Vineyard Canada Prayer & Communal Fast January 20- 30, 2021
Day Nine & Ten: Empowering and Filling – A Call to Obedience
We are now entering the final stage of our 10 day Fast. As a recap, over these past days we have been leaning into the Spirit for grounding, deeper relationship, revelation and transparency. We've felt it's been significant that each communique up until this point has had a component of liturgical and musical worship.
The focus in these last couple of days is to be an intentional in our asking of the Lord for the filling of His Spirit that we may be empowered, enabled, faithful and united in our calling together as Vineyard Canada.
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
Ask for the ancient paths,
Ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
And you will find rest for your souls."
Jeremiah 6:16
In a time of great upheaval and the unveiling of hearts in the nation of Israel, where corruption and vice was being exposed in both the religious and political spheres, God spoke through Jeremiah, describing the call to repentance before them as a "crossroads." Key to discerning the way forward was the discovery of the "good way." The subsequent, and even more challenging invitation before them was now to "walk in it". Most scholars believe that Jesus was pulling from this text when He invited the harassed masses buried under the yoke of religious servitude and political oppression, to come to Him to find rest for their souls. Jeremiah linked prayer, "ask where the good way is," to obedience,"and walk in it." Jesus, "the Way," says that if we love Him, we will obey, "follow, walk with," Him. Quite intriguing that Jesus is described in Daniel as the Ancient of Days.
This obedience is not out of a posture of obligation or our own gritty resolve. Our souls are to be at rest. So, we need the Spirit. We need the infilling of the Spirit of Christ not only to sustain us, but to empower us. Not only to comfort us, but to guide us. Come Holy Spirit!
What does obedience to Jesus, taking on his light burden and easy yoke look like for us this coming year? What does it look like to not only walk out the "good way", but to follow The Way in 2021?
Another text to consider as we think about this "good way", is Titus 3:1-2. It so resonates with our times.
"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone."
God speaks to His people in community. We like to say that God speaks like a rain not water from a spout. It's been so encouraging to be getting glimpse of what our leaders and communities have been hearing from coast to coast. We can't wait to distill it all and let you know what's come in. Keep sending us what you have been hearing from the Spirit in this time.
Cathy will be checking her email regularly up until next Wednesday at which point we will begin collating and summarizing what we've been discerning together.
Peace & Strength to you
