Have you ever heard anyone say that? I have. In fact, I've said it many times myself because it's a heartwarming thought. It's amazing to think that God loves each one of us so intensely that He would have carried out the plan of redemption—costly as it was—just for me, or just for you.
Yet, as sweet as that thought is and as comforting as it might be to our hearts, another vital truth is begging to be heard these days. Another perspective is practically shouting at us from the pages of the Bible, pleading with us to change the way we think, the way we pray, and the way we live our lives every day.
It's the realization that, although Jesus does love each one of us enough to die for us alone, He didn't die just for us alone. He died for everybody everywhere. He gave His life for every person in every nation. He paid a price great enough to save not only the millions in America and the billions in Asia, but multitudes in every other part of the world.
That's Why We're Still Here!
Sometimes I think we forget that fact. As believers, we lose sight of all the precious people for whom Jesus died. We live to and for ourselves instead of living to and for God. We act as if our sole purpose on earth is just to have a happy life and enjoy His blessings.
But that's not all God has in mind for us. If it were, He would have taken us straight to heaven the moment we got born again. He didn't do that, however, because He has a job for us to do on earth. He left us here on this sin-ridden planet because He has a ministry for each one of us to carry out. He has given us "…the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]" (verse 18 AMP).
In other words, He left us here to finish the job that Jesus began.
That's a staggering thought, isn't it? It almost makes us want to throw our hands in the air and say, "I can't do it! I don't have what it takes!"
And it's true. On our own, we don't. Oh sure, we can roll up our spiritual sleeves and go to work trying to win the world for Jesus. But we won't get very far because in ourselves, we don't have the resources to get the job done. We don't know what to pray, what to say, where to go, or what to do to effectively reach the billions that are still living in spiritual darkness. It's an overwhelming task!
That's why the Bible tells us to live to God before endeavoring to live for Him. He alone has the wisdom and divine might to light up this whole planet with the Gospel. He alone can generate the life-giving power the nations so desperately need. Only He can equip us to supply them with the rivers of the Spirit the way Jesus did.
Rivers in a Dry Land
Recently, I was thinking about how crucial those spiritual rivers are and I was reminded of how the Jordan River waters the nation of Israel. When it's running strong in the springtime, the Jordan is a crashing, thrashing, supply line of the clearest, purest water you've ever seen. It flows with such force that it will sweep away every obstacle, overrun its banks, and turn even the driest pathways into riverbeds rushing with water.
But that precious water doesn't originate in the Jordan. It flows down from the highlands to the north. It's fed by the melting snow and rains that fall from heaven upon Mount Hermon's towering peaks. That's why the Jews pray all the time for rain on those mountains. They supply the waters that make the whole country flourish.
As believers, you and I are just like the Jordan River. We're called to bring the waters of life to a spiritually parched world. We're commissioned to flood the whole earth with the message of redemption so that all the people Jesus died to save have the opportunity to hear it.
When Jesus ministered on earth, He stayed perfectly connected to that throne-room river. That's why His life was continually flooded with the power and presence of God. He was a perfect channel for the divine waters of the Holy Spirit. No wonder He could so boldly say, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink!" (John 7:37 AMP).
Broken Cisterns Can't Hold Water
Considering how many born again, Holy Spirit baptized believers there are just in the United States alone, you'd think the whole world would be deluged with the waters of the Gospel by now. And it would be, if we were all rushing rivers of the Spirit. But, the reality is, we're not. For the most part, we're just barely trickling streams.
Why is that?
To a great extent, it's because we've let our American culture invade our Christianity. We're a nation of performance-oriented people. We're always pushing to be the best and accomplish the most.
Nationally, that may be an acceptable mentality. But it doesn't mix well with Christianity. It messes things up. When we get "production minded" in prayer, for example, and start using our own natural efforts and personal muscle to produce greater results, we lose our supernatural edge. We get focused on the outflow and start trying to pump out more and more prayer because we want bigger and better results.
We start praying out of our own wisdom, our own strength, and our own ability. Like the heathen in Matthew 6:7, we start thinking God will answer us because of our "much speaking." So instead of being Spirit led and Spirit inspired, our prayers become rote, repetitious, and religious.
As important as scriptural principles and spiritual memories are, apart from living contact with God, they are like broken cisterns. They cannot hold the water of life. If we want the rivers of the Spirit to keep flowing through us, we must go continually to the throne room of God to receive from Him. We must draw from the Fountain of living waters every day.
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A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”
