Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.(Philippians 2:17 – ESV)
The people that pray with passion are the people that stay in His presence. Not a false, worked up energy or showy emotionalism, but a heartfelt knowledge of His will and a willingness to lay out the case before Him in passionate prayer, in faith. It isn’t simply the volume or the amount of tears but if we are truly pouring out our heart it will often be accompanied by increased emotion. This isn’t faith in our fervor, but faith in our God. It isn’t a demonstration of a lack of faith; it is a demonstration of the power of it.
Sometimes it isn’t pouring out what you have extra, it is pouring out from what you need. Not like some seed faith thing, that is still selfish thinking, but something you have and you need. You have it and you are willing to lose it, and go without, to give to someone else, but in the name of God and knowing Him, not to look good, and not making a deal with God, not “I’ll do this if you do that”. If you want to get poured upon you must be poured out.
A man came from a town that was in severe drought and people were dying. He went to look for water, got lost and was near death. He would need to drink just to make it back to town, let alone get any water for anyone else. He pleaded to God for water. Soon he came across a pump with a canteen hung on the handle and a note. The note read: “This pump is routed directly to the neighboring towns, and below is a supply of all the fresh water they could ever need.” He was elated, and went to take a drink of the canteen when he read the rest of the note. “The canteen contains exactly enough water to prime the pump.” It takes great faith to pour out the whole contents of the canteen for a promise of unlimited water. Will you use the water to fill yourself or to prime the pump? Will you take the risk?
In Philippians 2 we see that Jesus Christ had enough but He gave up the comforts of heaven and gave His life to the cause. The Bible says therefore God has exalted Him. You may not be recognized, you may receive no earthly blessing, and you may actually be ridiculed, but will you pour yourself out then? Would you, will you, pour yourself out to someone who will hate you? Jesus Christ did, He died for us when we still hated Him, and God has poured out His love, that same love, by the Holy Spirit in us (Romans 5:5-8).
5 comments:
There is no use in wanting to be filled with the Spirit if you don't want to be poured out...
I love that example of the canteen and the pump, it is a great reminder.
J.D. this weekend was exactly what I was needing, it refreshed and filled me in just the area I was much in need of.
I hope you managed to get some rest last night. Lord bless brother.
P.S. It's really good to be back!!
It is good to see you back Paul.
In that we have our definition of what true love really is. Are you willing to lose your life for another. I'd like to think that I would do it for someone I love. But I know I am not at the point to do that for someone I do not know or for someone who hates me. But who is my neighbor? Lord help me to love.
Good thoughts.
Paul said he would be accursed, go to hell, for his fellow Israelites, if it were possible that this would save them.
I wish I had a heart as Paul's. I don't. He was one incredible and extraordinary servant of the Lord.
He did also say, "If anyone perverts the Gospel, then let them be accursed, let them go to hell.
I suppose there's a balance our heart needs, in order to be willing to be poured out?
Yes, Don, I agree, and incidently, I mentioned that fact yuo brought up about Paul from Romans 9 during the sermon "Poured Out" that this post comes from....
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