Last night God gave me a dream where I was undergoing a teaching. It was on freedom. In the dream, the Holy Spirit showed me Romans 8:21:
"...that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."
Glorious freedom. Thank you Father. Do any of us really know what that's like? Do we understand what it means to possess glorious freedom? I don't think so, not yet. Not with a full measure, yet this is exactly what Yahshua has promised (Luke 6:38). He wants us to know; we're His family, kings in His kingdom (Proverbs 25:2)!
In my dream, there was such a liberation. I instantly knew that God had just given me a key to abide. When I heard Romans 8:21, it was written on my heart in a new way. It was so powerful, and the power was there to effortlessly provide.
That's what our Heavenly Father gives us power for -- to get closer to Him. It's not for our giftings or callings so much as it was for Him. From Him for me for Him!
It was an awesome experience of peace and contentment. If you haven't already, ask Elohim to give you heavenly dreams! He is faithful, and He will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Let's all taste and see that Yahweh is good (Psalms 34:8).
Showing posts with label Asking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asking. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
The Gift of Faith in Prayer, Part One
"And I will do whatever you ask for in my Name, so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for anything in my Name, I will do it."
John 14:13-14
We need to recognize the promise here. We need our faith to be built up, or else we risk hindering the coming influxes of God's glory.
God wants to give us increasing faith. He wants to take us on from one level of trust to another. We're free to step out in faith, and we're free to be released from the doubts of our own human logic.
We don't need to be afraid to ask. We need to be ready to ask, so that we can readily receive. Whoever asks receives (Matthew 7:8).
As much as we decide to try, that's the extent we're going to see. God takes pleasure out of bold prayers.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Snapshot: Praying For The Holy Spirit
A few days ago, I was praying along with a prayer from "The Century of the Holy Spirit", a book documenting the history of the Pentecostal and charismatic renewal. And I felt the Lord wanting me to repeat this prayer...so I just prayed along. I asked the Holy Spirit to come and fill all churches that would want Him.
Just a few seconds later, the Lord gave a wonderful confirmation. The TV was on in the background, and I heard, 'We've found a place of you to stay'. Of course, this was quickened to me as having a special meaning--a spiritual meaning! Praise God! We invite Him in, then He finds a resting place.
Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Matthew 8:20
Then he called to me, "Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north." Zechariah 6:8
"Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:24
Isn't that wonderful? God can be welcomed in by us. He allows our longing for Him to change things. We are His children, and we are His place of habitation. If we ask Him, He will come to us. We need to pour ourselves out and allow God to come in and change things! We need to invite Him in, because He is more desperate to come in than we are. We need to pray that the Lord would send His Spirit into any place that would value Him.
Just a few seconds later, the Lord gave a wonderful confirmation. The TV was on in the background, and I heard, 'We've found a place of you to stay'. Of course, this was quickened to me as having a special meaning--a spiritual meaning! Praise God! We invite Him in, then He finds a resting place.
Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Matthew 8:20
Then he called to me, "Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north." Zechariah 6:8
"Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:24
Isn't that wonderful? God can be welcomed in by us. He allows our longing for Him to change things. We are His children, and we are His place of habitation. If we ask Him, He will come to us. We need to pour ourselves out and allow God to come in and change things! We need to invite Him in, because He is more desperate to come in than we are. We need to pray that the Lord would send His Spirit into any place that would value Him.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Asking or Commanding?
**Note: This post refers mostly to how we should approach praying for others--especially if they are in need of healing, miracles, deliverance, or release from opposing spirits. These instances are the main times when we should command. Asking God for something is not wrong of sinful if it is done in faith. We should all ask God for things everyday! But there is a definite time to accept the power of God and tailor our prayers in accordance with the fullness of His will.**
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
John 11:38-44
We need to realize that Jesus is our Master and Lord, as well as our role model. The works He did, we can do, too. And so it follows that the ways He walked in, we should walk in, also. We should talk like He talked, pray like He prayed, and think like He thought--all on the way to loving like He loved. So let's look at how He prayed, and aspire to do the same!
HOW DID JESUS PRAY?
We can learn through the Word that most of Jesus' prayers for miracles were short and to the point. Jesus did not repeatedly ask or beg the Father to move His hand. He simply spoke out of assurance and commanded the change. In the instance with Lazarus above, Jesus says one of His most interesting prayers. He actually prayed more than a couple sentences for this miracle, but not for His sake or for the Father's! He only did so for the sake of the understanding of those listening! He didn't say a long prayer just to go on and on. He never incorporated cop-outs into His prayers. Whenever Jesus prayed, His words were only a means to an end--that end being a manifestation of the Father's will. And that manifestation always came quickly!
