More than Morsels

This morning as I sat praying prior to one of our leaders bringing us a teaching from the Word, I began to feel like a little child: full of anticipation; trying hard to see what was coming; hoping for nibble of something from the table.

Hoping for a nibble…how many times has that characterized the way I have received? How often have I settled for a morsel, a nibble, and then left before the banquet was served? How like the Syrophoenician woman am I, willing to gather the crumbs that fall from the table that were left for the dogs?

Answer: Way too often.

Solution: Slow down, give in, wait, and wait some more.

One of my spiritual emphases for this year is to cultivate a holy habit of prayer. I was quite excited when the director of the Transformation Network (T-Net) announced that on Friday afternoons we would be shutting the agency down and using the time for prayer. His plan was that we would gather for lunch together at noon and then plan to be in prayer from 1-4. We changed the message on the answering machine and put a sign in the door that briefly described our intentions.

And so we met.

And we were met!

Wow! We started the time listening to a couple songs by Jason Upton (Faith and Freedom). I had never heard the guy, but I wish I had some extra cash so I could buy the CD. It was awesome. The words really set the tenor for the time. We were serious about honoring God and seeking for Him to honor us with his presence and His message for he time.

I’m afraid I must confess that I went into the meeting hopeful but honestly only anticipating nibbles. The time turned into the most lavish of banquet feasts. We prayed and praised, wept and walked. We truly had ears open to hearing and hearts open to receive.

Now, there are those who would think that spending 3 hours on a Friday afternoon in prayer would be a terrible waste of time. It was so much just the opposite. The world, with its focus on productivity wouldn’t see the value of stopping, waiting, and worshipping. Too bad for the world.

I left that gathering with that same childlike anticipation I felt this morning. What was God going to be doing next and how would I fit in? There was no thought of “if” God was going to work. It was all “when.” And I wanted to see it. I wanted to be ready for it.

I entered worship anticipating another feast. I believed that God was going to be present and that there would something for me, something so much more greatly satisfying than nibbles and morsels.

And I was not disappointed.

I believe that’s what God wants for His children. As we shared at the beginning of our time together, one woman was encouraged to share what God had been doing in her life. Her response was that she hadn’t come prepared to share anything. She came expecting nibbles. I felt sadness for her.

I chose to live my life believing, anticipating, looking for God to work and meet with me whether I am in church, at prayer, or sitting at my computer. No more nibbles or morsels for me!