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My Prayer

I was just looking through one of my journals from a couple months back. I wrote out a prayer that I prayed, after I prayed it, I never looked back on it until now. Glad I did, because I prayed it again today and wanted to share it. This is probably only the 3rd prayer I have shared publicly on this blog.  It's a little personal, but my life's an open book, so here it is:

"God- I love you. I worship you. I think you. Thank you for my family, the weekend. Thank you for sobriety. Thank you for my job.

I need you!

I want you to have my life. Stir my heart in desperation for you. Keep my heart yearning for you, desiring you. Help me to never lose sight of you.

Please make my heart desperate for the things you are desperate for. Open the eyes of my heart to see & minister to the hurting.

Fill my soul w/ the love you have. Help me love people like you do. I need your love today. Move and shake my life anyway you want! Open my eyes, open my ears, open my mind, open my heart.

All that I have is yours, you have truly blessed me. Hold onto me and never let me go. Even when I am not nice, when I don't deserve to live, please see me for who I am, Your child.

God, all the things that hurt me late at night, all the thoughts of the past, take them away. Help me not forget where I have came from, but not to think on it to long. Take the bad desires away from me.

Help me to dislike the things you dislike, God, let me not be bound by anything!

I love you, let your will be done in my life.

God, today- blow my mind! Let me see just a glimpse of your love to people, grace, forgiveness, passion, justice, judgement, power, healing,awakening, salvation,strength. Amen!"

Thanks for reading.

www.ryancook.net

How to Discover your Destiny

While I was reading today, I came across 8 steps to discover your destiny. Although, I know step processes don't always work, ie; 4 easy steps to lose weight. 5 steps to financial freedom and so on, I thought these were pretty close to a good 'step' program. Good stuff:

• Think about the desires of your heart, not what someone else wants you to do, or the fleeting fantasies of your mind- Ps. 37:3-4
• Determine what stirs your passion, drive and zeal- John 2:17
• Know what gifts and talents flow naturally through you- Rom. 12:4-6
• Seek counsel from mature friends, both Christian and non-christian and leaders- Prov. 11:14; 18:1
• Listen to the witness of the Holy Spirit in your spirit- Rom. 8:14
• Understand what you can or can't give yourself 100% in order to accomplish it- 1John 3:16
• Know what produces good fruit in your life- Matt. 12:33
• Follow the peace of God inside you- Col. 3:15

www.ryancook.net

Obsessed w/ Being Better

I just read this on another pastors blog, Steven Furtick.  He says it so well, there is no need to rewrite it. Here ya go.

I’m obsessed with being better. With doing better. And this extends to every area of my life. From being a husband and father, to being a preacher, to making up competitions with my lead staff. 

If I lifted 100 lbs. yesterday, I want to be able to lift 105 lbs. tomorrow. 

If I tithed x% this year, I want to tithe x+y% next year. 

If I preached a great sermon on Saturday night, it had better be near perfect by our second service on Sunday morning. In my mind, if I’m not getting better, I’m getting worse. If I’m not progressing, I’m regressing. There is no middle ground. There is a holy discontentment inside of me to constantly be improving. 

The reason is that “better” now will eventually become outdated and average later. When the first generation iPhone came out, it revolutionized the industry. But it was updated and replaced because it soon was no longer sufficient to meet the needs of those it was serving. Yesterday’s release of the iPhone 4 was just the latest update. A year or so from now, we will have the iPhone 5 because the needs of the consumer will constantly demand a better phone. Your capacity as a leader, a spouse, a parent, or an employee might be adequate right now, but it will be inadequate momentarily. 

The needs of those around you will constantly demand you to produce at a higher level. For this reason, we must have a healthy obsession with improving everything we do every time we do it. Not for the sake of pride. But for the sake of those who need us to be at our best and continually improving on our best. 

There is a potential danger with this mindset. We can become so busy constantly obsessing over being better that we do not take the time to adequately celebrate and appreciate where we are and how far we’ve come. This danger is real. We must continually be thankful for what God has done in and through us. Yet the bigger danger is standing still and settling for less than the future progress He still has for us. 

At every moment I must be performing at the maximum level of my capacity while at the same time be increasing my capacity for the moment that follows.

If you are in a funk, you may want to try this....

I snagged this from a friends post- If you're in a funk or rut, these are some great ideas to get your wheels turning.. 

-Pray out loud.

-Write your prayer out.

