“The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” Matthew 11:12

“The term ‘spiritual violence’ captures the intensity with which the last days’ generation will pursue God. They will seek God with their entire being, denying themselves and throwing off all entangling sins, in order to run the race with passion, purity, and perseverance. 

“This is the hour to seek God with violent abandonment! The signs of the times are clear; Christ’s return is imminent; we sense an urgency in the Spirit; it’s time to awaken from our slumber and chase down the kingdom of God like never before. Genuine faith seeks God earnestly. True faith understands not only that God exists, but that He rewards us according to the intensity of our pursuit of Him. God chasers reveal their faith by the way they run. 

“One of the most violent things you’ll ever do is wrestle down all the competing elements in your calendar and consistently carve out the time to shut yourself into the secret place. In the busy seasons, it can seem as though a thousand other voices are clamoring for your attention. Which voice will rule, the voice of uncompleted tasks or the gentle voice that beckons you to the secret place? 

Swing your sword against the encroaching tentacles that seek to overgrow your secret life with God. Get alone with God, O man of violence! Kiss the Son, O woman of violence! 

“It’s easy to confuse natural zeal with spiritual violence. Some people display incredible zeal for God—in the way they worship or share their faith or attend Bible studies. But if it’s a natural zeal, it’s a zeal that lasts only as long as others are watching. When that person is alone with God, the zeal fizzles, and the intense level of activity suddenly collapses. Natural zeal must be exchanged for true spiritual fervency—a zeal that is energized by an inward, holy fire that burns even when no one is looking. 

“Oh, what an awesome little gift this fasting thing is! It’s probably one of the most under-rated, under-employed, misunderstood gifts of grace. There is no spiritual merit in fasting; it doesn’t earn extra points with God. But it does tenderize your spirit, sensitize your hearing, and accelerate the pace of divine flow in and through your life. For those committed to exploring spiritual violence, fasting is a true friend. 

“Jesus doesn’t respond to all believers alike. He responds differently to those who seek more diligently. We see this in the way He handled the Twelve…Run after Him! Seek Him with all your heart! As you seek Him harder He’ll draw you closer than ever before. Jesus didn’t favor Peter, James, and John because of their personalities or gift mix; He favored them because they favored Him. 

“I get inspired when I read the stories of the great Christian runners of history. I was so stirred in my spirit when I read the story of how Francis of Assisi pursued God in his early twenties. One of his companions tells the story of how Francis crawled out of bed after he thought his companion was asleep. He knelt on the floor, and for the better part of the night prayed one single sentence: “My God and my all.” Then he caught a little bit of sleep and awoke with the others. Such an intense pace! 

“I once read of a Chinese prisoner who fasted for 76 days from both food and water, praying for the salvation of his fellow prisoners who abused him the entire time. At the end of the 76 days, he arose in supernatural strength and authority, preached to his cellmates, and all fifteen of them repented on the spot. Wow! 

“Go after God! No one else can hinder your race. It doesn’t matter how other people might not recognize your ministry, pursue God! Choirs of saints are cheering you from the bannisters of heaven. ‘We finished the course by God’s grace,’ they’re crying, ‘You can, too!’”—Bob Sorge 

My Prayer

“Yes Lord, I embrace the call to spiritual violence. For too long, I have thought that my extreme desires for God were wrong, but I accept them now as one of Your gifts to me. There is a radical pursuit that demands uncompromising allegiance. All the things that compete for my heart must bow. If men like Francis of Assisi pursued You so violently, why shouldn’t I? In these end time, I swing my sword against the advance of all these encroaching armies that water-down and seek to suffocate my heavenly-chase. Lord, I don’t want to be anything but a God-chaser. I know that this is what You also desire of me. Please Lord, help me enter into that space where I continually seek You and You alone. In Jesus name. Amen.”

The Challenge

Choose to be violent. You don’t have too much time on your hands. Time is running out and you need to act now. Make chasing-God your uttermost priority, even if it means axing so many other competing things. There is a reward for pursuing after God with all your heart—and not many people receive that reward. Be different