Prayer prepares the soul!

Week 16: April 22, 2009
Prayer prepares the soul!

A mid-1900’s preacher by the name of Leonard Ravenhill once said, “Revival delays because prayer decays.”

In our study of Isaiah 6:1-8 on Sunday, we read of Isaiah's experience in the throne room of heaven. As Isaiah took in the heavenly realm of God’s holiness and received the fiery coal from the seraphim, God was preparing to deposit a purpose in Isaiah that he’d been crying out for while in his prayer closest before he ever encountered the Lord. God knew the condition of Isaiah’s heart because his prayer life had exposed his soul in such a way that God could reveal Himself to impart a message of revival for the nation of Israel.

In the splendor of God’s glory Isaiah did not hesitate to rise up and say, “here I am, send me." Isaiah heard and saw his opportunity to fulfill the cry of his own intercession. The longing in his heart leaped to seize with great passion the offer of God Almighty that he had been crying out for. Isaiah received the call to bring revival to His nation because he had prepared his soul through prayer and intercession.

Take time this week and evaluate your prayer life. Let your prayers begin to speak of a desire to bring change to the world around you. Hear the voice of the Lord saying to you, “whom shall I send, who will go for Us?” and respond with great passion and faith, “here am I, send me, I will go!” Let us become the generation that brings forth revival through a prayer life filled with faith, hope and love. Amen.

Finishing our fast strong,
Jeph Chavez
Hope Chapel Lewiston

Enjoy the Journey!

Week 15: April 15, 2009
Pouring it out! 40 Days of Fasting and Prayer

Ps 119:11 – “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”NKJV

When my kids were really little and full of curiosity, a walk to the park was a favorite outing. All Jaclyn would have to say is, “Let’s go to the park” and excitement filled the faces of our 3 kids. We wouldn’t be out the door more than 50 feet before one of them had found a gecko, bringing the journey to a halt. I’d stand there and say, “Great, a gecko. Let’s keep going. Remember we’re headed to the park.” So we’d go another 50 feet and find a rock! “Okay, it’s just a rock. Remember the park, it’s waiting for us.” This journey of getting to the park, which was suppose to be a five minute walk, turned into a 30 minute discovery journey of every little bug, rock, and leaf. By the time we reached the park, I didn’t even want to stay. I was ready to go home. In my effort to avoid a 30 minute walk back, I’d pick them up and run home – giving NO opportunity to stop. Arriving home, Jaclyn in her sweet gentle voice would remind me, “the journey is part of the adventure. The park is just a destination. Enjoy the journey Jeph!” It took a little while for me to understand that. All I saw was getting to the park, who cared about the journey. Let’s get to the destination!

Today I’ve gotten better, not only with taking my kids to the park, but also with learning to walk with the Lord. There is a balance between enjoying the journey, but also reaching the destination. Too much rushing may cause us to miss the opportunity to discover truths about ourselves and others, just as too much stopping and examining can cause us to forget about the destination.

By placing the Word of God in our heart, we are making sure that we keep balance in our lives. Take time this week to make sure that in your journey of fasting and prayer, that you are not only allowing the Holy Spirit to stop you and reveal truth, but also heeding His encouragement to get up and keep going!

Discovering the joy in the journey,
Jeph Chavez
Hope Chapel Lewiston

Walking humbly with God

Week 14: April 8, 2009

Walking Humbly with God:

In an effort to encourage you to stay strong in our journey of Pouring it out! 40 Days of Fasting and Prayer let me share with you a few testimonies that have come my way.

I have heard of individuals who have never fasted before discovering the joy of setting aside a meal to just spend time with the Lord in reading and praising. The result has been an outpouring of life and joy like they have never known before in all their years of walking with the Lord. Others are testifying of breakthrough and answers to prayers they have been praying for years. Years of depression and anger are dissolving in the presence of God. People are testifying to increased dream activity and visitations of His Spirit. Others are discovering the strength of the Lord to get them through the fast; when everything in them is saying quit, the Spirit of God is saying, "just keep going, I’m with you." God is revealing His heart for the land, so that our hearts would be like His. One testimony that excites me has been about increased revenues for businesses in our Main St. area. These businesses aren’t fasting, but because we are fasting and praying they are being blessed. Awesome!

Stop and thank the Lord! Rise up and seize these testimonies and see that Jesus is pouring out His Spirit upon us and this region! Thank-you Father! Thank-you Jesus! Thank-you Holy Spirit! We love you! AMEN

Now, what about those of us who have yet to find our breakthrough or have an encounter like we had hoped. Don’t lose heart! Keep your eyes on eternity and not the temporary, momentary situations (2 Cor 4:16-18). We are only 18 days into our journey and the Lord may be doing things at a level we are not aware of. Our posture must remain humble, open and expectant. The prophet Daniel is a great example of one who remained humble and then received his answer. Go and read Daniel 10 and be encouraged.

Here is a simple pattern that God reveals to us through the prophet Micah that I hope will challenge you and cause you to rise up and stand strong this week. Mic 6:8: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? NKJV

Add this to your fast: 1) Do justly, 2) Love mercy 3) Walk humbly with your God!

Blessing,
Jeph Chavez
Hope Chapel Lewiston

Riches, Honor, and Life!

Week 13: April 1, 2009

Riches, Honor, and Life!

Our scripture reading for Wednesday, April 1 is Proverbs 22:7: The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. ESV

Wow, what a weekend of riches, honor and life we just experienced! A marriage seminar, a packed house on Sunday morning and Sunday night, along with a sold out Passover Seder. If you missed this past weekend I want to strongly encourage you to get your hands on the marriage seminar and the Sunday morning teaching (go here). Our guests, Myles and Katharine Weiss, brought such a confirmation to our ministry and the transformational work we have been called to here at Hope Chapel Lewiston.

I believe it was God’s timing to hear about covenant relationship from Myles Weiss in the midst of our journey: Pouring it out! 40 Days of Fasting and Prayer. I hope you are discovering that as you pour out, God is also pouring Himself out all over you and this Valley because He’s attracted to HUNGRY people. Our reward for this journey is not that we receive any glory, but the Father receives it all. In the midst of this place of riches, honor and life don’t lose sight of the humility and the Fear of the Lord that got us here.

As a word of encouragement to keep pouring it out, here is a great quote by Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, California: “In the world you get hungry by starving yourself, but in the Kingdom of Heaven hunger increases by FEASTING upon the Word of God.” I pray and trust that you are discovering this to be true in your life during this journey.

Blessings,
Jeph Chavez
Hope Chapel Lewiston