Splash Attack!

"Splash Attack!"

My family was blessed with a vacation this last week. We spent 5 days in San Antonio, TX enjoying the River Walk, Rio Casa (great Mexican food restaurant!) and the ever famous Sea World. We had a wonderful time "doing life" together as a family.

While we were there we spent some time in the water park that is a part of Sea Word... its called The Lost Lagoon... a wonderful break from the heat and humidity of the hill country in August!

There's this great little area that is designed for children called "Splash Attack!" On this large open "structure" there is a huge bucket... I mean huge! It sits on a stand and continually fills with water. After a few minutes a bell begins to ring and children, both young and old (okay, me too!), begin to run to get underneath the bucket.

After a few moments the full bucket begins to tip and hundreds of gallons of water are dumped out upon the excited crowd gathered below! Its great fun and refreshment...er, for the kids I mean!

The Lord reminded me that this is like the bowls in heaven that are filled with the prayers of saints. Rev 5:8 Now when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Okay, did you catch that? The bowls contain the prayers of the saints! Yeah, that means every prayer you have prayed has been saved and stored up in heaven. God loves you so much that he treasures every prayer you have ever prayed! Now that's like me keeping some of the little "art projects" my 5 year old has created (we actually have a drawer, that's specifically for these works of art!).

Here's what the Lord spoke to me as I was meditating on this: Every time I pray, yes even for the same things, I am "filling my bowls!" In other words, not one word is wasted or lost! God is storing up each one for an appointed time. I can just picture him telling some angels (I like to think of big angels!) "Okay, it's time to tip Jimmy's bowl... he needs some more help, more power, more anointing, more grace..." etc.

Now here's the bottom line: What comes out when the bowl is tipped depends on how much time I have spent "filling the bowl" in my prayer closet (prayer porch for me!). Is it going to be a trickle or a flood? The truth is, that part is up to me! How many deposits of prayer have I made into my bowls?

Is is going to be a "Splash Attack?" I can just imagine how disappointed all of us would be if the bell began to ring and we gathered in great expectation of a downpour and then just when you were ready for a great deluge... the water stopped, the bell quit ringing and the bucket sat still! I can feel the disappointment just thinking about it!

What about you? Are your bowls filled to capacity? Are you about to enjoy a "Splash Attack" or an empty bucket? It's up to you. Keep P.U.S.H.ing in prayer (Persist Until Something Happens).

Expectant,
Pastor J