THOUGHTS ON INWARD PRAYER AND WORSHIP

THOUGHTS ON INWARD PRAYER 

AND WORSHIP

By Dwight Cunkle

From the writings of Thomas Kelly, born a Quaker, in 1893. He was educated at Harvard, and wanted to "make his life a miracle." But the strain and striving broke him. In that he learned to order mental life on two levels at the same time - inward prayer and worship, while working and relating     outwardly.

I have found that my wife is much better at this kind of     prayer without ceasing-going about her many duties all day while having prayer continue. As we seek God and find him try these steps from Kelly's writings:

1. Inwardly, quietly repeat a phrase or simple prayer such as, "Lord, Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner." Or "The Lord is my Shepherd." Or "One Spirit"".

2. Let inward prayer be your last act before sleep and first upon waking.

3. Practice continually turning and centering in God in    worship and surrender and listening.

4. Order mentally both gently inwardly in devotion while   outwardly at work, play and relationship. Gradually the two become more one than just "a prayer time" verses my other responsibilities and relationships.

5. Allow a longing for God God to draw you: "presence in the midst," Shekinah of the soul," "a subterranean sanctuary of the soul,"colonies of heaven," "continuously at home in him," able to say 'No' or 'Yes' with equal confidence to thoughts and feelings and choices as they come before us because we are inwardly at rest in abandonment to his will and in union with him.

You shall seek me with your whole heart and you shall find me Jer 29:14

Dwight

I Believe in the Holy Ghost, I worship in Spirit and in Truth

I Believe in the Holy Ghost,
I worship in Spirit and in Truth

By Dwight Cunkle

God anointed Jesus with power to proclaim the new kingdom, heal and do good (Acts 10:37-38) and through his glorious ascension his Spirit is poured into our hearts, sealing us and guaranteeing our future (2 Cor 1:21-22). As one of God's elect, I am a stranger in this world, chosen and sanctified by the Holy Spirit (I belong to God as his elect-1Peter 1:1-3).
     I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, who since He came, convicts the world (and me) of guilt, sin, righteousness and judgment (John 6:18-11). I believe in the Holy Spirit who dwells in me as a temple (1Cor 3:16) and who lives in me and is jealous over me (James 4:5). I believe in the Comforter, Counselor, Spirit of Truth, who guides us into all truth, who brings glory to Jesus by taking what is His and making it known to us. (John 16:15) He brings all things to remembrance that Jesus said, and gives me what to say when I testify (Matt 10:19-20).
     I believe in the Holy Spirit who is the Anointing and abides in us and teaches us (1 John 2:20, 26), in whom we are baptized into Christ (1 Cor 12:13) and are all made to drink of one Spirit (Eph 4:4). He gives me life and leads me; because I have my mind set on the things of the Spirit I have life and peace (Rom 8:6-7) and am renewed in my mind (Eph 4:24). I am filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:19) and power (Acts 1:8). He quenches my thirst (Jn 7:37-39), prays in me for the saints according to the will of God (Rom 8:27-28), prophecies through me (1 Cor 14:1-3), gives me strength as I wait on the Lord, quickens my body, enlightens the eyes of my heart (Eph 1:17), gives me revelation from the Father, uses the Word of God as a Sword in my mouth (Eph 6:17) and gives me a NOW word that has proceeding application and power (Mt 4:4).

     I believe in Holy Spirit and am born according to the Spirit (Gal 4:28), born from above (Jn 3:7); have received the Spirit by faith not by works (Gal 3:2).
     I believe in the Holy Spirit whom I have received the Holy Spirit from Him who supplies the Spirit (Gal 3:5) and since I began in the Spirit (Gal 3:3) I can continue to live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:25) for God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts; so, I’m no longer a slave but a Son (Gal 4:6-7) and His Spirit bears witness with my spirit-I am a child of God. (Rom 8:15-17).
      I believe in the Holy Spirit who bears in me spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control  (Gal 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit helps me walk in the spirit so I will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Gal 5:16) but I will be led by the Spirit (Gal 5:18).
     I believe in the Holy Spirit who gives manifestations of grace through me as He wills, and I earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that I may prophesy to the building up of the body in love (1 Cor 14) and  so I may speak in tongues in an ongoing prayer language which I do not understand but is according to the will of God for the saints and builds myself up in faith (Jude 20). I also ask Him and He gives through me, by the same Spirit, words of wisdom and knowledge, supernatural faith, healing and working of miracles, discerning of spirits, tongues and the interpretation of tongues as a sign to unbelievers(1 Cor 12 and 14).

