Worship

“Egypt” by Bethel Music, featuring Cory Asbury

Scripture

“So Samuel said to all the Israelites, ‘If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.’ So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

“Then Samuel said, ‘Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.’ When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. …

“While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’” -1 Samuel 7:3-6a, 10-12, emphasis added

The Place of Return

So the Israelites are once again standing in a familiar place face to face with their enemy, the Philistines. They had been defeated once before in this place called Mizpah. Now the prophet Samuel is leading them. But Samuel has a new plan from the Lord. It won’t require battle tactics or military strategy. God’s going right for the heart of the matter! He wants to show them the ultimate victory and the true battle: the battle for their affections. So Samuel calls the whole nation of Israel to repentance and returning. This was going to be an internal working of their hearts and an external expression of their devotion. It was time to clean house and get rid of all the additional gods they worshipped. God was going to do a realignment from the inside out. And indeed He would mark this moment with His mighty roar, victory, deliverance, and restoration.

Samuel not only calls the children of Israel to repentance but also to a singular focus; it was time to serve God and God alone. For too long, their affections and actions were clouded with blending a little of this and a little of that till the lines were blurred and the enemy ran rampant. It was another Joshua moment for the people of God: “… choose this day whom you will serve … (Joshua 24:15, ESV).”

“But a worse enemy than the Philistines held sway over the land. … The people were thus in double bondage; the heavy yoke of the Philistines was upon them, because the heavier burden of a false worship crushed out the life of their hearts.” -Charles Spurgeon

The Power of Pouring Out

So the people assemble together and take down all their physical gods of worship, their poles and Baals. Samuel then stands in the gap for his nation in a place of intercession. In this town of Mizpah, where they had been defeated before, Samuel prays to God. It’s a moment where their repentance was about ready to encounter the intervention from Heaven. Samuel draws deep water and pours it out, demonstrating the depth of their confession being poured before the Lord. It was a beautiful expression of emptiness and need being poured out—not one last drop reserved but all of it poured out.

“Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.” -Lamentations 2:19a

I believe that our pouring out of the deepest things within us is often a precursor to victory. Just this week, I had to pour my heart out before the Lord, to get so honest before Him so together we could bring the deep places of my heart to Him for His counsel and His healing touch. Often getting to this place of honesty and emptying IS the victory. That day, the Israelites had a process the Lord was taking them through to get to freedom and wholeness. Samuel stood in the gap for his nation and dared to call the children of Israel back to the Lord, but they also had to be willing. God heard the intercession, smelled the burnt offering of an innocent baby lamb, and responded to the distress of His people. A mighty roar from Heaven came forth.

“The eyes of the Lord see everything but they focus on what is going on with His people. Let us come before Him now, aware of our total helplessness. Let us announce that we are His people and that we do not fear our time, but we fear the Lord, and we have come to stand before His presence on behalf of a new demonstration of His glory on earth.” -Mario Murillo, “Reaching Critical Mass”

The people of Israel longed ultimately for deliverance from their enemy. God did that in a second. But what was more important to the Lord was their hearts of worship. False gods, ideologies, perversions, and idolatry had crept in. I’m sure it was subtle, just one little thing and then another. And before they knew it, God’s people were in captivity worshipping everything that was not of the true living God. And a man of God dares to call them back and dares to stand in the gap for his nation, serving as both prophet, intercessor, and warrior.

I believe the Lord is calling His Bride to this very place to call our nations back to Him!

A mighty thunderous roar routed the enemy of the people of God that day. He sent the enemy into confusion and retreat! And the people of God slaughtered their enemy and never saw their invasion again. Both the Israelites and the Philistines heard the Lord’s roar that day. What caused confusion in one caused confidence to arise in God’s people! Then the Lord did something so beautiful for His own—he restored and brought full deliverance from the authority and presence of the enemy in their lives.

