like an old battleaxe
It's Saturday afternoon the weekend of Passion Atlanta, and I'm walking into the prayer party suite before the afternoon session. I'm so ready to get my war on, and I come into the room to find the intercessors hanging out, getting to know one another, having some snacks. I love these people, love that they want to serve Jesus by praying for this generation. I love to see their hearts grow as they pray and how they get wrecked out and exhilarated at once as God imparts His Spirit through intercession. I'm anxious for them to experience this more, I feel His momentum building and I don't want to miss a minute of what God is doing.
Megan Keyes is one of the intercession leaders this weekend. Megan lives in Atlanta, and her husband Aaron is the worship leader at their church. My intercessor friend Carol Lathe, also from Atlanta, who has interceded at several Passions, is the one who tells me about Megan. After talking to Megan on the phone before the weekend, I know I want her to lead a group.
Megan is a cute little spiky-haired blonde, who carries around her own copy of Elizabeth Alves "Becoming a Prayer Warrior." A woman after my own heart. I open up her copy to see it all marked all up and comments written everywhere. It almost makes me cry. Intercessors are kooky. Earlier in the day, Megan and Amy Parker and I go on a foraging expedition to find some things for an act of intercession. Ms. Parker is an intercessor from the Austin Stone with a heart of gold, and has excellent spy skills if needed.
The three of us are consulting how to begin our time and agree that we need to take it up a notch and really go after God during this time. The morning was fresh and now it's time to dig in. One of my favorite scriptures is Jacob wrestling with God, not letting go until He blesses Jacob. And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks," But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" Genesis 32:26. This needs to be our attitude in prayer, to be tenacious especially when apathy is wanting to settle in like a haze over the hearts of the students. Never ever, not ever are we letting go of what Jesus wants to do.
Megan says to me, "I have a song called 'This is an Emergency!' Maybe that would be good." "Perfect," I say, "let's start with that." I have no idea what this song sounds like but I totally trust Megan.
The song is actually called "Like An Old Battleaxe" - should have been my first warning - and as we open in prayer and ask the intercessors to really pour their hearts into their intercession, Megan cues up the song.
The only way to describe this song is to say that if pirates were to create worship music, this would be the song. I can't understand the words because of the artist's cockneyed accent, and as much as I try to worship with it, I finally open my eyes and see almost everyone standing there in a circle in a state of prayerful worship. I'm encouraged that they are praying and I catch Megan's eye and we both start laughing as I shake my head. The laughter is contagious and soon the intercessors are getting into this operatic song that may just be the song that will bring Johnny Depp to Jesus, and are singing loudly "THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!" over and over.
I put on David Crowder's "No One Like You" after that and the unity in our worship continues to be strong, and I'm so thanking God for what He's about to do with the students in the afternoon. As the song ends we barely have time to take a breath in before the sounds of worship come blasting through the arena as the session starts. The Holy Spirit floods in on the wings of a smiling sonic wave that is LOUD.
I don't remember much after that; and that is my favorite place to be in intercession, lost in worship and knowing GOD is TAKING BACK and conquering and breaking through and JOYFULLY, joyfully healing and rescuing His people. Apathy is blown out of the place, replaced by HIS urgency and HIS stirring of the soul.
I'll write the book on your righteousness
talk up your salvation the livelong day,
never run out of good things to write or say.
I come in the power of the Lord GOD,
I post signs marking his right-of-way.
When I open up in song to you,
I let out lungsful of praise,
my rescued life a song.
All day long I'm chanting
about you and your righteous ways,
While those who tried to do me in
slink off looking ashamed.
from Psalm 71, (the message)
Megan Keyes is one of the intercession leaders this weekend. Megan lives in Atlanta, and her husband Aaron is the worship leader at their church. My intercessor friend Carol Lathe, also from Atlanta, who has interceded at several Passions, is the one who tells me about Megan. After talking to Megan on the phone before the weekend, I know I want her to lead a group.
Megan is a cute little spiky-haired blonde, who carries around her own copy of Elizabeth Alves "Becoming a Prayer Warrior." A woman after my own heart. I open up her copy to see it all marked all up and comments written everywhere. It almost makes me cry. Intercessors are kooky. Earlier in the day, Megan and Amy Parker and I go on a foraging expedition to find some things for an act of intercession. Ms. Parker is an intercessor from the Austin Stone with a heart of gold, and has excellent spy skills if needed.
The three of us are consulting how to begin our time and agree that we need to take it up a notch and really go after God during this time. The morning was fresh and now it's time to dig in. One of my favorite scriptures is Jacob wrestling with God, not letting go until He blesses Jacob. And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks," But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" Genesis 32:26. This needs to be our attitude in prayer, to be tenacious especially when apathy is wanting to settle in like a haze over the hearts of the students. Never ever, not ever are we letting go of what Jesus wants to do.
Megan says to me, "I have a song called 'This is an Emergency!' Maybe that would be good." "Perfect," I say, "let's start with that." I have no idea what this song sounds like but I totally trust Megan.
The song is actually called "Like An Old Battleaxe" - should have been my first warning - and as we open in prayer and ask the intercessors to really pour their hearts into their intercession, Megan cues up the song.
The only way to describe this song is to say that if pirates were to create worship music, this would be the song. I can't understand the words because of the artist's cockneyed accent, and as much as I try to worship with it, I finally open my eyes and see almost everyone standing there in a circle in a state of prayerful worship. I'm encouraged that they are praying and I catch Megan's eye and we both start laughing as I shake my head. The laughter is contagious and soon the intercessors are getting into this operatic song that may just be the song that will bring Johnny Depp to Jesus, and are singing loudly "THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!" over and over.
I put on David Crowder's "No One Like You" after that and the unity in our worship continues to be strong, and I'm so thanking God for what He's about to do with the students in the afternoon. As the song ends we barely have time to take a breath in before the sounds of worship come blasting through the arena as the session starts. The Holy Spirit floods in on the wings of a smiling sonic wave that is LOUD.
I don't remember much after that; and that is my favorite place to be in intercession, lost in worship and knowing GOD is TAKING BACK and conquering and breaking through and JOYFULLY, joyfully healing and rescuing His people. Apathy is blown out of the place, replaced by HIS urgency and HIS stirring of the soul.
I'll write the book on your righteousness
talk up your salvation the livelong day,
never run out of good things to write or say.
I come in the power of the Lord GOD,
I post signs marking his right-of-way.
When I open up in song to you,
I let out lungsful of praise,
my rescued life a song.
All day long I'm chanting
about you and your righteous ways,
While those who tried to do me in
slink off looking ashamed.
from Psalm 71, (the message)