I Expect You
‘Revive me according to Your lovingkindness’ (Psa. 119:88, 159)
Hello Children of God,
It was a beautiful evening last night – warm and sunny. I decided around eight o’clock to go for a bike ride through the city of Elmira. Near the edge of the downtown, just heading out of town, is a hundred-year-old Mennonite church. They had a sign out front with a prayer on it which said the following: “Holy Spirit, come with power; we expect You - Give us vigor, life anew.” What a loaded sign! I had to take a picture of it so I would not forget it. When I came home I just had to type this into Google, and discovered that “Holy Spirit, Come with Power” is a song in several hymnals. I couldn’t get the words of that sign out of my head; I’ve been meditating on it all night, processing in my mind why any church would put this on a billboard outside their church. I believe what struck me most was the prominent words, right in the middle of the sign, “we expect You”. Was He not already there? I guess if you have to pray for Him to come, He wasn’t. And by self-admission, they confessed they were ‘vigorless’ and needing ‘new life’. Or maybe, they just wanted more of Him and His ‘power’. Of course, don’t we have, in our own evangelical churches, the same type of songs, “Holy Spirit, You are welcome here, come flood this place and fill the atmosphere… (by Bryan and Katie Torwalt)”. Here are the words from a current popular song by Patrick Mayberry called ‘Holy Spirit Come’:
Verse 1
I'm coming with a heart of worship
I'm bringing in a brand new song
I'm ready to see the unthinkable
I'm ready for a miracle
Hearts praying for a fresh encounter
Souls looking to the living God
I'm ready for a real revival O Holy Spirit
Chorus
Come like a flood like a fire
Holy spirit fall in this place fill our hearts
Holy Spirit come like a flood like a fire
Holy Spirit come O Holy Spirit come
As I pondered further the meaning of this very revealing church sign, I realized I have prayed this prayer numerous times myself. Do we not all have ‘low’ moments in our walk with God when He feels distant, when our prayers feel like they are getting stuck at the ceiling, when it feels like we’ve lost our fire, vigor and life? Let’s be honest, we leak! We can’t stay filled all the time – that’s why we have Ephesians 5:18, ‘be filled (continually in the Greek) with the Spirit”. Actually, the Ephesians must have leaked a lot, cause the prayers Paul prays for them in his letter are very telling:
To be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit (3:16)
That Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith (3:17)
To grasp the width, length, height, and depth of Christ's love (3:18)
To be filled with all the fullness of God (3:19)
Even David, the man after God’s own heart prayed the prayer “revive me!” nine times in psalm 119. His hungry soul thirsted for God, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psa. 42:2; 63:1; 143:6). It is a cry of desperation for the One we truly love – our First love – “I want more of You” – God is our life, and when the things of the world have robbed us of the joy of His presence, our very being cries out, “Holy Spirit Come!” It’s the prayer of a longing heart, of a child of God to be with the God he/she loves. What kind of prayer would it be if we did not expect God to answer? What father would not want to come to the cry of his child calling, “Daddy, I need you.” How much more our heavenly Father who loves us with an infinitely greater love? “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness! Come with power; take away my pain, my broken heart; heal my wounds! Give me life and fire me anew with the flame of Your love and presence. I am waiting and expect You to answer my prayer because of Your great love for me.” Imagine a church calling out publicly to the Giver of Life, to come and meet their need for ‘More!’. Are we? May all who drive by and read the sign receive its message and expect God to answer with power.
"Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. " (Psalm 107:8-9 NKJ)
Have a blessed week!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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