Something is beginning to flow here in Connecticut……..
“Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east….” Ezekiel 47:1
This morning, as I read this passage from Ezekiel, the Lord reminded me again of a vision I had years ago:
I saw the Church, a small country church sitting on a small hill. It was so small that didn’t look like much, it looked small weak, insignificant. There was very dark all around the church, but the lights were on inside this church. In fact the lights were blazing so brightly the windows glowed a bright yellow-orange. The sound coming from this little church was the sound of deep, intense, slow and resonating worship. It was the sound of worship that came from the depths of hearts pouring out their passion, their lives and their hearts out to God. Oh the sweetness of the sound that came out of this building! The deep, slow, heart-wrenching worship! The melody wasn’t one of the pretty songs we hear in church, in fact some of the people were singing out of tune. But the sound was so sweet and so intense because the worship came from the depths of their beings. It was the type of worship that I knew pleased the heart of God. It was the type of worship that changed the atmosphere. The church was small, the people were few, but the worship came from those who were passionately in love with Jesus and were actively pouring out their hearts to Him. Everyone; every man, woman and child worshipped deeply together in oneness. The sound was intense and it was mesmerizing.
“Going on eastward, with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured in his hand….and then led me through the waters….it was knee deep. Again he measured….it was to his waist. Again he measured and it was a river I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that cannot be crossed.” Ezekiel 47:2-5
I walked toward this tiny little church with its lights blazing in the darkness and listening to the sweet intense worship flowing out of it. As I did, I felt the ground was very wet, it was soggy. I found I was walking through puddles of water. I looked and to my amazement, I saw little trickles of water flowing out of the very foundation of this little church! I then realized the water had something to do with the worship that was going on inside the church. The people’s worship caused the water to flow from the foundations of this tiny little church. I turned around and watched the water flowing from the church in trickles, it poured down the street, becoming a river. The river poured down into the towns & villages, bringing nourishment as it poured out.
“…..And wherever it goes, every living creature will live, and there will be a great many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh…..so that everything will live where the River goes. Fishermen will stand by the sea…..it will be a place of the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of many kinds….and on the banks, on both sides of the River there will grow all kinds of food….Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing…… Ezekiel 47: 7-12
Can you see this picture? Just as this River flowed out from the Temple in a trickle, so the Church, even this small sparsely populated church, as we deeply and intensely worship God together with all that we have and all that we are – a River starts to pour out from that worship! We may only see it as a small trickle flowing out from our small, insignificant buildings, but as we worship God deeply, the water gains momentum, becoming a River that no one can cross.
Many years ago, at a time when most of our state leaders actually believed in God, a “State Scripture” was chosen by them. Just as we have a state bird (robin), state flower (Mountain Laurel), state mammal (whale), etc., we also had a state Scripture. When I discovered this, I started praying through this Scripture as I prayed for Connecticut.
At one time Connecticut’s State Scripture was Revelation 22:1-2 “And he showed me a Pure River of Water of Life; clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the River was the Tree of Life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the Tree were for the healing of the nations”.
Can you see our state as that River of Life? Can you see Connecticut as the source of refreshing, provision and healing? I believe this is the prophetic destiny of our state. Connecticut has been called or nicknamed “The Provision State”. Flowing through Connecticut, flowing out of Connecticut the Lord is calling for a huge River that offers nourishment, refreshing, provision, healing and restoration to the people of many nations across the world. Can you see that? Connecticut had been the source of creativity and provision in many ways in the past, but only in the physical and soulish sense. The Lord is calling for the Connecticut Church to birth this River in the spiritual sense, through worship and prayer.
CT 7 NOW
In late 2012 & beginning 2013, the Connecticut Church held 7 monthly worship gatherings across the state in 7 months, fulfilling a directive word given by prophet Chuck Pierce June 9, 2012. He declared: “If you would worship together over the next seven months….you will gain access to the double keys that are above you in the heavenly realms.” Churches and ministries from a wide variety of backgrounds and denominations came together to worship God corporately in obedience to this word.
