Humbling Ourselves

Mark Batterson post:  Holy Experiment

During these forty days when we’re circling II Chronicles 7:14. I want to share what God is doing in my spirit as candidly as I can.

I’m really approaching the 7:14 experiment as just that: a holy experiment.  What if we approached our spirituality like a scientist who does experiments?  Granted, there is a mystical element to it.  But what if we tested the promises of God? I’m not talking about “testing God.”  I’m talking about a testing that derives from trust. You test because you trust.  During these forty days we’re putting 7:14 to the test.  What would happen if wegenuinely humbled ourselves and hit our knees everyday?  I intend to find out.

Now let me be honest. Day one was discouraging.  I flew down to Baton Rouge to speak and I felt tired, I felt distracted, I felt very little anointing. I can’t really explain it.  But on the plane ride back it was like the Holy Spirit said, “Did you think this would be that easy?”  We want to sow and reap instantaneously.  We want to plant the seed and harvest it on the same day.  No. If it was easy we wouldn’t even appreciate it.  We’d probably mishandle the anointing, mishandle the blessing.  This isn’t about what God does on day one, day ten, or even day forty. It’s about establishing a humility habit. We’re going to stop, drop, and pray. We’re going to hit our knees everyday!  Our MO isn’t ASAP–as soon as possible. Our MO isALAT–as long as it takes.

Humbling ourselves is the process of dying to self, dying to sin. And dying to self is anything but easy. It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do. And it’s painful.  But if you press in, press on, press through you’ll look back and marvel at who you are and who you were. Your old selfish and sinful self will become a stranger.  You’ll look back and say, “Who was I?”  You won’t even feel like the same person.

I feel like I’m having contractions in prayer. Not sure how else to describe it.  It’s like the Holy Spirit is birthing something new in me.  I’m not even sure what to name it.  But I know that whatever it is it will bring new life.  He’s plowing new soil in my heart.  He’s planting new seeds.  And there will be a harvest of newness.  Will it require some pruning? Absolutely!  Butold things have to die if you want new things to come to life.   Old habits give way to new habits. Old thoughts give way to new thoughts.  Old routines give way to new routines.  Old songs give way to new songs.  Old mercies give way to new mercies. It’s a new day. It’s a new normal.