"For I am the One who enables your mind," says the Lord. "Yes, you shall be able to recall things afresh and your mind shall be clear this day. For My mind is in you now and I have said your memory is sharp and clear," says the Lord your God!
Prophetic Scripture:
John 14:26 – But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Sometimes we make jokes about our minds. We laughingly say things like, “I’m going crazy”, “I can’t remember things like I used to”, or “it’s just a sign of old age”. However, we should change that attitude and believe what Jesus said. He said that when His Spirit comes into our lives, He will help us remember things, particularly the teachings and words of Jesus. The Bible also says in 1 Corinthians 2:16, that we have the mind of Christ. We need to believe that the Lord will bless our minds everyday. Expect to have a clear memory, rather than speak negative things about your mind. Your mind is blessed today. You are smart because of the Spirit of the Lord in you. If you feel like you are having mental, emotional or memory troubles, then stand upon what the Bible says about your mind. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are! Then practice thinking on what is right from the Bible instead of all the mayhem life tries to throw at you. Command your mind to come in line with the peace of God and begin to think on Him. Tell yourself to sleep peacefully and rest in the Lord. Know that you are blessed in your mind today and God has enabled you to remember all that is important!
Prayer:
Father, I thank You that I have the mind of Christ. I rest in that anointing and expect to remember things, to be at peace and think clearly. I take what belongs to me concerning mental peace and stability. I command my thoughts and memory right now to come in line with the Word of God. Mind, you be at peace now! In the Name of Jesus, Amen!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Arrows of the Lord ...
"Don’t be fearful of the enemy that walks about," says the Lord. "For know that I have already sent out my arrows to interrupt what the prince of darkness would plan against you in secret. Know today, that his works are scattered and divided before you right now!"
Prophetic Scripture:
2 Samuel 22:15 – And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
God does not want you to live with “what if” in mind. Thoughts of something terrible that might happen is a scheme of the devil. Satan will tell you, “what if you get ill?”, “what if you are injured or killed?”, “what if your finances fail?”, or “what if something happens to your loved one?” etc. The devil is a liar because the Mighty God of power has already interrupted him. If satan could have taken you out so easily, he would have already done so! He cannot do it because something has restrained him; it is called the arrows of the Lord’s anointing! They have flown right into the middle of the enemy’s war camp and burnt his mapped out plan to a crisp, even when you didn’t know about it! Believe today that the schemes of darkness are being confused all around you. Refrain from giving time to negative thoughts of fear. Speak to them, sing and rejoice because God has already defended you! Don’t think on what could happen, but rather in what God has already stopped and interrupted for you. God is working for you in the spirit and no plot of darkness will prosper against you today!
Prayer:
I stand up today in the power of the Lord of Hosts! You Lord are the God of might and deliverance. Your arrows have gone out and scattered every enemy that would try to harm me. I rejoice today in the power of the good God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus the Captain of the Hosts. He is fighting for me today! Thank You Father! In the Name of Jesus, Amen!
Prophetic Scripture:
2 Samuel 22:15 – And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
God does not want you to live with “what if” in mind. Thoughts of something terrible that might happen is a scheme of the devil. Satan will tell you, “what if you get ill?”, “what if you are injured or killed?”, “what if your finances fail?”, or “what if something happens to your loved one?” etc. The devil is a liar because the Mighty God of power has already interrupted him. If satan could have taken you out so easily, he would have already done so! He cannot do it because something has restrained him; it is called the arrows of the Lord’s anointing! They have flown right into the middle of the enemy’s war camp and burnt his mapped out plan to a crisp, even when you didn’t know about it! Believe today that the schemes of darkness are being confused all around you. Refrain from giving time to negative thoughts of fear. Speak to them, sing and rejoice because God has already defended you! Don’t think on what could happen, but rather in what God has already stopped and interrupted for you. God is working for you in the spirit and no plot of darkness will prosper against you today!
Prayer:
I stand up today in the power of the Lord of Hosts! You Lord are the God of might and deliverance. Your arrows have gone out and scattered every enemy that would try to harm me. I rejoice today in the power of the good God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus the Captain of the Hosts. He is fighting for me today! Thank You Father! In the Name of Jesus, Amen!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Jesus Everywhere ...
