That Weird Love

Lord, I'm praying that weird love over and through the hearts of the people who are meeting at Hazelwood Christian Church today.  For that matter, I'm asking for anyone who claims your name to be a carrier and spreader of that weird love.That love that is only from you that every word fails to fully explain.

Your Word tells us to walk humbly before You and love others. God help us.  

We talked about religion,  consumerism, and materialism in Sunday School.  I love seeing hearts revealed in discussion.  Two things that keeps coming back  to me:  

1.  We are the remnant, Your Word says "Occupy 'til I come"  When we're tired and beaten up, we should keep on keepin' on for Your glory.  Learning to distinguish between religion and relationship.

2.  When I worked at the bank and went through classes to identify counterfeit money, we didn't study anything but the real thing.  We learned everything there was to learn about the real deal so that when a counterfeit came along we could see.  We never studied the counterfeit.  Reveal the real deal to us through Your Spirit.

Teach us to keep our eyes so focused on You that we are disgusted with religion.  Teach us Your ways and help us learn to hunger and thirst after You like a deer pants for water from a brook.  We are in desperate need of You.  

This world is so broken.  We can't be surprised when so many sit in the pews so broken that they can't themselves pray.  So many people pretend that everything is ok and it's not.  We get frustrated that  people sitting in church treat you like an afterthought in their everyday life.  What is our duty in this situation?   Love God and walk humble before you?!  That doesn't seem so hard, but yet we fell so often.

God, I cry out to you to help me.  Help me focus on us.  Me and you, me filled with You.  You and Your Word penetrating me to the bone.  Is that possible?  I know it is.  Lord when I get out of the way, there are no words for what the experience is.  Life can be hard and daunting, but the peace that is available passes all understanding on the human front.  You are enough, and so many people don't know that.  I pray that for this congregation today.  I hear them singing.  Give them ownership to their words.  Rub Your truth deep into their hearts.  Give them permission to grieve their losses and mistakes.  

Shut the enemy down.  In the name of Jesus I pray to cast out any interruption.  Let it be them and You Lord.  Lift them up, dust them off.  They are singing about You being a healer, do they believe those words?  Some do.  For those who don't I pray You will show them Your truth.  Only Your Holy Spirit is capable.  

Yes, we offer that weird love to them that only comes from you.  There is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ.  Let that penetrate to the marrow of their bone.  The enemy must flee.  God lift them up to You.  Love them in ways  that the world can't offer.

If we as a church aren't different than the world, then we should close the doors.  If we can't offer love and a sanctuary from the rush outside these doors, then let's just go home.  

Lord, I love coming to Your house.  I know there are things we do here that embarrass You.  Please show us, how to clean ourselves before Your thrown and love like we never have.  Help us come here to corporate worship and be fed and nourished, but let us go out those doors filled with a love we can't even fully explain.

I stand amazed, only Jeus, only Jesus.  Those are the words filing the air in Your sanctuary, truly fall on those in the pews and let ownership of standing in amazement of who You are enter their hearts.  

I pray that those in attendance today will be so disgusted with what the world offers that they can't stand it in their lives.  Clean us up.  Lord we are so dirty.  Let us offer ourselves, our whole selves, to You.  God You are so capable, only You can do this for us.  Why do we not ask for more of You?

Help us.  Be with those who serve in the service today.  Whether it is holding a baby, teaching a four year old, preaching the sermon, holding a door, it's all the same to you.  Let us all do our part, filled with  the Holy Spirit.

Lord, we love You, but we are so weak.  Be our strength.  Be our everything.  Lord we do love You, in our brokenness.  You are so beautiful to us.  We are desperate.  We need you, more than we even know.