Dedicated

Last night, our church met to celebrate the end of our 21-day Daniel Fast. This is the first time Mike & I have ever done a fast like this. We've fasted before on our own and together, but not like this. Both of us had a sense of solemnness (if that's a word), of seriousness, about this time of fasting. Our prayer focus as a church was to pray for an increase in our authority. Now, here's what we know: Jesus told us in the Bible that He has given us all authority, everything He has, He's given to us in full measure, not a watered down, diluted version. The authority to pray using His Name to see the sick healed, sins forgiven, relationships restored, strongholds and demonic oppressions broken off of believer's lives. So, how to go about praying for an increase in our authority when we already have been given all authority by Jesus? Good question, huh? Here's what we learned as we fasted and prayed:

God began to reveal to us specific ways that we could step more fully into the authority He has given us through Jesus. The way we increase in authority is to begin to see ourselves fully possessing and having command of the authority we've been given. So our authority didn't increase (we already had 'all' authority in Jesus), our confidence in the truth and trustworthiness of that authority increased. And as that happened, I began to sense a new strength and health come into my body. I began to sense a less filtered presence of the Holy Spirit with me as I prayed and worshiped. I have a renewed conviction that I hear the voice of God and can rightly interpret what He's saying.

So last night, as we, The Citadel Church, met together, we worshiped and dedicated ourselves anew to the Lord and His purposes for our lives for 2011 and beyond. We did not gather to make petition or cry out our needs...No, we worshiped our God. We praised His Mighty Name, giving honor to the One Most Holy, showing reverence for His unmatched Majesty. We are His, dedicated to His purposes in our lives. May we shine with the Light of Jesus as we walk into this new year.