PRAYER JOURNAL 6/12/19
Romans 8:1 There is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Recently, Jonathan Morris, a popular, beloved Catholic
Priest from New York was interviewed regarding his decision to leave the
priesthood. He said that even in
Seminary, he felt this was not what God wanted him to do, but he didn’t want to
disappoint and let everyone down…he stayed because of EXPECTATIONS.
Later, before his ordination, after sinning, he wrote a
letter to his superiors, confessing and begging to be allowed to leave. The men over his order told him, “forget about it; it didn’t happen” and
he stayed because of EXPECTATIONS.
Finally, at 47, although he loved ministry, he could no
longer stay in a calling that God never placed him in merely because of the EXPECTATIONS of friends, family and
overseers.
How many of us have stayed in a calling that was placed on
us by someone other than God because of EXPECTATIONS?
I HAVE….
I knew this was not where God had called me; this was not
one of the gifts He had placed inside of me but I WAS EXPECTED to serve in this capacity. I didn’t want to disappoint; I didn’t want
people to think I wasn’t the example of a
“good Christian;” and I was riddled with guilt and resentment. I dreaded every Sunday because of what was
expected. I didn’t put much time into
preparation because I hated what I was doing.
Waking up sick was a blessing because it meant I had an excuse to stay
home and not perform…
THAT IS NOT SERVING GOD; IT IS LIVING
IN CONDEMNATION.
At a conference, the preacher told a story about a
miraculous “raising from the dead”
experience and he asked, “If you would like to go to that level in
the Spirit, stand to your feet. Now, I’m
not asking everyone to stand, just those who really want to be used in this
way. Don’t just stand because you feel
it is EXPECTED and everyone around you is standing; stand only if you really
feel it.”
THEN TO FROST THE
CAKE WITH A LITTLE GUILT….
He continued, “For you who are still seated, ask yourself… “Why
don’t I want to be used by the Spirit? “What
is keeping me from desiring to go deeper in God?” “Wouldn’t I want some poor drug addict to
live again?”
TALK ABOUT A
CONDEMNATION SANDWICH!
And most of the audience rose to their feet…wouldn’t
you? I mean do you want to be the one
who doesn’t care; do you want everyone to think that you are happy with just a
shallow, surface relationship with God?
Turning 60 has its benefits…I have determined that the ONLY EXPECTATIONS I will live up to, from
now on, are the EXPECTATIONS spoken
to me by God, in prayer. I will not
raise my hand and agree to perform just because the Pastor asked the audience
and I don’t want everyone to think I don’t care. I will no longer pretend to be called to do a
ministry in which God has not placed me.
I will no longer participate out of GUILT
AND CONDEMNATION!
Answering an EXPECTATION
CALL blocks the work God desires to do through you. It wastes the gifts that God has placed in
you. AND…the guilt, condemnation and
resentment will only produce rotten, wormy fruit.
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