40 DAYS OF WORSHIP
Last fall the representatives of the Connecticut Church, over 130 churches and ministries came together once again across the state and worshipped God deeply for 40 consecutive days in over 50 different locations: from church worship gatherings with community churches gathering together, to worship at the firehouse in Sandy Hook where that awful tragedy took place the year before, to the steps of the State Capitol Building where leaders from across the state repented of the CT church not following the 10 Commandments.
To the world, all of this may have looked like small feeble efforts. Not a huge percentage of the state was even aware this was going on. There were some large worship gatherings, but on the whole and especially to the world, this was something that went unnoticed. We may not have even noticed it ourselves, but as we came together to worship God, a small trickle is beginning to flow. The Lord’s River is beginning to form, even though right now it is still yet a small trickle.
IMPACT CONNECTICUT ( impactconnecticut.com)
On March 28 & 29, another gathering is being planned (Impact Connecticut 2014 conference). This, I understand, is both a celebration of what God is doing in Connecticut and an equipping conference. This is what I hear the Lord saying: Let us take this opportunity to gather together at this gathering, and at all times we come together and spend that time worshipping God deeply and intensely. Let our focus not be on the organizational structure or works, but instead on bringing in the Presence of God through our deep intense worship and prayer.
I fully believe the worship and prayer is the birthing of the bringing forth the potential destiny of our state. Something is beginning to “brew” here, something is beginning to bubble up from the ground. But it does not start with our skills, or our works. It’s not about our own ability to organize programs or even offer training right now. This is not the River the Lord is now calling to pour out of Connecticut.
The River of God flows through worship and prayer.
Through our worship and our prayer, the small evangelical Connecticut church will issue forth that huge River of God. We all know the Connecticut evangelical church is small. Compared to other places, especially to the world, the Connecticut church looks small and insignificant, just like that little church in my vision. But as we look up and begin to worship the Lord deeply and intensely, what can happen in Connecticut? We may only see a small trickle flowing from the worship, but as it flows down, it gains momentum. That little trickle of worship will become a Huge River that no one can cross! It can become filled with multiplication of incredible “fish” that fishermen will have to spread their nets to catch.
Isn’t it time the Connecticut Church began to connect with God as we’ve never connected before?
You might say, how can we want more of God, when we, who are born again, already have ALL of Him.
As I pondered how I would answer this, I thought of relationships.
I remember when I dated my husband that he would drop me off, after a date and go home. I was so enamored by him that I wouldn’t even take off my coat, but wait for his expected call. Mind you, we had already spent an evening together, but it didn’t seem enough.
We became engaged. While II enjoyed the promise of commitment, I longed for the day when we would not have to part again. Waiting seemed to increase my anticipation of being exclusively together and alone.
After the Wedding, we moved into our first apartment. Having him all to myself was heavenly.
Throughout the years, by seeking and pursuing, we have come to learn a lot about each other. It is in the crucible of life that I learned more about my husband’s love and dedication for me. I have learned that he will be with me in good times and bad and in sickness and health. I learned that more than anyone here on earth, he knows me. He knows my strengths and weaknesses. He has been my greatest cheerleader and friend. He has found it in his heart to forgive me…time and time again. He laughs at my silly jokes and has cheered me on with my various artistic endeavors… He sees the best of me as well as part of me that people outside never see. He and I keep our secrets. We know that whatever lies ahead…each of us will be there for one another…
So, even more so is our relationship with our Lord.
We can “taste and see” that the Lord is good. Our appetite is whetted, and then we want more.
We experience the kindness of God and it is so good that we want to experience it more.
We come to know the Lord’s protection…His mercy…His forgiving nature…His generosity…His acceptance and so much more.
Being loved in this way is so good, that we are satisfied in that moment but that satisfaction sets us up for wanting more.
Our relationship with the Lord develops and deepens over time. But it is not a one way relationship. It is Him along with me. I have to be a participant and well as a seeker of ‘”more”.
