying in the hallway outside our suite and can hear Louie in the distance. We can't make out what he's saying, and aren't trying to. But we can hear the heightened inflection in his voice, we can see the fire in his eyes when we do look down. One of the intercessors is praying about the great Chicago fire. Set this place on fire Lord! Consume it Holy Spirit!
I open my mouth to pray and the weight of what I'm feeling rushes in and I can't finish my sentence. I get out that His heart is breaking, how much He loves them and then I just have to sit there on the floor and weep. A little later we can hear the sound of Glorious and the voices below are lifting up Jesus.
Fear not, let your hands be strong. From Zechariah 8:13. I pray this much for these college students gathered here, these so beloved Midwestern students. I want them to be strong in the Lord. I come across this quote from Charles Spurgeon, speaking about Psalm 45 vs. 13. "Natural ties are not broken by graces, only ties of sinful nature and bonds of graceless affinity are broken. We have as much to forget as to learn."
This comforts me, in an age where relationships come and go, where doubting can be much and trust can be little. Where we have so much heartbreak to forget. As we break our ties with the world, I pray our ties within the body become stronger, and our hands to do His work become stronger. My relationships within the body cannot be broken easily because they are full of His grace, and led by His Spirit. It comforts me, this covenant we each have with God.
It's midnight Thursday night and I'm arriving in Chicago almost 12 hours later than expected. I'm laughing because I know something good is coming. One of the first good things is my roommate Allison Moody, who greets me with a hug and a laugh and purple pigtails, and I know things are going to be just great, because when is God not great?
And He above all knows greater things are yet to come, in this Windy City by the Lakeshore. He knows the hearts that live there, He has heard the countless prayers that have been prayed long before we showed up. He is on the move!
The inhabitants of one city shall go to
another, saying,
"Let us continue to go and pray before
the LORD,
and seek the LORD of hosts.
I myself will also go."
Zechariah 8:21
It's late Friday evening and the intercessors are gathered in suite 40, on the top floor of the arena behind the stage. We are looking down at an empty arena and going through the prayer cards the students have filled out. As we silently read them, we begin to amass a pile of ones that are more serious than the others. It probably contains half the cards. We keep going through them, and pass them to each other to read. After our prayer session that lasted during the main session below, our mood has lightened but these cards require more focus. I'm proud of this team who takes prayer seriously, but themselves not so much. We read the cards and then stare out into space. It's heavy stuff.
"I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her." Zechariah 8:2
God took me to Zechariah 8 a few weeks before, for Chicago and most times I have not been able to get beyond verse 2 as I pray for the students. I have sat on my porch with tears in my eyes and imagined and prayed for these students. Now I am among them and I just want to watch them worship, to see them connect to God. I am jealous for them to know the Jesus I know.
Earlier Friday evening, we gather for the first time and pray together. Our hopes and spirits are high for the weekend ahead. Half of us go down into the arena to pray, half of us stay upstairs. My group is upstairs and we really have no idea what to expect of God, or what message He's given Louie Giglio to share. We have no idea where these students are spiritually, emotionally - nothing other than what God is saying.
We are praying in the hallway outside our suite and can hear Louie in the distance. We can't make out what he's saying, and aren't trying to. But we can hear the heightened inflection in his voice, we can see the fire in his eyes when we do look down. One of the intercessors is praying about the great Chicago fire. Set this place on fire Lord! Consume it Holy Spirit!
I open my mouth to pray and the weight of what I'm feeling rushes in and I can't finish my sentence. I get out that His heart is breaking, how much He loves them and then I just have to sit there on the floor and weep. A little later we can hear the sound of Glorious and the voices below are lifting up Jesus.
Fear not, let your hands be strong. From Zechariah 8:13. I pray this much for these college students gathered here, these so beloved Midwestern students. I want them to be strong in the Lord. I come across this quote from Charles Spurgeon, speaking about Psalm 45 vs. 13. "Natural ties are not broken by graces, only ties of sinful nature and bonds of graceless affinity are broken. We have as much to forget as to learn."
This comforts me, in an age where relationships come and go, where doubting can be much and trust can be little. Where we have so much heartbreak to forget. As we break our ties with the world, I pray our ties within the body become stronger, and our hands to do His work become stronger. My relationships within the body cannot be broken easily because they are full of His grace, and led by His Spirit. It comforts me, this covenant we each have with God.
It's midnight Thursday night and I'm arriving in Chicago almost 12 hours later than expected. I'm laughing because I know something good is coming. One of the first good things is my roommate Allison Moody, who greets me with a hug and a laugh and purple pigtails, and I know things are going to be just great, because when is God not great?
And He above all knows greater things are yet to come, in this Windy City by the Lakeshore. He knows the hearts that live there, He has heard the countless prayers that have been prayed long before we showed up. He is on the move!
The inhabitants of one city shall go to
another, saying,
"Let us continue to go and pray before
the LORD,
and seek the LORD of hosts.
I myself will also go."
Zechariah 8:21