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Come, Let us Go

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord” 

but God, I am weak. 

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I am a sinner. 

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I am not good enough

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I am an addict

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I am a failure

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I must go to church 

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I’ve not been approved 

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, my life is in shambles 

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I am not healed 

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I don’t know how to pray 

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I cannot fast

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I am not good 

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I am busy with your work 

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, my leaders do not approve

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I am afraid

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God, I don’t know how

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

but God … 

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

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Hosting the Lord and Each Other

You are the jar and God is the oil. In the Old Testament we read of the encounter between Elisha and a widow. Her husband had died and her two sons were about to be taken as slaves to pay off their debt. She cried out to Elisha for help. 2 Kings 4:1-7. He asked her, “What do you have?” “A jar of oil,” was her reply. He told her, “Go and find as many vessels as you can.” (cyndy paraphrase)

And once she had as many vessels as she could find, she poured the oil from her one jar into the many jars. All the jars became full. Once all were full the oil stopped pouring. She was then able to sell oil to pay off her debts and to live off of the remainder of the oil. There was enough. Sufficiency was at hand. Exponential increase had overtaken them.

The gospel is seeded into the world by Christ in us. God encompasses Christ. Christ encompasses us. Brought into the belly of God, the womb from which all life flows, we are breathed through with the Spirit and life ripples out from our lives.

We have learned that spiritual authority is simply our intimacy with God. Intimacy with God is our spiritual authority. How might we become vessels of God?

How do we host the Lord?

Humility. Surrender. A great yielding of our lives. Solid trust. Deep listening.

God is the oil. Be the jar.

What Do You Say God?

Praying: 

At Capturing Courage International Ministries we operate at the root level of things. We do not work at the fruit level, rather, we ask, “What might be at the root of this trouble?” We facilitate conversations, a healing and a wholeness in confession and repentance, a changing of mind in the presence of the Lord and self. Prayer is always in the midst of this in a few different ways. 

  1. We inquire of the Lord, “What do you say God?” What might be the core sin? Is there something even deeper than we are observing? How might we loose this off? Is there something that you have for us in exchange? How might life come of this? 
  2. We enter into a common lament. There is something powerful when we are willing to sit in the pain and sorrow of something that has gone wrong. Instead of rushing to fix the difficulty it is important to, first of all, share the hurt in a way, to allow sorrow and to come on the inside of trouble in this way. As we show up and enter in, our spiritual authority is increased; we are invested and it matters what happens. 
  3. We take responsibility for what has gone wrong with confession and repentance. It is a great opportunity and a calling of the body of Christ to participate in ushering in the Kingdom of God by standing in the gap repenting of the sins of the community, regions, and nations. This is the work of Jesus Christ on all our behalf and we can undertake the same heart of God by our agreements. 
  4. We hunger for more of God, for self but then for others, for them, those ones. We lead in humility and repentance that brings strongholds to the cross of Jesus Christ where tears are dried and love covers over a multitude of sins. Then, out of this, religious strongholds are broken and we are made new creatures in the breath and movement of God. 
  5. We acknowledge, validate, with thanksgiving, and a releasing of people from what binds. 

Across Canada: 

It began, even before I left home, with a compelling of lament. It was a deep sadness that came over me, although separate from me. This, I recognize as the Lord, an agreement of spirit where the Spirit of God calls my spirit in a deep way; as deep calls unto deep. I do not try to get away from this, I do not thrash, I allow the lament of God to be voiced through my own heart and as a background tone to my days. 

The driving began. I understand that God uses me in a prophetic way in terms of my person being here or there according to the direction of the Lord. This showing up, as obedience, is its own kind of prayer. I am content, without needing to know exactly what God is doing through me. My job is to go and be as God directs me. It’s that simple. This is the core of the work, “Yes God, let’s drive across the country.” 

In the first weeks I was reading a biography of Samuel Flemming’s journey across Canada in 1872. In this account he speaks to the relationship to the indigenous peoples in various places, the different tribes and their characteristics, and the concern of what many people coming to the land would mean for the indigenous.

He spoke of schooling as a way of preparing them for success with the new systems, ways of living, that would be different. Of course, while his thoughts seemed to be of good intent, we know how badly wrong that thinking became, as others played out those thoughts with far different regard and heart. He may have had the right motive but a generation later and the spirit of that was gone, replaced by evil itself. 

