Ohio
Journal: August 2006
Given some time for perspective, I can accurately
say that this campaign changed my life in a dramatic way.
For me, it could be called “the weeping time”
of intercession and travail. As I asked God what was on
His heart for these events, He continually showed me the
broken-hearted were on His heart. He chose to break my
heart for them, so that I might be able to intercede and
bring them before the throne of grace for a divine touch.
Aug. 12th – Prayer Room and Juvenile Facility
In the morning the tears began as the Lord let me know
that He wanted to break our hearts for the broken-hearted.
It felt like being put in the place of a weeping warrior.
That same day I traveled with a team to a boy’s
juvenile facility, to attend a Wings Party. It is a great
event, designed to bring the imprisoned and their families
together for a day. As a volunteer, we helped set up games,
activities, and spent time with the families.
At one point, an officer came over and asked if we would
go spend time with a young man whose family had not shown
up. We did, and I spent the rest of my time with this
precious 17-year-old boy. When I asked if I could be his
family for that day, he agreed, much to my surprise. We
spent the rest of the day together, and even had our picture
taken together, as something for him to keep. Quiet, soft-spoken,
and one who enjoyed the singing, ending the day and leaving
broke my heart even more. Watching as families separated
from their children was wrenching. As we returned back
to the hotel, I better understood why the Lord would be
breaking my heart. It was a quiet and tearful ride back
to the hotel.
That night I opened to Proverbs 31:8-9, which reads about
a kingly anointing of Lemuel: “open thy mouth for
the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to
destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead
the cause of the poor and needy.” God wants us to
open our mouths and plead in prayer on behalf of those
who are in need.
August 13th – Prayer Room
Purity, purity, purity. It was impressed upon my spirit
that which gets polluted gets diluted. We prayed that
the word would be pure, clear and straightforward –
penetrating into the hearts and souls of men and women.
James 3:17 says that the “wisdom from above is first
pure…” because it comes from he who is pure.
Later that morning we prayed for “fresh oil”
and an oil change. Much like cars, sometimes we need not
more oil, but fresh oil. We also prayed that we are of
the freewoman, not the bondwoman. According to Galatians
4, we are children of promise, heirs to a royal family,
and partakers of a divine inheritance. May that identity
be revealed! There
were more and more tears this day as I prayed. God continued
to touch, press, and break my heart so wide open for
those I had not met or known; but that God knows so
well. We prayed that God would sing His love song over
them; to rejoice over them with singing.
August 14th – Prayer Room
As I began to pray, yet again the weeping came. It felt
like weeping for me, for the lost, for God’s endless
measure of love. A friend came into the Prayer Room
and we shared communion and a tender time. Ps. 17:8
says, “Keep me as the apple of thy eye, hide me
under the shadow of thy wings.” I felt so blessed
as I wept. God was completely undoing me.
I was brought to Lam. 2:18-19 and sensed that this was
part of what the Lord was doing…it was as if “my
heart is crying unto the Lord, o wall of the daughter
of Zion, let tears rund down like a river day and night:
give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye
cease. Arise I cry out in the night: in the beginning
of the watches pour out thine heart like water before
the face of the Lord: lift up my hands toward Him for
the life of the young children, that faint for hunger
in the top of every street.”
August 15th – Prayer Room
The morning brought forth a young man in need of prayer
for a heart operation – which we learned was successful.
Praise be to God! During prayer time, I see what looks
like a NASCAR pit crew of angels. They are outside tending
to each van to be used that day – checking tires,
looking at the oil and fluids. They are in constant
motion and also are standing guard over the vehicles.
I am burdened to pray for salvation, deliverance and
healings to occur this day. I ask God to bind the strongman
so that the Stronger Man can enter in and have His way
in each facility. Lord God, appoint sentries to watch
and call out what they see. Fill Your messengers this
day with Kingdom power that they might speak eternity
into the air: that eternity would grab hold of the temporary
and lead it into those greater things – the everlasting
things of You, O God.
“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all its
righteousness…and all these things shall be added
unto you.” Yes, we bless the name of the Lord!
The blood of the Lamb has paid for every transgression
and iniquity.
August 16th – Prayer Room and In Prison
As I pray this morning I see an egg being cracked open.
Sometimes the shell of the egg is really hard, so the
egg has to be cracked several times before it opens.
