A lesson in love from my hubby

Tuesday nights you can find me in down town Melbourne. On the first and third, we have a house church in a local community center and theater.

On the second and fourth, we prayer walk and meet the community surrounding down town, asking how to pray for them. We mention the house church, but really want to be a source of encouragement and strength.

At 9:00, we meet at the coffee house and set up for dream interpretation. Again, we want to reach the community with light. We don't shove Jesus at anyone, but sincerely try to interpret a dream and if there is opportunity, speak of the One who created dreams, we do. Our prayer is Daniel 1:17.

Let me tell you, we've had some whopper dreams. Unbelievable. Guess what. God always gives us insight. You should see the faces of people brighten as we assure them the elements of the dream don't mean what they thought. Or, we move from interpretation to encouragement. Their eyes widen. We can see our words resonating in their hearts.

The coffee house is the typical coffee house - lots of groups meeting to talk, to discuss, dialog. The Wiccans used to meet at this coffee house, but have moved locations. They had their own infighting to deal with. College kids hang out there, people discussing every thing from dreams to politics.

The past two weeks there's been a gathering of people talking politics. Loudly.

Tony was reading a book while sitting next to them, and returned to our dream table and suggested, "Let's ask the Lord how we can meet them and love them."

We prayed, asking the Lord to open a door for us to love them. 

God heard us. He opened the door. Now, it's up to us to hear His heart for her and love her. Who knows if we are not the only ambassador of Christ some of these people will encounter.

Oh, Lord, use me. Us use!

So, I learned a lesson of love and holiness from my hubby last night. He's good that way.

As promised, a post on prayer

I woke up the other day with this thought: the disciples watched Jesus do all kinds of miracles. Cast our demons, heal the sick, multiply food, amaze the masses with his insight and teaching, but what did they ask the Lord to teach them?

How to pray.

Luke 11 begins with this question.

Jesus answer with what we now know to be "the Lord's prayer."

But of all the things they could've asked him, why prayer?

In today's world, if we saw Jesus healing the sick, casting out devils, multiplying food, we'd have a book out, "How To Feed 5000 In Three Steps."

Or, "Growing Your Congregation to 5000 With The Fellowship of Food."

Am I right? Yes. We are so "do" oriented we forget all about the very thing that made Jesus and the disciples walk in miracles and devotion.

Prayer.

Sorry folks, there's no way around it. Jesus is the corner stone of our foundation. Prayer is the tool that keeps us on the Rock.

In Matthew 6, Jesus even references the Gentiles praying. Seems everyone, Jew and Gentile, understood the power and purpose of prayer.

Jesus began his ministry after 40 days of prayer and fasting.

Pentecost happened after prayer and waiting on the Lord.

All through the New Testament, we see prayer as the avenue to miracles and revival. We see it through history.

Evan Roberts prayer for years before seeing the Welsh Revival.

My husband Tony and our friend Ted started a down town outreach after sowing seeds of prayer.

Doing is good, but far too often we leap over "being" because we are bored and impatient.

Lately, I've been asking the Lord to renew my heart and spirit of prayer. I want to be a woman of prayer as well as a woman of action.

I want my action to come out of prayer. Think how much time in our day we spend doing frivolous things: computer, tv., whatever. Not that we can't do those things from time to time, but if you're spending two hours a night on tv and computers, don't tell me you don't have time for prayer.

And I'm pointing the finger at myself as much as anyone. Prayer is critical. Look at our society. We are so mixed up, tangled up and confused prayer is the only thing that will straighten us out.

So, I'm devoting myself to prayer. Fasting. (ho boy) and believing God to do the rest.

***

Dream Interpretation

As part of the down town outreach, Ted Can-Have-A-Relationship-With-Anyone, set up a team to do dream interpretation at a local coffee shop.

I had my first chance this past Tuesday. It was awesome. We didn't have many dreamers, so after we did a few of the shop customers, we practiced with each other.

I love doing this. It seems so easy and fun. I've been praying Daniel 1:17 for myself, so I'm stepping out now in writing and dream interpretting to give God a chance to glorifiy Himself through me!

I'll keep you posted. This was only our second week, but the owner is very excited to have us come around.