Last week my son Simeon, who is interning with Bethany House of Prayer (BHOP) in Bloomington, MN, told me about the OneThing08 year end conference at International House of Prayer (IHOP) and encouraged me to listen in on the free webcast.  I didn’t get all of the conference, but the bits of worship and teaching that I did hear,  and the teachings that I downloaded, have been having a significant impact on my life.

The title of the conference – OneThing – summarizes the overall theme, which is based on David’s prayer in Psalm 27:4

One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.

Of course, this is poetic language, and David didn’t literally mean that he would never do anything but pray.   He was aware of the fact that there were practical tasks of life that he needed to look after!  After all he was a shepherd, who sometimes risked his life fighting off wild animals to defend the sheep, and later he became an army captain and then King of Israel.   But despite all these responsibilities, the desire that David was expressing here was to make the pursuit of intimacy with God his life’s highest goal.  Along a similar vein, Jesus once told his friend Martha that her sister Mary was making a better choice by choosing to sit at his feet and listen to His teaching while Martha cooked and did the dishes.  He wasn’t saying that cooking and doing dishes was unimportant.  He was saying that Mary had recognized that only one thing ultimately has lasting significance, and gives purpose to the rest of our life – and that one thing is the pursuit of God.

For years I’ve had the desire to pursue intimacy with God, but my exposure to the powerful teaching and worship at IHOP has stirred up and refreshed this desire in my life.  This year I want to become more like Jesus, staying close to Him and letting His love and power transform me into a better reflection of His likeness.   I want to see ongoing transformation in my marriage and family, in my business and finances,  in my church, in my community and in my nation.   Although I am involved in the business of IT consulting as a means of earning a living, and I want to see my business blessed, my true passion is to see the Church, the Body of Christ, come into her identity and calling as the holy people of God, transforming the earth as we prepare for the return of  Jesus Christ.