Reading this and knowing the story from this side of history, I had many mixed emotions, to be sure. I could understand the concern but the fruit turned out very badly, to say the least. The following weeks I continued to inquire of the Lord, “God, what is the root sin below the surface of these atrocities perpetrated against the indigenous people?” This kind of inquiry takes time. It slowly came to me that it is paternalism. 

Paternalism: 

Paternalism: ‘The policy or practice on the part of people in positions of authority of restricting the freedom and responsibilities of those subordinate to them in the subordinates’ supposed best interest.’ 

I don’t think that paternalism ever bears very good fruit. We are to bring strength to each other, not protection per se. When, for instance, entire societies organize themselves around keeping women safe instead of strong, those women are bound by this supposed ‘help’. They end up being kept like a pet, caged, so to speak within their own homes and within strong cultural taboo. This may sound extreme but there are, still to this day, cultures whereby this is the reality of many. Abuse can be recognized by a person or society pleased to justify constraint, rules, controlling behaviour, and domination, as necessary for the other persons best interest. 

Throughout history and in regards to those cultures that the western mindset has assumed less capable, we find paternalism. Instead of calling forth, trusting strength to rise within a people, we have often micromanaged the transitions we deem are necessary. We now know, that people are resilient. Folks are adaptable. Changes may be on the horizon but all have the opportunity to meet it, well and good. 

So, it came to me that paternalism is the core sin at the heart of the trauma’s and atrocities placed upon the indigenous peoples. I can repent for this. I can identify with this sin. For I too, if I think back over the years, can recognize times, situations, and circumstance, where I too believed that I needed to show up in a way that ultimately detracted from the strength of another or others with my ‘better’ thinking. This is nothing more than interference in the ability of a person or people to do well. 

Breaking Strongholds: 

In loosing strongholds off of nations, it is important that we understand the powerful stance of identifying with the core sin. If a dictator is hanging on to political power because they are afraid of a loss of control, we can say, “Ah, I recognize that sin. I too, at times, have felt a loss of control in my life that had me hanging on to power in an unhealthy way.” This we call coming on the inside in the identification of sin. This is what God through Jesus Christ did for all mankind. 

We see the Biblical precedent, a prophetic foreshadowing of Christ, in Daniel. In the book of Daniel, chapter nine, we read the confessions and the repentance of Daniel as he realizes the sins of his people. He confesses and repents of sins that were not his personally. Yet, he brings centuries of denying God out of the dominion of Satan, through repentance, and into the Kingdom of God whereby the authority of the enemy loses all power and things are made new in God. It is holy work. And we can undertake the same privilege of repentance on behalf of our nations. 

I am convinced that repentance is not only for those ‘out there’ but are opportunity for us to stand with Jesus, taking responsibility for what has gone wrong, standing in authority that releases and refuses to bind. We do not bind people or regions or nations to their sin, rather, we loose and release all from darkness and we release all into light and life, the shalom by which all peoples flourish. 

Confession & Repentance: 

“God, I come before you in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We lift our past stance with the indigenous peoples of Canada, confessing to a sin and stronghold of paternalism. In this, we have insulted First Nations folk. By this we established and kept them as weak. We did not trust the innate resilience and wisdoms of their culture or each person. We are sorry. We bring past, present, and future paternalism to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and we renounce it and its effects. 

We reach with the strong arm of our Lord Jesus Christ into the past where this paternalism first took root. We say, No more! We uproot all paternalism carefully and completely, with no ill-effects, leaving nothing behind in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We unwind all chains of paternalism off of the indigenous people and off of ourselves as perpetrators of such. And we declare severed every link of every chain in the name of Jesus. 

To all authority, assignments, and curses of Satan that have been in, over, and through all of our lives and this land due to paternalism, we say, No More! Enough. All of paternalism and everything attached to it, that the true Lord Jesus Christ sees, we send this day to the place where the true Lord Jesus Christ would have it go. You are done.

God, what might you have for us in place of paternalism? Regard. Freedom. Resilience. (What comes to your mind?)

Yes Lord, we receive and pour over this entire land and all her peoples, regard, freedom, and resilience. No longer will we seek to protect on behalf of some ‘great’ idea or ideology, some presumed need, but we will instead make way for strength and for things made new. We release indigenous folk out of paternalism and into strength and autonomy, resilience and full personhood, both individually and corporately. Amen.” 

