Valuing His Word in our Gatherings- A challenge and key to Supernatural Increase

I enjoy being around people who value me.  You can tell can't you?  How much value people around you place on who you are, what you have to offer?  I don't think I'm particularly proud or strange in this way. 

Have you ever been in a group conversation but no one seems to notice you are even there?  Or if you jump in with a comment, it goes ignored?  No one asks any follow up questions or expresses interest in what you said...they just go on with their own thoughts and agenda, ignoring your contribution? 

I don't know about you, but when I'm in that kind of a situation, I tend to withdraw and not try to speak too much, my mind drifts to other things and as soon as I can, I find a polite way to exit that group, going on to more important things or to involvement with those who recognize my value and want to hear what I have to say or dialogue with me.

My point here is not to make you feel sorry for me! :) We all face these situations.  My point is for us to ask ourselves what Value we put on the Word of the Lord; on God's contributions to our meetings, conversations, even church services.  How welcome does He feel to speak and share what He thinks, or add to the dialogue?  When God does speak, and some kind of prophetic word is given, do we pay attention?  Listen?  Ask Him follow up questions in prayer?  Ask Him to go further and deeper in what He has begun to say?  Or do we carry on with our own thinking and agenda, giving polite assent to His Word to us, but not really taking it very seriously or deeply? Do we treat it as if it could be the most important thing being said so far (which it probably is if it is from Him)?

As a leader I have the privilege (and sometimes burden) to sit in a lot of meetings and attend many corporate gatherings.  Some of these meetings don't make any space for God to speak.  Some allow for that kind of "interruption" during specific slots designated for prayer or worship.  Few make room for and invite His ongoing dialogue with us throughout and within all that we do.

Jesus said that if we wanted to bear much fruit, we must abide in Him, stay constantly connected to Him, continually aware of His Presence.  If He is Present, He definitely has important things to say to us, and His Word is worth stopping to reflect on, stopping to meditate on and dig deeper on.

In the meetings I have the privilege to provide leadership for, I want to develop a culture that places an extremely HIGH VALUE on the PRESENCE of God among us and on the WORD of God spoken to us- both the Word of God (the Bible) and his prophetic Word spoken to us through prophetic gifts.  I am firmly convinced that only as we develop a culture and habit that reflects these values will we see Supernatural Increase and Fruitfulness.

Next time He honors your gathering by being Present and Speaking to you, take time to think carefully about what He bothered to say. Ask some follow up questions to take it a little deeper and respond.  He may just share more.  And what He shares with you may just unlock the problems you couldn't ever solve without Him!