"Tell Francis I Miss Him"

"Tell Francis I Miss Him"
(En Español)

If Satan cannot distract you with worldliness, He will overwhelm you with weariness. Indeed, how easy it is to wear ourselves out; even good works done without recharging ourselves in God can drain us of life and energy. Daniel speaks of a time at the end of the age when the enemy will attempt to "wear down the saints of the Highest One" (Dan. 7:25). God never intended for us to do His will without His presence. The power to accomplish God's purpose comes from prayer and intimacy with Christ. It is here, closed in with God, where we find an ever-replenishing flow of spiritual virtue.

Weary in Well-Doing
In the early 1970s, during the beginning of my ministry, the Lord called me to consecrate to Him the time from dawn until noon. I spent these hours in prayer, worship, and the study of His Word. I would often worship God for hours, writing songs to Him that came from this wonderful sanctuary of love. The presence of the Lord was my delight, and I know my time with Him was not only well spent but also well pleasing to us both.
However, as my life began to bear the fruit of Christ's influence, the Holy Spirit brought people to me for ministry. In time, as more people came, I found myself cutting off forty-five minutes from the end of my devotional time. On occasion, ministry to people extended into the night, and I stopped rising as early as I had.
Church growth problems began to eat at the quality of my remaining time; ministerial expansion, training younger ministries, and more counseling and deliverance crowded the already limited time I had left. Of course, these changes did not happen overnight, but the months and years of increasing "success" were steadily eroding my devotional life. In time I found myself in a growing ministry but with a shrinking anointing to sustain it.
One day an intercessor called who prayed regularly for me. He told me that during the night the Lord spoke to him in a dream concerning me. I was eager to hear what the Lord had revealed to my friend, thinking perhaps He was going to increase our outreach or maybe supply some needed finances. I asked him to tell me the dream.
What the Lord said had nothing directly to do with the projects and priorities that were consuming my time. He simply said, "Tell Francis I miss him."
Oh, what burdens we carry -- what weariness accumulates -- when we neglect the privilege of daily spending time with Jesus. I cried as I repented before the Lord, and I readjusted my priorities. No longer would I counsel people in the mornings. I would spend this time again with God.
I was sure I would lose some of the people who had recently joined the church. These were people who had come specifically for personal ministry. I knew I would not have the same time for them as before, but I had to make my decision for God.
The next Sunday morning I announced to the congregation that my mornings were off limits, consecrated to God. "Please," I said, "no calls or counseling. I need to spend time with the Lord." What happened next shocked me. The entire church rose and applauded! They wanted a leader who spent more time with God! They were tired of a tired pastor.
As we enter the coming days, our primary activity will be to minister to Christ. Certainly there will be increased pressures. There will also be times of great harvest and spiritual activity. No matter what circumstances surround us, we must position ourselves first and continually in the presence of God. For to miss our time with Jesus is to miss His glory in the day of His presence.
Father, it is the fragrance of Jesus, cultivated in secret, that manifests through us the knowledge of Him in every place. Forgive me for being anxious and troubled about many things, when to sit at Your feet was the only necessary thing. I choose now that better part, and gratefully receive from Your intimacy the better things which shall never be taken away.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, The Days of His Presence, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Save up to 33% on these
selected products
Limited time offer
 

The Days of His Presence

While we should be mindful of end-time events, we must not become fearful of them. Indeed, to become overly focused upon the signs of the end can be a distraction. Signs point to something bigger than themselves. Rising before us is a glorious sunrise. Let us not become so absorbed with the movement of fleeing shadows that we miss the awe of the One who is dawning upon us. Many have written about the shadows; this book is primarily about the increasing light.

Book - $8.71 (Retail $13.00)
Ebook - $9.10 (Retail $13.00)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Days of His Presence
Companion Teaching - Audio Series

This is a companion audio album to the book by the same title. Listen to these original radio messages on their own or as you read the book; either way you will be powerfully impacted.

Message titles:
Days of His Glory | Christ in You | Behind Our Walls
Priority of His Passion | In God's Tabernacle

CD Audio Series - $15.40 (Retail $22.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $7.70 (Retail $11.00)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the Days Ahead: A Prophetic Overview
Two-Message Series

In this series, Pastor Frangipane shares two visions the Lord gave him nearly forty-five years ago. And while he touches on such things as the shaking of the nations, the antichrist, earthquakes and other end-time events, his focus is primarily upon the greatest reality awaiting us in the last days: the "sign of the Son of Man."

Pastor Francis has said, "Let us not be so absorbed with the dark movement of end-time shadows that we miss the One whose day is simultaneously dawning upon us. Many have written about the shadows; my goal is to prepare us for the baptism of light."

Audio sample

Message titles:
The Glory of Christ | The Currency of Heaven

CD Audio Series - $8.40 (Retail $12.00)
DVD Video Series - $16.80 (Retail $24.00)

MP3 Audio Series Download - $4.20 (Retail $6.00)
MP4 Video Download Series - $8.40 (Retail $12.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order