Present Day:

This was my first main prayer while driving across the country. It took over a week, in silence before the Lord, to realize this core sin of paternalism in the history of Canada. It was like a dawning as I pondered and inquired of the Lord, driving through the provinces. Once seen, I could identify its insult but also the temptation for paternalism. I could understand the good motives from which it sprang but could also clearly see the horrific results it created. 

Paternalism is continuing to this day of course, in the strategies and policies and the over-reach of power of our present government in ‘service’ to the protection of Canadians. Supposedly. Certain goals are being ram-shod, the end justifying any means, unto ideas, policies, and governance, that will not leave us stronger but in the end weaker. We are reaping what we have sown. Therefore, we readily and with a hearty ‘YES’ have opportunity to confess, repent, and renounce paternalism at every level of our society. God help us. 

Would you pray out loud the above prayer of confession, repentance, and a breaking of the strongholds of paternalism within Canada. Let us stand in agreement together unto strength and autonomy, resilience and growth, rather than protection and paternalism that would keep us weak. 

Praying Across Canada 2022

I am nearing one-week into a month’s-long journey, Praying Across Canada. The compelling of the Lord unto prayer, a common lament within an identification with the sins of our land and people, have been upon me for a few weeks now.

I do not understand prayer to be, ‘Please God do such and such’. Rather, I understand prayer to be a commitment of self in agreement with God, according to the Lord’s heart, and in manner of alignment unto righteousness and holiness.

We come on the inside and identify with the sins that continue to bind.

In this, God has been showing me my own sins. I realize that I have jealousy within myself. I never knew this before. The Lord also revealed to me that I’ve been complicit within a generational stronghold of my awe (worship) as to money.

To come into prayer for communities and nations first demands, spiritual authority, safety in the Lord, and the need for skin in the game, indeed, a repentant heart willing to look and to realize where we too, are still in active sin.

There is no way around this. None of us are without sin. It may not be active wrong-doing as we traditionally think about sin, but our hearts are a mixed-bag of motives, false assumptions, paradigms that direct our lives with their lies. And more.

If we want holiness in the land we must first be willing for holiness to overtake us personally. This has been what the Lord is doing with me in these early days of this ministry journey.

We must understand that revelation of sin is a gift from God. For it is only in the presence of God with the unfolding of our hearts together (God and You) that it dawns on us where we are still stuck unto sin and death. This is holy encounter with our living Lord.

Only God knows the secrets of our hearts. And God is glad to share with us the state of our inner beings. It is a deep intimacy for which we are often afraid, but which in fact, gives life.

So, we come before the Lord and inquire, “God, tell me my sin. Reveal to me where I may have a change of heart and mind. Bring me into your holiness. Encompass me with your righteousness. Increase my heart for the things, manner and way, of you God. With all glory to You. Amen”

………………………………………………………………..

I’ll be sharing a bit every day about this journey and the Lord’s compelling of prayer for Canada. There will be this sharing across all of my platforms. At capturingcourage.org, at capturingcouragecanada.org (our house of prayer website where you are currently reading this), at cyndylavoie.com, on my YouTube channel cyndylavoie, via my newsletter (use the‘contact’ page to let me know you want to be on this list), on Facebook (follow me cyndylavoie, as my capturing courage page was deleted by FB, because I wrote some thing about prayer!). The plan is that each one of these will have something on a weekly basis. To financially partner with Praying Across Canada head to our GIVE page over on Capturing Courage International Ministries.

Houses of Prayer

One of our colleagues at Capturing Courage, is preparing to head off on an overland road and ministry journey within his own country. The preparation for this, in a nutshell, has been two years of struggling, then rejoicing, turned towards the Lord.

At Capturing Courage, the year 2020 began with severe difficulties. The early months of that year called out of us a level of grit and determination and faithfulness, unprecedented. At the same time and as the year progressed we began to walk in strengths called out of us, of song singing to deep, and of a sweet stepping into more of the Lord.

Since that year, all things have steadily progressed. We became houses of prayer.

The difficulties were a preparation for us. Those particular difficulties, which we shared, were a testing, a refinement, a calling forth, a beckoning, unto deeper trust, faces like flint, a walking through the valley of the shadow of death, finding God, right there at all times. We were tested. And we passed.

