Prayer is a Noun, not always a verb!

Last year, I was asked to serve as a core leader with Intro to IHOPKC.  I gladly volunteered and had one of the best times of my life in doing so.  I truly served Him with all of my heart.  I LOVED IT!!  After the internship was over, I got a seasonal job selling insurance with a wonderful company.  However, even though I thoroughly enjoyed my job, the one thing that I walked away with in my heart was a pronounced reality that man was not made to sit and sell for 10 hours a day.  It is just not what we (or more specifically I was created for).  After the sales insurance training began, I went on a 40-day fast/detox SPECIFICALLY seeking God for direction.  I was reading the Bible chronologically and at that time was reading the Book of Acts very slowly.  Here is what transpired

“These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” (Acts 1:14 emphasis mine).

That was the first spoken utterance from the Lord during this time concerning my calling and direction.  I AM AN INTERCESSOR!  I am devoted to prayer.  I need to be secure in my calling, no matter what other voices come and talk to me.  The next one came shortly thereafter in an early morning meditation.  Same book.  Similar revelation.  

“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4, emphasis mine)

To be devoted to means to commit one’s heart, i.e. their entire being, to someone or something.  THAT’S ME!  I am in deep. 

Also, the Lord was encouraging me a few days later through Acts 10 and 11, the story of Peter taking the gospel to the Gentiles, beginning with Cornelius.  I felt that the way that Cornelius was divinely set up by the angel to hear the gospel, and Peter was also divinely prepared to deliver it, so my support raising would share a similar reality.  God would be preparing people BEFORE I ask them to partner with me.

But the most special, personal revelation of all was the Hebraic reality behind Psalm 109:4.  In English, it says, 

“In return for my love they act as my accusers;

But I am in prayer.”

In Hebrew, the last part says, I AM prayer.  It’s a noun, not a verb.  That’s me!  I’m a prayer to the Lord.  That sealed it.  I was seeking the Lord for direction, very earnestly, and He revealed Himself to me in a profound way.

So, this next season, I will devote myself to prayer, along with others, and BE a prayer to the Lord.

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What is a whole heart?

WHOLE HEARTED-LEV SHALEM

In 2 Chronicles 25:2, it says that Amaziah "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart."  The phrase 'whole heart' in Hebrew is lev shalem.  It means a whole, unfragmented, uncompromised heart.  The parallel verse in 2 Kings 14:4 states that Amaziah did what was right in the sight of the Lord "yet not like David his father".  It implies that David had an unfragmented heart towards the Lord, a lev shalem.  He didn't compromise his relationship with the Lord, no matter who or what was coming against him.

By Amaziah not having a whole heart, he got into all sorts of trouble and a premature death.  Let's look at how not serving the Lord with a whole heart leads to a miserable life.  Amaziah did not take away the high places; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on them.  High places were places given to idol worship; the worshippers believing that the higher up they were, the closer they were to god.  What is the highest place on a human?  Their head.  For our purpose, we'll say it's our mind.  The mind is the true battleground for the human.  The mind, the will, and the emotions are all united in one entity called the soul.  There are many aspects of the human heart and soul, just as there are many chambers in the physical heart.  When the Psalmist says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul AND all that is within me" (Psalm 103:1), he indicates that there are chambers inside of us that can bless the Lord.  The high place of the mind is where we entertain thoughts, which lead to feelings and actions.

Amaziah did what was right in obeying the Law of the Lord.  He put his father's murderers to death.  But not their children.  The law of Moses states that the sons will not be put to death for the sins of their fathers.  He was obedient to the law here.  Yet, he hired Israelites to be in his army, for which the prophet later rebuked him because the Lord was not with Israel the way He was with Judah.  He was still victorious in his battle because "God has power to help and to bring down" (2 Ch. 25:8).

But after his victory over the sons of Seir, he brought their gods back home and bowed down to them.  One can see that not having a whole heart ('lev shalem') like David's, led Amaziah to give in to idol worship.  He left a chamber in his heart open and idol worship crept in.  This gave way to other sins.

After this, Amaziah, in his arrogance, wants to confront the king of Israel in a face off.  The king of Israel rebukes him saying, "Your heart has become proud in boasting" (2 Ch. 25:19).   The heart that is not fully given to the Lord will leave itself open to pride, boasting, and many other critters that should be kept out.  In this case, his heart was divided between serving the Lord and serving himself.  James says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  This scripture is fulfilled in Amaziah's life:  "But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, that He might deliver them into the hand of the Joash because they had sought the gods of Edom." (v. 20)

Amaziah died a miserable death.  His heart was not fully given to serving the Lord.  It was fragmented and compromised.  He allowed other things to creep in and lead him down a path of destruction.  What an example for us today.

"Lord, give us a whole heart.  Bind up the chambers that are open and vulnerable to compromise.  Create in us a 'lev shalem'-a whole heart.  In the Name of Jesus."

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Hebracize me!

Just produced a few Hebrew Nuggets videos now on you tube. Hebrew is a pictorial language where the symbols were joined to make words. Due to the oral style of communicating, much was required of the hearer. By transmitting one story from one gerneation to another, or family to family, clear language was needed. Exploring some of the uniqueness of the Hebrew language leads to deeper insight into the heart of God, Who created language and communication. Come on the journey and explore it with grace and truth.

 https://youtu.be/cvIYQBkUX4U

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