Years ago while speaking at a conference, I jokingly told an audience, "I'm smarter than I look." From the back of the auditorium, I heard a retort, "You'd have to be." (I trust that they too were joking.) Sadly, contrary to what I said in the conference, for more times than not I am not smarter than I look. There are so many areas in life that I honestly am clueless. And, before you start looking for an institution to house me, if you are honest, you will make the same declaration about yourself. We all are so limited in our understanding in so many areas of life.
It is so, so evident that the apostle Paul knew me some 2,000 years ago. Somehow, he must have been able to see that I am not smarter than I look. In Romans 8, he tells about one of my major limitations ... my cluelessness in the arena of prayer. When it comes to communicating to the Father about circumstances and needs, I often have a limited understanding of what is actually going on. There are times when I will just have an unction to pray for someone and not have any details about why I feel that urgency to pray and intercede. At other times, I can have someone to request me to pray about a person or situation and I might be given incorrect information and/or slanted and biased opinions about the request.
Thankfully, Paul provided the answer to this cluelessness. Once again, we discover that the Holy Spirit has been assigned to help us. When we don't know how to pray as we ought (which can be a major portion of the time), we are to pray in our heavenly language thus allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through us. Praying in and through the Spirit allows us to have a brain bypass. Praying in the Spirit bypasses our limited understanding and possible incorrect information by totally keeping our mind out of the process. In praying in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit connects with our spirit and allows us to pray mysteries (Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 14:14) and the perfect will of God concerning that person or situation.
One more time, I come back to the gut-level honesty and admit again that for more times than not I am not smarter than I look. You might want to make the same confession and then join me in declaring our dependency on the Holy Spirit. If we are going to be able to address our weakness and inadequacy (KJV "infirmity") in the area of prayer, we must become more and more dependent upon the Holy Spirit praying through us. Together, let's acknowledge that since He knows the whole scenario and all of the details about what is needed in our times of intercession we will become more dependent upon praying in the Spirit so that He can make effectual intercession through us. A healthy dose of brain-bypassing-prayer just might be what heaven ordered for us to fulfill the will, plan, and purpose of God!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas from the Burns family!Billy and Vickie
Our 3-year-old grandson Joey is being held by our oldest son Jason.
Our 7-month-old grandson Gavin is being held by Jason's beautiful wife Elisabeth.
Completing the Burns' household are our sons Michael and Aaron.
Vickie and I pray that this is a blessed, Christ-filled Christmas season
and that the upcoming year will be a testimony of the goodness of our God.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Dependent on the Holy Spirit #3 - Heaven's Eyes & Voice
At our recent 2010 national Ignite the Supernatural Conference I needed to rent a vehicle. I find that renting a vehicle is both good and bad. One of the great things about renting a vehicle is that it is a new vehicle with all of the new features and accessories. The bad thing about renting a vehicle is that it is a new vehicle with all of the new features and accessories and after a few days I will have to leave the vehicle behind and return back to my ancient Ford Explorer. Can you relate to this disheartening feeling?
During the conference, I found that one of the features that I really, really loved in the rental vehicle was the screen on the dashboard that enabled me to see what was behind me when I was backing up the vehicle. I loved it so much that it will be on the have-to-have list of features on my next vehicle. In my estimation, having the ability to eliminate one of the major blind spots in driving is must for me.
Long ago, I realized that life is filled with blind spots. Try as I may, I just can't see things from every angle. And, I have learned that what I can't see can hurt me or cause me to hurt others. On other occasions, blind spots can cause me to miss out on opportunities. Thankfully, there is One sent who enables me to see what normally would be unseen. According to John 16:13, the Holy Spirit is assigned to see and announce what we can't see with our physical eyes or sense with our intuition.
In this fourth installment of the Dependent on the Holy Spirit blog series, I'll unashamedly announce again that I am dependent on the Holy Spirit. There are no if, ands, or buts about it. I am helplessly dependent on the Holy Spirit. There have been numerous occasions when His promptings have diverted me from impending danger. At other times, His gentle push has caused me to venture into an area that was totally beyond my comfort level and say words to a total stranger that brought them freedom and encouragement.
Join me right now and acknowledge the fact that you will depend more and more on His guidance and insight. Acknowledge that He sees things that you can't see and then join me in quoting B.B. Hankins, the pastor of my home church in West Columbia, Texas, "I wouldn't cross the street without the Holy Spirit." Thank God for the Holy Spirit.
