Dear HV family,
known.
A new year has begun and with it new vision, new beginnings, new
opportunities and new promises! In Isaiah 53:7-8, God declares, …
From the beginning of time, God’s deepest desire has been to
I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my
make a home for Himself where He can be known by His people.
Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. For the
He longs for His people to know Him so well that we walk
Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will
confident in His power, live secured by His love, trust completely in
bring others, too, besides my people Israel.” (NLT). In this passage,
His goodness, stand edified by His truth and act empowered by
we see that God calls his Temple, a HOUSE OF PRAYER!
His righteousness. Basically, He wants us to live life with Him! For
And
within this passage we find 3 important things: 1. Worship-
this reason, God has set His heart on making a home full of His
offerings and sacrifices…2. Prayer- house of prayer… 3. Missions-
glory where we can experience Him every day. Although He has a
bring back the outcast…bring others too…
pretty nice home in heaven where His glory is on constant display,
This year I feel an
urgency to call HV to a higher level in Prayer, Worship and
He knows we need something a bit more tangible.
Missions.
A place where heaven touches earth. In Genesis, we read of just
During the 21 days, we are focusing on becoming a
HOUSE of PRAYER & WORSHIP- which will help us launch- “INTO
such a place. God made Himself a home in the Garden of Eden,
THE WORLD!” I believe His Glory will bring unprecedented
walking and talking with Adam and Eve. Sadly, sin’s entrance into
harvest!
the world prevented God from living with them like this and Adam
As we focus corporately and individually, ask God to help
you become a HOUSE OF PRAYER TO ALL NATIONS and get ready
and Eve had to find a new home. Ever since that day, it has been
to go INTO THE WORLD!
God’s goal to bring His people back to living life with Him…to
bring His people back home.
Jared Ming
Every person God created has a longing for that home, a hunger
met only in living life with Him. Those of us who have tasted even
a mere morsel of His glory are drawn to know more, to seek more.
We find ourselves echoing the psalmist’s intrigued wondering,
“who IS this King of glory?” (Ps. 24:8-10) Answering that question
is the journey of a lifetime…a journey that finds us transformed
along the way. For as we know Him more, He makes His home in
Home. What a word packed with meaning! Some say, “Home is
us through the power of the Holy Spirit and we become those
where the heart is.” Others say, “There’s no place like home.” For
places, those “homes,” where “heaven touches earth”…where His
most, home is a special place that is set apart from others in a
glory is on display!
unique way. It’s a place of rest. A place you stay. Hopefully, it is
a place where you can be yourself. A place where you can truly be
Throughout the next 21 days, we will embark on this journey
together, agreeing in prayer and fasting for God to make His home
within each one of us so that individually and corporately we
might become an exhibition for His glory. We will seek to know
Him more, pause to gaze in worship of Him and inquire what His
heart is for our church, our nation and our world. Each day, you
will be provided with a focus point centered upon the sanctuary,
which represents our place of fellowship or communion with God.
It doesn’t matter what the physical location is since His home is in
our hearts! We can meet with Him anywhere. The key is that you
set aside time with the intention to know Him more. Together, we
will agree in prayer and fasting that as each individual makes his or
her home with God, Higher Vision Church will be a home for God’s
glory, a home from which His glory floods our entire valley and
extends to the furthermost corners of our world!
A special thanks goes to Karen Dorris and Natashia Saunders who
have collaborated with me in writing this prayer guide. Our prayer
is that you would be blessed by His nearness as you meet with
Him each day.
Jenni Gilbert
January 4 -- The sanctuary is a home for God’s glory.
Not only did God reveal Himself through the tabernacle, but He also
used it to point to His purpose and plan in His Son, Jesus. Through
In Exodus 25:8, God instructed Moses to “have the people of Israel
build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.” (NLT) He goes
on to explain to Moses that everything built must be exactly according
to the pattern He specifies because this tabernacle would be a shadow
or copy of His home in heaven. This is truly exciting! We can learn so
much about who God is, what He does and what His purposes are
because He causes heaven to become tangible through the sanctuary
He constructs on earth! It is no wonder that the single most passion
of David’s life is to “dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my
life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”
(Ps. 27:4)
Our excitement grows even deeper when we discover the significance
of the Hebrew words used to describe this “house of the Lord.” The
Hebrew word mikdash, or sanctuary, was used to describe a
consecrated or holy place, an area devoted to the sphere of the
sacred. It comes from the root qadhash, which is often translated by
the word holy, and means to be clean or pure in a moral sense. Thus,
mikdash emphasizes God’s transcendence and the fact that His house
would be set apart in a special, sacred way. Another Hebrew word
used to describe God’s house is mishkan, which means tabernacle,
residency or home. It comes from the root, shakan, indicating the
idea of settling down, dwelling or lodging with and even lying down
with someone. It is from this root that the phrase shekinah presence
or glory of the Lord comes as it refers to God’s special presence, a
localization of His power manifest in a given time and place. Whereas
mikdash emphasizes God’s transcendence, mishkan highlights the
intimacy of His nearness. So we see that our transcendent God drew
near to His people by making a home for Himself in the tabernacle.
And in this home, His glory was on display!
the tabernacle rituals and furnishings, worshipers experienced the
seriousness of their sin and the grace of God’s forgiveness mediated
through the sacrifices offered and the ministry of the priests. Their
faith-filled expectation looked ahead to Jesus’ perfect sacrifice.
Ultimately, by living life as a man, Jesus would bring heaven even
closer to earth than the tabernacle itself. In fact, a literal translation of
John 1:14 refers to Jesus by saying that “the Word became flesh and
tabernacled among us.” There’s that mishkan word again that
highlights the nearness of God! The incarnate Jesus provided a home
for God and was the means by which He, again, displayed His glory.
But the excitement doesn’t end there!
In John 14:16-17, Jesus explained to the disciples that the Holy Spirit
would come to dwell with them and be in them. Basically, He
described how all followers of Jesus would become dwelling places,
residences, mishkans for God to inhabit! Indeed, He promised that
God would make His home in each one of us! This is exactly what
took place in Acts 2. Consequently, today, when we ask God to make
His home in our hearts, WE become the very places where “heaven
meets earth”…where God’s glory is on display! As individuals, we
bring God near to every single person we interact with on a daily
basis. Then as we meet together, the glory of God erupts through our
worship, our prayer, the preaching of the Word, the fellowship of
loving one another, through healings and messages of divine direction
and encouragement. Onlookers witness this God of glory in our midst
and they start to ask the question, “Who IS this King of glory?” As a
result, they find their way back to God. They find their way back
home.
Someday, Jesus will return and we will live together in a new home, a
new heaven and earth where God’s glory will be unrestrained and He
will be fully present with His people. Until that day, our deepest
desire matches that of David as we seek to live life with God here on
earth, gazing upon His beauty and inquiring of His will.
Offer the next 21 days to the Lord in prayer. Tell Him you
Seek
want to know Him more and ask Him to show Himself to you
in new ways. Tell Him you want Him to make His home even
more in your heart so that your life puts His glory on display.
