Magnify!

Magnify. Growing up, we never had PlayStation, Wii or Xbox.
We lived on a small ranch in Colorado and had a lot of work to do. Cleaning
stalls, painting fences, irrigating the pasture and picking up rocks (Colorado
soil grows rocks) were necessities of
the life we lived.

My brother and I are only 17 months apart in age, and we
were really each other’s entertainment. We spent a lot of our spare time riding
our bikes and creating adventures. Our imaginations worked overtime to invent
new games. Cowboys and Indians was a favorite, as well as building forts and
hideouts. We even had a secret place in the hayloft of the barn.

Kids today simply have no idea what fun can be had without a
remote control in your hand. When we did get a gift, it was usually
educational. It was not unusual for us to get boxes of books to read. Every
young boy should read the Sugar Creek Gang series.

One Christmas, I received one of my favorite presents ever—a
microscope. It was probably my fascination with a magnifying glass that led to the microscope. A magnifying glass is so
very cool. If you angle it just right with the sun, you can start a leaf on
fire (which is of course not what
it was designed for). Better yet, you can inspect something tiny like an ant,
and see all of the details: Eyes, antennae, legs, even miniscule hairs.

The microscope takes
that exploration to a whole new level. A blade of grass or a drop of pond water
has a dimension that you could never see without magnification. Discoveries are unearthed, which give you a totally
different perspective from what you have experienced with the naked eye.

Psalm 34:3 says, “Oh, magnify the LORD with me” (emphasis added). Many times in the Psalms, David
expresses a desire to magnify the Lord. His relationship with God was so
meaningful that he wanted to magnify it. David was not satisfied with the God
that he could “see” with the naked eye. He wanted to know the intimate details
of God—the entity and substance of the Holy One that could only be known
through magnification.

His soul thirsted for God. He longed for intimacy. It was
not enough to dwell in the shelter of the Most High; David wanted to abide in
the very shadow of the Almighty. Hear this: If a person does not have that kind
of longing to know God, there is a very good chance he has never met
Him. He has never become a child of Jehovah. The longing has been set
within us. So, how do we magnify the LORD?

Of course, God’s Word, fasting and prayer are critical to an
understanding of the minutia of God. However, David adds another facet in Psalm
69:30. He says, “I will praise the name of God with song, and shall magnify Him with thanksgiving” (emphasis added). He
added worship. Worship that is a lifestyle.

My dear friend Charles Billingsley is an anointed vessel,
gifted to move believers into a Holy realm—a realm of worship where you are
ushered into the presence of God and the worship is so powerful and fervent
that God Almighty becomes very vivid. God’s character and virtues are literally
magnified in your mind, soul and spirit.

This week in your Christ walk, magnify the Lord. Go to the deep places with Him.
Don’t be satisfied with a Sunday morning snack. Dig into His Word. Spend time
in His presence. Look at Him through the magnification of scripture and prayer.
You might even try fasting. Put the flesh aside.

Allow your mind and spirit to discover things about God that
are intimate. Personal. Don’t be satisfied with the outer courts. Worship Him
in the Holy of Holies. It is there that you will see God magnified. It is there that you will sense a
nearness that will leave your soul longing for more. And remember, God
wants to know you as well. He is the Great
Pursuer. Seek Him, as He is seeking you. Magnify Him. You will discover things that
you never knew. New things. Profound things. Life-changing things. I promise.

PRAYER POWER FOR THE WEEK OF 11/7/2011

This week spend time in His presence by starting your
prayers with praise and adoration. Use scripture to help you express what’s in
your heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you verbalize your worship in deep
ways. Continue to pray that God will give you opportunities to share His love
and provision with those in great need around you. Thank Him for His constant
protection and companionship. Remember our military and their families as well
as Israel and our allies. Pray that President Obama and those working with him would
rely on God for wisdom and guidance in making decisions affecting the nation
and the world. Continue to pray for revival. Psalm 34:3; Psalm 69:30

To enrich your prayer
life and learn how to strategically pray with power by using appropriate
scriptures, we recommend the following sources by Apostle John Eckhardt: Prayers that Rout Demons, Prayers that Bring Healing, Prayers that Release Heaven on Earth and Prayers that Break
Curses. To order any or all of these click here.