“A time is upon you when My Name will be preached in multiplied effort,” says the Lord. “My people across the globe are being positioned to impact the world through new innovative means and the heathen will say a new thing. For you will hear them say in this season, Jesus is everywhere.”
Prophetic Scripture:
Galatians 1:16 – To reveal his son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen;…
We are in a time, when we need to seize the moment, as they say. There is just something in the “air” that is about to set the world ablaze with the anointing. Do you sense it? Paul quoted the above verse in Galatians about his own call to ministry, but the truth is that we all have the golden opportunity to impact the world with the power of God. The trap we can easily fall into is that of just assuming someone else will take up the effort. If you are like me, you run through the day just trying to cross all your tasks off your list! Easily we can forget the most important one and that is to preach Christ—whether it is verbal, through miracles or other manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Just as the world is always improving technology, we should expect that God will give us witty ideas to spread the gospel if we will become available. We want people everywhere to hear the cross, see miracles and the power of God. I believe the Holy Spirit wants to give us a fresh blueprint on how to accomplish this work. Ask God to give you new ideas and plans and pray for the Body of Christ to arise to the occasion. Begin today to prophesy to your areas of influence and declare that people around you will be so touched that they can’t help but say Jesus is everywhere!
Prayer:
Lord, I make myself available to preach Christ among the heathen through the power of God. I ask You to reveal to me the plans for me to do it—fresh ideas and a download of anointing comes upon me now! I say that every life I touch will begin to say that You are everywhere! In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
Prophetic Scripture:
Galatians 1:16 – To reveal his son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen;…
We are in a time, when we need to seize the moment, as they say. There is just something in the “air” that is about to set the world ablaze with the anointing. Do you sense it? Paul quoted the above verse in Galatians about his own call to ministry, but the truth is that we all have the golden opportunity to impact the world with the power of God. The trap we can easily fall into is that of just assuming someone else will take up the effort. If you are like me, you run through the day just trying to cross all your tasks off your list! Easily we can forget the most important one and that is to preach Christ—whether it is verbal, through miracles or other manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Just as the world is always improving technology, we should expect that God will give us witty ideas to spread the gospel if we will become available. We want people everywhere to hear the cross, see miracles and the power of God. I believe the Holy Spirit wants to give us a fresh blueprint on how to accomplish this work. Ask God to give you new ideas and plans and pray for the Body of Christ to arise to the occasion. Begin today to prophesy to your areas of influence and declare that people around you will be so touched that they can’t help but say Jesus is everywhere!
Prayer:
Lord, I make myself available to preach Christ among the heathen through the power of God. I ask You to reveal to me the plans for me to do it—fresh ideas and a download of anointing comes upon me now! I say that every life I touch will begin to say that You are everywhere! In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sharp Discernment ...
"For I tell you that greater discernment is upon you," says the Lord. "For I have enabled you to step into it so that you will not have a dull edge about anything. Sharpen your discernment," says the Spirit, "and you will easily separate the light from the dark in this hour."
Prophetic Scripture:
Hebrews 5:13-14 – For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word or righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
When it comes to right and wrong in our modern day, the dividing line can get pretty cloudy. Everyone has an opinion about choices. Opinions in the church about what we should and should not do vary greatly, making the rules feel very confusing. Some people wouldn’t recognize the devil if he walked up in a shiny red suit and tapped them on the shoulder! God wants us to have a keen spiritual “nose”. This way we can easily sniff out evil and smell the aroma of God at the same time. The best way to sharpen our ability to discern is by becoming skillful with the word of righteousness. It will keep you accurate in the spirit, not spooky, suspicious nor pompous and religious either. Exercising your spiritual discernment comes only by chewing regularly on the revelation from the Bible—the Word of God and coupling that with prayer. Without that diet, you will eventually suffer spiritual malnutrition and begin to “eat” anything that passes by. When a person is seriously hungry, they can do some crazy things! That is where many Christians live, on all sorts of spiritual tangents and compromises. This happens when our discernment gets dull. Sharpen your discernment by adding the meat of God’s Word to your daily appetite. Very little will get past you and you will find yourself succeeding in spiritual things.
