“Cultivating a responsive heart of extravagant devotion to Jesus takes time and deliberate effort. Love does not grow automatically but rather it automatically diminishes unless intentionally cultivated. A responsive heart to God, renewed in freshness and tenderness, is precious and rare, to be guarded with great care and renewed day by day. Satan’s first priority against the Church is to lead us astray from cultivating the ability to be responsive to God with wholehearted love and extravagant devotion. If Satan leads us astray from the purity of devotion to Jesus, then our service and love for others will eventually fail.” Dana Candler
As you move forward in prayer for your city, realize that it’s all about loving God and preparing the earth for the reign of Jesus, our Bridegroom King. It’s all about obeying the first commandment:
“Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind” (Matthew 22:37-38).
The fire of loving God will ignite our faith to live a life of prayer and devotion. He wants us to turn to Him with all our heart (Joel 2:12). Then He will pour out His Spirit on the nations.
God wants to transform our hearts in the prayer room. There is no better way to experience a changed heart as in the prayer room. He wants to impact our hearts so that we impact our cities and the nations. If we love God, we will love others better and with a much greater consistency. Let’s remember that the Church of Ephesus had left their first love (Revelation 2:1-5). Their once fiery love and passion for Jesus had grown cold. Their minds had been led astray from the simplicity of pure devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3). Loving God and living a holy life must be our primary focus.
As we think about loving God and Jesus, let’s realize that Houses of Prayer will enable us to grow in intimacy in a way that is beyond our greatest dream.
Houses of Prayer help us to encounter God on a deep level. Growing in an intimate relationship with God should be our ambition, our highest calling. This means that we know and are deeply known by God. We have a relational knowledge of Him and not just a factual understanding. God is a person to be known, and our knowledge of Him produces affection.
We position our hearts in the prayer room to receive the love He desires to manifest to us. He wants to partner with us, and He releases blessing to those who are in unity with His heart. Loving God was Jesus’ last public invitation and declaration before He went to the cross (Matthew 22:37-38). It is the great commandment and God’s first priority. We impact His heart when we love Him. This should be our life focus (Song of Solomon 8:6-7).
Loving God in the prayer room brings transformation into our heart.
By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC