The words, “Obedience is better than sacrifice,” just dropped into me. I never realized how often I think sacrificing things will tide God over more than simply obeying Him. Going on this fast was definitely an act of obedience for me. This is not something that my physical body was longing to do. This wasn’t something that my mind was telling me to do. This was purely from God’s Spirit to mine.

Over the past 7 days, I haven’t had any incredibly prophetic dreams or visions. Which honestly surprised me a bit. I guess I was assuming that if I did “such and such” that God would do “this and that.” Don’t you just love how we try to formulate everything? Lord, forgive me of always speculating or trying to figure out exactly how You’re going to move! Even though I haven’t had anything happen the way I thought they would happen this week, I know the spiritual atmosphere is charged!! Yesterday, after fasting for 6 days, my body was weak. I found myself to be somewhat grouchy with an extremely growly stomach. At first I thought, “I’m just hungry. No big deal.” That was until we arrived at church and began warming up for worship. It seems that each of us were “under the gun” so to speak. We each were really in a battle… and we honestly didn’t even realize it until we finally gathered in a circle to pray. That’s when the scales came off and we realized that we were in a war zone. The worship was under attack. Now I’m not one to look for demons around every corner… but I can say without hesitation, this was straight from the pit of hell! At that moment we realized that God was requiring us to lay down our skills, our talents and listen to Him and completely trust Him to do what only He can do; change hearts and literally do surgery on people as they entered into His presence. We were being called to carry the weight of the Presence of God like the Levites of old and not try to push it along. Out of that time of worship came a flood of people who needed God desperately to move in their lives. I’m talking some deep junk that only God can fix.

Yeah. I’ve made my flesh uncomfortable over the past few days, but it has fine-tuned my spirit so that I can hear the Spirit of God more clearly. My spiritual ears were kind of like a radio that had been tuned in between two stations. I was hearing both stations clashing with one another and lots of static until I was “tuned into” one specific station. Now it’s coming in loud and clear. Now, I can hear what God is saying to me specifically and what God is saying to others who come and need me to minister and pray with them. I can sacrifice my time, energy, money, etc. until I have nothing left to give. But if I’m not obeying God, what good is my sacrifice?

It seems that God is really enjoying messing with my small little brain that I think way too highly of way too often. I am not one that really gets into the whole fasting thing most of the time. I mean, it takes a lot for me to jump in with everything I have and really believe that God truly wants to do something with me during a certain time. I feel that’s exactly what He is wanting to do with me over the next 7 days. I know I’m not alone.

This past weekend as we were BURNING, God laid something on my heart that quite honestly, has twisted my brain. Although I have thought that I had some of this figured out, God, in an instant, let me know just how big He is and how very small I am.  I already knew that, but He, in His own special way, solidified that in my mind. His thoughts are definitely higher than my thoughts and His ways are massively huge compared to mine. I love that about Him.

Over the past year, I have heard so much about the Tabernacle of David. About how in the last days God was going to rebuild the Tabernacle of David. Even though I knew this was true… I mean, all you have to do is read the Bible to know that… I still couldn’t wrap my brain around it. I can’t tell you how many times I secretly would ask God, “What does that mean? What does that look like?” I have been so caught up in the whole Tabernacle thing, that I even did an extensive study on the Old Testament Tabernacle with my mother-in-law. I knew that God was wanting to take me a little deeper into this. And I knew He wanted to take His time with me. This past weekend, as I was listening to minstrel after minstrel and psalmist after psalmist, there came out of each heart this cry from the Father’s heart. He was saying to us, “I desire real. I desire you to be real with me. I’m tired of hearing the ‘pretty, all rhyming’ songs that seem to have it all together. I want you. I desire your heart. I desire your words. The words I planted inside of you to come out at this time.” So, after being “pickled” in this atmosphere and as I was listening once again to another minstrel singing and speaking and praying the Psalms of David, the Spirit of God hit me right in between the eyes. In an instant He said, “The Tabernacle of David is in you.” Those words literally stopped me cold. He continued, “The Old Testament Tabernacle was a place where I met with my people. I provided the way by sending my Son to die and raise from the dead so that I could indwell you. The literal Tabernacle of David was David. It wasn’t a place. I am raising up ‘David’s’ in these last days; ones who pour out words to me that they don’t care whether they rhyme or not. They don’t care whether it will be in the ‘top 40′. They don’t care if it pleases men’s ears. All they care about is my heart. My ears. What I want. That is what I’m rebuilding.” God is raising up millions of “David’s”.

This morning as I was in the “in between place” of sleep and awake, God once again spoke to me and said, “I am consecrating my Tabernacle. That is the purpose of the next 7 days. Embrace it. It will be uncomfortable, but it is necessary because I want to meet with you. The sounds I desire from each of you will only come out of a heart that places me above everything else.”

God, may we each meet with You in a way that we have never done before. I know that’s a radical prayer to pray. I desire more of You. I pray for every person who participates in this over the next 7 days to have such incredible encounters with You. I pray for fresh vision and understanding. Not for our own glory, but for Your glory. May we honor You in Your Tabernacle. May we constantly walk as living sacrifices; holy and acceptable to You.