“Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah” Psalms 24:6 (ESV)
Back in October, we had the joy of gathering with 60 students & young adults from across the city of Belfast to worship, pray and to hear the stirrings of their hearts. We set aside the evening to listen to the threads of the narrative the Lord is weaving in a generation; the longings, dreams, vision, gut wrenching prayers. As we gave the space over to hear hearts & stories shared, the common threads swiftly surfaced.
They were the threads of broken and zealous hearts. Wanting more for their campuses, yes. Wanting more for this city, yes. Wanting more for this land, absolutely. The crying out for the Kingdom of God to break increasingly into all of these facets and areas. The longing to see the Lord in the ordinary every day and to partner with Him. The desire to carry the love of Jesus into the fabric of society, affecting every fold with this fierce transforming love.
They dream of campuses of encounter with the real Christ.
Cities marked by His presence.
A nation transformed by His beauty, carrying it into all of the world.
But there was more. It’s the daring thread to dream big and imagine more, standing in the gap for an entire generation. The burden is for their peers; the missing flanks and ranks in this movement the Lord is stirring. The bones yet to rattle; yet to come alive under the Breath blowing through them. The heart-cry is for them. That this generation would be whole. That there would be a returning to the heart of the Father, a coming alive, an awakening to true identity, a releasing into destiny. That the glory of the Lord would be seen in and sought by this people in this time and place.
The dream is to be a GENERATION with faces set towards the Lord, hearts seeking with resolve the face of the God of Jacob, lives lived in His presence. All in. Counting the cost. Taking the seat at the table. Ushering in the Kingdom.
The dream is too big. Too bold.
Exactly as it should be.
Because our God is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine.
Can we give our Amen to that? Can we engage our hearts and lives in an Amen with them? Yes! C’mon Jesus!
This version of the Psalm includes the “selah” before moving on to the next verse. As we pray for this generation in this season – all of the dream, the zeal, the character being built – let’s pray they find rest over this Christmas break. Real rest. Rest that leans into the heart of the Father. Rest that reorientates our hearts towards the Son. Rest that beholds the beauty of His presence.
