Stirred Up

I arose early on Saturday morning. After dressing and loading a few of my paintings into the Explorer, I pulled out of the driveway of our small brick home on Pebblebrook Drive and headed for Southlake.

As I drove to our main campus just off of State Highway 114 I caught a glimpse of white- gray clouds streaking across the pale blue canvas of God’s sky. Faint yellows and pinks danced across the eastern horizon as the last glimpse of sunrise slipped away. Thank You, Lord, for this magnificent morning. 

My heart filled with expectation. Worship played quietly on the radio as the deserted streets drew me closer to our corporate hour of prayer.

I stepped out onto the blacktop of the parking lot and felt a chill breeze dance across my skin. In another half hour the Pink warriors would be assembled and contending for Heaven to come to earth during Pink Impact.

I carried my paintings through the double set of glass doors and entered the large lobby to the Children’s Ministry area on the north side of the building. My feet moved quickly toward the elevator in the broad, darkened corridor that leads to Grounded, the coffee bar, and the grand lobby area near the sanctuary. Anticipation and expectation fluttered all about my heart and soul as I began to pray quietly in the Spirit. “Ah-lee Ah-na, Shautee, emay elah.”  

I pressed the grooved metal button summoning the elevator to fetch me up. As I waited,  I watched the handful of staff members moving hastily through the other end of the building. Each of them with their task list setting in motion the events leading to worship weekend at Gateway Church. Thank You, Lord, for Gateway Church. 

The silent moment interrupted by the quiet humming of the elevator as it landed behind the large stainless steel doors beside me. At the ring of the bell the doors swung open and I entered the elevator, pressing the button labeled two before the doors closed and ushered me upstairs.

As I entered the room I noticed the “General” of our chosen group standing at the podium discussing the music she had selected with a tall young man whose curly brown hair appeared damp. I smiled as I walked over to the floor to ceiling panels of glass on the west side of the room and began to arrange the paintings against the backdrop of brown and muted, winter colored vegetation separating the grounds of the church from the large ponds with a trio of fountains shooting water high into the air.

Katherine greeted me and walked to the window. She began to pray in the Spirit as I had been doing while waiting for the elevator downstairs. We talked a bit in between prayers as we waited for the others to arrive.

After setting up my paintings and claiming a seat in the circle of chairs near the door, I looked back to Katherine. Her tall frame standing at attention in the window praying intently. Her hair is a thin layer of tight curls in dark black and gray all around the crown of her head. She wore a turquoise sweater with jeans and her rich, elegant voice broke the silence of the room with rich tones of prayer in a language I could not understand.  Thank You, Lord, for Katherine. 

A few minutes later, Carin entered like a ray of sunshine straight from the throne room of God. Her presence carries both authority and the lightness of joy. Her sweet melodic voice joined in with Katherine’s and my own. We walked about, gazing out at the fountains and talking intermittently about the paintings and the beautiful view as we began to stir up the things of God and His Holy Spirit among us in prayer. Thank You, Lord, for Carin. 

A few minutes later another warrior enters the room, and then another until twenty or more make their way in-one by one by one. Women of diverse age, race, style, and position in life mingled together, assembling themselves along the wall and in chairs near the door. A few of us bowed our bodies and our hearts low. Many of us walked about the room calling forth the things we heard God speaking over us as we prayed.

Rich, broad prayer languages circulated among us. Words swirled and danced upon the air, passing through the ceilings and walls – like the smoke of the incense going up before the Lord in the temple’s Holy Place.

The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. ~ Revelation 8:4 (NLT)

Katherine began to speak and pray all in the same breath. She exhorted us to stir up the presence of God, to pray the things of His heart for the women – estimated at more than 5,000 – who will be coming to Pink Impact in a handful of weeks.

God brought Jude 20 to my mind.

Jude 1:20-25 (NKJV)
²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith,praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. ²² And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³ but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. 

²⁴ Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

We called down glory from on high. We welcomed the Lord – invited Him to reveal His glory both that day and throughout the days leading up to and during Pink Impact in April. We prayed for mothers of prodigals, women who’ve been cast off, wounded, broken, scorned and fragile. We called forth destiny, hope and joy. We prayed down the Holy Spirit in that hour.

And so we stirred praying on and on – non stop for three quarters of an hour. Then Katherine called forth anyone who needed prayer and I went forward. I seated myself in the center of the circle and the many women among us came to me and lay hands on me. They prayed for me and for my request. But, more than this they prayed for the women like me who would be coming. Women seeking destiny and purpose. Women on their way to the next season of their journey. Women who would be prepared and promoted. We asked for revelation for wisdom and for truth.

We warred against the enemy in the convention of prayer. Our faiths, our hearts and our lives linked together with our Savior in common. Our prayers forever intertwined with the lives of those we may never know because we stirred it up.

Others came forward. One to confess while another was suffering physically. Still another came to ask for favor for her ministry and the lives of unborn children. These women who reside so safely in God’s heart have found their way into my own as we have prayed together – stirring ourselves up in our most holy faith, praying in the Spirit and believing God for signs, wonders, and the tiniest details of the massive undertaking that brings influence and inspiration to the women of Gateway Church and all the lives we touch beyond our walls.

To Him be the glory, forever and ever. AMEN. INDEED!