Prayer:
Lord, I thank you today, for helping me to sharpen my discernment. Help me clearly recognize the difference between good and evil. Show me now, by your Spirit, areas that I have compromised and need to adjust. I commit to a fresh appetite and diet of Your Word now. I believe that I shall begin to see sharply in the spirit and know accurately that which is of You. I worship You Lord for that today. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
Prophetic Scripture:
Hebrews 5:13-14 – For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word or righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
When it comes to right and wrong in our modern day, the dividing line can get pretty cloudy. Everyone has an opinion about choices. Opinions in the church about what we should and should not do vary greatly, making the rules feel very confusing. Some people wouldn’t recognize the devil if he walked up in a shiny red suit and tapped them on the shoulder! God wants us to have a keen spiritual “nose”. This way we can easily sniff out evil and smell the aroma of God at the same time. The best way to sharpen our ability to discern is by becoming skillful with the word of righteousness. It will keep you accurate in the spirit, not spooky, suspicious nor pompous and religious either. Exercising your spiritual discernment comes only by chewing regularly on the revelation from the Bible—the Word of God and coupling that with prayer. Without that diet, you will eventually suffer spiritual malnutrition and begin to “eat” anything that passes by. When a person is seriously hungry, they can do some crazy things! That is where many Christians live, on all sorts of spiritual tangents and compromises. This happens when our discernment gets dull. Sharpen your discernment by adding the meat of God’s Word to your daily appetite. Very little will get past you and you will find yourself succeeding in spiritual things.
Prayer:
Lord, I thank you today, for helping me to sharpen my discernment. Help me clearly recognize the difference between good and evil. Show me now, by your Spirit, areas that I have compromised and need to adjust. I commit to a fresh appetite and diet of Your Word now. I believe that I shall begin to see sharply in the spirit and know accurately that which is of You. I worship You Lord for that today. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Kingdom Lifestyle ...
Let Your Kingdom Come!
"For My kingdom way is in you," says the Spirit. For there is only one pattern of life, it is the way of My kingdom. Let My kingdom lifestyle increase in you, then My anointing can continue to increase upon you!"
Prophetic Scripture:
Luke 11:2 – When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be they name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
So what does it really mean when we pray the words, “Thy kingdom come?” This is what Jesus taught us to pray. As Christians, His kingdom is deposited inside of us, but we need to grow and let the expression of His kingdom to be seen outwardly in our lives and surroundings. We should pray for it. A kingdom expression is when you know that you serve a real King—Jesus, and there are patterns, lifestyles and methods that are required for living in His kingdom. When we pray, “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done” we are asking for God’s ways to be the visible, dominating factor in our lives. We are also acknowledging that we are submitted to His will and our lives are under His Lordship. Many believers lack power because they haven’t truly submitted themselves to His kingdom! I believe we must pray and ask for God’s kingdom lifestyle to be manifest through us in everything we do. When kingdom living is our way of life we create an atmosphere that is ready and able to handle the more powerful anointings of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to let His Kingdom be manifest through your life in every area today!
Prayer:
Lord, I submit myself afresh to Your Kingdom. I turn my life fully over to Your Lordship. Let my words, attitudes, actions, and habits all reflect submission to Your Kingdom. I renounce every pattern of life outside of Your Kingdom expression and I align myself with a new way of living. Reveal to me every area of my life that does not reflect a Kingdom expression and I will change it now! Thank you Jesus for being the Lord over my life! In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
"For My kingdom way is in you," says the Spirit. For there is only one pattern of life, it is the way of My kingdom. Let My kingdom lifestyle increase in you, then My anointing can continue to increase upon you!"
Prophetic Scripture:
Luke 11:2 – When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be they name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
So what does it really mean when we pray the words, “Thy kingdom come?” This is what Jesus taught us to pray. As Christians, His kingdom is deposited inside of us, but we need to grow and let the expression of His kingdom to be seen outwardly in our lives and surroundings. We should pray for it. A kingdom expression is when you know that you serve a real King—Jesus, and there are patterns, lifestyles and methods that are required for living in His kingdom. When we pray, “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done” we are asking for God’s ways to be the visible, dominating factor in our lives. We are also acknowledging that we are submitted to His will and our lives are under His Lordship. Many believers lack power because they haven’t truly submitted themselves to His kingdom! I believe we must pray and ask for God’s kingdom lifestyle to be manifest through us in everything we do. When kingdom living is our way of life we create an atmosphere that is ready and able to handle the more powerful anointings of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to let His Kingdom be manifest through your life in every area today!
