A Flowing Heart

Once again, I'm listening to Mike Bickle's CD series, "The Power of a Focused Life."

He inspires me to go deeper in God, deeper in the Word each time I listen to it. This is my third time to listen to it and I glean little nuggets each time that make me go, "Wow, that's so true."

And, I feel inspired to wait on God, to dialog with Him using His Word.

Mike demystifies the whole quiet time, displined life thing. He reminds us we can ALL understand the Bible. We can all be scholars.

He kicks at a few sacred cows, too. Like only allowing ourselves to believe what our denomination or leaders tell us.

Sure, we need leaders, we must submit to authority.

But Jesus challenged the religious leader of his day in John 5 saying, "You search the scriptures because in them you think you have life, but you don't. I'm the life, but you won't come to Me. The scriptures point to Me."

How true that we doing our daily devos, read a scripture, pray a pat prayer or two, all out of sincere hearts, but our hearts are cold. NOT flowing with the life of God.

Even if they are, is there more? Yes.

I don't want a cold heart. I don't want to do religious duty. I want a flowing heart. Jesus says in John 7 that if we come to Him, as the scriptures say, out of us will flow rivers of living water. R-I-V-E-R-S!

Here's what Mike teaches. It's so simple.

Get your Bible. Start in the New Testament. Get a pen and a notebook - a journal. Read a scripture. Write it down. Write it in your own words. Repeat it back to God in prayer. Ask Him to give you revelation about something that stands out to you. Or, help you to obey what is said in scripture. Thank Him for it, pray a second or two and go on to the next verse.

I've been doing this. It works.

I don't mean to present this as some sort of quick-fix to your dry prayer life. But, it will change your dry prayer life.

Anyway, there's way more that Mike shares. What I like about him is he's been doing in his own life for thirty years and he's leading an alive, growing, on fire international prayer movement. He walk in authority in this area.

Off to work on Sweet Caroline.