Living IN Revival

    It was our first women’s prayer retreat about three years ago.  Our small group of six ladies gathered in a private home near Boulder, Colorado.  The home situated on a little knoll with breathtaking views of the valley, and the Rocky Mountains in the distance.

In the living room stood a large stone fireplace, and tall picture windows that looked out to the prairie and the mountains.  It was picture-perfect for the peaceful retreat.

Our weekend, designed to be calm and all geared for prayer, had been planned for months.  Intentionally directed to empower all of us for the journey that God had pointed out.  Geared and intentional towards allowing the Holy Spirit in. 

Allowing God in – ALL IN.   Opening our hearts, we chose that weekend to allow God into our presence.  To allow God to do what He must.

There were just a few of us gathered, and, we had faith that God was with us. We expected to get to know the requests and journey of each other and praying and growing together.   We expected to lean and learn on each other and on God. We expected.

We had spent over half the day in the Word of God, listening to the words He had for us from the Bible and from each other as we spoke what God had laid on our hearts.  Later in the afternoon on Sabbath, we submitted our prayers, our dreams, our journey that we felt God was leading us.  We needed prayers.

Kneeling in a circle together, each of us was given the opportunity to be in the middle of the circle.  The other women laying hands on us as they prayed specifically for the journey that God had ahead of for us.

As each of us would kneel in the circle, we witnessed the clouds becoming more intense and the weather changing.  The clouds coming over the mountains were uniquely defined. That is not something new for that area of Colorado. 

The wind started howling as we prayed.   Prayers in our circle and the laying of hands continued as did the gale force winds.  The trees were violently swaying from side to side.   We could hear the picture windows groaning. 

As we prayed, I believe that the Holy Spirit showed up.  That statement is not to be taken lightly.  The wind surrounded us. We could hear and see the manifestation of the wind with the trees being whipped around. We witnessed the evidence of the Holy Spirit.

Winds sustained as did our prayers. The house groaned under the intense attack of the Mighty Wind.  We felt His presence. 

Peace filled me.

The final amen said, and we knelt there with eyes closed listening to the wind.  Continuing to allow the Holy Spirit “IN” completely. We did not fear, quite the opposite.  We knelt in amazement. 

Our eyes opened, we stood up, the wind stopped. The recognition of just how breathtaking the experience of the Holy Spirit showing up, struck each of us.  Realizing the Holy Spirit with us, in us, and all around us, shaking the windows. Not only were the windows shaking, our souls had been revived.

I tell this true story because I wanted to let you know that when we invited the Holy Spirit in – He showed up.  Not only did He show up, He went beyond our wildest imagination.

If we allow Him, He will come IN and fill us.  It is not a one-time event.  It is an event that every moment of every day, we must be intentional about.  Intentional about living revival. It might not be a Mighty Wind. In fact, it might sound like a still small voice.

“God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! Ephesians 3:20

I am not saying, at all, that life will be perfect, and that the storms of life won’t happen.  Life is hard, and sometimes the waves crash over us.  There are days where the stresses of life seem to overwhelm us.  The busyness of the day clouds our view, or the opposite happens, and doldrums of the rut we find ourselves, appear to be all we see.

In Christ, we know that we will be able to see past all of that.  In the middle of that crazy storm, Jesus is there.  In the middle of that rut, Jesus is there and will turn our world upside down. If we allow Him

My prayer for each of you is that you are filled with the Holy Spirit and that the eyes of your heart are opened to see and to understand that, if we allow, God can do more than our wildest dreams. 

I love that verse in Ephesians.  The way Eugene Peterson words it in the Message brings Ephesians 3:20 to life in a different way for me.  The verse adds an exclamation for me.

“God can do anything, you know—Far more than you could ever Imagine or guess or request in your wildest dream!”  He ends the statement with an EXCLAMATION POINT!

Eugene wants us to get the point and take it to heart.  God can do anything. (Do you understand what that opens up for us? God can do is so much more than we can imagine!) 

I must admit, I have a great imagination.  What this verse tells me, is that God can do more than I can think up in my imagination.  God is bursting with possibilities that He wants to show us.  What does God want to show us?

Will you join me in allowing God in, and see what happens?

Get ready, Get Set. GO, LORD GOD.  Fill us up and exceed our wildest imagination!!!!  We allow You In!

Abba Father,

I pray that You descend upon us like a Mighty Wind.  You have promised that You can do anything, and we are walking in that Truth!  Show us what you can do, if we allow you to.  Open the eyes of our hearts and fill us with your Spirit.  Thank you for the promises that You show us through Your WORD.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

By Laura Maxson