Pause to consider 2 Chron. 7:1-3. “When Solomon finished
praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the
burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of
Gaze
the LORD filled the Temple. The priests could not enter the
Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the
LORD filled it. When all the people of Israel saw the fire
coming down and the glorious presence of the LORD filling
the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and
worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, “He is good! His
faithful love endures forever!” Thank the Lord for His
glorious presence. Kneel and put your face to the ground
and tell Him “You are good! Your faithful love endures
forever!” Thank Him for filling your life with His glory.
Pray for Higher Vision Church to be a home where God’s
Inquire
glory is displayed through our worship, prayer, the preaching
of the Word, our love for one another, healings, messages of
divine direction and encouragement and in outreach. Pray
that onlookers would be attracted to God as they see that
He is in our midst!
January 5 – The sanctuary is where there is sacrifice.
move into the space left behind and make His home there. Romans
12:1 encourages true worshippers to offer all their thinking, feeling,
All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their
sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the
Tabernacle… Ex. 35:21 (NLT)
choosing and acting as a sacrifice to the Lord. This is what it means
to love Him in daily relationship. Praise God for our Helper, the Holy
Spirit, whose work in us brings God great pleasure as we sacrifice all
that we are and all that we do to His influence! (Rom. 8:5) And as we
trust Him, “Christ will make His home in our hearts.” (Eph. 3:17)
Few people jump at the chance to make a sacrifice. Usually it involves
a cost that may bring discomfort or loss. One must weigh the benefit
of the outcome against such cost. Thus, those who follow through
with the sacrifice are those who truly believe the benefit will outweigh
the cost. There were several such “believers” who gave their most
precious possessions to make possible a place for the Lord to dwell in
their midst.
The invitation went out via Moses on God’s behalf for any willing
Israelite to bring an offering to be used for the construction of the
tabernacle. Exodus 35 – 36 emphasize the fact that this invitation was
just for those who wanted to give. No pressure. No sense of
obligation. No tent-to-tent fundraising visits were made with offers of
free food for those who participated. Amazingly, the response was so
overwhelming that the giving actually had to be called to a halt!
Exodus 35:5 reveals a clue as to why this happened. It says that the
invitation had been given to those with “generous” or “free” hearts.
These were people who had learned the secret of a sacrificing life.
Sacrifice frees up room for increased relationship with God. They
knew that the benefit of God living in their midst far outweighed
anything it might cost them.
So many of us cling to the stuff of this world. We wrap our fingers
around possessions, hold fast to attitudes, seek approval from people
and keep a firm grasp on positions. Little do we realize that a heart
that sacrifices, that lets go, is a heart that opens the door for God to
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any thoughts, feelings,
Seek
choices or resources God might want you to sacrifice to
make room for richer relationship with Him. This may relate
to what He is asking you to fast for this season of 21 days.
Tell the Spirit you are offering this to Him and that you
welcome His influence. Picture that space being emptied in
your heart and then filled up with the love of the Lord!
Fix your thoughts on Jesus and the sacrifice He made in
Gaze
coming to earth so that relationship with God would be
made possible for us. (Phil. 2:6-8) Tell Him you are in awe of
His obedience to the Father. Stretch out your arms as a
symbol of accepting His deep love demonstrated by His
sacrifice for you.
Ask the Holy Spirit to release an even greater generosity
Inquire
within the hearts of those at Higher Vision. Pray that our
church body would freely offer their time, resources and
energy for God’s purposes and values. Pray for an increase
in the budgets of our church outreach and ministry partners.
Pray that wealth would be placed in the hands of believers
and used to further the gospel and ministry to those in need
as we go into the world.
January 6 – The sanctuary is where we behold God’s
beauty.
And if our own enjoyment isn’t enough, there is something more that
happens as we delight in God’s perfections! Manley Beasley refers to
this, saying, “A glimpse of Jesus will save you. To gaze at Him will
sanctify you.” The Spirit makes this possible. “So all of us…can see and
One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of
the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in
his temple. Psalm 27:4 (NIV)
I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my
whole life long. I’ll contemplate his beauty; I’ll study at his feet. Psalm 27:4 (MSG)
Have you ever stopped dead in your tracks to gasp at the beauty of a
sunset? Or reached the peak of a summit only to catch your breath in
awe at the majestic landscape below? We can’t help but react to
beauty. It captivates us, leaving a lasting imprint upon our hearts. No
wonder David longed to spend his life gazing upon God’s beauty!
The Hebrew word for beauty in Psalm 27:4 is rooted in the surpassing
nature of the beauty as reflected in the NLT translation “perfections.”
It also includes the sense of delightfulness. The Hebrew word for gaze
carries with it the idea of contemplating with pleasure. This is a blowyour-mind kind of beauty that provokes enjoyment, thrill and desire in
response! The psalmist Asaph echoes David’s heart in Psalm 73:25,
exclaiming to God “…earth has nothing I desire besides you!” (NIV)
In Psalm 26:8, David points out that it is not the structure of God’s
house that stirs up such strong reaction in him, but rather the glory of
God that “dwells there.” Similarly, we see Peter respond to the
unrestrained glory of Jesus at the transfiguration with the cry, “It is
GOOD to be here!” In fact, he finds it so good that he wants to build
tabernacles so they can live amidst such glory! (Mt. 17:2-21)
reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord, who is the Spirit, makes us
more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
(2 Cor. 3:18, NLT) The more we enjoy God’s beauty, the more He rubs
off on us! Now that’s worth throwing a party about!
Moses asked God to “show him His glory” and the Lord
Seek
agreed to let all of His “goodness”
(beauty/perfections/delightfulness) pass before him though
Moses would only see the Lord’s back. Quiet your thoughts
and ask the Holy Spirit to show you God’s perfections. Ask
Him to give you a picture representing His beauty or to bring
a word or verse to mind that describes His perfections.
Gaze
Breathe the prayer: “I enjoy You, Lord. It is GOOD to be with
You. I am captivated by Your perfections. I delight in Your
beauty. I find joy in all that You are and all that You do.”
Ask the Holy Spirit to saturate the hearts of worshipers at
Inquire
Higher Vision with absolute delight in God’s perfections. Ask
Him to move powerfully through Pastor April and the
worship ministry. Pray for Pastor Mark and the student
ministry to encourage students to value true beauty as God
characterizes it. Pray that the body of Christ would find their
greatest delight in God instead of the attractions of this
world.
January 7 – The sanctuary is entered through His love.
As we love the world around us, every person we interact with and
pray for each day is brought to the doorway of God’s house and
invited to enter.
But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house.
Psalm 5:7 (NASB)
An interior designer would probably tell you that the entrance to your
home is vital to the overall message being communicated to your
guests as they stand at the front door. Will they feel warmly
welcomed, intimidated or turned off? Thank the Lord that the
entryway to His “house” is abundant love! His love is the threshold to
entering into fellowship with Him, to experiencing the rich relationship
found in His presence. But this isn’t just any kind of love.
The Hebrew word for His love in this verse hinges upon God’s
covenant loyalty -- His promised guarantee that His love will always be
there. Who doesn’t love a guarantee?! Even more, this guarantee is
astonishing as we recognize that “righteousness and justice are the
foundation of (His) throne.” (Ps. 89:14) God’s very nature insists upon
and demands righteousness. Yet, we see Israel sin over and over
again and God won’t let go. God goes above and beyond what is
required by covenant “contracts” as He keeps His promise despite
Israel’s unfaithfulness. “Long ago the Lord said to Israel: ‘I have loved
you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have
drawn you to myself.’” (Jer. 31:3) This is a love that overrides their
failure and calls them back to Himself.
