The Cottage of Intercession

That is just another way of saying prayer cabin. I have written of this place often. I have been blessed with the opportunity to spend some brief time in this sacred place. I have written about this little cabin more times than I can remember. I have been coming here since 1995. I am seated at the same table where I wrote the books Behold the Faithfulness of God, Only Believe, Swimming in the Bath Tub, and Sitting with the Savior. In this rustic cottage I have prayed, wept, interceded, read, walked with the Lord, meditated, studied for messages, quietly listened for the voice of God and been transformed by the many encounters I have with Him here.

Behind me is the chair I have sat in asking God to speak me. At times His voices has pierced the cold and dark places of my soul. In that chair I have heard the Lord give me direction for the future. In that chair I have felt the comfort and warmth of His love and forgiveness. In that chair I have been inspired, challenged, rebuked, consoled, renewed, and refocused.

I am on my way to preach to some teenagers this weekend but had time for a brief stop over at the cottage of intercession. I am a little frustrated. I wanted to write and write but I left the power cord to the computer sitting on my desk back in Seminole. My battery indicator says I have about five and a half hours of power left before this computer will be dead in the water. Even if I do not get to write that will not stop me from interceding. This is the cottage of intercession.

On this old threadbare dirt colored carpet there are battles I must fight. There are loved ones I must stand in the gap for. There is a church I must plead for God to bless and to empower. There is of course my family who I will entrust to the Lord to protect not only in my presence but also in my absence. There are the souls of my wife and boys to beseech God to set ablaze with love and devotion for Him. There are the souls of three men I have asked God to save over the course of the next year. There are the lost souls of troubled teenagers I will stand before to proclaim the gospel who are desperate to know a Savior.

As I have thought about how I want to use that five and a half hours I began thinking about this place. Some of you have been here with me and you can testify to what a special place this is. Some of the most profound encounters I have ever had with the Lord have taken place inside this two-bedroom cottage. It was in this very room where God gripped my heart with His heart for the nations to be called to Him and made into His disciples. Since that God ordained encounter, He has led me to Portland, OR, Guinness, Cuba, and Humboldt, Saskatchewan.

This is a special place. You would not think so upon driving down from the dirt driveway. The house has been here awhile. It is vacant most weeks of the year. There have been more than one year when I was the only one who stayed here. The lake outside does not attract me. The view does not attract me nor does the wild life. God attracts me here. When I can find a few hours or a few days to come to this cabin most of the time alone, God meets me here.

Don’t get me wrong. God meets me back in Seminole. I met with Him last week in Ruidoso, NM. I meet with Him in my living room, in my office, and in the little prayer room tucked away in the corner of our church. There is still something special about this place. This is my Bethel, where I meet with God and He touches and transforms my life. This is the cottage of intercession. This is my refuge. In this place everything else comes to a grinding halt but God and me. We walk, talk, commune, and enjoy one another in ways I could never describe. I once wrote about this place calling it the prayer cabin. I wrote about it another time saying this place is sacred dirt. Say what you will, this is a special place for parched and pummeled hearts to be revived and recharged.

As I move onto the back porch outside the back window and take my seat in an old rustic rocking chair I can exhale life in the fast lane and inhale the intoxicating presence of God trusting Him to fill my soul. Less than seventy-five yards from the back porch is a ninety-acre scenic lake nestled at the feet of several rolling hills of pasture and timber land.

It is overcast outside with the threat of a good old east Texas gully washer rain slated for the next several days. The lake is perfectly calm with no wind blowing. The surface of the water is like a mirror reflecting the pinnacle like pine trees to my left and the grove of oaks across the other side directly in front of me. There is the faint smell of fish in the air. The pasture is barren brown reflecting this wintry season.

Try as I might to describe this place I cannot describe the presence of God here. That is something you would have to experience for yourself. Everything is perfectly calm with no noise. It is good to sit here in perfect stillness and solitude. It is good to be able to sit before God in the midst of His creation. There are so many life lessons here. Thirty yards in front of me are two trees. One is an evergreen brimming with life, growing, healthy and vibrant. About ten yards to the right there is another tree. It is bigger than the first tree but there is a remarkable difference. The second tree is not barren just because it is winter but because the tree is dead. The limbs are broken, drooping and before long this one stately tree will fall down from the inside rottenness or will eventually be cut down by the owner.

What happened? Once this tree provided shade from the heat. It’s branches danced in the breeze over the years as it grew taller, broader, and the roots went deeper. Now it is a mere shell of what it used to be. It still stands on the outside but is dead on the inside.

How many who sit in our churches have the same experience? On the outside they wear fashionable clothing, ornate jewelry, designer duds, and have the latest hairstyles. They take their seats dutifully and carry their Bibles. On the outside they appear to have fruit and life coming forth. Upon closer examination you may begin to notice something is amiss. The appearance of life can be deceiving though. Out of the mouth the heart speaks. What do these talk about and what fragrance do they give forth in every day life. Are they like a tree of life firmly planted by the waters and bearing fruit in all seasons of life? [Ps 1] Are they like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside but inside contain dead people’s bones?

God help us to be trees of life. Please take our roots deep with you so that we might abide in you and bear fruit that brings you glory. [John 15:1-8] You alone are the source of life. I pray that we will not be people who go through the rituals of religious routines on the outside but have no life or connection with you on the inside. Please help us to abandon form and formality for the sake of abiding in you. You are the life we need. I ask you and trust you for your life giving sap to drip into the spiritual veins of our lives growing us, giving us vitality, and letting us bear the fruit of good works so everyone can see them and glorify you. [Matt 5:16]

It is never easy to find time to come to this place. If it were not for the preaching engagement I have I would not be here today. The sun has now set leaving a blanket of darkness surrounding the cottage of intercession. I will be up for some time to come. I have much to pray about, to seek the Lord for, and much counsel I need for the future. The cottage of intercession will be flooded with the glory of God tonight. The heavens will rumble and my soul will be enthralled at the feet of Jesus. What happens here over these hours will prayerfully be felt for all of eternity. The God, The Sovereign Lord of the cottage of intercession beckons me to come. See you on other side.