ASK OR COMMAND?
So let's say we are in a situation where someone needs and is seeking a healing from the Lord. What do we say? What do we ask God for? Many times, people make the mistake of begging and begging God for something, something that He is much more eager to do than they are! People sometimes ask God for something--they ask Him to carry out a promise--as if God otherwise was not so into keeping His promises. I feel God wants us to command His true will, rather than ask Him if He might consider changing a situation that has been caused by the enemy.
COMMAND WITH EXPECTATION
We need to trust God enough to be in tune with Him. And then we can be in tune with Him enough to command! We command the will of God out of a place of knowing the will of God. We need to pray with enough faith and enough passion that the end of our prayer is the best part--because that's when we can see that the faithfulness of God has achieved the desired effect! That's how praying should be. We should know that just a few of our words is enough for God, in His goodness, to completely change things.
COMMAND IN THE SPIRIT, NOT THE FLESH
Now, there is a danger in our commanding if it is done in the flesh. Commanding away an affliction in Jesus' name is much, much different than trying to order God around. We need to stay in the Spirit to avoid presumption and pride. We need to be in the Spirit and operating in Christ's love whenever we pray and command on His behalf.
COMMAND UNDER THE APPROVAL OF GOD
So the solution to praying correctly is to pray in the Spirit--driven and under the influence of God's will. Realize that if we are in the Spirit, we may still ask God for the healing. We just ask Him before any corporate prayer begins--we ask Him on our own time, so that we can command when the time to see the manifestation comes. We may ask God beforehand, or we may just have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. The important thing about commanding anything is this: we need to be driven and guided by God up until the point of prayer.
COMMAND WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S GOODNESS
When we command by the Spirit, guided by His love, that's when we become fully convinced of God's goodness. That's when we realize what we're up against--and it's not God! We realize that what we are commanding out is opposed to God. And we realize that His will is nothing other than a completed overcoming. We can realize victory, because Jesus has already won the victory. We can realize God's passion and longing for us to triumph. Most of all, when we're in the Spirit, we are so assured that God's will is healing and not sickness, joy and not depression, purity and not pain. We don't need to ask Him if things are any different! And we don't need to ask out of doubt, because God's truth comes in and moves us to decisive action. God wants to take us to a place of being moved to accomplish His true and perfect will.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:2
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
John 11:38-44
We need to realize that Jesus is our Master and Lord, as well as our role model. The works He did, we can do, too. And so it follows that the ways He walked in, we should walk in, also. We should talk like He talked, pray like He prayed, and think like He thought--all on the way to loving like He loved. So let's look at how He prayed, and aspire to do the same!
HOW DID JESUS PRAY?
We can learn through the Word that most of Jesus' prayers for miracles were short and to the point. Jesus did not repeatedly ask or beg the Father to move His hand. He simply spoke out of assurance and commanded the change. In the instance with Lazarus above, Jesus says one of His most interesting prayers. He actually prayed more than a couple sentences for this miracle, but not for His sake or for the Father's! He only did so for the sake of the understanding of those listening! He didn't say a long prayer just to go on and on. He never incorporated cop-outs into His prayers. Whenever Jesus prayed, His words were only a means to an end--that end being a manifestation of the Father's will. And that manifestation always came quickly!
ASK OR COMMAND?
So let's say we are in a situation where someone needs and is seeking a healing from the Lord. What do we say? What do we ask God for? Many times, people make the mistake of begging and begging God for something, something that He is much more eager to do than they are! People sometimes ask God for something--they ask Him to carry out a promise--as if God otherwise was not so into keeping His promises. I feel God wants us to command His true will, rather than ask Him if He might consider changing a situation that has been caused by the enemy.
COMMAND WITH EXPECTATION
We need to trust God enough to be in tune with Him. And then we can be in tune with Him enough to command! We command the will of God out of a place of knowing the will of God. We need to pray with enough faith and enough passion that the end of our prayer is the best part--because that's when we can see that the faithfulness of God has achieved the desired effect! That's how praying should be. We should know that just a few of our words is enough for God, in His goodness, to completely change things.
COMMAND IN THE SPIRIT, NOT THE FLESH
Now, there is a danger in our commanding if it is done in the flesh. Commanding away an affliction in Jesus' name is much, much different than trying to order God around. We need to stay in the Spirit to avoid presumption and pride. We need to be in the Spirit and operating in Christ's love whenever we pray and command on His behalf.