So as we pause at the threshold to ponder His love in our thoughts,
to hear Him speak it with our ears, to feel it with our emotions, to
take hold of it deep in our spirit, we are drawn into the house of
fellowship with our Lord. That fellowship, fueled by His love, fills us
and flows from us. “We love because He first loved us.” (1 Jn. 4:19)
Picture yourself standing at the front door of God’s “house.”
Seek
God opens the door with an excited smile, throws His arms
around you and invites you inside. Do you enter
immediately without hesitation? Is there anything holding
you back? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what might be
hindering you from accepting God’s warm welcome to enter
into fellowship with Him.
Affirm that you can count on God’s love by saying to Him,
Gaze
“For Your unfailing love toward those who fear You is as
great as the height of the heavens above the earth…You are
like a father to Your children, tender and compassionate to
those who fear You.” (Ps. 103:11, 13 NLT) Pause to let His
love surround and fill you.
Ask the Holy Spirit to unleash the tender, compassionate love
Inquire
of God to be experienced by the HV body in fresh and
powerful ways. Pray for marriages and families to be
profoundly transformed by His love with the result of greater
unity in their relationships. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower
the HV Marrieds Ministry. Pray for the body of Christ to
exemplify God’s design for the covenant of love to be shared
between husband and wife.
January 8 - The sanctuary is where He will be found.
difficulties seem insurmountable. In prayer, we seek His affirmation
that He will bring worthwhile meaning out of the situations that don’t
make sense. In prayer, we are reminded that we reach the finish line
But who is able to build Him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot
contain Him? Who am I to build Him a house, except as a place to burn incense in
worship before Him? 2 Chron. 2:6 (NASB)
His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward
him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. Acts 17:27 (NLT)
in victory because we have a God who rules the universe in triumph.
No matter where you are or what you’re going through, God is there.
He’s waiting for you right where He’s always been. Just a prayer away.
Turn to Him. Know that He’s listening and that He promises to do
“immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine!” (Eph. 3:20)
There’s nothing like searching for your eyeglasses for an hour, only to
finally find them on top of your head. They were there all along. You
had just forgotten.
Fortunately, God promises that He is always there. We can find Him
by turning our attention to Him, by valuing Him enough to take the
time and expend the energy to look for Him. He is waiting to be
found.
When you need Him and even when you think you don’t, He is there.
When you think you’ve lost Him, and most importantly, if you think
you’ve left Him behind forever, He’s still there waiting for you. If His
eye is on the sparrow, how much more valuable are you to Him? (Mt.
10:31) So much more!
Yet, some circumstances might create more challenge for us in our
search. The book of Job poses an interesting question: Can we find
God’s love regardless of our circumstances? Whether we’re in good
times or bad times? We’d hope our answer would be yes, but the
answer isn’t always that simple.
By the end of Job, we see how the answer can be a resounding yes.
We can find God’s love no matter what, but this comes as a result of
prayer. In prayer, we ask Him to show us how He is with us when
Are you facing circumstances that are difficult to find God in?
Seek
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you He is with you in a tangible
way. Tell Him that you are committed to seeking Him.
Thank God that He cannot be contained in a building or
Gaze
limited to one place, but is present everywhere. Admire Him
as you reflect on the fact that He is beyond our scope of
comprehension, but brings Himself near to every detail of
our lives. Thank Him for His promise that if we seek Him, He
will be found. (Mt. 7:7) Read aloud Psalm 116:7, “Be at rest
once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.”
Inquire
Pray for increased passion and commitment to prayer among
the HV body as we become a house of prayer. Ask the Holy
Spirit to use HV ministries, satellite campuses, worldwide
churches and local and global mission fields to show seekers
that God can be found!
January 9 - The sanctuary is the place where God
speaks with power.
breathe out our words of praise and petition, emotion and song. This
exchange illustrates what it means to agree with God. And when we
agree with the God of the universe —whose very words brought the
world into existence—we get a front row seat to witness His power at
The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare. In His temple
everyone shouts, “Glory!” Psalm 29:9 (NLT)
work!
God speaks in His sanctuary and his words are alive with power. In
Genesis 1:3, “God said, ’Let there be light’ and there was light.” The
verse doesn’t say that God first spoke and then He started to make
light. No, when He spoke the words, the light came alive. God’s
words were so powerful that every syllable was action. The letter “A”
could have twisted mighty oaks and stripped forests, if He wanted it
to. His words created life and light. And when creation was done, He
said it was good. That’s exactly what He meant. It…was…GOOD.
Ask the Holy Spirit what words the Lord would like to speak
Seek
to you today. Ask Him what He wants to say about who you
are, how He sees you and what He feels about you. Ask Him
Can you believe that God exercises that same power in the words He
if He wants to show you something that has been hidden or
is using to connect with you right now? Prayer is a conversation. It’s
something He is doing in you that is new.
not just an exchange of information—you telling Him what you need
In Jeremiah 33:3, God says, “Call to me and I will answer you.
and then moving on. He’s talking to you, too. So prayer is listening
to Him speak. And it’s receiving what He says.
Gaze
I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could
never figure out on your own.” (MSG) Marvel at the power
Receiving God’s word is like breathing. In our moments of prayer, we
of His speech that brings revelation. Thank Him for the way
quiet ourselves to His voice, spoken through scripture or by the still
He speaks through His Word, nature, the Holy Spirit, other
small voice of the Spirit (1 Kings 19:12). As we allow His words to
people, dreams, music and circumstances. Tell Him how
penetrate our souls, it’s as if we are breathing them in and they come
much you enjoy hearing His voice and learning to recognize
alive inside of us. His words may create something from nothing—
what it sounds like. Thank Him for His promise that His
generating meaning where there used to be emptiness, producing life
sheep will hear and know His voice. (John 10:27)
from that which was dead. His words may bring light to the
darkness—revealing that which was hidden. And they may declare
what is good—affirming, valuing, identifying that which brings Him
complete satisfaction. We breathe in all of these words. Then we
Inquire
Pray for the pastoral staff and HV ministry leaders to be
God’s mouthpieces to affirm identity, bring revelation and
generate life through their preaching, teaching and coaching.
Pray that the body of Christ would speak words of Life to
nonbelievers who are searching for fulfillment. Pray for the
Spirit’s conviction of slander and gossip across
denominational lines. Pray for “sanctified social media” that
would build up and encourage.
January 10 – The sanctuary is the place where God
hears.
Thank God for the answers you know He has for you. Affirm
Seek
waiting for answers and saying, “I can’t wait to see how You
But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard
me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. Psalm 18:6 (NLT)
answer ____(situation)___!” Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen
faith-filled expectancy within you and to help you persist in
But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Psalm 66:19 (NLT)
God hears you. Every prayer you speak, even before you speak it, He
hears you. So pray—speak—with expectation. Pray as if there were a
your faith in Him by listing the situations where you are
prayer.
Gaze
Take some time to express gratitude to God by saying,
“Thank You that Your ears are open to my cry. (Ps. 34:15,
tracking number on God’s answer for you and you’re just waiting for it
NASB) Thank You that You pay attention to me. You hear
to be delivered any time now. Pray as if you are looking out of the
me. I am heard.”
window for the delivery driver, checking the number online, making
the call. Tell God you know He’s going to come through for you.
