Red Moon Rising by Pete Greig & Dave Roberts

Author:Pete Greig & Dave Roberts
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 24-7 Prayer, Prayer Rooms, Boiler Rooms, Prayer
Publisher: David C Cook
Published: 2015-04-07T00:00:00+00:00

Paul’s experience is something we can all relate to right now (aside from a few beatings, a couple of riots and a spot of imprisonment, that is). So I’ve been asking God why being blessed is proving such a pain! I may be wrong, but here’s what I’ve come up with …

Attack

Maybe some of the stuff we’re dealing with right now is to do with the enemy challenging and resisting us as we make advances into his domain.

Weakness

But most of all I’m coming to the conclusion that to be used by God we must be weak and foolish rather than all-conquering heroes. I reckon God is sick and tired of people posing as overcomers with permanent grins, as if they somehow avoided the Fall and went hang-gliding instead. He needs us weak and childish to be used by him. Let’s face it: any glory from 24-7 has got to go to God because no one else can realistically take credit for it! ‘For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength’ (1 Cor. 1:25).

Ultimately, in the words of the song, we may get knocked down, but we get up again. … Or, in the slightly more spiritual words of Paul, we are ‘more than conquerors in Christ’. Perhaps through our trials we are discovering that all things really do work together for good for those who love God. What an amazing assurance.

LEARNING TO INTERCEDE

A guy named Paul with long, matted hair and massive flares stood up rather hesitantly to speak at one particular 24-7 gathering. He began with a confession, but we were soon to discover he was carrying a powerful message from the Lord.

‘My sister has anorexia,’ he confided, brushing the hair from his face. ‘She’s 26 years old and weighs just thirty-two kilos. The anorexia is so bad that she’s now developed arthritis, so she can’t even dress herself or straighten her hands. She also seems to have got diabetes and is going through the menopause twenty years too early. She isn’t a Christian. She just seems to have been robbed of everything: her womanhood, her future, her dignity, her life.’

The crowd had grown totally silent, hanging on every tortured word. ‘I’m here to confess something to you.’ Looking up at his audience, Paul paused. ‘I don’t even pray for her. I’ve been asking myself, “Why not? Don’t I care?” Yes, I care! “Do I believe in prayer?” Yes, of course! The reason I don’t pray for my sister is because it’s just too painful. To pray for her is to think about her situation. It means identifying with her and feeling her pain. So I find it easier just to forget the whole thing and pretend it’s not happening.

‘But God’s been challenging me to feel my sister’s pain, because that’s actually what it means to truly intercede. I also believe God is challenging us as a movement of young people to dare to feel the pain all around us.

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