Finally, when it does break, all the insides of the
egg come running out and all over. It looks like such
a mess. So it is with us and the hurts of our lives
– they can mount up so that the shell becomes
hardened. The harder the shell, the more often it needs
to be cracked. Yet all the while God is with us, gently
cracking our shell. He will do it as many times as is
required before we open. When we do, out comes all our
pain, our conflict, all our stuff. There it is, for
all to see. What happens when we get exposed in such
a way?
God says, “Behold, I make all things new.”
Just like a cracked egg gets turned into something delicious,
God takes us in the palm of His hand and shapes us,
molds, us, heals us – He works us into the very
people He designed us to be in Him. Wonderfully made,
He says. Behold, a new thing I do this day.
Today we travel to a women’s prison and there
it all is for my eyes to see – eggs everywhere.
Women with hardened shells – sitting with a lost
look and toughened shell. My heart aches for these beautiful
women. I stand in the back and pray. When we return
to the hotel, I head for the Prayer Room to let it out.
There are more tears that night.
August 17th: Prayer Room
Hebrews 10: 1 reads, “The law is a shadow of good
things to come, and not the reality…” Father,
today is the day for people to step out of the shadows
and into the light. At a wedding the bride has her veil
lifted so she can clearly see her Bridegroom. Father,
we ask today that it would be so; that the veil would
be lifted from people’s eyes and they would step
out of the shadows and into reality – the reality
of You. The reflection of Your Son’s perfect love
allows us to see ourselves as You see us, Daddy –
a masterpiece. Some have not yet sent in their RSVP’s
to Your invitation – let today be the day, God.
Speak wedding words today, Father – words of love,
comfort, and hope. Speak “I will” to your
bride today.We weep for Your bride.
August 18th: Prayer Room
You are a God if infinite measure. Pour out from the
storehouse of heaven Your infinite measure today, Father
– Your measure of love to us, joy that overwhelms
us, faith that strengthens us, trust that quiets us.
We don’t need a sign God; rather we simply come
to expect it. We ask that heaven would touch earth today.
Make contact, God, make contact. Your love doesn’t
run out. Your grace doesn’t run out. Make contact
with lives this day O God – touch them and change
them. Keep us hid from the defeated one, we pray. Nestle
us under the safety of Your wings and gently guide us
to the place You want us to be.
Father, You tell us to give and it shall be given unto
us; good measure, pressed down and shaken together,
and running over. Today we give Your ourselves.
As a team leaves, I see a battalion of angels in front
of the team as they enter and walk through the gates
– they are under a holy escort. They are BIG ANGELS!
There are hundreds and hundreds in front of them and
behind them.
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Father,
let the voice of hope speak today. Such hope is an anchor
of our soul, and enters into the place beyond the veil.
Hope gets us into the inner court! We are taken to the
Most Holy Place through hope – anchor us there,
Father – let us come right to Jesus! We are to
lay hold upon this hope – to take it. We grab
hold of it and don’t let go! Yes indeed, we are
prisoners of hope.
August 19th: Prayer Room
The tears begin in my room at 4AM. I hear, “WAR
FOR THEM WITH MY TEARS, CHILD.” Some three hours
later, the tears, groaning and travailing is slowing.
I am exhausted. I have been softening the soil of salvation
with these His tears – literally felt like I’ve
been shedding the tears of my Father. I somehow sense
through this how long He has wept for His children –
my heart is broken, shattered and in fragments.
Poppa says, “I have loved you with an everlasting
love.” It is a love that knows no end. He has
drawn us with lovingkindness. Later on, I read in Jer.
31:15 and it feels like I finally begin to understand
some of what this has been – Rachel weeping for
her children. I read Ps. 56:8 and cry. I read Joel 2:12
– yes, I have been weeping between the altar and
the porch. I read Ps. 126:5-6 and am reassured that
“those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
August 20th: Prayer Room
Romans 5 – “where sin abounds, there grace
abounds all the more.” Father, in places beset
by sin, we thank You for Your abounding grace. He wants
them all and He wants all of them. He desires that none
should perish. I am brought to Luke 15:4-7 and read
about the lost sheep. May Your precious Spirit move
among the sheep today and find the lost ones. May Your
Spirit hover over them; and may You speak to them today
God. Apprehend that man! Lead that lost one back to
You today! Carry that man; that lost sheep back to 99.
Let heaven rejoice over the one lost sheep who has been
found.
Father, consume our offering today. We bring You this
offering of praise and thanksgiving. We offer You ourselves,
a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to You, O God.
Consume our offering, we pray. |
