Passion and Gratitude

Passion and Gratitude

I recently posted about an impending visit to a community where the worship is raw – absolutely raw. Well the visit is over, the tears have dried, but the anointing lives on. A total of ten of us went and any comments I make here are purely personal. I think they may apply to most if not all of our group but I must allow the others to speak for themselves.

The thing that brings tears almost instantly is the raw honesty, passion, and gratitude of the prayers given in that place. There is an anointing there that most simply do not have. Even the churches where “revival” is said to be breaking through lack this anointing. In the Eastern world, among the persecuted churches, there is a desperation, a gratitude, and a real passion for God, His presence, and His precious Holt Spirit. I watched a clip recently of Chinese Christians receiving their first copy of the Bible. Their joy and pleasure was as tangible as were their tears of gratitude.

We take so much completely for granted here in the West. Of course we can read the Bible – several different translations actually. Of course we can pray out loud – almost anywhere we want to do so. Of course we can meet quite openly and publicly. A thousand and one other “of course”es too. We have been spoiled by the very freedoms we claim to be the right of anyone anywhere in the world. To bring us back to the meeting I first mentioned, there was a desperation and gratitude there that I haven’t seen anywhere else in Europe or America. It matched that which we see in the persecuted churches all around the world. Yet those same freedoms which we take so very much for granted are the very things so many Christians are so very desperate for.

In their meeting there was, and will remain, an anointing which the vast majority of us lack. Those who have little or nothing can only give of themselves. Their hearts are purer for having been forgiven so much and for having so little to corrupt than are ours whose hearts are corrupted by the world. Those who are forgiven much, love much and God, who searches their hearts and ours, finds more honesty and purity in their worship than in the half-heartedness of ours.

We have so very much to learn – Lord, lead us into your ways, break our hearts for what breaks yours, take not your Holy Spirit from us but give us a clean heart, and let us grow and learn from those who we so often adjudge to be ‘lower’ than ourselves. Forgive us our arrogance and put humility in our hearts too. Make us grateful and convict us when we take so very much for granted.

Of course, this is only my heart speaking. I cannot speak for yours but I urge you to join me in desperation for more of God – a real revival move of God in our midst.

Don’t let God pass us by.