VIII•XXI•MMXIX – DAY 32 & 33

Monday, August 19 

Our classes this week are on the Foundations of Grace; many people in the church today have begun to compare the God of the Old Testament to the one in the New Testament. They claim that God was angry and vengeful, without grace, for the Old; and obviously, Jesus was full of mercy in the New. BUT God does not change, He is constant; He was merciful and full of grace in the Old testament just as He was in the New Testament. Sometimes, it’s difficult to get past all the death in the Old Testament, but when you look closer you realize how many chances the Israelites (and their enemies) were given; how when foreigners repented, He spared them. 

Also –  God gave the Israelites chance after chance, yet they always turned to idols and prostitution after a prophet or leader that God had given them died. I read all of this at Elim, but for some reason, it’s all so fresh this time. It helps to have the prayer room to read it; I have the time to ask God questions and notice small details. It’s not just an assignment to finish. 

Challenge for the day: Look in the Old Testament – read through the ‘boring’ parts – and find God’s grace and Mercy throughout it.

Later that evening in the prayer room I had a very sweet moment with the Lord. Before entering in, I felt as if I could fall asleep standing up. My brain was not functioning normally, and I didn’t feel motivated to pray for 6 hours. Yet, God knew what I needed. He sustained me; I was able to focus on Him, listen to what He was saying, and be washed with Love and encouragement. I left that night feeling refreshed and loved. 

Tuesday, August 20

This was a long day. I know I probably say that a lot; and I know in my last update I mentioned Tuesdays and Saturdays are our longest days. However, there was a change in our schedule. We had class from 10 am to 12 pm, interviews for the children’s ministry at Church from 1-1:30, class from 4-6, a meeting from 7-8, and then prayer room from 8 to midnight! 

A day full of activities, fun moments, and a good time in the prayer room; there isn’t much else to describe actually! We started a class at IHOP U with the new freshman; Introduction to IHOP. It’s an overview of the history and background of the ministry we’ve stepped into. Many times, interns and freshman’s leave at the end of the year with no clue what exactly this ministry is founded upon. So they’ve given us a 6-week class to help us understand! 

I think it will be very interesting; also fun to know more about this family I’ve joined. 

As always, thanks for reading. xx