COMMAND UNDER THE APPROVAL OF GOD
So the solution to praying correctly is to pray in the Spirit--driven and under the influence of God's will. Realize that if we are in the Spirit, we may still ask God for the healing. We just ask Him before any corporate prayer begins--we ask Him on our own time, so that we can command when the time to see the manifestation comes. We may ask God beforehand, or we may just have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. The important thing about commanding anything is this: we need to be driven and guided by God up until the point of prayer.
COMMAND WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S GOODNESS
When we command by the Spirit, guided by His love, that's when we become fully convinced of God's goodness. That's when we realize what we're up against--and it's not God! We realize that what we are commanding out is opposed to God. And we realize that His will is nothing other than a completed overcoming. We can realize victory, because Jesus has already won the victory. We can realize God's passion and longing for us to triumph. Most of all, when we're in the Spirit, we are so assured that God's will is healing and not sickness, joy and not depression, purity and not pain. We don't need to ask Him if things are any different! And we don't need to ask out of doubt, because God's truth comes in and moves us to decisive action. God wants to take us to a place of being moved to accomplish His true and perfect will.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:2
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Anticipating God's Spirit
The Lord began speaking to me about how to better anticipate Him--how to foresee His next move. And there can be several steps to this. Now God can't just be formatted, but formats can help us understand how He works.
Step 1) The first step in anticipating God's next move in your life is understanding hope. We need to look forward to restored joy, restored love, restored peace...we need to look forward to restoration of fullness of life. We need to know that He will uphold us and push us higher and higher.
"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit."
Psalm 51:11-12
Step 2) Once we have hope, then we can call on Him in confidence. (1 John 5:14) Then we can be bold and know that He will reveal to us something according to His will. We call on Him, and we have the awareness of our future 'saved'. (Romans 10:13) Once we have hope for the future, we can attain to the promises found in Jeremiah 33:3. And we can have boldness and confidence in this.
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Step 3) So we call out to God, and God tells us something. He tells us something about His future work that would otherwise be knowable. He tells us something that testifies to Jesus, something that is in line with the spirit of prophecy (Revelations 19:10). He gives us a word, or a vision, or a parable that points to and reveals His movement in the future.
For example, the Lord may reveal that tomorrow is going to be a day when a sibling of yours is really going to feel His love. This kind of prophetic knowledge can also come as a warning to pray against---He may say that tomorrow is going to be a day where the enemy is going to try to attack you financially. Whether God gives an encouraging word or a warning, the response needs to be in praying according to His will. We can 'pray into' that coming sense of love and call it forth, or we can 'pray against' that financial warfare. Remember that all God's promises are "yes" and "amen" in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Step 4) Step 3 is repeated as the Lord trains our ears to hear (Mark 4:9). We become accustomed to His voice, and build trust in the revealing of His plans. Once God has sanctified our ears, then He can sanctify our minds. He can make us attuned to Him. This is when He gives us the mind of Christ.
"But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:15-16
If we have the mind of Christ, the Lord speaks to us in a way that transcends a word, a vision, or a parable. The spirit of prophecy manifests in a new way that brings fullness and truth to our awareness of the future. And our own logical or mechanistic thinking on tomorrow, or the next day, or the next, is replaced by a knowing that comes from oneness with the Lord.
For example, I may be thinking about Vanessa's (previous) back problems, and in thinking with the Lord, I feel Him reassure me that everything is going to be alright. And then the next day, Vanessa tells me that her back was healed by the Lord that morning. Or, I'll be thinking of a certain Christian friend who we don't see often, and then go on to hear that they're coming to our house next month. God inspires our thoughts to the extent that they become prophetic. And if our thoughts are prophetic, then we don't necessarily need a clear word. We develop a type of godly premonition. What would Jesus think? As it relates to us, we begin to think along with Him, too.
Step 5) If we have the mind of Christ, praise God! That's when we can act on it. We can pray into it, act into it, and walk in it. God's reality can continuously be coming into union with our own. We can do only what we see, or envision, the father doing. (John 5:19) This is where God wants to take us, if we ourselves will respond by wanting to get there. If we are controlled by the spirit of prophecy to this extent, then we will be made into a testimony to Jesus. And that's what it's all about!
Step 1) The first step in anticipating God's next move in your life is understanding hope. We need to look forward to restored joy, restored love, restored peace...we need to look forward to restoration of fullness of life. We need to know that He will uphold us and push us higher and higher.
