Speechless

Speechless: unable to speak, as through astonishment.

That is the one word that explains the time in Perth so far.  A word that means inexpressible in words, ironic.  The one word that I find myself feeling time and time again.  It seems like I should be getting used to this feeling of complete awe when God reveals a glimpse of Himself and His plan, but every time I find myself speechless.
Two weeks ago, on Friday morning, seated between two people whom love me, at the front of the classroom, I found it hard to speak once again.  Repentance and forgiveness, two words that God has called us to live out.  We are called to repent in front of our brothers and sisters, and to forgive the unforgiven in our lives (James 5:16).  So last Friday, as I sat in the front of the class, I repented and forgave.  Throughout the entire week, the Lord was digging at my heart, bringing up painful thoughts and memories.  When Friday rolled around and I had finished speaking, I nailed my sins to the cross and this newfound sense of freedom washed over me.  It is finished.  And it has been finished since Jesus died on the cross.  I’m left speechless, astounded that God loves so deeply and forgives so freely.

This was the best way to enter into our next week of lectures on worship and intercession.  We spent the first few days learning about intercession.  I have never learned about it or done it before so I did not know what to expect.  But you can guess how I felt after our first lecture and practice of intercessory prayer…speechless.  When Jesus died on the cross, he gave us the authority to intercede on behalf of other people.  Cliff Wiener was the speaker for week 4, and he made us aware of how powerful our prayers are, and how we need to take up the authority already given to us.  God has given us the authority to save people and nations in the most powerful of ways- through prayer.  How great is our God!

Thursday and Friday of this past week were spent learning about worship.  Worship is all about surrender.  Worship is all about what you give, not what you get.  It is so easy for me to judge a time of worship based on how I feel afterwards, whether the music, lighting, environment affected that time.  That is not worship.  Worship is not about how we feel.  Worship is about what we can give to the King of kings.  Worship is about surrendering everything to the Lord, whether that is your exhaustion, your thoughts, your schedule.  We were made to surrender.

Worship is actively expressing our deep reverence and intimate love for God through surrender.

We worship because God is worthy of it.  God wants all of it, He wants all of you.  And the basis of worship is love.  God’s heart beats from our worship.  And when we know how much we are loved, oh how our hearts begin to beat!  So I invite you to change the way you look at worship.  Instead of seeing what you can get from it, g  i  v  e it all to God.  He is worthy.  And I am left speechless.

And here is an update

-All of my funds are reached!! I want to say thank you to everyone who has extended their love towards me.  Thank you to everyone who has prayed for me and also who has helped me financially.  God sure is good.

-Also, we found out our second outreach location- KOLKATA, INDIA!! Please keep praying that God’s light would break through the darkness there.

-We leave Monday for our 3 week camping trip, so I will not be able to contact anyone until that time is over.  I’ll talk to you soon!
Blessings,

Grace