During the conference, I found that one of the features that I really, really loved in the rental vehicle was the screen on the dashboard that enabled me to see what was behind me when I was backing up the vehicle. I loved it so much that it will be on the have-to-have list of features on my next vehicle. In my estimation, having the ability to eliminate one of the major blind spots in driving is must for me.
Long ago, I realized that life is filled with blind spots. Try as I may, I just can't see things from every angle. And, I have learned that what I can't see can hurt me or cause me to hurt others. On other occasions, blind spots can cause me to miss out on opportunities. Thankfully, there is One sent who enables me to see what normally would be unseen. According to John 16:13, the Holy Spirit is assigned to see and announce what we can't see with our physical eyes or sense with our intuition.
In this fourth installment of the Dependent on the Holy Spirit blog series, I'll unashamedly announce again that I am dependent on the Holy Spirit. There are no if, ands, or buts about it. I am helplessly dependent on the Holy Spirit. There have been numerous occasions when His promptings have diverted me from impending danger. At other times, His gentle push has caused me to venture into an area that was totally beyond my comfort level and say words to a total stranger that brought them freedom and encouragement.
Join me right now and acknowledge the fact that you will depend more and more on His guidance and insight. Acknowledge that He sees things that you can't see and then join me in quoting B.B. Hankins, the pastor of my home church in West Columbia, Texas, "I wouldn't cross the street without the Holy Spirit." Thank God for the Holy Spirit.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Dependent on the Holy Spirit #2 - The Greater the Assignment, the Greater the Need for His Power!
It's difficult to believe that this is blog entry number 182. That means that for well over three years, I've been sharing insights on flowing with the Holy Spirit and hopefully helping to challenge and equip children's ministry leaders to raise up a power-packed generation of children. From the last report that I read, this blog is being read in 50 nations. To God be all of the glory.
This week, allow me to share the second reason for my dependency on the Holy Spirit. I can summarize it in just a simple thought ... the greater the assignment, the greater the need for the power to complete the assignment. Quite simply, the assignment given to us far exceeds our ability to fulfill the assignment. Without the supernatural power promised in Acts 1:8, the mission will never be completed.
Thank God for giftings and talents and natural abilities. But, as great as these are, they come with limitations. Thankfully I learned a long time ago that these human abilities are profitable ... up to a limit. I learned that in some things, charisma and personality are great for certain situations. But, when it comes to dealing with principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places, I need something far greater than a winning smile and vivacious, bubbly charm. When I stand in front of a child or an auditorium of children who have been detached from the things of the Spirit and perhaps suffered supernatural onslaughts from the enemy during the past week, I need a power (Acts 1:8 “power” from the Greek word “dunamis” from which we derive our English word “dynamite”) to rise up within me that demolishes and annihilates the power of the wicked one.
Each week, I must remind myself of the magnitude of my assignment. This alone is enough to cause me to drop to my knees and cry out for the Spirit of God to rise up within me. In fact, like last week, you might want to take a minute to join me and begin to announce along with me that "I am dependent on you, Holy Spirit. I need you to give me the power needed to fulfill the plan of God for my life."
Remember ... the greater the assignment, the greater the need for the power to complete the assignment. Let's be helplessly dependent upon His power!
This week, allow me to share the second reason for my dependency on the Holy Spirit. I can summarize it in just a simple thought ... the greater the assignment, the greater the need for the power to complete the assignment. Quite simply, the assignment given to us far exceeds our ability to fulfill the assignment. Without the supernatural power promised in Acts 1:8, the mission will never be completed.
Thank God for giftings and talents and natural abilities. But, as great as these are, they come with limitations. Thankfully I learned a long time ago that these human abilities are profitable ... up to a limit. I learned that in some things, charisma and personality are great for certain situations. But, when it comes to dealing with principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places, I need something far greater than a winning smile and vivacious, bubbly charm. When I stand in front of a child or an auditorium of children who have been detached from the things of the Spirit and perhaps suffered supernatural onslaughts from the enemy during the past week, I need a power (Acts 1:8 “power” from the Greek word “dunamis” from which we derive our English word “dynamite”) to rise up within me that demolishes and annihilates the power of the wicked one.
Each week, I must remind myself of the magnitude of my assignment. This alone is enough to cause me to drop to my knees and cry out for the Spirit of God to rise up within me. In fact, like last week, you might want to take a minute to join me and begin to announce along with me that "I am dependent on you, Holy Spirit. I need you to give me the power needed to fulfill the plan of God for my life."
Remember ... the greater the assignment, the greater the need for the power to complete the assignment. Let's be helplessly dependent upon His power!
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