And now, in sweet next steps, my colleague is leaving house and home, has packed up things, chosen the bit to bring in his backpack, and will be a roving house of prayer within country, town, and lane, upholding his nation to the Lord. This is a practical act of prayer. It is feet and legs, and will and spirit, given to the movement of God throughout his land, acted out by his movement throughout his land.

The one follows the other. First we become houses of prayer in the depths of our being and out of the faithfulness where our heart and the Lord’s heart meet. Then, this spills out of us, we pray, in obedience to the Holy Spirit and her direction over our lives. This is the journey of my friend and colleague; I’ve been gladdened to observe and to affirm what the Lord is doing with and through him.

If we want to impact some sort of change in our nations, our regions, and communities, we do so by becoming houses of prayer, personally. We do the hard work of wrestling through to God. Not because God is distant, but because we may not really believe and we may not really trust; our lives tell the story. The practical outworking of feet on the ground throughout a land demands all sorts of personal reckoning of faith and belief and of surrender and trust.

All this to say, a House of Prayer – Canada, and future houses of prayer in other countries, demand first and foremost a work within us. Where no matter what, our faces are turned like flint toward the Lord and where a deep work happens within. Out of this, from the belly of God, all manner of good things can be birthed.

In accord with the Lord we abide. In sync with God we steward well. And in love with the One who Loves we inhabit all that God may have within us and through us.

We never know what God is doing through us. The ripples of obedience and of this love-walk hand-in-hand with God brings an impact beyond which we will never really know. Our actions, taken, represent our faithfulness, to be sure. And from there, the faithfulness of God we cannot comprehend or contain! May we be vessels overflowing with the bounty and goodness of the Lord watering our lands.

So, we walk in all this. Personally, the Lord has instructed me to also pray across my country. The Lord will lead the timing. It seems that the upholding of a land and nation would require hearts full of love, affinity, regard, with an understanding of her peoples and places. It is all quite practical.

Are we willing to walk in deep love for a people? How might we effect spiritual wholeness and healing if we ourselves are not willing to be a vessel?

My heart is full in the beauty of the Lord. This faith walk is profound, moving, steady. God catches us with his love and the working out of this as we live our lives with him. We give all glory to the Lord for all things. We uphold these journeys of prayer across lands unto the purposes of God. Our trust is acted out, invested, proved upon. May God make something of these, our small offerings, in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, God. Make us into Houses of Prayer.

In Prayer

There is a basic strategy of spiritual authority within the Kingdom of God that we have learned at Capturing Courage. It begins with the principles:

  1. Hungering for More of the Lord.
  2. Coming on the Inside.
  3. Identifying with the Sins of a Region or Nation.
  4. Taking Responsibility, Confession & Repentance, of that Sin.
  5. Praying it Through to Releasing.

First: Prayer is best affected by those hungry for the Lord. This begins personally. Do you and I want more of God? Or are we content, thank you very much, with our awareness and experience of God to date. Hunger is important. Longing is key. A holy dissatisfaction with the current state of our hearts (and lands) is primary. Do we realize that there is so much more of God to enjoy and to be had, realized and understood?

Second: Do we stand on the outside of trouble and point the finger in condemnation and accusation? Or, do we realize that their sin is our sin. Are we able to stand in the midst of the trouble, investing heart, mind, and self, unto a solution? To stand apart is to miscalculate the exact strategy that God used to secure our salvation. Christ came on the inside. We too, are to learn this by heart.

Third: Because, to loose off the trouble, to unbind folks from their sin, to secure breaths of the Spirit over entire regions, we must be willing to identify with their sin. This, of course, can only happen as we have identified our own sin, having allowed the Lord to convict us, to change our hearts. THEN, we are well positioned to, in fact, pray the kinds of prayers that heal nations.

Fourth: We do this by taking responsibility for the sins at the core of any trouble. We look below the surface and we take up solidarity with those for whom truth has been eclipsed. We defend people to God rather than accusing people to God. This is the heart-stance and action of those who have been caught by God for themselves, and have a longing, a hunger, that all others, even our enemies, would find God in the same way.