I believe in the Holy Ghost

and worship in Spirit and Truth

Planting and Tending under
an Open Heaven (Portal)

Reading Portals, Releasing the Power and Presence of God Into the Earth, by Patti Amsden, I recognize altars of sacrifice and consecration which my parents made then tended, and which in turn created a portal for me and our children to experience the blessing of an open heaven: specifically in the areas of worship, the arts and service in the church. As a junior in H.S., I remember kneeling down in my dad's sanctuary before I would practice piano, organ or voice and simply saying, "I offer myself to you. Help me do my best." Sometimes I believe I added "for your glory." Later I often added that after I knew Jesus as my Lord and was filled with Holy Spirit. I did not realize that although they were far from perfect, they made an open heaven for me to grow in worship and ministry. And God has continued to bless that in Barbara’s and my children as well.

As a teenager, my father separated himself to God to become a pastor. With some degree of purity, he and mom consecrated and sacrificed themselves generously for the Christ and His Body, the church. I grew up watching them practice hospitality and care for others, as they invested in music lessons for us, and as they made worship, church and caring about others a focal point in our lives. I didn’t value a lot of that, but looking back I can see God’s favor on them and therefore on us kids as we grew up. I can still hear them saying, “We go to church to give, not to get.” Now I have better understanding.

Mom was an artist and dad a musician. Barbara also is musical, so it was natural for our children to cultivate these gifts. They benefited from an open heaven to grow in worship and the arts but they had to choose to offer themselves to God and to serve others.

If you are a first generation Christian in your family, you are building and tending altars for others in the future. We all have the benefit of the sacrifice and consecration of those who have created an open heaven in this spiritual family called Covenant Life, e.g. Richard McAfee’s “Hearing Heart” model.

Ask yourself or others where the blessing of God seems evident. Where do you feel God’s enabling grace? In business, education, craftsmanship, education, in the medical field, etc…? When do you feel God’s power and presence? Where do you feel God’s blessing and presence may be hindered?

Is your life dedicated to God or is it about what you want to do? Probably there is mixture in all of us, but what specific altar of sacrifice are you making or tending? Our nation is experiencing judgment for cleansing. Let’s repent, plant and tend for an open heaven of God’s blessing through us. Grace and peace.

-PD

Practice values that Build Community and Transform Neighborhoods

Practice values that Build Community and
Transform Neighborhoods

Awakening in our day; Reformation in our lifetime
Enter into Christ’s suffering in the world to redeem the world. Don’t protest and criticize as an outsider. Be leaven; serve in love, bring change from inside out.
Is it going to rain?

If so we need to build ‘Arks’ in our neighborhoods .

1. Make friends in neighborhood (Lk 16)
2. Deepening love –keep the unity in the Spirit (Eph 4).
3. Personal House in order and good stewards together (remove debt, learn how to barter, have emergency savings and food stocks, be proactive in discipleship and committed relationships not just friendships).
4. Humbly repent and ask God’s grace and miraculous power be demonstrated over evil all around and in us.
5. Encounter God’s love and receive healing prayers.
6. Paradigm Shifts: Move from “my church” to the church. From going to be in church to being on mission wherever we go. From koinonia (fellowship among us) to ekklesia (called to represent God and His kingdom in earth). From fear and apathy to bringing hope. Christ is victoriously resurrected. We work for a good future. This pivotal moment in history is our opportunity.
7. “Big Mo” - build positive momentum: disagree with negativity and familiarity. Replace them by looking for the good and praising it. Bring change from inside out. Show honor to what/who is honorable rather than just criticizing what/who is imperfect. Be a peacemaker and problem solver—salt and light in the world.
8. Persevere in prayer and service: It takes 5x as much energy to make steam as to get to the boiling point so don’t quit.
9. Become a worshiper-sing and speak God’s Word: Psalm 2:7 I will declare the decree of the Lord. Jesus said to pray like this: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as in heaven.”