Today is the first day of 2015. I believe that God has given me a word for my life and my ministry this year....
This I know that I have to continue watching & praying, praying & watching & attending the morning watches for 2015...
This I know that in order to do so, I need spiritual strength and this strength will be embedded in my spirit when "my waist is girded, my lamps are burning"....
Luke 12:35-36 "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately"
This verse seems to echo the verses on the 10 virgins. Of the 10 virgins, 5 kept their lamps burning and full of oil. The other 5 slumbered and slept.
At midnight, there was a cry announcing the bridegroom at the door. The 5 that had their lamps burning and full of oil went to meet the bridegroom. The 5 that slumbered and slept tried to buy the oil to keep their lamps burning but it was too late. The bridegroom had left with the 5 who had their lamps burning and the door was shut.
The parables may be different but the message is the same.
Be ready, be prepared! Keep your waist girded at all times and your lamps burning!
1. Waist girded
What does it mean to gird my waist?
In the OT, it speaks of carrying the weapons of war at the waist. The waist is one of the place where the children of Israel kept their weapons of war. It seems the most suitable place to keep the weapons of war as the hands are free to work the works of God.
Deut 1:41 "...and when everyone of you had girded on his weapons of war, you were ready to go up to the mountain"
1 Sam 25:13 "Then David said to his mean, "Every man gird on his sword." So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword...."
Neh 4:18 "Everyone of his builders had his sword girded at his side as he build...."
Where is the sword kept so that hands can be free to do the work of the Lord? At the waist of course! The most natural place!
In the NT, we are to gird our waist with truth (which is the Word of God).
Eph 6:18 "Stand therefore, having your waist girded with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness"
This year, I know that God wants me to go deeper in the study of the Word of God. He wants me to build myself in the Word of God.
The Word is an effective weapon of warfare. I am recalling how these verses came to me time and again each time I attended the morning watches last year. It came so often (and there was even a song that accompanied it in church) that I just had to find out what are the "weapons of warfare".
The verses are found in 2 Cor 10:3-5 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high things that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ"
I believe God wants me to be skilful in using the weapons of warfare in particular one of most effective and offensive weapon which is the Word of God.
2. Lamp burning
The second preparation I need to look into for my spiritual life is to keep my lamp burning. The lamp is the soul of the body. Just as the natural lamp needs oil to keep the fire burning, the soul needs the Holy Spirit to keep the love of God burning.
The lamp also has to be kept burning continually. In order for it to keep on burning, it had to be constantly refilled with oil. God commanded that the pure oil of pressed olives be used for the refill.
The refilling seem to go on day and night (24/7) so that the lamps in the temple will not go out.
The lamps need the following:
- to be filled with pure oil of pressed olives.
Ex 27:20 "And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light to cause the lamp to burn continually".
The pure oil of the pressed olives represents the best of the best of the olive oil. It also represents the Holy Spirit. In order for my lamps to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit, I need to be in tune with Him day and night praying and worshiping in the Spirit.
- to be filled evening till morning (continually) speaking of the 24/7 prayer and worship
Lev 24:3-5 "Outside the veil of the Testimony, in the Tabernacle of the Meeting, Aaron shall be in charge of it from evening until morning before the Lord continually"
- to have incense burnt on it. This speaks of prayer and intercession in the Spirit or intercession as guided by the Spirit of God.
Ex 30:7 "Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it"
Rev 5:8 "Now when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints"
- to be put on a lampstand so that all may see the light. This is in line with the word released during overnight prayer on letting our light shine in great darkness.
Luke 11:33 (The Lamp of the Body) "No one, when he has lit a lamp puts it in a secret place or under a basket but on a lampstand, that those who come may see the light"
Indeed I believe this is the way to go for the prayer ministry in 2015, praying and declaring the Word of God and intermingling our prayers with worship!
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