The Faith Place

I woke up on this first day of 2024 with the song lyrics to More, Holy Spirit playing in my head by Covenant Worship.

Holy Spirit break us, come and overtake us
You’re the one we’re living for
Holy Spirit lead us to the heart of Jesus
There is nothing we want more
We want more
WE WANT MORE!

Until now I hadn’t really had a word for 2024, but I can think of no better word for how my heart has felt in the past several weeks. I want more! I know that I have seen Him move in mighty ways, but I’m afraid if we get content with what we’ve experienced so far that we will become content on yesterday’s crumbs. I want fresh bread from heaven this year. I don’t want crumbs from last year or 100 years ago. The Holy Spirit is alive and active and is able to reveal himself in deeper ways.

What will it take for us to experience God is these new and deeper ways? It is a personal thing for each of us. Somethings your pastor can’t do for you. This is something that you and I will have to do on our own. The song goes on to say…

I decrease as you increase
It’s all about you
Not about me

Sounds like the sentiment that John the Baptist was trying to get across in John 3:30. “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

To see more of Him we must begin to see less of ourselves. We must exalt God above ourselves. Think about that for a moment. Are there places where you have exalted yourself? I’m not really talking about pride here. It could be moments of just putting your busyness and your life before God. I know I have. It is easy to do when you feel like you have a million things to do and you are only one person.

Sometimes we even put things that we do FOR God BEFORE God. Or is that just me? I have let it happen before. I know it is a tactic of the enemy. He is okay with you being so busy that your time with God actually starts to fade away. The enemy knows that if you take the time to really understand who God is and what His character is like then you will be a dangerous person. He’s not afraid of you being busy. He’s afraid of you creating a deeper relationship with God.

As believers, let’s give God more of us. I bet God would say More 2024 too if He knew it meant He would get more of us. This year let’s learn to really abide in Him. To learn more about who He is. To be real with God. To not try to hide things from God. I know I used to not pray about certain things because I felt like it wasn’t “right” to pray about. Let’s just get messy in our prayers and really pour our hearts out to Him.

Let’s pray!

Dear God, thank you for another year to exalt you and lift you up! Thank you for getting us through another year even if sometimes it felt like we weren’t going to make it. We are so thankful that your mercies are new every morning and that your compassions fail not. You love us with an ever lasting love. Just as much as we say we desire more of you even so much more you desire us. We are precious to you God and help us to remember that when the enemy tries to attack our identity and who we are in you. As we seek more of you this year please open our eyes to who you really are. We want to see you in new ways. We know that you have never changed, but we also know that in all your infinite glory there is no way that we have seen or experienced all there is to know about you. Help us to become more aware of your presence. Help us to not be satisfied with the crumbs of the past. We want fresh bread in the house Lord. WE WANT MORE! Amen!