The Audacity!

The church has been doing a series on prayer lately. We are spending 40 days in prayer and fasting for our land so this series is appropriate.

Yesterday we heard about the overnight and all night prayer.

It had been on my mind to have a personal one. So it seemed timely that I heard this message.

I decided to put it into practice.

Overnight or extended night prayers are not new to me. I have been part of quite a few, often coming away with a sense of not just we have done in the spiritual, but what God has done in my own life. The lessons learned, the passions stirred, the intimacy achieved.... there is no substitute.

Last night, however, was different. It was a personal one. No one else. Just me, my guitar, the Bible, a journal, and my laptop (in case I wanted music). Just meeting with the King of kings.

What audacity! To want to have an audience with the King of Glory! The One Who not only made heaven and earth, but the One Who is holy, powerful and worthy of all praise!

And yet, that is what I sought.

Because I ought.

We ought.

I need to.

So I did.

My fingers had long lost the callouses from years of not picking up the guitar. But I strummed away for over an hour as one song after another leapt out at me from the pages of the old song book. Amazingly, other songs of worship and adoration, confession and profession, came to mind too. And even more amazingly, I didn't need to refer to the songbook - somehow the chords came. It was definitely not me - it was the Holy Spirit's assistance.

Then He laid things upon my heart. First about myself, and then about others.

Four hours went by fast.

At the end, I felt more refreshed than when I had started. How could I not be, sitting in His presence, communing with the Almighty? It was such a privilege. So tender, and yet so awesome. He is, after all, a holy God.

I still feel good today after three and a half hours of sleep.

I think I will have another session - this time, an all night one.