He has already given His all to us. But if we continue to seek MORE of this relationship with our Lord, will be given MORE and MORE and MORE viagra chine. And did I just say More?
The secret is that He wants to be found by us AND it is HE who puts that very desire and idea in our hearts.
So, if this is new to you, simply say “Lord, I want more of You…I want to know You better to find out your ways and your opinions. I even need to hear again and again just how special I am to You.”
As much as you want to find Him, He even more wants to be found by you
And you know what? As you pursue more of Him, it truly delights Him. He wants to give you His All.
I can see a smile on His face.
So don’t be shy.
Come to the only One who will truly satisfy you. And be filled again and again.
We think about a monastic life being like monks, hidden away, praying in caves.
For 10 days, in commemoration of Rosh Hashanah and in conjunction with the 40 Days of Worship in CT…there are people Worshipping and Praying…Day and Night…24/7…at the House of Good Hope in Hartford CT.
Well, you are probably saying that we are not hidden.
Well if you are looking at the House and us from an earthly perspective, I can see where you are coming from.
We’re in a Big Inner City. There is busy traffic all day long. It is close to gas stations and restaurants. It’s not too far from Hartford Hospital.
People pass a nondescript Cape Cod home, all day long. There is a sign on the façade and sometimes I have wondered how many have read the sign. Is anyone curious? Or in the hustle and bustle of life, is it just like passing a church on every corner.
But inside, hidden in plain sight, are men, women and even children who are giving honor to a King. Actually, it is no earthly King but Jesus who is the King of Kings.
Inside are many forms of expression…music…singing…out loud prayer…silent prayer…dancing…playing instruments…drawing, painting and creating…and a posture of love and adoration for King Jesus.
What goes on in that House supersedes any legislation…any marches for causes…any political lobbying…anything of self-effort.
The world and the people outside say things like “Thank you very much I CAN run my life on my own.”
Those praying inside are saying “Lord, there is not one thing I (we) can do without You.”
The atmosphere in the House is peaceful and focused, as well as urgent and life changing.
In the Bible, it says that we (Christians) are a peculiar people. I am sure that many in the world outside would say “Why would you want to pray so long and on such a lovely day?”
And we would say …” Come, stay and rest a while. Pray or sing or cry or sigh. Be silent and let Love speak to your heart. If you are hesitant and just want to observe…that’s OK too.
You will walk into this “ordinary” House and you will leave knowing you have visited HOME!
This all started with a handful of people who were hungry for more of God. They covenanted together to pray around the clock, each taking one hour a day in rotation, which lasted 100 years. This round the clock prayer meeting that revolutionized world evangelization started with just 24 people! They fervently believed the “fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out…..” (Leviticus 6:12)
Can it be done again today? Can it be done in Hartford CT, of all places? Of course it can! All we need is as few as 24 hungry souls who will enter into covenant to watch and pray one hour daily in one location on a rotating schedule, covering 24 hours of nonstop prayer.
I challenge you to an experiment: Let’s do a round-the-clock prayer meeting for 10 days!
At sunset Wednesday, September 4 is Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish fall feasts. It continues for the next 10 days, which are called the “10 Days of Awe”, ending at sunset Saturday, September 14, which is Yom Kippur. Also, on September 4, 2013 a statewide worship and prayer initiative is scheduled to start that came from a prophetic word Chuck Pierce released when he was last with us at First Cathedral. He prophesied if the Connecticut Church can worship God strategically across the state for 40 consecutive days, the Lord will open the heavens over Connecticut. Some of us have been planning and praying for this prayer initiative for the past several months. (for more information, go to http://impactconnecticut.com) Wouldn’t it be awesome to start these 40 days of worship with the first 10 days of nonstop prayer?
Would you commit to pray for our state for at least one hour?
We will start at sunset Wednesday, September 4, going through to sunset, Saturday, September 14. Each person will come to the House of Good Hope to pray on a rotating schedule. You are most welcome to pray from your home, but there is something about making the sacrifice to go to a specific location to pray. There is also a precious anointing that comes when you pick up where the last person left off…..in the same location where he/she prayed.
