Prayer. It is possibly the least used weapon in our arsenal of spiritual weapons given to us.
The bible has much to say about prayer. We are given instructions on how to pray, in what manner we ought to pray, what we have to let go of in order to pray effectively and the importance of possessing unwavering faith when we pray.
Almost daily we see reports in the news or hear of friends battling health issues or recovering from a tragic event.
“Pray for me.”
“Pray for my family.”
“Pray for our city.”
“Pray for our country.”
“Pray for the world.”
We see the posts on social media. We see the need played out before our eyes daily. Do we really pray? If so, do we pray effectively?
Or does prayer get in the way of our day-to-day activities? Is it a nuisance, so many people needing prayer? Does prayer even work? Who has time to pray anymore?
This is what P.O.P.C.O.R.N. is about. It is about being very purposeful, even strategic in making a choice to gather with others to pray.
These meetings will be like popcorn, hence the name.
In order for popcorn to pop it has to be heated to a temperature that will cause a change on the inside. The change on the inside of the kernel is so great that enough pressure builds up, causing the kernel to “POP!” and become a new creation.
We, like popcorn, need to be heated up through prayer. We need to be so heated that we also burst forth as a new creation.
The great thing about popcorn is that we never cook just one kernel at a time. We put a bunch of kernels into the same pot to be heated together in oil. The whole pot gets shaken throughout the heating process, so as to decrease the possibility of the kernels getting scorched. The oil allows for greater heat temperatures than if you didn’t use any at all.
The oil in popcorn can be likened to the Holy Spirit. When He is in the midst of our prayers, the results can be heightened and things can certainly heat up faster with Him rather than trying to pray without Him.
Popcorn pops in random fashion. Likewise, we don’t know which prayer may get answered first but we can be assured that if we allow ourselves to gather together, be heated and coated in the oil of the Holy Spirit, things are going to change. What seems like random order becomes divine order.
We will be transformed. Our cities and towns will be transformed. There isn't a limit to the lengths, heights and depths that prayer can go and transform our world around us...but that change starts with us.
What are we willing to dp?How desperate and determined are we to pursue the change our lives, and the lives around us, need?
Are we willing to meet with others at random times and in various places to gather together and pray? Can we cross denominational barriers in a true spirit of unity and coming together in "one accord"? Are we willing to set aside our biases, our grudges, our unforgiveness, our justifications, our rationalizations? Are we willing?
What if the change we are seeking starts with us? Are we prepared to go into the highways and the byways to get to know the issues that face our local areas? We don't have to agree on everything, but we can agree on Jesus. We can agree to "meet at the cross" and humble ourselves before Him and each other. We can agree that true repentance which leads to revival may very well start in our own hearts before it starts anywhere else.
I am so thankful to my Lord for His faithfulness. I am thankful for His love and for His grace. I am thankful for you.
Our world is hurting and we have a great chance to show love as we gather together to pray and support each other. Let's go and be like popcorn. Let's get coated in oil and heated up so that a true transformation may take place and our lives become even more savory to this world around us.