Fifth: “God, we lift this community (named) to you. We sense a spirit of witchcraft over the area. It feels quite dark and heavy. Thank you for giving us the ability to sense this. Lord, what might be at the core of this witchcraft? Ah, power, (manipulation, and control). Yes, indeed. Well God, as I lift this community to you I confess that the need for power, is our sin. I too have known this sin. Their sin is my sin. (confession)

I repent of this ploy to do life outside of a knowledge and a trust in you, apart from you, we are sorry, (repentance) and today I say no more to power (manipulation and control) and its spirit of witchcraft. (renouncing)

I reach into the past of this community (named) with the strong arm of my Lord Jesus Christ. And where power and a spirit of witchcraft first took root, I uproot it, carefully and completely, leaving nothing behind. I unwind the chains of witchcraft from off of this community (named) and I declare severed every single link of every chain in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. (break)

We cancel all authority, assignments, and curses of the enemy that have been in and over and through this community (named) and its people, rendering all this null and void, impotent to effect any longer, in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. No more! All and everything of a spirit of witchcraft must go this day to the place where the true living Lord Jesus Christ chooses it to go. (cancel)

What might you have for this community instead, God?

Ah, life abundant. Yes God, yes. We receive from you God, life and life abundant for this community and all her peoples. And where there has been a spirit of witchcraft we pour in your goodness God. (claim)

We remit sins of power, manipulation, and control, and we pour in the Goodness of God unto this community (named) and her people, in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.” (seal)

At Capturing Courage, we have been taught this inner healing prayer process over the last two decades. We use it for our own freedom and healing, doing business with the Lord personally and intentionally. And then we use it as we come on the inside in prayer for the freedom and healing of family, churches, communities, regions, and nations. We agree with God about our sin. Then we agree with God about our healing. And we are made new.

I recently wrote a post at Capturing Courage website about Centres of Gravity, the core strengths that are at the heart of this movement of the Lord that we are stewarding. Find it here: https://capturingcourage.org/centres-of-gravity/

Blessings to you this day.

A Second Witness

It’s been nearly three-months since coming back to the mainland. In this time, since the nine-weeks on Vancouver Island searching out an ancient well of the Spirit, the various options for a house of prayer have been sifting through my awareness, heart and mind and spirit.

It takes time to discern the Lord and our own hearts. What manner might fit for decades to come? Will this be a public space or a private retreat, a place where anyone can find us or a place to invite and welcome personally and individually?

What might be the timing? How might we hold all things loose before the Lord and allow the unfolding of God? We envision, imagine, daydream even, creating a coherence of thought and emotion within heart and mind; we become a ready match for what the Lord might want to do with us. And then we release it all back to God.

We loose our own ego from the end result. We don’t know what God might want to do, exactly! We simply stand in anticipation, glad to partner with the Lord, testing out our movement with God in our minds, but remaining nimble and submitted to the details as God may unfold them.

Two months ago I had a conversation with a gentleman from the community in which we have discerned the ancient well of the Spirit. There were numerous points, sensing and leading of the Holy Spirit, exact matches in many ways, all confirming that ‘yes’ this is the community to which the Lord would have us establish a House of Prayer.

But, we will not rush at that. Out-of-time with the Lord results in a miscarriage or a still-birth. We will not squander what God is putting together. We walk in careful steps with the leading of the Lord.

Thing is, a house of prayer is not a project to be managed. A house of prayer is a strategic move of God, part of Capturing Courage Int’l Ministries four-part lifting of nations to the Lord. We know the end point, we wait out the exact middle points.

A house of prayer is a body of people intent upon seeking the Lord and only the Lord. A people with hearts sensitive to Holy Spirit. Hearts ready to repent and to make right what has gone wrong, in self but also on behalf of others. A repentance that is glad to come on the inside, to discern the things that stand in the way between community and God, nations and God, and to take responsibility for these things.

A house of prayer boldly positions itself to claim sin as our own, and to thereby scoop up evil, offence, tragedy, simple selfishness and so much more, out of the dominion of satan, bringing all this over to the kingdom of God, where sin loses its authority, where tears are dried, where life springs forth, where humanity is restored, renewed, revived; we are made new in the Lord.

A house of prayer is an intercession that makes no excuses, refuses to blame, makes no defence, refuses to dismiss evil, but gladly draws near to the world to take on the stones, just as Christ has done this for us; we position ourselves in solidarity and manner with the heart of the Father and we stand in the spiritual authority of a people who seek God.

