A prayer

I was listening to Paul Baloche's latest worship album again today, and I was reminded of the incredibly moving track entitled "Prayer". It is a live recording of a visiting pastor to Paul's church praying as a call to worship. It softens my spirit and quickens my pulse every time I hear it. I love the guy's accent; I love his heart; I love his boldness; I love it; I love it; I love it. Check it out, he prays:

(as you read this imagine it being passionately proclaimed through a heavy African accent)

"In the name of Jesus, we speak to open skies...yes, the open skies this morning. Lord we speak the freedom of emotions to love you, that those who are afraid to love you with tears will not be afraid this morning. God we speak freedom of the dance, that those who would love you with the dance will be free to dance before you. Oh God, that those who lift up there hands...oh, God, hallelujah!...that their hands will be freely lifted up. And, Father, as the singers sing, would the shekinah glory come down. We don't just want to sing songs. We want to lift up God that the presence of God would come down from heaven. So you, God of Elijah, who consumes this sacrifice, would you come down, oh, God. Would you come that the fire would be found within our hearts this morning. That's what we desire. That's our cry, oh God...not just to be a nice, pretty, well-organized church, but to be the church where there is the presence of God. That's what we desire, oh God."

Then the man screams, "OH! OH! OH!"

You might think it's wierd, but everytime I hear that prayer I get so fired up that I end up screaming with him at the end. He's right, by the way. My desire is not just to be part of a nice, pretty, well-organized church. No, no, no, no, no...but to be the church where there is the presence of God. That's what I desire, AMEN.