-Read your Bible out loud.  Start here.
-Apologize to someone.  Even if it’s not primarily your fault.
-Talk to someone you trust.  If you don’t have someone, hire a professional.
-Rest.
-Exercise.
-Start eating better.
-Drive around listening to a sermon.
-Turn up some worship music really loud.  Shut the door.  Sing along.
-Go back and do the thing you know you were supposed to do.
-Get organized.
-Repent.
-Encourage somebody who would never expect it.
-Get back in church.  Serve somewhere.
-Quit complaining.
-Go on a date with your wife.
-Tell somebody thank you.
-Give some money away.
-Call on the name of Jesus.
-Remember how far He’s brought you.
-Realize that He’ll never ever leave you.

Just a few ideas to get you started.

You can take it from here…

www.ryancook.net

If you are in a funk, you may want to try this....

I snagged this from a friends post- If you're in a funk or rut, these are some great ideas to get your wheels turning.. 

-Pray out loud.

-Write your prayer out.

-Read your Bible out loud.  Start here.
-Apologize to someone.  Even if it’s not primarily your fault.
-Talk to someone you trust.  If you don’t have someone, hire a professional.
-Rest.
-Exercise.
-Start eating better.
-Drive around listening to a sermon.
-Turn up some worship music really loud.  Shut the door.  Sing along.
-Go back and do the thing you know you were supposed to do.
-Get organized.
-Repent.
-Encourage somebody who would never expect it.
-Get back in church.  Serve somewhere.
-Quit complaining.
-Go on a date with your wife.
-Tell somebody thank you.
-Give some money away.
-Call on the name of Jesus.
-Remember how far He’s brought you.
-Realize that He’ll never ever leave you.

Just a few ideas to get you started.

You can take it from here…

www.ryancook.net

Interview w/ by bro Lawrance Lybarger

Last night at Awaken, P Mike spoke about Defining Moments in life & turning your moment into a lifestyle. Basically, taking your moment and putting action behind it.

A few weeks ago, God spoke to Lawrance and he started changing his life from the inside out.  Last night he wanted to get rid of an outer persona that had been w/ him for a while, actually for 6 years, his hair.  Interview w/ Lawrance and pics below:

Name : Lawrance Lybarger, Age: 17, The kid w/ long hair, big gauges and tight pants. L= Lawrance & R= Ryan

R: When did you start growing out your hair?

L: 6 years ago, I was 11 years old.

 

R: Why did you decide to grow out your hair?

L: I had friends w/ longer hair. I started skating. I wanted to blend in.

 

R: Can a person skate w/ out having long hair.

L: Yes, for sure

 

R: So what was the draw?

L: Listening to hardcore metal, a lot of people in the bands I listened to had long hair. The band members where cool, I want to look like that.

 

R: Do you think you are cool now?

L: Of course, just w/ short hair.  

 

R: Did you have an attitude w/ your long hair? 

L: Rebellious. I like the book, “The Outsiders” I wanted to be rebellious like them.  I started doing stupid things, breaking in, drinking, smoking,.

 

R: What about God during that time, did you believe in Him?

L: Yes, but denying it because of the people I was hanging out w/. I came across as not believing in God.

 

R: Your hair was long and silky (LOL) - What made you want to cut your hair?

L: A few weeks ago, P Mike spoke about Mary breaking her alibaster box, it was her most prized possession.  God started dealing w/ me. I have been wanting to change. So one day the thought came to me to give my hair up for God.  Some of the attitudes and things I have done were centered around my hair.  My hair was my prized possession. Would want to hit people for messing w/ my hair.  If my hair wasn’t fixed right, I wouldn’t go to school.

 

R: I know what you mean.

L: Ya, you look you had long hair at one time (LOL)

 

R:So you gave up your hair for God?

L: Yes, it’s a way to start fresh

R: How is God moving in your life?

L: I have a bunch of new friends, I am doing better in school & I have a good relationship w/ God. Instead of blaming others, I taking responsibility myself, I am owning up to my mistakes.

 

R: You have made many bad mistakes, bad choices and had a bad life style, you have sold drugs & wronged a lot of people; How does Gods grace feel to you?

L: I feel his grace all the time, everyday. If I carried on, I would most likely be dead in a gutter.  He is w/ me now all the time.

 

R: Do you regret cutting your hair?

