Daniel 11:32-33 NKJV:
Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.
I have noticed a trend that alarms me. Over 30 years of church leadership, I’ve seen a generation of leaders and believers who are too comfortable with a second-hand relationship with God. The trend is to have three or four key “model” churches from whom thousands of pastors attend conferences and copy their blueprint. Don’t get me wrong; God can certainly lead more than one congregation with similar methods. And we should glean from one another and share our wisdom together. What I’m seeing is subtly different. When churches emulate other churches, it virtually eliminates the need for Christian leaders in that church to cultivate an intimate, personal relationship with God. Their specific instruction has come from a person or model, and laboring in prayer for direction is not necessary. They know church, but they don’t know God.
As well, believers seem to have drifted into a universal quest for easy answers, shortcuts, and quick, tweetable thoughts from a Google search. It seems nothing is as painful as slowing down, taking time to pray, learning to hear God for ourselves, and knowing God.
Daniel’s prophecy about the day in which we live says, “The persons who know their God will be strong and do exploits.”
I want to know God! You want to know God! I read lots of authors, copy others’ sermon points, go to seminars, and will continue to. But none of those take the place of knowing God for myself through hours of private prayer, seeking, and listening.
This season of prayer is making you strong and empowering you for action because you are cultivating your personal relationship with God. Keep going.
Prayer:
We want to know You, God! We want to know You. Please guide us into the relationship that makes us strong. Fill us with the knowledge of You so we act with boldness and do exploits, in Jesus’ name!