The work of this has been happening for some time already. God goes before us. And is our rear guard. Many have been sensing and preparing for the same thing. Holy Spirit is orchestrating our hearts, minds, and lives in the Lord. And we are glad to gather together, in Spirit, in person, in the Lord. To hear from God. And to agree. To bring our witness to all that God is and does and leads us in.

All Glory to the Lord.

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord,
    and apart from me there is no savior.
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
    I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.”

Isaiah 43:10-12

Never the Same

It has become strong in my spirit that a House of Prayer must host the Lord in such a way, with a hunger for God and God only, with a face like flint toward the Lord, with hearts that have little compulsion for things of the world, with a focus and a love that calls forth the Love and Goodness of God for all peoples, that we are either drawn to this light or repelled by it. Broken open by the hand of our Lord.

A House of Prayer must be a people ready unto confession and repentance for their community, region, and nation. A people already learned in coming on the inside, refusing to stand on the outside in accusation, but ready, willing, understanding, the great power in repentance for our sins; we take on the sins round about as though they are our own (and often they are) and bring them from the dominion of satan and into the Kingdom of God, whereby all things are made new.

It is the action and manner by which the crippling effects of sin and death within our communities and upon our neighbours are loosed of their impact, thwarted of their authority, where sins are remitted and the goodness of God pours in; love covering a multitude of sins, where tears are dried, and God has the last say.

A House of Prayer is serious work. Holy business. Sober judgement. With hearts ready to hear the Lord, to inhabit and to be inhabited by God. Naturally, our hearts quake at this. But with years of practice, of seeking the Lord, of obedience, of courage, of coming to understand things that only God can show, we are glad to be before the Lord in this way.

We take courage to see God like we have not seen him before. And we take courage to be seen by God afresh, heart and soul naked before him. Habits of Prayer purges us of our sins. Our motives are tested and revealed. Our love is brought into account. Our days are laid out before us. And only in great humility do we find great grace. For God does business with us first and foremost.

We pour out our sins before the Lord. His presence commands it. We cannot escape. We are caught by God. His goodness pours in. Tears pour out. A great shift within our hearts and minds occurs! We are surprised. Refreshed. Glad-hearted. In awe.

And the Spirit of God pours forth. Leaking out from the hem of our robes. Clothed in the glory of the Lord. Astounded. Purified. Made Holy. Shone through with light. Brought to our knees. Worship. Honour. Glory. To the one true God of heaven and of earth, and of our lives.

We are never the same.

We love you Lord. We trust You. And we know YOU to be GOOD.

We bless your name today, God. Amen and amen.

Some Background Story

The Lord is bringing our thinking down to the core of hospitality as the primary movement at House of Prayer. We have been recalling what the Lord does from this place of abiding, resting, inviting, and making space for God. There has been swaths of movement from the Holy Spirit all through our decade of international ministry. This, we are expecting to overtake us, as we come together as a house of prayer.

By Prophecy & Prayer

Capturing Courage International Ministries has been led by prophecy and prayer all the years. You can find our long history HERE. Capturing Courage is primarily a prophetic and apostolic work. Meaning, the impact of the Lord flows out as a function of intimacy with him, rather than as a function of projects.

The Lord is always downloading vision and imagery, of thoughts and feelings about what might be. He does this across us, as capturing courage team. These words also come to us as a function of the international body of Christ. And in the last week or so a few very significant, spot-on for us, prophetic words have come to our attention. Consider:

From Lana Vawser: “The Lord showed me there was a deeper understanding and awakening taking place in the body of Christ of the reality of “Home in Him”. It was a deep burning revelation of communion and oneness with Him. It was the John 15 place of abiding in the vine. It was a place of finding deeper rest, peace, security, safety, life and strength in Him. It was an even deeper awakening to Jesus being the root and source of lives. It was a deeper baptism in the fire of His love (Ephesians 3:15-20) that all other ‘loves’ before Him, all other ‘idols’ were being cast aside as there was a deep returning to “home”, the place of first love. … READ MORE.

