IF MY PEOPLE ...

Several times recently the picture you see to your left has been forwarded to me by different friends. Each time my eyes see this photo taken in New York City it pierces my spirit as I see the dedication of the Muslims towards Allah and wonder how many of God's people across this land are willing to humble themselves, go to their knees before our HOLY Father, and pray on behalf of our nation and its leaders. When I see the willingness of the Muslim to regularly bow to their god, Allah, I think of Believers standing in services across our land observing the very few who bend their knees in prayer to our God, crying out to Him for His mercy upon this nation. I so wonder what would happen if the entire congregation bowed to our God from their seats in the congregation, not just the few at the altar. What would it be like if we bowed regularly and only a few are left standing, rather than vice versa? I can only imagine ... oh, Lord, touch the hearts of your people.

I ask, "Father, what will it take to cause your people to bow to you and cry out for your hand to move across this land and turn the hearts of our country back to you? Lord, must it take devastation to awaken us to the reality that the Muslim people seem more dedicated to worshipping their god than what the Church is to YOU ... the ONE AND ONLY GOD!! Father, awaken your Church to repent from their sins of omission and move upon them to cry out to you!! Move in the hearts of your children across this land to go to their secret places where there is no public recognition for their lip service to you. Move on your children to recognize that you are simply wanting to turn our nation back to YOU and away from our self-promotion, self-gratification, our greed, and perverted morals and lifestyles. I ask you, Father, to release the spirit of Elijah who proved to the prophets of Baal whose God is the REAL GOD as FIRE came down and consumed their sacrifice. May the CONSUMING FIRE of HEAVEN move upon the altars of all of our hearts as we sacrifice our PRAISE AND WORSHIP OF THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD!!"

I pray for the day when those who we see bowing to Allah will see with their eyes and hearts the power of our God demonstrated as He shows Himself faithful to those who do humble themselves before Him!

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."

Matthew 6:5

"If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

II Chronicles 7:14

MY WORD!

Haven’t we all heard that the one who has possession has ownership … that “possession is nine tenths of the law”? So many Believers are applying that “old proverb” to what the Lord has spoken to them. The revelatory words and teachings they have received from the Lord, holy prophetic words and revelations downloaded from our Father above through the power of the Holy Spirit, are now theirs. Many of these words are being copyrighted (yes, this is okay) … but, one must ask, "Is the motivation of my heart behind the copyright stating that I have legally made my claim to what the Lord gave ME, therefore, you cannot use it freely for yourself. Also, is the intent meant to say that you may not infringe upon MY WORD that GOD gave ME”!? Could the attitude for some taking ownership of Words from the Lord be ... hopefully, without their realizing it ... “MY WORD is the Father’s provision and plan for me to profit and receive recognition from!”

HE GAVE THIS TO ME … now it is MINE because I AM the one who received it and, no, you cannot reproduce MY WORD! No, you must receive my permission to use it. Doesn’t the Father give us prophetic words as a “gift” … a gift given to benefit others, not to just satisfy ourselves and pridefully declare that He spoke the word to ME, so now it is mine? I would imagine that our Lord would say, “I AM the great I AM and there shall be no other greater than ME! I AM the ONE who gave the gift, the Word … and it is MINE!”

I have on many occasions been encouraged by one minister or the other to “take the prophesied word for myself” when it was actually a word given personally to another in a public service. In other words, the prophetic word was from our Heavenly Father, yet, a word not ONLY intended for the one receiving it. I ask you, “Does it matter WHO receives the word? If it is from HIM, it is HIS WORD!”

How many times have you picked up the Word of God and your spirit was quickened by Holy Spirit? Holy Spirit did that so you could “receive the Word that was passed onto you from those who authored the books in the Bible!” Although the particular writer was inspired by God and recorded the Word that was given, by no means disallows your reaching out to take that Word for yourself. How many authors are writing books using the Word of God as reference? You do not have to gain permission or pay to quote the Father’s Holy Word! Yes, you must legally give reference that you took a quote from a particular translation. It is GOD'S word, not that of authors Matthew, Luke, Paul, or any of the other writers of the books of the Bible! They simply penned what they saw, heard, and lived under the inspiration of God Himself … it is God’s Word!

Take for example a waiter in a restaurant. When a patron orders a meal a waiter will take their order and then serve the meal at the appointed time. What would happen if the waiter took on the attitude of “possession is nine tenths of the law” while delivering that meal to the one it was intended? Apply this principle to the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher.

Perhaps one reason many of God’s people seem to be “stuck in the wilderness” going nowhere in their spiritual life … could be that they are stuck taking ownership of a God given Word. The Father may be waiting for them to lay it down or give it away to benefit others for whom it was also meant to receive it in the first place, so that they can move on to the next leg of their spiritual journey. Perhaps that person taking ownership of the word was meant only to be the conduit for which the word or revelation was to pass through, but they took it upon themselves to stop the buck before the buck was passed along to other “God intended receivers”. The words our Father imparted into His people may have been meant to be “held loosely” and then given away to others. Holding onto these revelatory words may have become the “weight” holding them down and preventing their moving forward into their promised land. This goes against the grain and the teachings to “take it, it is yours”!

Yes, it is yours, but it may be for others as well … without cost! May our Lord receive the honor and glory and recognition for HIS words and revelation and not ourselves!

“For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth and make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11