L: No, but I do miss it a little (as he throws his head sideways, out of habit, as to move his hair to one side, but has none to do that w/) I did it for a good reason.  I think it helped a lot of kids, maybe some of the kids saw God moving in my life and how big of a change I have made. Maybe He would make in others’ lives!  That would be cool, I’m stoked!

 

R: What do you think of other kids w/ long hair?

L: Not all people w/ long hair are bad.

R: I agree w/ you.

L: (Holding up the bag of hair) I am surprised how much hair I had.  I didn’t realize how warm that hair kept my head warm? Now I know how you feel.

R: Welcome to ‘beanie’ world! Smiles

Way to go Lawrance!

Disturb Me Again!

I have blogged about God’s Holy Disturbance a few times, and feel I need to one more time.

The wave of momentum is moving at GJFA. Jump in and get involved. Let me share this verse w/ you from Matthew 6:34- Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. -Message

It is easy to get sidelined from our busy lifestyles, but try to stay focused on the BIG PICTURE, the reason we are here.

Sometimes my fear is we are so caught up w/ our active, selfish lifestyles and comfortability, we do not want God to disturb us or bother us.  After all, if it’s working, why fix it right? 

The people that are willing to let God disturb, to bother them, to not only think about the vision, but that can feel the vision, are the people that are going to make the difference.

I am praying that God will raise up more and more leaders in our church.  Leaders that will want to lead out of calling & burden rather than for popularity or affirmation.

If a person isn’t disturbed, if nothing bothers them, if everything is gray and there is no black and white then your heart may need to be jump started again.  Maybe you have entered nto a state of numbness?  We live in culture and life where sex is glorified, affairs are on an all-time high, more & people are dying from smoking, alcohol, drugs and obesity than ever before. We are a serve me/ feed me culture and I see people being bothered less and less and less.

Hear my heart. I am not pointing fingers, because there would be twice as many pointed back. I am speaking to myself as well.  I am not judging people by any means. We are at all different cycles in life. I am simply stating, sometimes we need to sit back, find out which way is up, and allow God to disturb us, to realign our wheels, to bother us.

I want my heart to break for the things His heart breaks for. To see people the way He sees people. The only way to get there is to get close to Him and let him disturb us a little.

We are called to be disturbed every now and again!

I have prayed this prayer from Sir Francis Drake every now and again… CAUTION- do not pray it if you don’t mean it!  If you mean it- Hold on for a Holy Disturbance!...Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves. When our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little. When we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord.” 

Disturb us God!!

www.ryancook.net

 

 

 

In the Zone

Ok, so Pastor Ted was 'In the Zone' last week and thought he could take on the pastoral staff of GJFA.

We actually caught it on tape. Here is the proof!

www.ryancook.net

Ministry Opportunity

We moved into our house last June/July. Just 2 blocks down from our house sits a couple of tattoo shops, a liquor store, a cannabis-head shop, an extended stay motel (not an Extended Hotel), and a few other little shops. The cops frequent the place quite often, in fact in the summer, you can always find GJ’s finest sitting in the parking lot or setting up surveillance down the road. There is a lot of drug activity and we frequently see ‘women of the night’ soliciting up and down the street.

Ever since we moved in and as we would drive by, my wife would pray over the corner, most of the time out loud. Her prayer would consist of things like: God, please turn this motel around, God please clean up this corner. I really didn’t pay attention to it, but after a while I started agreeing w/ her. We started praying: God use us here, God use our church, God give us these corners, and so on…..

Well just a couple of weeks ago, we drove by and the cannabis-head shop was having a sidewalk sale, which was a little strange. I stopped by and inquired why the big sale and discounts. Sad to say, but come to find out, the owner had passed away. The lease is up and they are selling out! The best thing about it is the rent; it’s only $450 a month!

As soon as I heard this, my wheels started spinning and more prayer started going up. For the past couple of weeks I cannot shake the dreams and visions of what this opportunity could turn into. A church on the street, homeless outreach, an alcohol free bar and lounge type hang out, an ‘unplugged’ music outreach, the opportunities are endless. God use us for Your Kingdom!

Well, this is what has been brewing in my mind and in my prayers the last couple of weeks. Feel free to pray along w/ me about this… Has God been speaking to you about an opportunity like this? If so or if you have any ideas, then please let me know about them, feel free to email me, rcook@gjfa.org or leave a comment at www.ryancook.net.

Do you ever have something on your mind you think of all the time? A dream you can’t shake? It may be one of those God opportunities that you need to act on. Don’t let it pass you by, react in faith!

-Peace

www.ryancook.net