Prayer:
Lord, I submit myself afresh to Your Kingdom. I turn my life fully over to Your Lordship. Let my words, attitudes, actions, and habits all reflect submission to Your Kingdom. I renounce every pattern of life outside of Your Kingdom expression and I align myself with a new way of living. Reveal to me every area of my life that does not reflect a Kingdom expression and I will change it now! Thank you Jesus for being the Lord over my life! In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Expect to receive ...
Your Gate is Open!
"Command your gates of blessing to be open today," says Lord. "For My deliverance shall be your walls of protection and you shall be received in favor when you enter in."
Prophetic Scripture:
Isaiah 26: 1-2 – In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
Many times when we pray prophetically, we speak to gates and command them to open in the spirit. Today, see those gates a little differently. See every spiritual gate that you must enter open before you. However, don’t just see any gate open, see your gates open. Why will it happen for you? Because you keep the truth and that will make the way open before you. Whatever God has mandated you for, command a clear path so that you can enter your territory unhindered. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 7:2 – “Receive us, we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.” When you walk in God’s integrity, you can use your faith to prophetically declare that you are well received and your gates of utterance are open everywhere you go. God will fight for you, so command your gates to open, in Jesus’ Name!
Prayer:
Father, I declare today that my gates of utterance are open! You have appointed your delivering power to be a wall of protection on my right hand and left. I boldly enter my gates today and expect to be received and favored everywhere I go! In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
"Command your gates of blessing to be open today," says Lord. "For My deliverance shall be your walls of protection and you shall be received in favor when you enter in."
Prophetic Scripture:
Isaiah 26: 1-2 – In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
Many times when we pray prophetically, we speak to gates and command them to open in the spirit. Today, see those gates a little differently. See every spiritual gate that you must enter open before you. However, don’t just see any gate open, see your gates open. Why will it happen for you? Because you keep the truth and that will make the way open before you. Whatever God has mandated you for, command a clear path so that you can enter your territory unhindered. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 7:2 – “Receive us, we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.” When you walk in God’s integrity, you can use your faith to prophetically declare that you are well received and your gates of utterance are open everywhere you go. God will fight for you, so command your gates to open, in Jesus’ Name!
Prayer:
Father, I declare today that my gates of utterance are open! You have appointed your delivering power to be a wall of protection on my right hand and left. I boldly enter my gates today and expect to be received and favored everywhere I go! In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Unrelenting love
We simply must have more of Jesus. In the face of increasing wickedness in the world, human ideas have fallen short. Those who understand the hour are seeking God. Possessing more of Christ Himself is our only strategy and hope.
Yet, to seek God is to embark on a journey that will include obstacles and spiritual enemies along the way. We must not give ourselves reasons or excuses to fail.
As a pattern, therefore, we will look at the Song of Solomon 3:1-4. Here we find a bride and bridegroom who both are intolerant of the distance between them. The Bride in the passage symbolizes the Church in her deepest longings for Jesus; the Bridegroom represents the Lord.
The bride: "On my bed night after night I sought him whom my soul loves."
On the highest level, seeking God is an action born of love. It is not a matter only of discipline, it is first an awakening of desire. It is not a question of sacrifice but of the passions stirred by unrelenting love. The bride's ability to sleep is gone because her beloved is gone. She must seek him, for such is the nature of love.
Some will say, "But I already know the Lord. I have found Him." In reality, it was He who found us. Our salvation rests securely upon this truth. But while many rest upon Christ having found them, they have little interest in possessing a greater relationship with Him, nor do they realize His desire for us. The Bride loves because Christ first loved her (1 John 4:19). She arises now to find Him. In the very love that He inspired, she pursues her beloved.
The apostle Paul wrote, "As many as are perfect, have this attitude" (Philippians 3:15). To seek and know Christ is the attitude of the mature; it is the singular obsession of Christ's Bride.
In this maturing process, there will come a point when your love for God will take ascendancy over mere intellectual or doctrinal understanding. The Bride of Christ cannot contain her longing or patronize her aching heart; she cannot simply adjust to feeling empty. There is simply no reconciling the passion of her soul with the absence of her Beloved.
Note also that there is an unfolding dimension to seeking the Lord. Genuine love for God is an ever-increasing hunger. As one would die without food, so we feel we will die without Him. The bride says, "Night after night I sought him." She has come to love the Lord with all her heart, with all her soul and with all her mind (Matthew 22:37). Her love has become all-consuming; to accept His absence is impossible.