If you would like to join us, contact us at hartfordprayer@gmail.com or call 860-904-7358. Let us know what time of day or night you will come, and how long you covenant to pray. It can be as short as one hour, or you can pray the whole day or night.
Start the 40 Days of Worship with a bang! We invite you to join us in this prayer experiment. I know this prayer experiment may possibly change the climate of our city and our state. I can guarantee most of all, this will change you!
For years I struggled with teaching on “bridal love”, have even been offended with some of the teaching I believed that came from IHOP. It seemed like many of their worship songs I heard had the words “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth” somewhere in the melody. I would cringe whenever I heard those words sung! I believed that teaching bordered on the wrong kind of intimacy many intercessors fall into, especially women. Over the years of my leading intercession for Connecticut I’ve met many an off-balanced intercessor who reveled in unbiblical teaching that made them feel good. This “intimacy” thing was a bit too much when there was a lost and dying world out there that needed our concentrated prayers and intercession. I believed we need to focus our intercession on “those out there”, not on ourselves or our relationship with the Lord. I believed in that old church cliche: “if we take care of God’s business, He will take care of ours”.
Then there came the day when the Lord directed me to take another look at IHOP, listen more closely to their teaching. I realized if I am called to raise up a house of prayer, I need to learn from those who were successful at it. International House of Prayer in Kansas City MO has been in existence for over 13 years and is growing. Also, many of those who I respect held a high regard of IHOP, some even told me of amazing experiences they had while visiting them in Kansas City. Not only that, “IHOP people” from all across the eastern United States had been contacting me, offering me their prayers, their help and support. They didn’t even know me! Yet they supported and encouraged me in my efforts to raise up this local house of prayer. I was touched by all of their prayers, concerns and generous love they poured on someone they didn’t even know. All because I hear the Lord calling me to build Him a house of prayer!
As I listened to the teaching come from Kansas City, I was amazed at how similar the teaching I heard Bickle and others preach was so close to my own theology. So I kept listening to the IHOP online teaching, ordered books and DVDs, even introduced some of the teaching to those who came to my prayer house; but always with caution. I never wanted the intercessors to go off thinking I was teaching Jesus is their “boyfriend”!
Then slowly, the Lord began to correct me, He began to show me the errors of my thinking.
About a year ago, when I was at church one Sunday, sitting in front of me was a man who looked like he either was newly saved or not a believer. He was covered in tattoos and body piercings, and he shaved his head. While we worshipped, I had a vision of that man. I saw him lying in bed asleep, or he may possibly have been dead. It was completely dark. Then suddenly The Lord burst into this man’s room, He was Light and Light shown all about Him. The Lord, the Holy Spirit was suddenly on top of this man, eyeball to eyeball, nose to nose, mouth to mouth, face to face. The Holy Spirit suddenly breathed His breath into this man’s mouth and nose. As He did this, the man’s eyes suddenly popped open, a look of utter surprise appeared on his face! He was suddenly very much awake and alive where before he was asleep, possibly even dead. There was something mezmerizing about that whole picture; the picture of the Holy Spirit on top of this man, so close, so uncomfortably close! The picture of the Holy Spirit breathing His breath into this man, which woke him up with a look of shock and surprise kept pulling at me. At first I thought the vision was for this man, so I shared it with him after the service. He looked a bit uncomfortable when I spoke to him, looked like he wanted to get away from me. He probably thought of me as this eccentric woman who goes around speaking about visions to whomever she meets. His answer was “I have asthma. Maybe The Lord wants to heal me”. Then he left before I had a chance to ask if I could pray for him.