When you have that kind of expectancy for an on-time delivery, you
express faith. (Micah 7:7)
Inquire
Pray for the Higher Vision Leadership School to continue to
receive clear direction and strategies for equipping and
encouraging those called to leadership. Pray for the HV
interns and young adults to be filled with faith as they wait
Faith is believing that God is who He says He is and that He will do
for answers clarifying their calling, potential spouses and
what He says He will do. God affirms that He hears you. In fact, in
other life decisions. Ask the Holy Spirit to draw national and
Isaiah 65:24, He asserts that “Before they call I will answer; while they
global Christian leaders to cry out to the Lord in prayer as
are yet speaking I will hear.” He knows your need even before you
they seek answers for how to deal with issues such as
become aware of it enough to speak it. He is just that good. He
terrorism, racial tension, immigration and government
promises He will answer. Are you expecting Him to?
corruption.
January 11 – The sanctuary is where we find help.
May He send you help from His sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem. Ps.
20:2 (NLT)
Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind the situations where you
Seek
need His help. Picture yourself before the Lord as He places
each piece of impenetrable armor on you from head to toe.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Ps. 46:1 (NIV)
Hear God’s voice speak to you that “No weapon that is
formed against you will prosper…This is the heritage of the
There are over seven billion people on earth right now. Can you
servants of the Lord and their vindication is from Me.” (Is.
imagine seven billion lives equally important to God that receive His
54:17, NASB) Picture the enemy’s attempts to defeat you as
undivided attention? Most of us can barely handle one life—and
weapons that have now fallen to the floor.
that’s our own! Possibly add in our immediate family. But in Jeremiah
32:27, God says, “I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the
world. Is anything too hard for me?” Imagine having the help of the
Gaze
Thank God for the supernatural armor He clothes us with.
Pray: “Thank You for the belt of truth - for protecting areas
where I am vulnerable or weak. Thank You that, just as the
God whose power is so great that seven billion times you is still easy!
belt secures the sword in a place ready for use, Your truth
We don’t have to imagine it. We can believe it. As we fellowship with
positions the power of Your word within reach so that I can
God, we have access to His help. He has given us the power of the
grab it, go forward and attain victory. Thank You for the
Holy Spirit to work within us and “the Spirit who lives in (us) is greater
breastplate of righteousness - for helping me to love You
than the spirit who lives in the world.” (1 Jn. 4:4, NLT) His help is all-
and others with my actions which renders enemy activity
encompassing. We have only to “put on the full armor of God so that
useless. Thank You for the shoes of peace - for equipping
(we) can take (our) stand against the devil’s schemes…so that when
me to walk on difficult terrain trusting in and testifying to
the day of evil comes, (we) may be able to stand (our) ground, and
Your good news. Thank You for the shield of faith – for
after (we) have done everything, to stand.” (Eph. 6:11-14, NIV) When
deflecting enemy attacks by helping me to believe You are in
we ask for His help and depend upon His strength, we will be able to
control and are working good for me in all situations. Thank
stand…even when we feel like we can’t.
You for the helmet of salvation – for the confident hope I
have today knowing that my future is secure with You.
Thank You for Your word, the sword of the Spirit – for an
I will lift my eyes to the Maker of the mountains I can't climb. I will lift
my eyes to the calmer of the oceans raging
offensive application of Your truth enabling me to
wild.1
accomplish Your purposes and finish the fight in triumph!”
Our ever-present help in times of trouble. He is able. He is God.
1
lyrics from I will Lift My Eyes, by Bebo Norman
Inquire
Pray for God’s purposes to prevail in national and global
spiritual battles surrounding issues such as sexual identity
and purity, the sacredness of marriage and the value of life.
Pray for God’s truth to penetrate the hearts of Muslims and
to stop ISIS and the Islamic State.
January 12 – The sanctuary is where we experience
intimacy.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you open up every aspect of your
Seek
anything He wants to bring correction to in your thoughts,
That your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you
have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your
servant offers toward this place. 1 Kings 8:29 (ESV)
emotions or behavior.
Gaze
Building a relationship with someone requires conversing. Dialogue
place to confess sins and admit faults. Thank Him for such
happens in our relationship with the Father. He communicates with us
unconditional love.
through His word, and the two-way communication happens in prayer.
In God’s presence, we can confess the innermost parts of ourselves.
souls. We might feel like no one truly understands. But He does. He
understands the cries of our hearts. If we listen closely with a heart
attuned to His voice, we can hear Him speak back to us. In time, we
learn to differentiate between God’s voice and our own.
God is there with the answers! He’s not looking for us to come to Him
once we’ve got it all together. In God’s presence, there’s no need to
pretend that you have it all figured out. Instead, He wants you to pour
out your heart to Him. He’s your loving Father and your closest
friend.
Enter into the sanctuary of fellowship with Him with a humble and
honest heart that seeks His leading. When we allow Him to speak to
the inmost places of our hearts, He’s there waiting to love us, to
comfort us, to lead us into all truth, to teach us His ways, and to bring
correction.
we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit
(Romans 8:26, ESV) Pause and appreciate that He is a safe
questions, they answer; they ask questions, and you answer. The same
be a challenge; some things are just that deeply imbedded within our
Thank the Holy Spirit that He “helps us in our weakness. For
himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.”
happens over time, and helps you get to know one another. You ask
Finding the words to articulate your intimate thoughts with others can
life to Him in humility and honesty. Ask Him if there’s
Inquire
Pray for those attending the Spiritual Growth night at HV to
experience deeper intimacy with the Lord. Pray for ministry
in healing, freedom and the prophetic to release more
profound relationship with the Lord through weekend prayer
and events like The Outpouring. Ask the Holy Spirit to
enhance close personal relationships with Him across
denominational lines throughout the world. Pray for the HV
churches and local and global mission fields to experience
freedom, breakthrough and fellowship in the Spirit!
January 13 – The sanctuary is where we find strength.
the psalmist clarifies that this is no one-time deal! Rather, they will go
“from strength to strength” with “no good thing being withheld” from
them! (vs. 7, 11) Supernatural, lasting strength with blessings thrown
How lovely is your dwelling place…I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the
courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the
living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and
raises her young at a place near your altar…What joy for those who can live in your
house…What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord…When they walk
through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs…They
will continue to grow stronger… Ps. 84:1-7 (NLT)
What a precious picture the psalmist paints of birds nestling up to the
altar of God, settling into their nests and entrusting their young. They
are establishing “home base,” and when we look further into the
significance behind sparrows and swallows, this scene becomes even
sweeter.
Because they were a very common bird, the Bible refers to sparrows to
represent the insignificant; those who don’t feel they are of value.
Swallows were known as one of the swiftest birds and could be seen
darting from place to place. Such restless activity suggests the search
for a “resting place.” It is telling, then, that both find their homes at
the altar of God. Like these birds, we find what is needed only in God.
To the one seeking significance, God speaks immeasurable value (Mt.