Where does victory begin? It begins with our hearts being poured out before the Lord. It’s time to get really honest with ourselves before Him—pour it all out—because there’s a victory waiting for the people of God! If the cross was sufficient for our healing and freedom and deliverance because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, you better believe He’s roaring for His people to awaken and shake loose of anything that is not of Him.

The Stone of Remembrance

In response, Samuel raised an Ebenezer before the Lord. This was an altar of remembrance. The name Ebenezer means “stone of help,” and it was going to be a reminder to the people of the hand of the Lord moving on their behalf. No longer would their eyes see altars of Baal or Ashtoreth poles; their eyes would see an altar of worship to the Most High God, worthy of their praise and affections.

“He redeems us that we might worship again, that we might take our place again, even on earth with the angels in heaven, and the beasts and the living creatures. That we might feel in our hearts and express in our won way that humbling but nevertheless delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and overwhelming love—in the presence of that ancient mystery, that unspeakable majesty, that Ancient of Days.” -A.W. Tozer, “Worship”

Sisters, it’s time to raise our Ebenezer, our stone of remembrance, and bring to mind our first Love when He was the only thing that consumed our hearts and minds. 

When the Lord led me to 1 Samuel 7 earlier this week, I had no idea what He was about to drop in my spirit. But that same call to the Israelites in that day is our call to the Bride of Christ. It’s time to return and set all (every last one) of our affections on Christ alone. Oh, that we would not be double minded any longer, pursuing God and pursuing the things of the world. He’s looking in this hour for sold-out, laid-down, surrendered worshippers who have climbed up on the altar and asked to be a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to the Lord (Romans 12:1). Pour it out, sisters, every last drop at His feet, just like Mary did (John 12:3). Her most costly gifts laid at the feet of Jesus in worship. Then take that broken jar and let it be your Ebenezer. Fill your journal with the words of God to you—let that be your Ebenezer. Look at the women in your boat who are with you as you push off from shore into deeper waters, and build that altar of remembrance together. We have to remind ourselves when the squalls rise that He has been faithful, and He will be faithful again.

To close our day as we moved with God’s people from repentance to intercession to victory to restoration and finally deliverance, look at 1 Samuel 7:14: “The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.”

After God restored His people to what was rightfully theirs, they became deliverers for those who were also oppressed. The Lord will use your deliverance from the enemy to deliver others! Nothing will be wasted. And like He promised, He will “repay you for the years the locusts have eaten … (Joel 2:25).”

The Prophetic Promise

Now to prophesy this promise to you. What we pour out, He will turn and use it bring forth life! Nothing will be wasted. Watch and see. WE CANNOT OUT POUR GOD!

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.” -Isaiah 44:3-4

A Few Key Notes

• Mark your calendars for the luncheon in May featuring Patrice Vines as our keynote speaker! RSVP details to come.

Date: May 13

Time: 11:30 a.m.

Location: The Hope Center, 2001 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, TX 75075

• Our Arise Harvest Day in Waco is right around the corner, April 9-10. I am asking the Lord for 40 women to attend that weekend. There is no cost for the weekend, and locals are helping to provide housing. Email me at [email protected] if you are interested in partnering with us to bring in the harvest in Waco! Training is available upon signing up.
• Mark your calendars for Harvest Day Midland, May 7-8.
• A new Arise study is now available! Join us every Tuesday at 7 p.m. CST over Zoom for a study called “Holy Communion: Our Divine Inheritance” led by Christina McCracken.

Link: https://zoom.us/j/8755110419?pwd=eWtTajNwS1k3UjRYejlrYkIzUmE4dz09

Meeting ID: 875 511 0419

Passcode: 895630

• Patrice Vines is hosting a study about putting on the armor of God and standing our ground during turbulent times. You can join in person or over Zoom. RSVP by emailing me at [email protected].

Time: 9:30 a.m. CST

Dates: Friday mornings

Location: Over Zoom or at The Hope Center (2001 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, TX 75075)

• Arise has a vision of launching chapters in 70 cities. Are you interested in leading an Arise initiative in your city? Email me at [email protected] to learn more.