#WarOnGrumbling Day 16

I'm so thankful for night and day prayer.

Today was an extremely off day for me. I have so much on my mind with my mom's condition and then her only brother passed away on the weekend. I seem to be surrounded by death and sadness.

But I have access to a prayer room. And after spending some time in Sanctuary House of Prayer tonight, I started to normalize. 

Then over dinner with my son, I discovered there was a shooting at the 24/7 Starbucks in the Health Sciences Centre. That particular Starbucks has become my secret place, my unofficial house of prayer, especially in the many months my father was in that hospital before he passed away. 

I immediately drove over to see how everyone was doing. The security guards related the story to me and one of the baristas explained how he was a couple minutes late and his coworker was caught in the middle of the melee but remained safe (albeit traumatized). 

They all acknowledged the hand of God in the situation because no one was hurt (and there was only minor damage). The baristas and security were happy to pray with me for continued protection and care, as well as for God's glory to be known in the entire situation, coffee shop and hospital and all its patrons. 

Now to me, that's night and day prayer. Because God has called ME to BE a house of prayer.

Lord, make me a house // Make me a house of prayer
May the fire on my altar never burn out 

#WarOnGrumbling #40DaysOfThanksgiving

#WarOnGrumbling Day 2

I'm thankful that God hears my little prayers. 

I'm an intercessory missionary and newly commissioned staff member at Sanctuary House of Prayer and what we do is, well, pray. We mostly intercede for big issues: revival in our region, the ending of abortion in Canada, for the church in Manitoba to be more fascinated with Jesus and salvations in entire generations. It can be a wee challenging to wait for answered prayers when the target is so huge.

So I'm completely astonished when my heavenly Papa moves upon my seemingly insignificant petitions. Yesterday, for example, I asked Him in the weakest way if I could get a good night's sleep. I haven't been sleeping much in the night because of my elderly cat and some pesky low grade anxiety. 

And not only did I sleep a good seven hours, my cat curled up beside me and slept as well. When I woke up, I lifted my head and said "Wait...what? You heard that silly little prayer!" Oh how I love Him.

#WaronGrumbling #40DaysOfThanksgiving

war on grumbling day thirty nine

Day 39 

I'm thankful that I have friends and community who hold me up in times of trouble. #WarOnGrumbling #40DaysOfThanksgiving 

When I first started going to Sanctuary House of Prayer (SHOP), I attended Tuesday evening intercession meetings at the home of one of the worship leaders. During that time, an incredibly lovely young Somali man who'd always supported my ministry was murdered senselessly and it turned out I also knew the accused murderer. Needless to say, I was distraught and entirely discouraged. That Tuesday night group offered to pray and prophesy over me, and one of the women gave me Exodus 17:11-13 as encouragement. It was Scripture that I'd never heard before and it was so perfect.

As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

I need my friends and community to hold up my hands when I'm tired from the battle. We all do. I'm so grateful to the people I can go to and ask for advice, prayer or encouragement no matter how bleak the circumstances. And for that I'm so deeply grateful.

I just might have a problem that you'll understand //

We all need somebody to lean on //

Lean on me, when you're not strong //

And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on //

For it won't be long til I'm gonna need //

Somebody to lean on

war on grumbling day twenty two

Day 22

I'm thankful the Word of God is alive inside me and is constantly yielding more.  

#WarOnGrumbling #40DaysOfThanksgiving

What an experience it is to delve into God's Word. Tonight at Sanctuary House of Prayer, I was prayer leader on two different Worship With the Word sets -- Psalm 34:4-6 and Revelation 4:11 -- which both gave me deeper insight into who Jesus is. It also touched my heart and throughout the evening, a joy bubbled up from within me that was unmistakable. 

Your Word - Jon Thurlow
Though my enemies may all surround me //
You will guard, protect and hide me in the shadow of Your wings //
So I open my mouth and I breathe in deep //
That Your word of life may be in me //

To overcome the world

war on grumbling day nine

Day 9

I'm thankful that my Abba Father is absolutely limitless.
#WarOnGrumbling 
#40DaysOfThanksgiving


Tonight at Sanctuary House of Prayer, our 8:30pm worship team sang a chorus that once again struck me: "There are no limits to Your love." 

And immediately I recalled what Meredith Andrews said in the recent movie Holy Ghost: "What if we said -- collectively as the church -- okay God, no more boxes. No more limits. No more we have to control everything. Just give God total control. Yeah, it's scary but I think that's the way we were meant to live." 

That's the way I want to live. 

You're limitless, nothing's too hard for You //

You're limitless, there's nothing You cannot do //

You are bigger and You're greater and You're stronger I know //

You're limitless, You're limitless //

I'm saying goodbye to any limitation // I'm saying hello to the God of all creation

There are no limits with You

What in my church brings You joy?

A couple years ago I asked God 40 questions over 40 days as prescribed in a book called "Rivers from Eden: 40 Days of Intimate Conversation with God" by Brad and Eden Jersak. In the process I learned so much about His heart for me, His people and, in this case, His church.

Day 21: What in my church brings You joy?
Why does it bring You joy?
What activities in our church are You blessing right now?
Are these ministries for which I should be praying?
To which I should be giving?
For which I should be serving?

God said: Well I'm enamored with SHOP. Single-minded devotion to me. It's like Brian says...nothing takes you off your game. Your game is to intercede for the plans and purposes I desire. I want more of this. More worship. More prayer. More intercession. The things you experience will be happening soon all day and all night.

It brings me joy because above all it's necessary. I need it to see my plans, my love, my Son coming forth. 

No program in itself will do this. Alpha is fine...it schooled you to be in this place. They all have ripple effects but they're not the real stories. The real story is people proclaiming the return of my Son Jesus Christ to rule the earth. From Jerusalem. About Israel. You see, these three must be the focus. SHOP is focused on it. 

Other churches are coming. Other denominations. I'm waking people up in droves. You in the middle of the night times a thousand. You will see this in the middle of the morning, afternoon, evening. I won't give up until others see this and come around.


Next: What in my community causes You grief?