I was watching “The Bible” movie again
for the umpteenth time when the Lord started talking to me about
Gethsemane. As I studied this final evening in the garden prior to
Jesus’ crucifixion, the Lord began to show me some things. For starters,
I found that I had actually researched the name Gethsemane before. Not
surprisingly, since God is a “patterns God”, that simply means that God
had already established this pattern. Then, realizing that Jesus is our
template – our pattern – I believe that the Lord downloaded part of
what He underwent in the garden that night as yet another pattern: a key
strategy for REVIVAL!
Gethsemane itself means “Oil Press”. The etymology of Gethsemane consists of two elements. The first part comes from the word (gat), meaning press. The second part comes from the root (smn) and may mean olive oil or eight – either of which works for me! You see, olive oil is produced under pressure. Similarly, pressing in during prayer produces the new thing which would be the number eight – new beginnings!
My people have forsaken prayer!
I believe that Jesus is our template
for this life and that He is our model for our existence. Few would
argue with this fact. However, I believe this particular passage of
scripture not only tells of Jesus’ crucifixion and the hours immediately
preceding it…not only does it tell us how we should act, react and
respond under pressure…but I believe there is another message, a deeper
message as well, even a hidden message. I believe that God is speaking
to us in this hour about prayer.
A few days ago the Lord said to me,
“My people have forsaken prayer!” He went on to say that we need to
return to it, that we need to return to our first love. He also said,
“All great revivals have been birthed in prayer!” I believe that His
heart is this: in order to produce the results that we want to see, we
have to return to the Oil Press of prayer. We need to return to the garden of Gethsemane.
You see, Jesus went to this garden in
order to save mankind. The sin of the world was so heavy upon Him as he
prayed that it actually caused Him to sweat blood. Luke 22:41 says that
Jesus prayed that the cup would pass from Him (paraphrased), but it
wasn’t until He went back to praying more intently, in Luke 22:44, that scripture says it actually happened:
“And being in agony [deeply distressed and anguished; almost to the point of death], He prayed more intently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down on the ground.”
More pressure = Richer Oil
In
researching the oil press, it seems that the virgin oil, the “first
cutting”, is obtained by crushing the olives and soaking them in hot
water, allowing the virgin oil to float to the top, where it is skimmed
off by hand. The deeper oil, the second press, is where the oil obtains
a darker, reddish brown color – very similar to blood in appearance.
One does not obtain this blood color oil – the deeper, richer oil –
without an intense amount of pressure for a protracted amount of time.
his speaks volumes to me! The first
crushing is almost superficial. This crushing during learning how to
walk this Kingdom walk while being soaked in the hot water of the
refiner’s fire, produces oil – for our own benefit! Likewise, any prayer
that we have prayed so far for revival has issued forth only this first
layer of oil. It is not until we go back into our prayer closets, into
our war rooms and really pray MORE INTENTLY, applying even greater
amounts of pressure on heaven, that we will see the deeper, richer oils
of revival for which we so long.
Pressure creates the blood of grapes.
But wait, there’s more! If a little
bit of pressure and crushing along with some hot water creates oil, then
a lot of pressure – intense pressure – will produce a darker oil, one
with more substance, one that resembles blood….even the blood of grapes
(see Genesis 49:11). You see, the first part of the word (gat) by
itself in Hebrew (gimel, tav) can also mean WINEPRESS.
The second part, (smn) means oils or eight. This literally translates
into “winepress of oils” or “winepress of eight”. Again, either one
works for the body in this hour – new wine, new oils and deeper, richer
oil and wine for new beginnings and REVIVAL!
But it will only happen when we press in, praying even more in earnest, more intently for revival to come. Most
of us are so busy that it is a challenge just to get into the prayer
closet, let alone pray it through. However, the old acronym for BUSY, “Buried Under Satan’s Yoke”
still applies! It is a favorite tactic of the enemy to keep us so busy
that we cannot find time for the things that REALLY matter! We need to
get UN-Busy with the things of the world and then get busy in the closet
– our prayer closet.
Pray for strategies to come forth from
heaven to get blueprints and directions to proceed. It is no accident
that the Lord had me watching this movie of Jesus in the garden of
Gethsemane for the umpteenth time. He has a plan that He wants to go
forth about the Oil Press of Prayer. He wants us to press in like
never before, battle the enemy on our knees, and come out victoriously
on the other side! He wants sustained revival even more than we do.
Let’s give it to Him!
Here’s to the new wine and oil of REVIVAL!
Edie Bayer
EdieBayer.com
No comments:
Post a Comment