Whatever happened to anguish in the house of God? Whatever happened to anguish in the ministry? It's a word you don't hear in this pampered age.

Anguish means "extreme pain and distress; the emotions so stirred that it becomes painful; acute, deeply felt inner pain because of conditions about you, in you, or around you." Anguish. Deep pain. Deep sorrow. Agony of God's heart.

All true passion is born out of anguish. Search the Scriptures, and you'll find that when God determined to recover a ruined situation, He would share His own anguish for what He saw happening to His church and to His people. He would find a praying man, and He would literally baptize that man in anguish.

All the devil wants to do is to get the fight out of you and kill it, so you won't labor in prayer anymore.

You won't weep before God anymore. You see, a true prayer life begins at the place of anguish.

If you set your heart to pray, God is going to come and start sharing His heart with you. Your heart begins to cry out, "Oh, God, Your name is being blasphemed. The Holy Spirit is being mocked. The enemy is out trying to destroy the testimony of the Lord's faithfulness, and something has to be done!"

There will be no renewal, no revival, no awakening until we are willing to let Him once again break us.

Folks, it's getting late, and it's getting serious. There are some who need to confess: "I am not what I was. I am not where I am supposed to be. God, I don't have Your heart or Your burden. I've wanted it easy. I just wanted to be happy. But, Lord, true joy comes out of anguish."

There is nothing of the flesh that will give you joy. I don't care how much money, I don't care what kind of new house ... there is absolutely nothing physical that can give you joy. True joy comes only through what is accomplished by the Holy Spirit when you obey Him and take on His heart.

 

Additional Online Resources