Overcoming Resistance
Note: the Lord will allow obstacles and delays to deepen and test the character of our love. Thus, the bride acknowledges, "I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him but did not and him."
Her first attempts at seeking her beloved proved fruitless, yet she does not terminate her quest. Augustine said it well: "God is not on the surface." There is indeed a "secret place of the Most High." Although hidden, it can be found and accessed.
One common deterrent, ironically, is the benevolent effect that comes with drawing nearer to the Lord. Inevitably, the blessings of an answered prayer or a new understanding of Scripture will greet us on our way to God, but we must guard against these signposts becoming our final destination. We must not be content with edification or comfort, only encouraged.
Let us also understand, we will not find His fullness by seeking Him merely in convenient times and comfortable places. Rather, our quest is a determined and continual pilgrimage. It will not end until He is disclosed to us (Philippians 3:12). We are confident, though, for He has promised that in the day we seek Him with our whole heart, we shall find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). He assures us, "And I will be found by you" (verse 14).
Christ Our Life
The bride continues, "I must arise now and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I must seek him whom my soul loves."
This inexorable woman has risen from the security of her own bed. She has left the comfort of her warm house and now is seeking her beloved in the streets and in the squares. Pastors, be aware: Not all who wander from church to church are uncommitted or superficial Christians. A significant number are honestly searching for Christ. They are asking, "Have you seen Him?"
Not only is the bride in the streets and squares of Christianity; she is facing the force and the power of darkness as well. Yet nothing stops her – not her own need of sleep or her fear of the night. The love of Christ compels her.
However, again she is disappointed: "I sought him but did not find him."
We might think that after so great an effort – and in the face of the seeming reluctance of Heaven to answer her cry – she would feel justified to return home. But she does not. We too must guard against becoming satisfied with our opinion of ourselves: "We prayed; we waited; we searched for God. We did more than other men." This false reward fills the soul with self-exaltation. If we truly want to find Him, we must stay empty and hungry for God alone.
"The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, and I said, 'Have you seen him whom my soul loves?'"
From her bed, to the streets, and now to the watchmen, the bride is seeking her lover. Notice that "the watchmen" found her. The watchmen are the modern-day prophetic ministries. Their highest calling is to find the searching Bride and direct her to Jesus. While many may come to the seers for a word of encouragement or revelation, the Bride is looking for Jesus. Her singleness of purpose is undistracted; she asks the watchmen, "Have you seen Him?"
"Scarcely had I left them when I found him whom my soul loves." This is the greatest motivation for seeking the Lord: The time will come when you find Him! You will pass your tests and overcome the obstacles; you will be secure in the embrace of Christ.
She says, "I held on to him and would not let him go."
I am reminded of Mary at the empty tomb of Christ (John 20:11-18). The apostles came, looked in the cave, and went away astounded. But Mary lingered, weeping. The death of Christ was horrible, but the empty tomb was unbearable. She had to find Him whom her soul loved!
The Scripture says that Jesus Himself came to her, but in her sorrow she did not recognize Him. He said, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" It is interesting that Jesus connected Mary's inconsolable weeping with her seeking. Blinded by her tears, she supposed He was the gardener.
"Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away" (verse 15).
"Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, 'Rabboni!' (which means, Teacher)" (verse 16).
Immediately Mary burst from her kneeling position to embrace Christ; she held Him so tightly that, like the bride, she too could say, "I held on to him and would not let him go." I see Jesus smiling, and with great love He gently pushed her back, saying, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father" (verse 17).
This is a most astounding event. It is a marvel, I admit, that is beyond comprehension. In the mysterious process of the Lord's resurrection – during an interlude between the grave and some stage of His ascension – Christ interrupted His triumphant ascent to appear to Mary. Jesus was drawn – no, compelled – toward Mary's weeping!
I am staggered by this event. Jesus demonstrated that love is the highest, most powerful law of His Kingdom. It brings His living presence into the hearts of those who seek Him.
You Have Made His Heart Beat Faster
One last thought, and it is a profound reality: Where was the Bridegroom during the time when the Bride was searching? Was He aloof, indifferent, sitting detached in Heaven? No, from the beginning, He had been watching, actually longing, for His Bride to find Him.
