Dear Heavenly Father,
You said in Acts 2:17(NLT), “‘In the last days…I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.” The ‘last days’ refers to the period after the ascension of Jesus Christ. He promised to return to earth to gather believers together, and he will come in Your perfect timing. We do not know the exact moment of his coming, but we wait in hope and great expectation. So, we are indeed living in the last days. You promised to pour out Your Spirit and reveal Your glory in tremendous ways. Those of us who trust Your Word wholeheartedly are seeing this prophecy come to pass in our lives. This is a time for chains to be broken and for breakthroughs to burst forth and bless our lives.
Heavenly Father, You are causing amazing wonders to occur, but some of Your people are complaining. They have not yet experienced the manifestation of Your magnanimous outpouring. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:14(NLT), “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Father, could it be that some of Your people have forgotten to press?
The definition of the word ‘press’ is to move into a position of contact with something by exerting continuous force. It is to apply pressure, and it requires a continual and razor-sharp focus. This means the things that hinder our focus and rob us of the energy required to apply pressure must be released. We may have to let go of some old relationships, and perhaps some new ones as well. We might have to distance ourselves even from some family members. We love these individuals to pieces, but they hold us back because they keep us comfortable with the things that prevent us from reaching our destinies.
Recently, Dear Father, I heard someone say he was offended by the passage in Luke 9:59-62(NLT). He said it felt very mean to him, because Jesus Christ seemed to make no allowance for the burial of a loved one. In this passage, Jesus Christ said to a man, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed but did so on condition. He said in Luke 9:59(NLT), “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” Luke 9:60(NLT) tells us, “60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” Jesus Christ revealed in his response the same truth he expressed in Matthew 6:33. We must seek You first above all things. Nothing is more important than Your agenda, Dear Father. You know everything there is to know about us. You know about deaths in our families. You know about all the things that concern us, but You require a fully-persuaded, sold-out devotion.
Sometimes we think we’re on the right track to the outpouring of Your blessings, and we’re not quite there. We’re not there because we are still putting things above our devotion to You. We must remember there’s a cost to following You through Jesus Christ. It takes everything and all that we are to pay it. You tell us in Romans 12:2 not to be conformed to the world, but to renew our minds so that we can discern what Your Will is. Help us Dear Father to press-in to You so that we may know Your Will for us. Help us to walk in what is good, acceptable, and perfect so we can please You. Then, when we have diligently pursued Your heart, Hebrews 11:6 says that You will reward us. We thank You for the bounty of Your promise, and for helping us to walk therein.
Thank You for showing us Your love, strength, and power as we seek to grow in You and trust You with our whole hearts. Thank You for our Blessed Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, and thank You for the Holy Spirit. Let Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Pressing-in to God”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.