Last Saturday, I attended a conference at IHOP Tallahassee. Randy Martinez, from Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace, spoke a word to the House of Prayer on hiddenness… not despising the place of hiddenness, this place of preparation. It really gripped my heart.
Oh that place of hiddenness. Most despise and hate it. Most desire to be seen, desire for their ministry to take off, and desire to be used greatly by God to touch thousands of lives.
So what about when we are waiting in the place of the desert, the time of preparation?
Does it offend you that Jesus cares way more about your heart than He does your ministry? He cares way more for your heart.
John the Baptist was in the desert and in preparation for 30 years to “only have” a 6-12 month ministry. Does that offend you? Do you groan and say, “God please not me! It’s already been a decade! I’m ready to be released into ministry. The amazing ministry you have called me to, to touch nations and the people of the earth!”
God cares. He cares more about your heart than your ministry. He will place you in hiddenness, in a place with no people, in a place with no recognition by men, so He can mold you to be a radical voice for Him.
But if you care more about recognition and fame than making sure your heart is right before the Lord, you are not ready for ministry. You will be swept away by the cares of this world, the pleasures of this life. Your ministry would become about you quickly.
But if you allow God to break you… to remove the fear of man, to remove the desire to be seen and acclaimed by man – you will be able to be used by God far greater in a shorter span of time.
It’s the preparation in the desert that strengthens us and gives us the endurance to stand in that day.
Okay, so we established the fact that God cares more about your heart than your “ministry.”
Here’s another question: Do YOU care more about your heart than your ministry?
If you were in the middle of ministry and you realized your heart is not whole-hearted towards the Lord, would you stop the ministry to find the place of hiddenness and get your heart right?
Would you slam on the breaks to get right with God or would you continue to “practice ministry” without the license to and just “fake it until you make it”?
You can have a dynamic ministry – you can heal sick, cast out demons, lead thousands into worship – and die and go straight to hell. Matthew 7 assures us of that. You have to KNOW Him. You must continually have your lamp filled with oil (Matthew 25). Intimacy with God is a must!
Your heart is more important than your ministry! Hear me!
Dig deep and ask the Lord if you need to find the place of hiddenness.
That place of preparation and the desert is a safe place. A place to learn His voice. A place to seek and search after Him. Yield to Him.
Do not despise the weak, unseen places. Be patient in the waiting.
Oh that place of hiddenness. Most despise and hate it. Most desire to be seen, desire for their ministry to take off, and desire to be used greatly by God to touch thousands of lives.
So what about when we are waiting in the place of the desert, the time of preparation?
Does it offend you that Jesus cares way more about your heart than He does your ministry? He cares way more for your heart.
John the Baptist was in the desert and in preparation for 30 years to “only have” a 6-12 month ministry. Does that offend you? Do you groan and say, “God please not me! It’s already been a decade! I’m ready to be released into ministry. The amazing ministry you have called me to, to touch nations and the people of the earth!”
God cares. He cares more about your heart than your ministry. He will place you in hiddenness, in a place with no people, in a place with no recognition by men, so He can mold you to be a radical voice for Him.
But if you care more about recognition and fame than making sure your heart is right before the Lord, you are not ready for ministry. You will be swept away by the cares of this world, the pleasures of this life. Your ministry would become about you quickly.
But if you allow God to break you… to remove the fear of man, to remove the desire to be seen and acclaimed by man – you will be able to be used by God far greater in a shorter span of time.
It’s the preparation in the desert that strengthens us and gives us the endurance to stand in that day.
Okay, so we established the fact that God cares more about your heart than your “ministry.”
Here’s another question: Do YOU care more about your heart than your ministry?
If you were in the middle of ministry and you realized your heart is not whole-hearted towards the Lord, would you stop the ministry to find the place of hiddenness and get your heart right?
Would you slam on the breaks to get right with God or would you continue to “practice ministry” without the license to and just “fake it until you make it”?
You can have a dynamic ministry – you can heal sick, cast out demons, lead thousands into worship – and die and go straight to hell. Matthew 7 assures us of that. You have to KNOW Him. You must continually have your lamp filled with oil (Matthew 25). Intimacy with God is a must!
Your heart is more important than your ministry! Hear me!
Dig deep and ask the Lord if you need to find the place of hiddenness.
That place of preparation and the desert is a safe place. A place to learn His voice. A place to seek and search after Him. Yield to Him.
Do not despise the weak, unseen places. Be patient in the waiting.
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