He now speaks:
"You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride; you have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes." Song of Solomon 4:9
You are His Bride. He is returning from Heaven for you! The single glance of your eyes toward Him makes His heart beat faster. Such love is inconceivable. He sees your repentance from sin as your preparation for Him – His Bride making herself ready. He beholds you kneeling, weeping at your bedside. He shares your painful longing. He has been watching. And the bridegroom says, "The glance of your eyes has made my heart beat faster."
The Lord has a promise for His Bride. There is coming a fresh baptism of love that will surpass all our knowledge of Him. We will know the height and depth, the length and the breadth of His love. While yet here on earth, we will be filled with His fullness. (See Ephesians 3:18-19 Amplified.)
We have many tasks, even responsibilities, which have come from Heaven. However, the greatest need of our soul is to be with Jesus. The areas of sin in our lives exist simply because we have lived too far from Him. Let us commit our hearts to seeking our God. Let us find Him whom our soul loves and bring Him back to the house of the Lord!
Lord, even now we lift our eyes toward You. Jesus, grace and truth are realized in You. Grant us grace that the truth of this message will change our lives and compel us in unrelenting love to You! In Jesus' name. Amen.
The preceding message is adapted from a chapter in Francis' book, And I Will Be Found By You.
Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane
Yet, to seek God is to embark on a journey that will include obstacles and spiritual enemies along the way. We must not give ourselves reasons or excuses to fail.
As a pattern, therefore, we will look at the Song of Solomon 3:1-4. Here we find a bride and bridegroom who both are intolerant of the distance between them. The Bride in the passage symbolizes the Church in her deepest longings for Jesus; the Bridegroom represents the Lord.
The bride: "On my bed night after night I sought him whom my soul loves."
On the highest level, seeking God is an action born of love. It is not a matter only of discipline, it is first an awakening of desire. It is not a question of sacrifice but of the passions stirred by unrelenting love. The bride's ability to sleep is gone because her beloved is gone. She must seek him, for such is the nature of love.
Some will say, "But I already know the Lord. I have found Him." In reality, it was He who found us. Our salvation rests securely upon this truth. But while many rest upon Christ having found them, they have little interest in possessing a greater relationship with Him, nor do they realize His desire for us. The Bride loves because Christ first loved her (1 John 4:19). She arises now to find Him. In the very love that He inspired, she pursues her beloved.
The apostle Paul wrote, "As many as are perfect, have this attitude" (Philippians 3:15). To seek and know Christ is the attitude of the mature; it is the singular obsession of Christ's Bride.
In this maturing process, there will come a point when your love for God will take ascendancy over mere intellectual or doctrinal understanding. The Bride of Christ cannot contain her longing or patronize her aching heart; she cannot simply adjust to feeling empty. There is simply no reconciling the passion of her soul with the absence of her Beloved.
Note also that there is an unfolding dimension to seeking the Lord. Genuine love for God is an ever-increasing hunger. As one would die without food, so we feel we will die without Him. The bride says, "Night after night I sought him." She has come to love the Lord with all her heart, with all her soul and with all her mind (Matthew 22:37). Her love has become all-consuming; to accept His absence is impossible.
Overcoming Resistance
Note: the Lord will allow obstacles and delays to deepen and test the character of our love. Thus, the bride acknowledges, "I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him but did not and him."
Her first attempts at seeking her beloved proved fruitless, yet she does not terminate her quest. Augustine said it well: "God is not on the surface." There is indeed a "secret place of the Most High." Although hidden, it can be found and accessed.
One common deterrent, ironically, is the benevolent effect that comes with drawing nearer to the Lord. Inevitably, the blessings of an answered prayer or a new understanding of Scripture will greet us on our way to God, but we must guard against these signposts becoming our final destination. We must not be content with edification or comfort, only encouraged.
Let us also understand, we will not find His fullness by seeking Him merely in convenient times and comfortable places. Rather, our quest is a determined and continual pilgrimage. It will not end until He is disclosed to us (Philippians 3:12). We are confident, though, for He has promised that in the day we seek Him with our whole heart, we shall find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). He assures us, "And I will be found by you" (verse 14).
Christ Our Life
The bride continues, "I must arise now and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I must seek him whom my soul loves."
