Raising a Forerunner Generation

I started a new book today that seems to be wonderful, although I've only read the introduction thus far. Here is an excerpt from it:

I See Jesus

The centre of it all, the reason for it, the goal of it all: we must see Jesus, we must see more than we have seen, and we must hunger for his presence. I see a generation who will be so radical in going after the presence of Jesus that their daily heart cry will echo the words of an old Vineyard song by Brian Doerksen and Cindy Rethmeier: 

I want to know you, I want to love you, I want to be found in you, I want to be clothed in your truth, so I'll fix my eyes on you, Lord I must see you, I want to love you...Jesus

This is something we cannot muster up in ourselves and this is something we must not feel guilty about not feeling. In his great grace and mercy, I believe that God himself is committed to pouring out passion for his Son in the hearts and lives of his people because it was one of Jesus' last, heartfelt prayers when he was alone with his Father and before he went to the cross (John 17:26).

Whatever the future holds for our children, whatever calling the Lord puts on our lives, whatever destiny he gives each to fulfil, I believe that in practice, on the earth, in the lives of this generation, the pursuit of the presence of Jesus will be by far the largest, most passionate, most radical, most single-minded pursuit of all.

I See Prayer

I see new ways of prayer. I see prayer being enlarged and breaking out until it is unrecognizable when compared with our current definition of prayer. I remember praying with a friend many years ago, 'God help us to be prayer, to live prayer.' 

The way we pray is not wrong; it is good, it is wonderful but it is not enough for the coming days. God wants a people of powerful and persistent prayer who will not back off. 

I see new people having an anointing of prayer. We need to humbly learn from them. Learning from the artist, for example, who practices prayer while he creates his art. But I also see God birthing creativity in everyone in the area of prayer. We need to learn to pray without ceasing.

We need to learn to carry our children in prayer in countless and creative ways - we need to rely upon, ask for and learn to receive the very inspiration of heaven.

We need to learn the relationship between intercession and worship. We need to learn to live in the presence of God. We need a prayer life that can stand astride the practical and the spiritual all at once.

I see prayer as a key to ourselves and our children finding our destiny in God.

And with respect to prayer and all that is written here, I see Jesus' total and utter faithfulness and ability to take us into these uncharted waters, into these new places. He only asks that we love him and yield ourselves to him.

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And to be clear, we are not planning to have a child anytime soon, I'm just reading the book for interests sake.

;)