12:29-31). To the one seeking contentment, He declares the search
over in relationship with Him (Phil. 4:11-12). The psalmist knows these
truths firsthand. He knows that only in God can one find unshakable
strength to face any struggle imaginable. This gives rise to his
impassioned cry of longing for God’s courts. And he takes it a step
further.
Perhaps the most profound blessing experienced by those who find
their strength in God is that even when they “walk through the Valley
of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs!” (vs. 6) And
in for good measure. What a promise our God offers to us when we
make our home with Him!
In Rev. 8:3-4, John sees an altar of incense before God’s
Seek
throne in heaven where the prayers of God’s people are
offered. Picture your prayers coming before God’s powerful,
mighty presence in the throne room of heaven. Ask Him for
strength in an area where you are experiencing weakness.
Gaze
Agree in your spirit with John 16:33 which says that Jesus has
overcome the world. Pause to revel in His victory by saying,
“You have overcome the world. YOU overcome.” Place your
situation in His hands and recognize His victory by declaring:
“I ‘hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs… The hand of
God has turned the tide! The hand of God is raised in
victory! The hand of God has turned the tide!’” Ps. 118:14
(MSG) Picture yourself resting in peace at the foot of His
throne.
Inquire
Ask the Holy Spirit to pour out His victorious strength for
those in the HV body struggling with addictions and issues
that inhibit them from living in God’s freedom. Pray for
God’s power to flow through the Celebrate Freedom Ministry.
Pray for prodigal members of families to experience Jesus’
power to overcome the attractions of this world and to come
back “home” to God!
January 14 – The sanctuary is where we have
assurance.
In Romans 8:31-38, Paul describes the assurance we also have of
God’s love for us. With God on our side, we can withstand any
enemy; no one can ever really be against us. Nothing that we ever
experience will have the power to separate us from our loving Father,
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will
dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalms 23:6 (NASB)
not even “trouble or calamity.”
And when our lives on earth have
ended, we can look forward to an even deeper intimacy with our
Father in heaven.
In the Old Testament tabernacle, only the high priest was allowed past
Having been vindicated through Jesus, we will forever dwell in the
the curtain of the innermost court into the place where God’s
kingdom of God for eternity. Jesus has secured our place in Him.
presence dwelt most fully. But when Jesus was crucified, the curtain
Nothing can pluck us from His hand; that’s great news! Stand firm in
was torn in two, signifying the access we now have to God’s presence
knowing that you belong to Him and that you are His, forever!
based on His sacrifice for our sins. As a result, we experience strong
assurance in knowing that we are privileged to dwell in God’s
sanctuary, in His very presence.
His love and assurance is evident in His sending Jesus to die for us.
Romans 10:9-10 declares that by confessing Jesus as Lord and
believing in our hearts that He rose from the dead, we have assurance
of our salvation, of eternal life with Him.
There is rest and peace in knowing that Jesus, our Savior, stood in our
place and died for every sin that has been, and ever will be,
committed. Being sinless, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. He paid the
price for a punishment that all of us earned. However, no sacrifice
that we offer could ever be sufficient payment for the death that we
deserve. Our assurance comes only from Jesus having paid the price.
Although we are flawed, Jesus’ blood has washed us clean, putting us
in right standing with our Father. When the Father looks at us, He
sees us through the lenses of Jesus’ cleansing blood as those
redeemed.
Thank God for giving you security in knowing that through
Seek
the confession of sin, you will reign with Him forever in His
kingdom. Ask the Holy Spirit to identify any mindsets you
hold that lead you to insecurity towards God’s persistent
love. Agree with Romans 8:33-34 by saying, “No one can
accuse or condemn me because I am Yours.”
Gaze
Tell Jesus how grateful you are that He is “sitting in the place
of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for (you).” (Rom. 8:34)
Bask in the uninhibited love God has for you. Close your
eyes and smile as you think about the delighted readiness He
has to do good for you.
Inquire
Ask the Holy Spirit to use the Higher Living ministry to assure
new believers of their secured position in Christ. Pray for the
HV outreach events to effectively communicate the hope that
comes from eternal life and the relentless love of Jesus.
January 15 – The sanctuary is where eternal perspective
is found.
Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind any areas in your life
Seek
where you need spiritual understanding. Ask Him to show
you His truth so that you can see the situation from His
When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary
of God; then I understood their final destiny. Psalm 73:16-17 (NIV)
perspective. Picture yourself on a rock representing the firm
footing His truth will keep you on despite what things look
like to the human eye. Affirm the security He will continue
Have you ever felt like the “bad guys” always win? The psalmist,
to give you by saying, “When I (say), My foot is slipping, Your
Asaph, records such a struggle in Psalm 73. It seems to him that
love, O Lord, (will) support me.” (Ps. 94:18)
these people are always getting the good stuff. They are the
“beautiful people” that never seem to have any problems. They are
rich and popular. They talk big and others listen. They do whatever
Gaze
Even when on earth at age 12, the bible scholars in the
synagogue “were amazed” at Jesus’ understanding. (Lk. 2:47
they want without a care in the world. Really? Asaph asks. So what’s
NLT) Acknowledge the limitations of your understanding as
the reward for being so intentional about walking in fellowship with
you picture yourself sitting with Jesus. Tell Him how amazed
the Lord? Has it all been in vain? Asaph feels he’s hit rock-bottom.
you are that in Him “lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge.” (Col. 2:3 NLT) Pause to worship the precise,
But then…he enters the sanctuary and it’s as if the lights are turned on
unlimited, endless perspective of God.
and he can see things as they really are. With the 20/20 vision he
receives in God’s presence, he is able to realize the road the “bad
guys” are actually on and where they will eventually end up.
Inquire
Ask the Holy Spirit to direct the HV staff and leadership by
revealing God’s perspective in all areas of ministry. Pray for
increased clarity in the perspective of Christian leaders who
There is a revealing play on words when reading the psalm in Hebrew.
influence government, business, education and
Asaph repeatedly uses a word that can refer to either “slipperiness” or
entertainment.
to one’s “portion/position.” With his focus cleared, Asaph grasps that
these “slippery tongued” people are on a slippery path which will
position them for destruction in the end. It’s almost like a cartoon
where a character’s feet are scrambling so fast you can only see the
cloud of dust flying behind, but they’re staying in one place or, in this
case, slipping backwards. In contrast, the strength (literally, “rock”) of
Asaph’s heart is God with whom he is securely positioned for all time.
Eternal traction. Firm footing forever. No slipping off the cliff for him.
Now who wins?
January 16 – The sanctuary is where we experience joy
in prayer.
Prayer is a worthwhile journey. One that is so worthwhile that
wherever you look in the Bible, prayer is there. And in life, you’ll find
that even people who don’t believe in God will say a prayer in a time
of need. It’s a natural instinct. We all have an emptiness that can
“I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him
and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest,
and who hold fast to my covenant. I will bring them to my holy mountain of
Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt
offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all
nations.” Is. 56:6-7 (NLT)
only be healed by a connection with Him. We need Him. And this
need is satisfied in communication with Him. David affirms this truth
in Psalm 16:11 when he tells God, “In Your presence is fullness of joy.”
(NASB) Our silence weakens us. (Ps. 32:3) So let Him hear you. It’s
not important that you “get it right.” It’s most important that you act.
No matter how you feel. Go ahead and start the party with a shout of
praise…”Glory!”
