Crowns Down

As I quoted the words back to Him, I pondered "we'll seek no earthly title, let our names in Him be found."

Do you ever struggle with the title, "intercessor"? Do you struggle with any of the other titles you may have in the Kingdom of God? I've struggled with the title, "intercessor", so much lately..

Lord, I lay down the title of intercessor. I give it back to You, because I can't intercede unless the Spirit of my precious Jesus intercedes. I can pray -- and I do. The Word admonishes us to pray without ceasing, I can give thanks, and I can make my requests known to God -- but to intercede (to come between, to bargain for), I can't do that until the Spirit of Jesus, THE Intercessor -- until Jesus begins to plead and bargain for and come between, through me -- I lay down the title.

Lord, I lay down the title of prophet. I give it back to You. I can give "words" to someone all day long, but until the Father has made the way and given a receptive heart, and until Jesus, THE Prophet pours out His words on that heart, comfort isn't given, encouragement isn't given, conviction doesn't come. They are just words. I love it when the Spirit of Prophecy comes to exhort and build up, but until He comes…I lay down the title.

And any other titles I have - …Lord, people have said I'm an encourager; Lord I lay that title down. Unless THE great Encourager comes, then what I give people is simply flattery to tickle their ears.

God, I'm tired of earthly titles - …I'm tired of people who wear them (myself included), and people who give them (myself included). …Forgive me Lord, because I throw those titles around without ever thinking. …Until our names are found in YOU, those earthly titles mean nothing. We have such a propensity to exalt others—and ourselves because we've given a word, or because we've received a word, or because we've shed tears in our prayer closets, prayed in the Spirit, and carried Your burden. Lord, I give it all back to you. You deserve all the titles, because YOU are the completion of all of them -- …THE Prophet, THE Priest, THE King, THE Encourager, THE One Who's full of Faith, THE Giver, ALL Wisdom, ALL Knowledge, THE Pastor, THE Evangelist, THE Teacher, THE Apostle. I'm so grateful for the gifts You give us, but they are only pieces of Yourself because we are unable to contain the Whole, but You Jesus, are THE Whole.

And I give You the crowns.

I pray for all of you —and myself this morning…...

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources, He will give you mighty inner strength through His Holy spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God (the NIV says that you may be filled to the measure of ALL the fullness of God). Eph. 3:14-19

I pray this for all my children, for my family, for my family at the Brazosport Vineyard, for all my friends, for my email buddies, and for those in the Prayer School. Father, fill us to the FULL with Jesus!

Sheila Conner, Brazosport Vineyard, Lake Jackson, TX

sconner@computron.net