Through the month of January you are
not going to hear much from me. I am taking a season of withdrawal in my life. Last November, I felt that I needed
to hone in the focus of my heart and mind for God to do something big in me.
Last year He called me to lose 55 lbs., and I am so glad I followed through.
The Lord fulfilled promises and answered prayers for both me and the church
through my act of obedience. This year I feel like I need to clear out as many
voices as I can that might be distracting me from clearly hearing the voice of
God.
Jesus did this often. I always wonder why Jesus — fully
God and fully man — even needed to pray, rest, and recharge. But if He did, then
so do I. This has been a stressful season for me and mine. Elizabeth's
pregnancy, Rapid church growth and Seven years of full time ministry has its
cost. I feel like we are getting ready for something larger and greater than we
have yet to experience. Jesus withdrew to rest, get stronger, hear from God,
and have a fresh word for the people he was sent to lead. Moses went to the
mountain top and came back luminous. Daniel prayed and fasted to break through
impossible circumstances. I need more from God to live the life I am called to
live and I want to withdraw to gather
strength for greater things Yet to come!
Here is my plan...
- Read — I started a reading plan to go through the Gospels
in 30 days. (You can do the same at www.youversion.com.) My goal is to study
Jesus and His withdrawal moments — how and why He prayed.
- I am also reading “Leading On
Empty” by Wayne Cordeiro- I feel like he is personally walking me through how
to defragment my life. I am taking each chapter and walking through each
chapter with Elizabeth and the Lord. What an AWSOME experience.
- Fast (check more out here)
- Food — This looks different for
everyone some fast food totally, partially or fast a particular type of
food. For me I am doing a combination of things.
- Media
- I am cutting out as many secular
non-worshipful voices as I can. Music, movies, magazines and books that do not
point me to Jesus will be cut from my appetite this month. Television has been
reduced to only News sources.
- No blogs, no Facebook and NO Twitter — I am having withdrawals. This is almost painful, and
I have had to break this a couple times because of Elizabeth's health crisis on
Saturday, my need to get a couple numbers off of some profiles on my phone, and
this blog post letting you know what’s up. It is also funny how my e-mail sends
me Facebook updates and Facebook e-mails, so it’s like it will not leave me
alone. I guess that means it is staying around a while.)
- I also shut off the Push feature to
my phone’s e-mail. I am now my e-mail’s master. I think that may stay longer than
January.
- Schedule — I am taking certain days
off over the next month, during which I will be alone and without normal
distractions so I can focus on the Lord and hear his voice with clarity.
- Journal — I am keeping a daily journal of thoughts, prayers,
observations, revelations, and dreams.
(This
is a goal and has already had to change a little. Let me first tell you that I
live by the Spirit of the Law and not the Letter, meaning that even though I
may say I am not going to do this or that, I may do it if I feel I need to for
a good reason. I also am taking Sundays as a celebration day, meaning I am free
to enjoy with my family whatever seems beneficial. This season is about
reducing noise in my life and resetting my out of balance rhythm. It is not about
a list of does or don’ts.)
I am expecting God to break through my life in
tremendous ways. I am expecting Him to change me. I was not expecting how hard
these first few days have been. Nor was I expecting how the enemy would try and
distract me. I shouldn't have been surprised. He met Jesus in the wilderness
before his ministry began.
My prayer is that I hear his voice like Adam
and Eve did in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden, or like Samuel did when
God came to him in the night as a youth, or like the disciples did in the the
Upper Room when the Holy Spirit came upon them with fresh power and boldness.
My prayer is that I would have new strength and insight to lead the next five+
years with a freshness and sensitivity to the Lord.
What is the Lord drawing you to do? What’s your next step in your faith
walk? It may not look much like mine, but that's OK. Start with where you are
and go one more step.
I
look forward to letting you know how it goes in a few weeks.
Live
Your Potential!
Pastor
Tory
a_cross//the_EARTH
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