What comes to mind when you think of a party? Prayer is probably
not the first thing you’d associate with a party atmosphere, but that’s
exactly the correlation God makes when He describes the joy we
experience in His house of prayer. This joy is not based on feeling an
emotion. Rather, the word used for joy in this verse refers to actions
of rejoicing like dancing, singing, clapping, playing and any external
movement consistent with festival celebrations. It is time to party in
the house of prayer! But what if you don’t feel like it?
Prayer can be challenging! Sometimes it’s the last thing we feel like
doing. It may seem too hard to give God your time and attention.
We may struggle to know what to say. We may even feel bored. But
God gives us help by cluing us into the fact that our actions influence
our emotions. Have you ever forced yourself to smile at a stranger
and your heart warms up inside as you do? Have you ever been sad
and started to sing a worship song and felt encouragement and hope
rise up in you by the time the song ends? God knows that as we
open our mouths to speak to Him, as we lift our hands or even dare
to dance around a bit, our emotions will follow our actions and we will
be filled with the joy that comes from being with Him.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you communicate with God
Seek
through physical expressions regardless of your emotions.
Ask Him for courage to demonstrate your devotion to Him
without concern for those who may be watching.
Gaze
Lift your arms towards heaven or clap your hands as you say
to the Lord, “You fill me with joy when I talk with You!” Set
this phrase to a simple tune and sing repeatedly “You fill me
with joy…You fill me with joy!” Thank Him that no matter
what is going on around you, the joy that comes from
relationship with Him prevails.
Inquire
Pray for the HV Men’s and Women’s Ministries to encourage
and equip people to choose to act in line with God’s Word
despite how they might feel. Pray for increased freedom in
physical expressions of worship throughout denominations
within the body of Christ. Pray that the global church would
be a community living in contrast to the self-indulgence and
relativism prevalent in the world.
January 17 – The sanctuary is the place of wonder.
Take a moment to meditate on scripture one word at a time.
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Psalms 96:6 (NLT)
Seek
"On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your
wonderful works, I will meditate." (Psalms 145:5, NASB) Ask
the Holy Spirit what He wants to reveal to you about the
Take a moment to imagine God in his enormity. Do you envision a
wonder of His presence. Ask Him to show you some specific
colossal creator orchestrating the lives of His people, setting order in
ways He has demonstrated His splendor and majesty in your
the universe? Does your mind visualize His glorious presence on a
life.
beautifully adorned, heavenly throne, with worshipping angels? Or are
your thoughts more personal, like God walking hand-in-hand with you,
leading and guiding you? Maybe you see God in the “little” details of
Gaze
your day, perhaps in the beauty of the trees.
Picture yourself in the scene described in Rev. 4:1-2: “After
this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven!
And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a
trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must
If twenty people were surveyed and asked to describe the Father’s
take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold,
majesty, each would have a personal description that would differ
a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.”
from others in several ways. When declaring God’s wonder, the
As you kneel before His throne, value the splendor and
illustrations are immeasurable. The human brain doesn’t possess the
majesty of the Lord, by saying, “I worship You in all of Your
ability to proclaim all that He is and His immutable nature.
splendor. I am in awe of Your majesty.”
Communion with the Savior leaves you breathless, searching for the
words to articulate His wondrous power. When we draw near to the
Lord through the Word of God, prayer, and worship, we gain even
more knowledge of His character attributes.
We learn of His character by meditating on His word. Biblical
meditation means to ponder, to focus your thoughts, and to think
deeply. Meditating on God’s wonder means to reflect on His
goodness or to spend time seeking the meaning and purpose of a
scripture.
Inquire
Pray for Pastor Alex and the Children’s Ministry to excite the
wonder of God within children and for each child to take that
wonder into all the world. Pray for God’s wonder to be
preserved in the field of education and for more
unexplainable discoveries to be made in science that help the
world witness His glory.
January 18 – The sanctuary is where we learn the fear
of the Lord.
One might wonder if, considering their history, they were just fearful
of being punished. But that kind of fear leads to merely going
through the motions of right behavior. The hearts of these
doorkeepers longed, yearned and sang for joy to be serving God! (Ps.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else]; I would rather
stand [as a doorkeeper] at the threshold of the house of my God than to live [at ease]
in the tents of wickedness.
Psalm 84:10 (AMP)
84:2) There’s no way they were just going through the motions. They
exhibited true fear of the Lord which is rooted in “seeing rightly” –
cherishing both God’s just authority and His merciful love. These
doorkeepers could recount generations of God’s loving mercy because
their ancestors had cherished His authority. They wanted to serve the
Better to stand at the door than to relax in luxury somewhere else?
May seem crazy, but the writers of this psalm had learned a powerful
lesson about where they wanted to be. You see, the Sons of Korah
had learned that ANYWHERE with God was better than being without
Him!
If you are familiar with your OT stories, you’ll remember that their
ancestor was the infamous Korah. In the days of the traveling
tabernacle, the Korahites were in charge of transporting the holy
articles. However, Korah was ungrateful for this position in life. Filled
with pride, he opposed his divinely appointed leaders, Moses and
Aaron (who also happened to be his first cousins!) and rallied others
to join his cause. God’s anger burned and Korah’s rebellion cost him
his life and caused the death of thousands of others. BUT…his sons
were left standing for, instead of following their father, they aligned
themselves with those who respected God’s authority. (Num. 16, 26:9)
Four hundred years later, the descendants of these courageous sons
were given positions as singers and doorkeepers in the temple.
Although they weren’t priests, they were allowed to come closer than
anyone else to the inner courts of the Lord and, as the psalmist above
mentions, there is nowhere else they would rather be! They wanted to
be right where their God had placed them.
God who loved them so deeply by loving Him back in whatever
position He had for them.
Consider the positions, tasks and situations in your life that
Seek
you don’t like. Ask the Holy Spirit to expose any ways you
may be resisting or challenging God’s authority in these
areas. Ask Him to show you His loving purposes for you in
each one.
Gaze
Pray the following: “Teach me Your way, O Lord, I will walk
and live in Your truth; Direct my heart to fear Your name
[with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].” Ps.
86:11 (AMP) “Thank You for promising that ‘those who fear
(You) will have all they need.’” Ps. 34:9 (NLT) “I trust You.
You are able to be trusted.”
Inquire
Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen the hearts of those at HV to
answer God’s call to obedience. Pray that we would care
more about the fear of God than the fear of men. Pray for
HV’s social justice projects working to stop human trafficking
and those ministering to orphans and the poor. Ask the
Holy Spirit to give powerful strategies and opportunities to
the body of Christ to “right the wrongs” in this world with
God’s righteous authority and merciful love.
January 19 – The sanctuary is where we find refuge.
Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind the things in your life
From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where
my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath
the shelter of your wings! Psalm 61:2-4 (NLT)
Seek
that are causing you fear or weariness. Place each one in
God’s hands and thank Him for carrying them for you.
