Transcribed by Jeff Fenske from the IHOPU Student Awakening, 2/19/10

“I felt like there are some watching on the webcast. There are some watching right now in seminaries. And the reason you’ve gone to seminary is to prove to God how diligent you are, how dedicated you are.

Some of you went into ministry because your heart was not settled in God’s love. And you said, ‘if I go to seminary, if I get trained for ministry, if I prove to God through serving Him and serving His people how dedicated I am, I will receive His love.

Some of you weren’t even called into the ministry. You were called into the marketplace. You were called into government. You were called into business. You were called into education and science. But you think: ‘if I go into ministry, somehow I’ll earn God’s approval and I’ll be able to encounter His love.’

Lord, I ask that You would set them free, God. Set them free from that spirit of performance that tries to enslave them.

For some of you, it’s because you’ve had fathers who tried to put expectations on you, and you’ve been serving those expectations all your life.

Some of you should have been in ministry and you went into business, and you tried to become the best you could to earn your father’s approval in the natural…”

– Wes Hall, IHOPU provost