For some reason I couldn’t shake the impact of that vision. It kept appearing again and again in my thoughts and in my sight. I shared this with the intercessors and one of them tried to draw it. My mind kept going back to that vision of the tattooed skinhead man. As I meditated on that vision, the Lord then reminded me of an experience I had years ago when I watched Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion”. Like many others, my church rented a theater and we all watched it together as a congregation. When we watched the scene of Jesus crying out,“IT….IS…..FINISHED!!!!”, then breathed His last breath, I suddenly felt moisture on my lips. I felt as if I had been kissed on the mouth! I looked up, thinking the air conditioner was leaking over my head. But there was no air conditioner. It was such a weird sensation. I couldn’t understand why I had the feeling of my being kissed as I watched a graphic image of a bloodied and tortured Christ dying on the cross. To me, the two didn’t come together, it didn’t make sense.
Recently, during my daily Bible reading, I read again the book of Song of Solomon, it was part of my daily Bible reading I had followed for decades. I found myself again reading: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth”. There’s that “kissing” verse again! There is that verse again that makes me very uncomfortable. The verse all those singers sing over & over at IHOP that makes me squirm! The verse I find repugnant. But then as I read the verse that morning, I saw written next to this verse, in my own handwriting: “BREATHE Your breath into me, oh God!!!” To this day, I don’t remember writing that!
Suddenly revelation dawned on me. As I re-read the passage and my prayer next to it, I again remembered the vision I had of the man at my church, as well as the sensation of my being kissed as I watch Jesus dying on the cross. I also remembered specific Bible passages; like Genesis 2:7 when God breathed His breath into man, which gave him life. Or in 2 Kings 4:8-37, when Elisha raised up the dead teenage boy by his lying on top of him, eyeball to eyeball, nose to nose, mouth to mouth. Then I remember John 20:22, when the resurrected Christ breathed His breath into each of His disciples, saying “Receive ye the Holy Spirit” before He ascended into heaven.
I am slowly getting it! Sometimes I can be quite dense, jumping to wrong conclusions.
I suddenly saw the vast need for us to allow the Lord to get up close and personal with us. I see our need to allow, even invite the Holy Spirit to get into our personal space and breathes His Breath into us. I suddenly saw that I am that tattooed man, my body marred and pierced by the stain of this world, I am sleeping in darkness. Then Holy Spirit comes and breathes His breath into my mouth and nostrils. In a sense, He performs mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in me! He “kisses me with the kisses of His mouth”.
BREATHE Your breath into me, oh Lord! I cry out for more of You…..in me! Invade my personal space! I give You permission to get close to me, uncomfortably close where I can hide no secrets.
Let this be the cry of all of our hearts!
Tomorrow night we will start a study on the Song of Songs. Through this, we hope to understand the vastness of the Lord’s love for us, allow Him to get into our personal space and breathe His breath into each of us.
You are invited to join with us as we start on this journey of allowing ourselves to become one with The Lord.
We meet at 7:00pm every Monday night at House of Good Hope, 320 Brown Street, Hartford CT.
“The son of a Connecticut kindergarten teacher stormed her Newtown school this morning, sources said, shooting and killing 20 children and six adults in the worst elementary school shooting in American history. Adam Lanza, 20, opened fire first at the Sandy Hook Elementary School’s office, then in his mother’s kindergarten class, authorities told NBC News. The Associated Press has identified Adam’s mother as Nancy Lanza. The shooter himself died as well, and one of his family members was found dead in a Newtown home. State police have not confirmed the name during any news conference held on Friday. They said they will, but it is not appropriate to do so yet.
“Evil visited this community today,” Gov. Dannel Malloy said during a news conference at 6 p.m.”
My heart is so grieved at the tragedy one of our Connecticut schools has suffered! I keep wondering what kind of lunacy would possess someone to do something as horrendously terrible as killing a classroom of innocent children and their teacher? I also know that something like this can lead people, even Christians into a place of helpless bitterness. “Where was God at a time like this?” We will never know why, but this is a time for us to not question but to pray.
Tomorrow morning our Christmas worship celebration has been scheduled, but plans have been changed. We will not be celebrating, instead we will be praying. We will spend the morning interceding for our children, especially for those who had lost their children through tragedy such as this.
You are encouraged to join us in prayer and intercession. We are meeting from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at House of Good Hope, 320 Brown Street, Hartford.