Gaze
Picture yourself walking hand in hand with Jesus. Turn to
look at Him beside you and agree with Psalm 23:4-5 by
Images of rafts crammed full of refugees landing on foreign shores
saying, “Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m
have become all too familiar in the recent news. These refugees flee
not afraid when You walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s
from their homes seeking sanctuary, a safe place where they will find
crook makes me feel secure. You serve me a six-course
protection and rest from persecution. Can you imagine the relief that
dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping
must flood their hearts once they finally reach shelter? Can you
head; my cup brims with blessing.” Picture yourself feasting
picture them laying their weary bodies down to rest, able to sleep at
at a table right in the middle of the things that scare or tire
last in peace? David wasn’t a refugee, but he certainly knew what it
you, with Jesus bringing you blessing after blessing. Thank
was like to flee from enemies. He hid himself away in the depths of a
Him for being your safe place.
cave often enough to appreciate the reprieve provided by
concealment. So it is telling that he describes God as being the
ultimate shelter, the One in whom he truly finds refuge from trouble.
Inquire
Pray for the protection of America against terrorism. Ask the
Holy Spirit to comfort and empower persecuted Christians
throughout the world. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill the
There comes a time in all of our lives when we realize that being tired
Christians with the Spirit’s boldness as they face unbelievable
doesn’t mean we can stop. And not wanting to fight anymore doesn’t
consequences for their faithfulness. Pray for missionaries and
mean that our enemies will stop, either. When the chaos whirls
aid workers in hostile countries. Pray for safety, wisdom and
around us, however heavy or light, we are welcomed into our Father’s
strength for the US Military sent into these countries to aid
sanctuary where we lay our burdens down. God is our refuge. He is
refugees. Pray for refugees who have lost their homes due
our ever-present help in times of need. (Ps. 46:1) He is our strong
to persecution and for wisdom for each nation of refuge to
tower. (Ps. 63:1) The place where we’re kept safe.
know how to provide for them.
When we are overwhelmed, He is there, and He invites us to rest in
His presence. Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and
burdened and I will give you rest.” (Mt. 11:28) Whatever burdens you
carry, let them go. Give them to God. He promises to be your refuge.
January 20 – The sanctuary is a place of hunger and
thirst.
weak and we need refueling. When this happens, we need spiritual
“food and drink” that will strengthen our faith.
Psychological circumstances can become so overwhelming that we’re
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole
body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have
seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing
love is better than life itself…You satisfy me more than the richest feast. Psalm
63:1-3, 5 (NLT)
in need of immediate, divine encouragement. Other times, we’re in a
more consistent routine and condition ourselves into total dependence
on the Lord’s direction and the infilling of His Holy Spirit. Whatever
the trigger, the natural remedy for “hunger” is to eat. Matthew 5:6
explains that just as hunger and thirst are the ambition of our
appetite, those who have that same deep craving for the spiritual
David wrote Psalm 63 when he was in the middle of the wilderness.
things of God will be blessed. It’s good news to know that, in God’s
The imagery is vivid as he surveys the parched landscape around him
presence, there’s always “enough to go around.” Every member of the
and remembers time spent in God’s presence in the sanctuary.
body of Christ can eat until satisfied. God’s Word is spiritual
Perhaps a growl in his stomach reminds him of his need to find food,
nourishment for our souls, and His presence is like supernatural spring
and yet again, he recalls a God who satisfies him more than “the
water that quenches our thirst. He revives our spirits.
richest feast.”
Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Physical hunger is an
elaborate engagement between the digestive and endocrine system
and the brain. Hunger informs the body that we’re in need of
refueling; our bodies begin to get tired, weak, and lack focus. When
we ignore the physical symptoms of hunger, the symptoms only
intensify. Understand that hunger isn’t just summed up in one
biological piece.
Our emotions and circumstances can drive us to feel hungry. Hunger
can also be triggered by learned behavior and routine, like eating at a
specific time.
Similarly, our spiritual hunger can be driven by our physical, emotional
and cognitive state. We all experience moments when our spirit is
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any areas where you are
Seek
depending upon other people or things to meet your needs.
Offer Him those areas and ask Him to show you how to let
Him nourish you.
Gaze
Acknowledge God as the One you hunger and thirst for by
saying, “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for
you, O God.” (Ps. 42:1, NLT) Agree with the fact that He is
the supplier of your every need by saying, "You nurture my
soul. You are my source for all that I want and need."
Inquire
Pray for HV Congregational Care ministries to be the
extension of God’s food and drink to those needing support,
care, love and prayer. Pray for HV local and global outreach
to effectively demonstrate the reality that true nourishment
comes from God alone.
January 21 - The sanctuary is the place of testimony.
Shout with joy to God all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; make his praise
glorious! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!”…Come and see what God
has done, how awesome His works on man’s behalf!...Come and listen, all you who
fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me. Psalm 66:1-3, 5, 16 (NIV)
Can you hear the excitement in the psalmist’s voice? Can you just
picture him jumping up and down, looking at the crowd with his
finger pointing to the temple, voice raised, crying out, “Look at HIM!
LOOK at Him!!”?
There is something inside of us that can’t keep good news bottled up
for very long. We just have to share! And when we do, something
happens in the hearts of those listening. This is the power of
testimony. When we tell others about God’s Presence with us and of
His work in our lives, and when we recall His faithfulness in times past,
struggling spirits are lifted and encouraged. Faith’s muscles gain
strength and we are able to move forward on stepping-stones of
belief. It’s as if we just needed a little “proof” to give us a push.
A testimony is living proof of truth. In the OT, one of the names for
the wilderness tent which “housed” God’s Presence was The
Tabernacle of Testimony. This name was given because it was living
proof to the Israelites of God’s forgiveness for them after they turned
away to worship the golden calf. With various tribes encamped
around each side, no one could possibly miss seeing the structure as
the focal point in the center of camp. Every single day, the Israelites
were reminded that God still wanted to be with them, even after such
blatant unfaithfulness. The Tabernacle of Testimony reassured them of
God’s gracious unconditional love and deep desire to fellowship with
His people. Just the proof they needed to keep going…especially in a
wilderness.
That’s the power of testimony.
Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind a “slide show” of all the
Seek
times He has given you living proof that God is with you,
loves you, forgives you and is at work within you. Take a
moment to voice your gratitude for these times. Ask Him if
there is someone He wants you to share this testimony with
and to provide an opportunity to do so.
Gaze
Agree with David’s testimony in Psalm 103 by saying, “Praise
the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, I praise Your holy
name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all Your
benefits – You forgive all my sins and heal all my diseases,
You redeem my life from the pit and crown me with love and
compassion, You satisfy my desires with good things so that
my youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Inquire
Ask the Holy Spirit to release courage within the HV body to
share testimonies of who God is and what He has done with
those outside of our body. Pray for HV’s local and global
missions ministries to powerfully display God’s signs and
wonders. Pray for boldness and perseverance to be
strengthened in Christians all over the world, especially in
regions where they are persecuted for their faith.
January 22 - The sanctuary is the place of fulfillment.
challenges, and relational disputes - we can find fulfillment in God’s
presence, in His sanctuary. In the sanctuary of God, He ministers to
us, making us more like Him, revealing His plan for our lives, building
O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.
Psalms 26:8 (ESV)
In the Old Testament, the tabernacle was where the Lord himself
dwelled. This was a place were followers of the one true living God
could come to experience God’s presence, and in His presence they
discovered complete happiness. It was the inhabitance of God’s glory,
so anything one might need could be found there.