And from Nate Johnston: “For six months now I keep hearing the Lord speak to me about an establishing of eagles nests for the prophetic pioneers but just a few days ago I heard it again and I knew I had to share what I feel the Lord is saying. What is an eagles nest? It’s a place of establishing, strengthening, support, rest, empowering, and family. It’s a place of developing deeper foundations, being rooted, surrounded, and refueled to go out from. I believe God is not leading pioneers to their next assignment as much as He is leading them to their people. … READ MORE

These words are deep confirmation to our spirits at this time. I am hunkered in at home at my dads. House of Prayer is all about hosting the glory of the Lord. Our lives, all our lives, are seed gifts in the hands of almighty God who is faithful to gently guide us forward.

The Lord is always communicating to us as people. May we have ears to hear and hearts to understand! Yes, Lord. We want to hear from you. Lead us. We love you. We trust you. And we know you to be good. Be the love and the fire in our lives. Purify our intentions. Make new our hearts. We depend on you God.

A Deep Pause

I am back to my dads. Out of the chill. But also out of the fresh air! I’ve been keeping my window open a bit at night so that I can sleep a bit better. My dad’s Alzheimers is advancing further. He does not know where he is most of the time. I’m on duty for evenings, bedtime routine, and nighttime redirections.

We’ve done some furniture shifting magic and created a room for me near to his room. The other night, middle of the night, “Dad, come out of the garage. Let me show you where your bed is.” or, “I’ve slept in this bed before” Yes, you live here. “I live here!” Yup, for some time now.

Or the middle of the night upon shifting the room, “I think I’m in an office building.” His room has four lights on the ceiling with two desks along one wall so he had concluded he was in an office building (these have always been in the room, a big room, but now he faces them when in bed). And at 3am as I was putting him back to bed he says, “But I’m worried that I won’t wake up in time before the office staff come.” It’s okay Dad, no office staff are coming. This is your room. “This is my room?!” And on it goes.

Its quite sweet and he is pretty cute in all this. I have adjusted my sleeping. When he goes to bed I crawl into my bed too! Then I’ll get a few hours of solid sleep before I’m up any number of times in the night. One night we slept all through. I’m here for an indeterminate number of months or even years.

As you know, I was all set to continue winter camping on Vancouver Island and seeing more of the land, spaces, and people. But, this is an opportunity to spend time with my dad before he is gone from us. These moments in time come around once in a lifetime and I am not going to miss it. There is a big lot of assistance already in each day, but the family has been hard-pressed to keep up with the advanced dementia. So I am here.

The thing I love most about my family is how we all show up. We are not in each others lives in opinion or comment in any way. We can all be in the house and not see each other for days or even weeks sometimes. But when there is something to attend to, we are present. So, I am back to showers, hot showers!, electricity, internet, running water, hot water!, and a fridge.

These are such luxuries after managing ice in coolers, sponge baths behind bushes, walking some distances for water, and heating water on my little stove for dishwashing. Now, I LOVE all that simplicity that comes with tenting. Really love it. But, it is amazing to have all these things at hand.

I’m trying not to gain back the weight I lost. Thats a bit difficult with my dads cookies right in the cupboard. I’m trying to keep the rhythm of NOT eating at 9pm. While living in a tent where all food is put into the car due to bears, one is not grabbing midnight snacks! I’ll try to keep to this here too.

Now, I had already determined that I needed to take one year to consider, plan, and prepare our way forward with a House of Prayer.

It is important to let the dust settle on this past 9 weeks of ministry travel and observation. I’ll take a breath. And then we see what the Lord is impressing upon us. What stands out. How we want to proceed in due time. With enough time for the Lord to edit, to eliminate anything out of and off the table. So, being here for a time gives the same room for the thinking, conversations, and prayer that are necessary to move forward, being nimble and settled into the leading of God. And, as the Lord reminded me, an ANCIENT well of The Spirit is not going anywhere!

Thank you God for all good things at due time. And thank you for this time I get to spend with my dad. The photo at the top is from 2010. It’s one of my favorite photos of my dad. And he still looks much the same today.

Interestingly, in the book Poustinia, about rhythms of days with the Lord, of silent abiding in prayer, the author relays that the one who lives this way does embark away from the silence to care for those who may need. So, here I am, in the rhythm of the Poustinia. With all glory to the Lord!

P.S. I am hosting a six-week class on being Advanced in The Kingdom. It begins October 16 and runs through November 20th. Here is the link for further information: https://cyndylavoie.com/advanced-in-the-kingdom/

We are going to talk about how to bear good fruit. Join us!