I felt led to write about how to respond after a tremendous event like we just had over the last weekend at our "2011 Winter Retreat" and "Fire in the Winter Service!" Sometimes the devil, fatigue, trials, and confusion come to make us forget the experience or doubt its validity. Therefore, here are "Six Things to Do After a Powerful Event" to insure you grow and do not lose all that God did.
1. Prepare for the Valley: It is totally normal to feel a "drop" or a loss of the "high" after a new mountain top experience. The Bible says that Jesus didn't stay on the Mount of Transfiguration the rest of His ministry. As a matter of fact, when He came down He found confusion with the crowd, doubt with the followers, and suffering among the people. Sure, he still brought the deliverance to the boy, but it wasn't pretty down there! (Mark 9)
Lesson 1: Life isn't always mountain top highs, it is also valley lows!
2. Go Deeper in Prayer and Worship: You will not be satisfied with those 15 minute prayer times after your new mountain top experience! Go deeper! If you find yourself asking, "Why aren't my devotions the same?" Or "I usually felt a breakthrough at 'such and such a time,' whats wrong?" Nothings wrong, you just went deeper. It now takes more to fill you because your well has gotten deeper. You have gone to another level of glory. Now, to sustain that appetite you are going to have to eat and drink more of the wine and bread of heaven! (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Lesson 2: Spiritual growth is like building a skyscraper one level at a time, yesterday's ceiling becomes today's floor!
3. Rest in God: You are not in a glorified body yet, thus like Jesus on the earth, you will get weary- especially after ecstatic highs (John 4:6). There is nothing wrong with just resting. However, be careful not to let down your guard. Sometimes after a great experience in the Holy Ghost the people of God should be resting their body, but instead they rest their guards and give into sin. Sometimes preachers will struggle with pornography in the hotel after the crusade, couples will fight in the car on the way home from the retreat, teens will watch a perverse movie. Why? Because they are weak in their body and emotions and are not taking time to recover, thus the devil takes advantage to creep in and bring temptation. Resist the devil by resting and avoiding sin, remember your spirit was in heavenly places, but your body was still on earth! (Matthew 11:28)
Lesson 3: There is no benefit in being heavenly minded and of no earthly good!
4. Add Truth to the Spirit-Event: Sometimes after a great event all people want to do is become "spiritual treasure chest seekers" and chase after the next spiritual high. This might "feel good" to the emotions, but eventually it will lead to a "spiritually obese Christian." They will have all these "experiences" but no real spiritual growth. Thus, after great mountain top experiences get ready to go down to the valley to learn some life lessons and grow deeper in God. Develop sound theology to back up the experiences, discern what prophetic words are to be lived out, and study the Bible to gain new insight.
Lesson 4: Nothing grows on the mountain top, but everything grows in the valleys!
5. Pour it Out: Everything that was done in you was for the purpose of going through you! Do not forget to find places to pour out what God did in your life. The best way to keep the flame burning is to find dry wood to burn. Go find the dry wood of your community, friends, and family and set them ablaze with the love and power of God. The more you give the more you will receive! (Philippians 2:17)
Lesson 5: God continues to bless those who bless others!
6. Get Ready for the Next One: Do not feel like now you have arrived at the peak of heaven's experiences! Don't try to be an expert on everything God because you saw a miracle or received a prophetic word. Many people begin to think that they have "seen and done it all." Humble yourself to realize that this is just the beginning of better things to come. Begin to get hungry to see God move in your daily life. Pray for new events to come more frequently, but whatever you do, "do not become stagnant!" (Philippians 3:12-14)
Lesson 6: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled!
