The Devil Didn’t See This Coming

There are some in the Church that have been pretty stunted in their spiritual growth. I am not saying they are not saved, but they are not fully benefiting from the Lord’s costly work on the cross. They are not helping to expand the Kingdom. This is because they haven’t been taught properly. They haven’t been taught the full Word of God. They have been fed a watered-down Gospel. Therefore they are anemic and weak in their faith. That is the fault of those of us in leadership. I think this grieves the Lord’s heart.

I believe the Lord is now dealing with this circumstance in the Church through the COVID-19 lockdowns, because a lot of those people are sincere. They didn’t know any different. They hadn’t been exposed to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I think this lockdown is causing Christians to realize where their faith in the Lord is. When they are concerned enough, they are beginning to seek Him out for themselves. They can see others worshipping God and talking about Him, and teaching about Him all over social media. They aren’t getting their “view” from just one source anymore. When they taste of His fullness, they are becoming hungry for more of Him.

Some Christians’ lives are going to be turned upside down. They are not going to go back to church the way they left it. They are becoming the Church. They are realizing what “Church” is. The pastors had better get ready, because God is messing the people up in a good way. Even sitting home watching on the web for an hour is not working for them anymore. I am hearing more and more about people praying more than they ever have. Many are praying as families and studying the Word together. They are taking communion together. They have activated the Ekklesia within the walls of their homes and they like it. This is extending to their neighbors and to their communities. The Church is being the Church outside the walls of their buildings.

Pastors are going to need to figure out what to do with this. They are going to need to lead in a new way. The people are going to demand something from them that they weren’t getting before. This is a unique move of revival. Passion for the Lord is being ignited. Revival always ignites passion as people are awakened to His Presence.

“I desperately want to be in the courts of the Lord’s temple. My heart and my entire being shout for joy to the living God.” (Psalm 84:2; NET)

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

• Pray for the Church to come alive in this lock-down season!
• Ask God to forgive His leaders where they have limited the growth of the Church by delivering watered down teaching of the Word.
• Intercede for the Body of Christ as they are coming alive in the Lord now. Pray He turns fear and concern to awakening and revival!
• Thank God for the families doing church together in their homes. This is how things should have always been.
• Thank the Lord for innovative ways to gather as the Church in this lock-down season.
• Ask the Lord to give pastors and leaders the ability to help their congregations retain and increase their new-found passion for Jesus.

A prayer you can pray:

Lord, You have been exposing a lot of things in this lockdown season. The condition of the Church is a somewhat surprising one. While we knew some pastors had gone to a watered down, seeker-sensitive format, we didn’t know the full effect. Now we see that there are many that have been left without an anchor to hold onto. These trying times have left some wondering what church was all about. Others have become desperate to know You in a deeper way. We pray the latter far outweighs the former. Draw them to Jesus, Holy Spirit. Forgive the pastors and leaders for not realizing how much people really need Jesus. We must know He is the One in which we can place our whole hope. Times like these shake everything that can be shaken out of us, and some are finding they are pretty empty.

Thank You for online churches. Thank You for all of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers, as well as local church pastors, who have jumped on online platforms to preach the Gospel. Many are now seeing what they were missing! There is a whole new world being displayed online and the hungry are being filled. While this is not a full expression of “Church”, it is more than many have ever experienced. The lockdown is setting captives free in Christ! Prepare the pastors for the reopening of their churches. They are going to need to get ready for things to be different. People aren’t going to be satisfied with milk anymore. They need meat and they are going to look for it. Grace, grace, grace to the new Church arising in Jesus’ Name! Amen.

Today’s decree:

The Church is coming alive in the lock-down!