GOD'S STRATEGY OR OURS
Several years ago, I was visiting with two young men from Nagaland, a northeastern region of India. God had moved in a mighty way in the region sending revival to the area. Almost the entire population of the region had come to faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit blew through the region with mighty power. I asked these young men about the characteristics of the churches.
They said that there were two very distinct results of the revival in the churches. First, the churches were filled with praise and adoration to God. Second, the churches were characterized by prayer. I then asked these two young Christian leaders what they thought the difference was between the churches in Nagaland and the churches in the West. They had an interesting reply. "The churches in the West have an agenda and they ask God to bless it. In Nagaland, we ask God to establish the agenda."
God’s Spirit pierced my heart. It’s so true about us in the West. We will develop a strategy and die by the strategy. We’ll ask God to bless the strategy—-and even ask Him to use it for His glory. That’s good if it's His strategy. But all too often we begin our planning instead of prayer and seeking God’s face. His strategy could look much different than ours.
Source: Stanley Tippet