My new book 'Hosting God's Presence: a practical guide' has been two years in the making and the manuscript is very nearly finished! What a milestone! Below is a sneak peek from one of my chapters: 'Show me your Glory'
If you'd like to be notified when the book is about to be launched, click on the link below and I'll keep you informed. I can't wait to share the book with you and to see what God will do through it.
'I wonder if your church meetings could be described as a place where God’s manifest presence is prioritised? And whether you could recognise times every week where the Holy Spirit is invited to do things only He can do? My concern, as I minister in a variety of churches and settings, is that we’re settling for far too little of God’s presence in our corporate gatherings. If God really is eager to come, why aren’t we seeing more miracles, or more lives transformed or more moments of awe and wonder? It’s so easy for us to attend a church meeting, consume some worship and be entertained by a preach, and then head home with minimal impact to our everyday lives. Yet, the God we worship and learn about in scripture wants to inhabit our praises and reveal Himself through His presence. We must long for more of God’s manifest presence among us. Firstly for those in our communities who already love God, and equally for those in our midst who haven’t yet given their lives to Him.
I remember being in a meeting where I was meant to be preaching, but by the end of the worship God’s presence was so close that I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I took the microphone at the front and knelt down in God’s presence. I explained to everyone in the room that I didn’t feel able to cut across what the Holy Spirit was doing and encouraged them to keep looking to Jesus and loving Him. As we lingered in God’s presence, people started encountering Him in different ways around the room. Some people knelt on the floor and started to weep as God’s compassion flooded over them. Other people started to worship spontaneously as they caught a greater glimpse of God’s beauty. Still others felt stirred to pray for and prophesy over those around them. It was a beautiful moment as God’s presence took centre stage and people encountered Him afresh. It’s so important that believers in our churches experience times like these, when God comes close and we submit our agenda to what He wants to do. These experiences shake us out of over-familiarity in our relationship with God and stir our faith and expectation as we see Him moving powerfully in our midst. Believers full of God’s presence tend to anticipate and long for more. We must make room for Him to come and meet with us as we gather together.
Those who haven’t yet given their lives to Jesus also need to encounter God’s manifest presence when they come to our churches. They need to see that Jesus really is alive and that the God of the Bible is a Father who loves them and wants to reveal Himself to them. Just a few thoughts on seeker sensitive services here. I understand the thinking behind making our church meetings seeker sensitive. We want to make those who don’t know Jesus feel welcome and remove anything that could be a hindrance to them coming to know Him. The heart is to see as many people as possible give their lives to Jesus and come home to the Father, which I love and applaud. However, I think we do people a major disservice if we don’t introduce them to the Holy Spirit and what’s possible in His presence.
It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convict people of their sin, show them their need for Jesus and connect them with the Father. He is the best evangelist there is and He’s the expert when it comes to saving people. We have to trust Him to know what people need when they come to our meetings. We have to invite Him to come and have His way and then surrender to His leadership. We can’t invite people to give their lives to a powerless gospel or a distant God. Seekers among us must experience God in our meetings, through healings and deliverance and His holy presence and tangible love. Above everything else, people who don’t know God need to see and meet with Him. He’s the one they desperately need and He’s the one they’ve been made for.'
Wendy Mann Equip | www.wendymannequip.com
Building Family, Prioritising God's Presence, Extending God’s Kingdom
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