You guys know that I like to read...a lot. It is a borderline obsession with me and I might just need a 12 step recovery program! I can read very fast, so I tear through a book like nobody's business. I have this problem...I really only like to read if I can read a book straight through. Doesn't matter if it's 100 pages or 800 pages. I devour it in one sitting. None of this wussy "read one chapter a night" for this girl. No way, no how. I know, I know...it is a sickness (but I don't really care!).
All kidding aside, I read a book last week that is a must read. If you only read one book a year, READ THIS ONE!!! It is the best book I've read in a long time...and that's saying something because I've read a lot of phenomenal books! This book will change the way you believe, how you pray, and how you picture God. The name of the book is Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick, who is the young pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in the USA (Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC)
http://www.sunstandstill.org/
The book is based on the story of Joshua and how he asked God to have the sun stand still for an extra day in order to win the battle that the Lord had said He would give into their hands. And guess what? God said okay...and honored the request. You can read the whole thing in Joshua chapter 10 of the old testament. The premise of the book is that we have made God way too small and think Him incapable of doing the heavy lifting in our life (or in our world for that matter). Why don't we pray the impossible? Doesn't God's word say that with man things are impossible but with God, NOTHING is impossible?! So, why do we walk around defeated all the time? Because if we were honest, we would say we really don't believe to that level. Furtick suggests that we should pray "sun stand still prayers", as in ask God for the impossible. Dream big. Have audacious faith. And expect the supernatural to occur when everything lines up according to God's will.
Wow...let me say that again...wow!!! Jaw dropping, knee slapping stuff!
Before this book was even suggested to me, I now realize that God was lining some things up in my life to get me ready to just read the book. Because after reading it, I see that God is beginning to call me to something way bigger than me. I don't have all the details and all the vision yet, just glimpses, but I have a sense it will be something I could never do alone and might seem really overwhelming, that is until I read this book and my eyes were opened wider and my goals were set higher. I mean, I've been all about living for the Kingdom NOW, not just getting by, and learning how to tap into that Kingdom power. I've decided to not live with the "let's just hang on to heaven" mentality, but to get out there and LIVE God's best life that He intends for me! That's been my focus, that's been my desire, but I see now there is way more...my dreams haven't been big enough. I have been looking at everything with my human eyes and not my spiritual eyes. Sure, I've had faith...but audacious faith...probably not. This book is radically changing my prayer life. It's almost hard to pray that boldly and confidently, but I see very clearly that is what God is talking about when He says "He will give us more than we can ask or imagine". We don't dream big enough! And that seems so silly when you are talking to a God who SPOKE the world we know into motion. I think He can handle anything we throw at Him.
I'm sure I will be talking about this book and revelations from it for awhile (disclaimer!) and quite honestly, I'm still digesting it and tossing it around in my head. But, I'm straining forward and yearning for how God wants to use me in the future. I'm thinking big. I'm waiting to see how He's going to reveal some specifics to me. But the one thing I'm not doing...I'm not putting God in a box anymore. I'm standing on His promises and I'm believing some big things. Read the book and join me in your own God-honoring dreams!
Living in audacious faith,
JOY
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