Will You Show Up Today, God?

It’s easy to overlook the fact that we who pray and minister are just as desperate for God as those who receive prayer and ministry. Morning prayer today held expectancy, the kind Moses had when he said God I want to look at You and how wonderful You are. So, we prayed to see God. We wanted Him to show up on the streets for the people who receive, but we wanted to see Him, too.

Some people won’t pray like that, either because it’s too audacious or they lack faith or they have forgotten how desperate they are and how majestic God is. Praying can be an earthbound monologue, but sometimes we suddenly remember God’s splendor. Sometimes, we think of what it would be like to really see Him as He is, to know Him as He is. We allow our minds and spirits to go there, to wonder, to be audacious enough to ask Could we look at You as You are, LORD?

People shoulder to shoulder before His splendor are on level ground. No one is the screw-up, the heretic, or the one outcast sinner. Everyone is equally on their face. If we could just see God as He is…

These prayers this morning reminded me of the majesty of God. The beauty, the awe. I more often pray without awe for I have forgotten to consider God as He really is.

Everybody needs God – church-going role-models and shameless prostitutes. There is no hierarchy as to holds the anointing oil; the prostitute washed Jesus’ feet with expensive oil and her hair. He honored her more than the pious.

If we minister it is because we know what it is to be needy. reviveFLINT isn’t an us and them, “Christians and sinners.” It is one city – one – asking to see God show up.

Something that people continue to cherish about the hodgepodge (growing) group of people who pray morning, noon, and night is the diversity. It isn’t about any denomination or congregation, any race, age, or status. While pride could easily enter any powerful movement as it has in plenty of revivals in the past, the ordinary people in this could care less about who gets the credit.

Today, pastors representing seven different churches met to discuss the vision for Flint. No one was territorial. Most wept, because they just want to see God show up here. As one Flintstone said, we don’t want a name tag slapped on. The vision that has been pitched to local pastors is a vision of unity.

Jesus prayed that we His followers be one. He prayed we’d be one the way a human body is one working unit, even though individual parts are so unique. It is awesome to see unique parts of Christ’s body functioning together in harmony with the head, Christ Himself.

The results of laying down pride and seeking God for who He is? Transformed lives. Another testament is Scott. We found him Day One, and this young man who has been struggling, and is a father to three young kids. He’s become “a different person,” and as one from our team said. He isn’t the same as he was one week ago. He wants God so bad now, and has changed his priorities to make praying with the group on top every day. Scott was already a leader in his community, now he’s starting to see why. And just a week ago, he was scared to talk to us. Now he says he fears God instead.

Another testament: Keke, (who has been changed and delivered) brought her sister, cousin, neighbor, and a bunch of kids with her tonight. Two of the women chose to trust Jesus. Not only are their lives changed, but Keke’s environment is changing just like she has needed it to. Her kids may be able to grow up in an environment with less pain.

Another testament: Today, Terrance a team member from Dallas, chose boldness. He went on God’s power, and led seven school-age guys to Christ, all of them holding hands as they stood under a tree. Earlier, Terrance had only asked for three. All seven connected with Terrance’s story, and seeing the transformation God had given him, they asked for the same transformation.

Name tags are unnecessary. They can be barriers, but when they get thrown away and the people come together and pray, as one like Jesus said, God shows up. Eyes are off of the people, the churches, their name tags and turned expectantly toward God, pure and majestic. It’s all about Him and people seeing Him as He really is, anyway.

We met today in a barbershop in the 8th Ward. This ward has some wealthier parts as well as the drugs and violence. We boldly talked about Jesus, and some 8th Ward-ers accepted Jesus. The evening was awesome, as the women present prayed over Keke’s sister, cousin, and friend, and patiently went into a spiritual battle for them. The vision for the future of reviveFLINT has been pitched to the pastors, who were very supportive. It is being prayed through still, and will be disclosed to y’all tomorrow.

Jessica for Time to Revive