Imagine if you lived during the days of the Old Testament and had to
rely upon visits to the tabernacle to truly encounter God. Maybe you’d
build shelter within walking distance in order to experience the
presence of the Lord with every waking opportunity. But what if you
lived too far away and couldn’t visit the tabernacle as often as you
wanted? You may have had physical ailments that prevented you
from getting to the tabernacle. Or maybe you were ashamed of your
lifestyle and didn’t feel worthy of being in the presence of God.
Whatever the circumstance, it could have been so limiting. However,
Psalms 26:8 was written with thankfulness for the moments that the
people of God could spend in His presence. The passage was written
in the seat of emotions, with overwhelming gratitude for the pleasure
of experiencing God’s glory.
As a result of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we now have the privilege
of direct access to the Father no matter where we are; the Holy Spirit
has sealed our salvation. (Ephesians 1:13) God’s Spirit inhabits each of
us so that we are individual sanctuaries where His Spirit dwells. Just as
the Old Testament worshippers discovered, in our time of communion
with Him, nothing else matters. All of our needs are met by Him.
Regardless of opposition we might face - social stressors, health
us up in Him, granting joy and peace. We can approach His throne
and fellowship with Him. In His sanctuary, we find all that we need.
Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind the things the world
Seek
finds fulfillment in. Recognize the emptiness of those things
by saying, “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared
with the infinite value of knowing (You) Christ Jesus, my Lord.
For (Your) sake I have discarded everything else, counting it
all as garbage, so that I could gain (You).” Ask Him to help
you to continue to seek fulfillment in Him alone.
Gaze
Ponder the truth of the Spirit’s presence inside of you. Let
Him know that you find deep delight in knowing you are a
“sanctuary” for Him. Tell Him that His presence meets all of
your needs and brings you ultimate fulfillment.
Inquire
Ask the Holy Spirit to empower the HV congregation to
radiate the presence of the Lord in their daily interactions
within our community and as we go into the world. Pray
that guests coming to HV would experience God’s presence
tangibly through the First Impressions Teams and the Guest
Service ministry. Pray for Christians in the business world to
display lives that find fulfillment in God to those around
them.
January 23 - The sanctuary is a place of fellowship and
forgiveness.
he’ll be left alone in his misery. Yet, David’s processing with the Lord
gives us great insight as to how we might handle such hurt. David
admits his pain to the Lord and speaks openly about how miserable
he feels. He then accepts the loss of his close friend and entrusts this
If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I
could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with
whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about
among the worshipers. Psalm 55:12-14 (NLT)
Close friends are such a gift. Most often, friendships spark around a
shared commonality; similar hobbies, mutual interests, corresponding
ways of relating. Whatever the case, a bond is formed that takes
acquaintances and moves them beyond mere politeness and into the
realm of deeper familiarity. Personal thoughts and feelings are
revealed, dreams confessed, advice exchanged. When the bond forms
between Christians, it can be even deeper.
Because your relationship with Jesus is the most personal relationship
you have, when it is shared, a connection is made that is hard to
break. This is why David voices such devastation in the Psalm above.
The source of the adversity he is facing doesn’t come from an
“enemy.”
He has been betrayed by his close friend. The Hebrew
words describing the fellowship he formerly enjoyed with this buddy
paint a picture of two guys hanging out on the couch shooting the
breeze together. The relished ease of companions comfortable
enough with each other to relax together. What’s more, David
recounts intimate occasions of shared worship and celebratory
moments in good times. His pain runs deep.
Have you ever been hurt by a close friend? Even worse, a brother or
sister in Christ? Jesus understands your pain. For thirty pieces of
silver, Judas kissed his Master with a betrayal that led to Jesus’ death.
Jesus knows how you feel. And so did David. The anguish David
experiences cuts so deeply that he wants to escape to a place where
friend to the Lord. It is not David’s battle. Then David asserts that
God hears and rescues him unharmed; the Lord will bring healing. He
closes his prayer by affirming his trust in God.
Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind anyone who has hurt
Seek
you. Picture them beside you before God’s throne. Look
into the Lord’s eyes and see His grace (free and unmerited
favor) for you reflected there. Watch as He turns the same
look towards the person beside you. Turn to that person
and picture yourself telling them they are in the Lord’s hands.
Turn back to the Lord and tell Him you trust Him.
Gaze
Mediate on John 17:21: “I pray that they will all be one, just
as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in
you.” Tell the Lord that you admire the deep fellowship that
Father and Son share. Pause to reflect on the beauty of the
agreement and unity their fellowship exemplifies.
Inquire
Pray in agreement with Jesus by saying, “And may (we – the
HV body) be in (fellowship with the Father and the Son) so
that the world will believe You sent (Jesus).” (Jn. 17:21, NLT)
Pray for the HV fellowship of believers to be filled with grace,
forgiveness, thoughtful and intentional kindness and love.
Ask the Holy Spirit to draw nonbelievers into the body of
Christ through the demonstration of deep friendships that
are shared.
January 24 - The sanctuary is the place of witness.
place our faith in Christ Jesus…what is important is faith expressing
itself in love.” (Gal. 5:6, NLT) Let’s love one another the way God
would have us love. As we do, we can be sure that the world will
In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you.
They will come from distant lands because of your name, for they will hear of your
great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray
toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask
of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just
as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built
honors your name. 1 Kings 8:41-43 (NLT)
When Solomon dedicated the temple to the Lord, he prayed that
God’s glory would be so clearly witnessed in the temple that the fame
of the God of Israel would spread to faraway lands. How exciting is
the fact that our lives can have the same impact knowing that we are
His living temples, filled with the Spirit and reflecting His glory to the
watching world?!
When we live our lives reflecting His glory and giving the glory to
Him, even strangers will come to know God. It might just be someone
saying, “Thank you for praying for me.” Or we might be used in the
great miracle that makes all of heaven sing—a salvation!
Imagine if the body of Christ was so filled with God’s glory that we
were known for the God we served. We would be a people famous
for being selfless. Generous. Courageous. Loyal. Respectful. Godfollowers! These are some of the words that describe the greatest
men and women who have ever lived. And all of these descriptive
words have to do with love. God is love, so love has everything to do
with you as His follower.
Love is the identification badge of a Christian.
It is the undergirding
of every OT commandment and the motivation from which God acts.
It is the love of God that is supposed to differentiate us from the rest
of society and cause others to want what we have. “For when we
experience a Divine attraction!
Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight the people and places He has
Seek
positioned in your life that He wants to show God’s glory to.
Ask Him for favor and opportunities to display and share
God’s character and works with those in your sphere of
influence.
Gaze
Pause to ponder and agree with God’s desire to use you to
show His glory to others by saying, “For they will hear of
your great name and your strong hand and your powerful
arm…and will come to know and fear You.” (1 Kings 8:42-43,
NLT)
Inquire
Pray for the HV body to be known for their love (Jn. 13:35)
and to express the love of God by intentionally reaching out
to others. Pray for the body of Christ to provide such a
strong witness of the truth of Jesus as the Messiah that Jews
around the world would believe in Him and embrace their
originally intended identity as a community of witness to
non-believers. Pray for the Spirit’s continued passion, power
and leading to be released in and through HV so that 2016 is
the year God’s glory is witnessed as we go INTO THE
WORLD!
Notes
People I am Praying For
www.highervisionchurch.com