During December 28 through December 31, I attended the OneThing 2010 conference that was put on by the International House of Prayer - KC or IHOP. I think I was excited to go cause I thought it was going to be like the Awakening Services that happened from November of 2009 to October of 2010.I feel like I need to tell you what happened during the Awakening Services at IHOP to really know why I wanted it to be like that. In November 2009, in one of the IHOPU classes the Holy Spirit broke out. It wasn't like anything I'd ever experienced before. I mean I wasn't at the class when it happened, but I have been to the Awakening Services. The Spirit broke out every night they had this service. Which was 4 days a week, 6 hours a night. So much joy broke over the nights! Miracles, healings, happened... I learned last night that over 7,000 healings happened in an 11 month period. WOW, praise God! Not only that but 17,000 people were baptised during that time as well. Amazing right! I am still so estatic about those numbers. Many people from around the world were watching over webcast. I was definitely one of those when the weather was bad or I didn't have enough gas. You just had to be there. The place was just filled and you could tell.
Now with all this excitement around the Awakening services, you can kind of understand why I was wanting it to be like that. But...
I was wrong. OneThing was nothing like the Awakening Services. I mean yes there were similarities, but it was definitely not the same.
I loved this week sooo much. There was amazing worship, meeting awesome people, and helping out... hey! I can't go to an event really without helping.
Tuesday, Day 1:
Now Misty Edwards was leading worship all day Tuesday, during both sessions. Her sounds are so raw, and annoited. It's just like you are singing to God Himself, or He's singing to you. It's great.
Even though I am an extreme sucker for worship, this day the message grabbed my heart. Corey was speaking about the laziness of this generation. I mean, I've heard it before so I thought ok, I am gonna listen but mainly ignore most of it. But God wouldn't let that happen. As he was speaking about the laziness he pulled out many verses from Proverbs about laziness(Proverbs 6:6-11; 12:11; 13:4; 13:23; 19:15; 20:13). Out of all the verses he pulled out, the last one caught my attention: "Don't love sleep, or you will become poor. Stay awake, and you will have more food than you need." Wow right? He not only brought attention to all these verses, he challenged us to go to bed at 10p, cause anything after 10p or later if you're not doing to benefit God, your spirit is weak and can easily do things it shouldn't. Then waking up at like 6 or 7a. When I heard this I was going crazy! I was like I love sleep, but I don't want to be poor! Wake up at 6a!!! I usually sleep in til 10a - 11a. I know right. But it was just so convicting. And he said your spirit may be awake to what God wants, but are you? Are you ready to make sacrafices to do the will of God? Basically, Your Spirit may be awake, are you?
So convicting I did it the next morning. And my God rocks, I was so awake. It's been too long since I've felt this awake. I was just so refreshed and excited about what God was going to that day.
Wednesday, Day 2:Day two of the conference and day two of helping at the Forerunner Music table. At this table I was volunteering with an older gentleman by the name of Tom. We were talking and I started talking about how I feel God's given me this passion, this burning passion for justice for children around the world. That's all I want to do. He said woa hold up. I know what you mean, it's great to have a passion, but you need to develope that gift God's given you. He went through a similar situation. He felt God call him into ministry, but he had a fire in his heart for God and didn't want to go to school because he was worried Jesus would come while he was in school. Then he had a similar conversation and a mentor told him that because is taking the time to develope this talent God's given him and if Jesus did come while he was in school, Jesus would reward him for taking the time to develope his God-given talent to better the kingdom.
Then I thought ok, so it's like a bread dough. If you just mix the ingredients and then bake it in the oven you are going to have a very dense loaf. But if you knead the bread dough just enoough at it's peak and where it's the best developed then you bake it, it's going to be nice a soft loaf. That's what we want.
It made perfect sense to me now. I needed to go back to school, now the real question is for what? Communications or Design, or maybe something completely different. It was also great to be talking to someone who isn't going to biased between my parents or I, but is coming from the interest of God.
Thusday. Day 3:
You know I don't know if I really learned anything this day. But instead of writing about nothing, I'll give you parts of the worship song we sang that got me really excited enough to write it down.
"Let me love you more, this is all I desire
Let me love you more, this is all I require
Let me love you more, this is my deepest heart's desire
Let me love you more, still more, still more"
- Jaye Tomas
Friday, Day 4:The start of this day was bad, getting ready to leave for "work" and I find out I have a flat tire. I borrow my parents car and go to work to realize that I wasn't even suppose to come in til 3p. On the way there I am just so upset and sad cause I can't go to the last service, the New Years Eve Service. I had been looking forward to this night since I registered and now I couldn't go.
Then on the way home from the mistake of showing up at work early, I was listening to OneThing 2009 and what song but "Whom the Son Sets Free." Yes I love this song. It's so true. I was in my car shaking my hands to the song. Shaking off the chains of grief and sadness, and in the song Cory Asbury says "DEPRESSION IS GONE!!!" I mean no I wasn't depressed but I was just disappointed in the day so far. But as soon as he said that I was filled with joy and started laughing, realizing there was no reason to be upset.
Then I get home and I tell my dad about the amazing revelations I have had this week. I want things to change. He doesn't believe me, but I think deep down he knows I've changed for the best.
I praise God, my dad bought me a new tire. Then on the car ride home, I tell him more about what's been going on.
But I just learned from this experience that I need to trust God's plan everyday. Things happen for a reason and God knows the end task. I need to trust just as I would if I were going on a mission trip.
Oh Lord, 2011 is going to be great. I really see joy in my family this year. I pray to God that it would happen.
Basically I was able to make it to the service! I prayed for people, people prayed for me. I meditated and waited on the Lord for a while. Danced for like hours. As I was meditating on the Lord last night, I kept seeing Prayer Warrior in my mind. I also felt a desire in my heart to see visions and dreams or at least an understanding of God more. Then some lady came and prayed over me and she said the Lord told her to come pray for me, and that I was waiting paciently and He delights in my pacience waiting on the Lord. It made smile inside and out.
As I texted my friend this morning about what happened about how I felt like God calling me to be a Prayer Warrior, she said Laura you're already a prayer warrior. Then I told her, well maybe God's wanting me to take the next step in prayer, which I am not sure what that is, but I am definitely waiting to hear what that is going to be.
I am so excited for this new year. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me. I can't wait to see what I am going to learn while reading through the Bible twice hopefully.
May God bless your year.
