Day 3: Week 5 (Pliableness)

[russhutto]

(Pliableness)

1) Central Passage(s):

• 2 Chronicles 20
• 2 Chronicles 20:15-17
• Romans 10:17
• 1 Corinthians 14:30
• 1 Thessalonians 5:21a
• 1 Corinthians 14:26a; 31; 29-32; 34-35
• Proverbs 3:5

2) My Daily Praise:

• Psalm 47:1
• SHOUT! Yep. Shout out loud! To God.

3) My Daily Surrender:
Ask God to increase your spiritual flexibility.

[bkwestman]

1. Central Passage
- Flexibility - a very important quality to possess. That's definitely something I've learned over the years in doing this. The willingness to be flexible, and allow changes that come your way without freaking out, or harboring resentment. It's taken a while to learn, but it's something I feel OK with - usually. To be honest, there's different kinds of flexibility, and my comfort level with each differs vastly. If our pastor comes up to us 10 minutes before the service and says we need to change something, or add a song here (usually not), or take out a song there (more often the case...), I'm OK with that, and our team is used to changing things on the fly. However, if someone would raise their hand in the congregation during our set, because he feels he needs to share something - wait a minute - that's completely different. I don't think that's ever happened to me, and I'm not sure how I would react. God can do anything He wants, and if that's how He chooses to speak during a service, then who am I to say no. The hard part comes in knowing whether it's Holy Spirit inspired, or just someone seeking attention.

But, as Dwayne says - "Until we lay aside our preconceived notions of what that service should be and totally yield it to him, we will never be effective worship leaders whom God can work spontaneously through and around." Through and around. Around. Does God need to go around me to accomplish what He's trying to do? Do I stand in His way, by not allowing Him to have complete freedom in the service? Plenty to think about there...

2. My Daily Praise
- I didn't try this one (shout), as I'm in my office at church with other pastors around. As much as I considered it, I bailed...I'll try it later at home.

3. My Daily Surrender
- Lord, You know this is a hard issue for me. I like things planned out, and changing MY plan is hard. Thank you for how You've been at work in me on this over the years, and for the flexibility that I have learned. But, I have a long way to go. Please give me a pliable heart, when You have things You want to do in a service. I don't want to get in Your way, or make You have to go around me to accomplish what You want. Help me to let go, and put the service in Your hands.

[WorshipVanguard]

Central Passages:
Yet another day of a WOOT and a UGH! I’m celebrating the time the Lord is taking to mold me and shape me for his kingdom, yet it is a VERY tough process. More of my sins and strongholds are being exposed, but I realize it is for the good of his kingdom. In my quest to be more pliable to His Spirit, I’m finding personal resistance. With that, I realize I must allow the Lord to search the spotlight deeper into those small crevices of my heart and expose those things that may prevent me from a deeper understanding into who he is and what he’s doing in his kingdom. Lord, your will be done HERE as it is THERE!

Daily Praise:
Lord, you constantly amaze me! Last night was the first time I ever heard your voice in a “prayer language.” Hearing you speak in a different language made me REALLY listen closely. Thank you for repeating those words over and over again so that I could verbally repeat it back to you, and then write down the phonetics. I can only imagine how much more pliable my spirit will become now that I have to listen to you more carefully. You continue to massage my spirit so I can “loosen up” and imitate you more freely. “Awesome” does not adequately describe how good you are to me. I enthusiastically give you all of my worship, all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my mind, and all of my strength.

Daily Surrender:
Lord, you know I’m still really struggling with this. Even though I’ve come a long way to be more flexible than before, I still struggle with being pliable in your presence. Lord, forgive my pride and my arrogance! Who am I to think I know what’s best for my growth than you? I never want to find myself “kicking against the goad” when you are teaching me something I’m not accustomed to. My thoughts of “people will think I’m weird” or “I don’t know if I want to go THAT far” have got to stop. It will only take more days of “daily dying to self” that I can truly see the direction you have me in. I know you are teaching me more about your kingdom, and molding my spirit to be more like yours, and OH BOY it is tough. I’m only pliable when I allow my spirit to be 100% COMPLETELY yielded to yours!

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

Central Passages
To me the idea of being pliable makes a lot of sense. Our plans must never become so etched in stone that any change would shatter them. If we have any thought of the Holy Spirit working in our churches, then we must be ready to back away and let the Spirit go to work. We cannot dictate to the Holy Spirit when or how to move among us.

Several years ago I was at a conference where a speaker, who was a pastor, told us that he planned his sermon/ services 6 weeks in advance. At the staff meeting each week, he would tell the staff the theme and scripture for the week 6 weeks off. The staff would then begin planning how to make their part in the service fit in with the theme.
During the Q&A time, I asked him what would happen if, a few days before the service, God impressed on him that He wanted him (the pastor) to go in a different direction than was planned. The speaker responded that he believed God could tell him what he wanted 6 weeks ahead just as well as He could tell him about next week. Basically he was saying that they didn't make it a practice to change their plans. Not at all pliable.

My Daily Praise
It is very natural and easy for me to praise God loudly and triumphantly. I hope one day there will be enough freedom in my church for me and others to praise God this way in corporate worship.

My Daily Surrender
Being pliable has never bothered me much. In fact, I really wish that our plans would get interrupted more often. Sometimes our "worship" (private or corporate) becomes so predictable that we need something to happen that shakes us out of our comfort zone. We desperately need for the Holy Spirit to upset our apple cart and do His thing in our midst.

Father, forgive me for the times that my plans have gotten in the way of something you wanted to do. I'm glad that you accomplished your work in spite of me. Help me, and the leadership of my church, be very sensitive to your moving and may we always step aside so you can do your work.

[InHisName]

Central Passage

I've always done pretty well with being flexible (pliable.) One of the first things they taught us in education: be flexible! You can have days' worth of lesson plans made up and yet still something will happen to throw you completely off schedule.

I'm very routine oriented, however. I agree with bkwestman...I think I'm pretty open to changes in the service, particularly when I'm following the lead of the pastor, but if someone did want to say something right in the middle of service I wouldn't be sure of what to do. However, my first inclination would be to look to our pastor!! That's probably the best option, since he's the spiritual leader of the service, and would have the wisdom and experience to know what to do.

God works through us, around us, and in mysterious ways. Far be it for me to tell Him, "No, not right now, I'm in the middle of a song!"

Daily Praise

I found I could do this in my head, as the girls are asleep, and still ALMOST have as much excitement as when shouting out loud! I'm an avid soccer fan, and it's the ONLY sport I get excited enough about to really yell and react, almost without thinking. How much more excited we should get about the Creator of our being!! YES!! You are awesome GOD!

Daily Confession

Lord, use circumstances to bend and shape me as you see fit. I pray you help me to first react with an open heart to interruptions, and ask you how you can be glorified in that moment. I pray you help me not to be nervous, but to just be calm and seek your will. You are glorious, God. Amen.