Zealously Affected

So, last week us and a number of people from our church
went to a Preachers Meeting in Missoula.

If you've never been to one, here's how it goes:

You wake up unbelievably early
in order to get there on time AND
stop by Starbucks.
(That's your reward for going)

You have to be in the church by 12
or you won't find a place to sit
cause a couple hundred other people
are doing exactly the same!

You basically hear sermons for 4 hours.
One after another - all different preachers
from all over.
With incredible singing in between each preacher!
(Seriously, this is about as close as you can get
to a heavenly chorus here on earth!)

Then at 5 they feed you a super meal.
(Then you go to Starbucks again with some
friend you haven't seen since last year this time,
or at least last week this time!)

Then you go sit down,
and listen to 2 more preachers
for the next couple of hours.
(Yeah, your you know what is pretty dead by now.)

You go back to the hotel
Crash out,
Sleep in,
And get back to the church by 12
to do it all over again.

It's AWESOME!

You sing your guts out,
Visit with friends,
Eat,
Go to Starbucks,
(where you'll probably see lots of people from the church)
And basically have a great time!

But the most important thing -
You hear from God.

He tells you to keep going,
it'll all be worth it -

He tells you He loves you,
It'll all be worth it -

He encourages you,
It'll all be worth it -

and He allows you to cry with others
who are suffering in the ministry,
It'll all be worth it -

So here's my prayer from what I heard:

Help me to see you high and lifted up!
Help me to be zealously affected for you!
I want to be an encourager!
Help me to REST and wait!
Help me to realize you will even work good out of my sin. Rom. 8:28
Help me to remember...when people talk bad about me...it is a very small thing. I Cor. 4:3
Help me to believe...you can do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think!
I need to realize that:
     You are stronger
     You are wiser
     You are more graceful
     You are more beautiful
     You are faster
     You are better
     You are more powerful
   YOU hold all the records!
Help me to allow you to:
     interrupt my life,
     arrest my attention,
     sustain me,
     change my plans,
     abide with me.
I'm a zero - but a zero with a one (the One) in front of it is no longer a zero.
Help me to remember - when Jesus was in the house -
     my chains fell off,
     the light came on,
     my life was changed!
Help me to turn the tables in my temple!
Help me to have HOPE!
Help me not to dance too fast! I'll miss the song!
You are worth more than:
     Poor Folks
     Animals
     A nation's suffering
     The value of my own sins
     The world population after AD 70
     The whole world.
Help me to have the attitude "It is Well!"

Everything was just what I needed...

But, you gotta be present to win!