Wow!! First of all, we are all amazed at the amount of participation. We had over 100 people the night of the launch. We are excited about such a core group in our city who are ready and comfortable being together just for the purpose of prayer and seeking Him.
At the beginning of our time together, people gathered, and we waited with expectancy. The pastors were meeting in a side back room. The meeting’s starting time came and went. Finally Pastor Hargrove came out, and said to everyone that they (the pastors) were still laying down their control of the meeting, and seeking His will not theirs!
He said how uncomfortable it was for them to not know what would happen – but that they wanted God more than the safety of a structured meeting. He said – we’re literally back there throwing out our power point we had for tonight. He was so honest about their struggle, and explained that they decided we would not have just another church service meeting. He said that as pastors they just couldn’t tell us what was going to happen, or what the order was going to be, because they simply didn’t know. And as soon as they were done laying down their “stuff” they would be out, and meanwhile could we prepare our hearts and begin to engage our hearts in the Lord.
So, there we were, a hundred people who came out for nothing but prayer, fasting and seeking God! And God came! His holy presence seemed to just rest on us and consume us. One of the pastors would lead in prayer… they kept yielding to each other…we had times of repenting…times of worship…mostly times of just pouring out hunger and desire for His presence.
This has been an amazing 21 days! Hearing person after person release the cry of their heart to Him, for just Him, for such a deep turning in their hearts – to keep hearing this fresh every night you just feel the ache of God’s heart to draw near.
So many people are remarking on a heightened awareness of God’s presence, of hearing His voice in their prayer times and throughout the day!
We are at the end of Divine Experiment, and instead of it winding down, it keeps growing in intensity! I’ve heard that same thought from others – the closer we get to the end, the more intense it’s getting.
Another theme I’ve heard from A LOT of others – almost everyone – is about the unity. Pastor Visor said during the Tuesday night service: The walls in the church of Racine are more down then ever. We are so comfortable worshipping and praying together. The louder, charismatic pray-ers are free to be who they are. We no longer have big discussions afterwards about it. And the louder, expressive people have a respect for the quiet person who is sitting there – we are all engaging the Lord in our hearts together. Also, there has been such unity racially. We’ve had some of that before, but our unity racially has really deepened and multiplied over these 21 days together. Everyone is talking about doing this again, and again, and again… And a lot of people are saying the Divine Experiment has become a way of life. They are saying it went from a Divine Experiment to Divine Experience! -Lyn
”I used to go to my prayer time, and bring my desperate circumstances (marriage, finances…) to Him, and beg and plead. But now, I just come to Him for Him. I just come, to be with Him.”
-Sandie
This has been such an encouraging time for me. It has re-kindled my heart to God. My integrity as a man of God was being compromised on a daily basis. Now I feel more sensitive because dullness has left. It used to be easy to talk certain ways and easy to compromise – now it’s very difficult. There’s a heightened awareness of the love of God. -Tony
The Divine Experiment has become the first part of the rest of my life! I can feel that this will be not just another program, but a life changing experience.
The things that I have fasted from at this time are going to become permanent features of my life. My heart has been permanently changed and as out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks the patterns of speech coming out of my mouth are changed forever! -Pete.