This inexorable woman has risen from the security of her own bed. She has left the comfort of her warm house and now is seeking her beloved in the streets and in the squares. Pastors, be aware: Not all who wander from church to church are uncommitted or superficial Christians. A significant number are honestly searching for Christ. They are asking, "Have you seen Him?"
Not only is the bride in the streets and squares of Christianity; she is facing the force and the power of darkness as well. Yet nothing stops her – not her own need of sleep or her fear of the night. The love of Christ compels her.
However, again she is disappointed: "I sought him but did not find him."
We might think that after so great an effort – and in the face of the seeming reluctance of Heaven to answer her cry – she would feel justified to return home. But she does not. We too must guard against becoming satisfied with our opinion of ourselves: "We prayed; we waited; we searched for God. We did more than other men." This false reward fills the soul with self-exaltation. If we truly want to find Him, we must stay empty and hungry for God alone.
"The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, and I said, 'Have you seen him whom my soul loves?'"
From her bed, to the streets, and now to the watchmen, the bride is seeking her lover. Notice that "the watchmen" found her. The watchmen are the modern-day prophetic ministries. Their highest calling is to find the searching Bride and direct her to Jesus. While many may come to the seers for a word of encouragement or revelation, the Bride is looking for Jesus. Her singleness of purpose is undistracted; she asks the watchmen, "Have you seen Him?"
"Scarcely had I left them when I found him whom my soul loves." This is the greatest motivation for seeking the Lord: The time will come when you find Him! You will pass your tests and overcome the obstacles; you will be secure in the embrace of Christ.
She says, "I held on to him and would not let him go."
I am reminded of Mary at the empty tomb of Christ (John 20:11-18). The apostles came, looked in the cave, and went away astounded. But Mary lingered, weeping. The death of Christ was horrible, but the empty tomb was unbearable. She had to find Him whom her soul loved!
The Scripture says that Jesus Himself came to her, but in her sorrow she did not recognize Him. He said, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" It is interesting that Jesus connected Mary's inconsolable weeping with her seeking. Blinded by her tears, she supposed He was the gardener.
"Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away" (verse 15).
"Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, 'Rabboni!' (which means, Teacher)" (verse 16).
Immediately Mary burst from her kneeling position to embrace Christ; she held Him so tightly that, like the bride, she too could say, "I held on to him and would not let him go." I see Jesus smiling, and with great love He gently pushed her back, saying, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father" (verse 17).
This is a most astounding event. It is a marvel, I admit, that is beyond comprehension. In the mysterious process of the Lord's resurrection – during an interlude between the grave and some stage of His ascension – Christ interrupted His triumphant ascent to appear to Mary. Jesus was drawn – no, compelled – toward Mary's weeping!
I am staggered by this event. Jesus demonstrated that love is the highest, most powerful law of His Kingdom. It brings His living presence into the hearts of those who seek Him.
You Have Made His Heart Beat Faster
One last thought, and it is a profound reality: Where was the Bridegroom during the time when the Bride was searching? Was He aloof, indifferent, sitting detached in Heaven? No, from the beginning, He had been watching, actually longing, for His Bride to find Him.
He now speaks:
"You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride; you have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes." Song of Solomon 4:9
You are His Bride. He is returning from Heaven for you! The single glance of your eyes toward Him makes His heart beat faster. Such love is inconceivable. He sees your repentance from sin as your preparation for Him – His Bride making herself ready. He beholds you kneeling, weeping at your bedside. He shares your painful longing. He has been watching. And the bridegroom says, "The glance of your eyes has made my heart beat faster."
The Lord has a promise for His Bride. There is coming a fresh baptism of love that will surpass all our knowledge of Him. We will know the height and depth, the length and the breadth of His love. While yet here on earth, we will be filled with His fullness. (See Ephesians 3:18-19 Amplified.)
We have many tasks, even responsibilities, which have come from Heaven. However, the greatest need of our soul is to be with Jesus. The areas of sin in our lives exist simply because we have lived too far from Him. Let us commit our hearts to seeking our God. Let us find Him whom our soul loves and bring Him back to the house of the Lord!
Lord, even now we lift our eyes toward You. Jesus, grace and truth are realized in You. Grant us grace that the truth of this message will change our lives and compel us in unrelenting love to You! In Jesus' name. Amen.
The preceding message is adapted from a chapter in Francis' book, And I Will Be Found By You.
Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane
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