Psalm 51:11-12
Step 2) Once we have hope, then we can call on Him in confidence. (1 John 5:14) Then we can be bold and know that He will reveal to us something according to His will. We call on Him, and we have the awareness of our future 'saved'. (Romans 10:13) Once we have hope for the future, we can attain to the promises found in Jeremiah 33:3. And we can have boldness and confidence in this.
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Step 3) So we call out to God, and God tells us something. He tells us something about His future work that would otherwise be knowable. He tells us something that testifies to Jesus, something that is in line with the spirit of prophecy (Revelations 19:10). He gives us a word, or a vision, or a parable that points to and reveals His movement in the future.
For example, the Lord may reveal that tomorrow is going to be a day when a sibling of yours is really going to feel His love. This kind of prophetic knowledge can also come as a warning to pray against---He may say that tomorrow is going to be a day where the enemy is going to try to attack you financially. Whether God gives an encouraging word or a warning, the response needs to be in praying according to His will. We can 'pray into' that coming sense of love and call it forth, or we can 'pray against' that financial warfare. Remember that all God's promises are "yes" and "amen" in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Step 4) Step 3 is repeated as the Lord trains our ears to hear (Mark 4:9). We become accustomed to His voice, and build trust in the revealing of His plans. Once God has sanctified our ears, then He can sanctify our minds. He can make us attuned to Him. This is when He gives us the mind of Christ.
"But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:15-16
If we have the mind of Christ, the Lord speaks to us in a way that transcends a word, a vision, or a parable. The spirit of prophecy manifests in a new way that brings fullness and truth to our awareness of the future. And our own logical or mechanistic thinking on tomorrow, or the next day, or the next, is replaced by a knowing that comes from oneness with the Lord.
For example, I may be thinking about Vanessa's (previous) back problems, and in thinking with the Lord, I feel Him reassure me that everything is going to be alright. And then the next day, Vanessa tells me that her back was healed by the Lord that morning. Or, I'll be thinking of a certain Christian friend who we don't see often, and then go on to hear that they're coming to our house next month. God inspires our thoughts to the extent that they become prophetic. And if our thoughts are prophetic, then we don't necessarily need a clear word. We develop a type of godly premonition. What would Jesus think? As it relates to us, we begin to think along with Him, too.
Step 5) If we have the mind of Christ, praise God! That's when we can act on it. We can pray into it, act into it, and walk in it. God's reality can continuously be coming into union with our own. We can do only what we see, or envision, the father doing. (John 5:19) This is where God wants to take us, if we ourselves will respond by wanting to get there. If we are controlled by the spirit of prophecy to this extent, then we will be made into a testimony to Jesus. And that's what it's all about!
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Word: Seek and You Shall Find
Yesterday the Lord spoke to me and told me,
"There are many choices behind you, and many choices before you, but there is only one choice that's best. So seek Me diligently. Seek Me early, and seek Me late in the evening. Seek, seek, seek...seek, and you shall find."
This has been such a recurring thing for me recently. If I seek Him, I will find Him. If I diligently seek Him, I will find His Will. These are promises, and they are waiting to be fulfilled. And the Lord continues to feed me this verse again, and again, and again... (and again, four times!). Remember Jesus' question to Peter? (John 21) He speaks to us repetitively so that we can get His Word deeply ingrained. He stresses a message so that we can know He is God, even in our stillness (Psalms 46:10).
I remember that when Vanessa and I were in Springfield, Missouri, last month, a close friend of ours imparted to me some godly wisdom. Now this friend is very prophetic--glory to God for the gifting--and he told me specifically, "Seek and you will find". I was so blessed by that. The Lord has quickened this verse to me in my own quiet time so often and in so many ways.
There is so much to be found--so many things to find out. There is so much to hunger after--the unspeakable riches we have inherited in Christ, and more than that, the unspeakable love we have been given by Christ. We need to know that the Lord is good, so that we can praise Him accordingly.
And there is so much to seek. Those who seek Him find Him (Proverbs 8:17). Those who seek Him become filled as He draws near (James 4:8). Those who seek Him do so when they are hungry, and He fills the hungry with good things (Psalms 107:9).
The Lord is coming in glory. (Isaiah 60:1) He is coming in splendor. And He will come, as soon as we really, really search for Him. As we seek Him, pieces and portions of His character will surface. The many facets of His Will can come to the surface, and He brings them to our attention. (Jeremiah 6:16) Glory to God!
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
"There are many choices behind you, and many choices before you, but there is only one choice that's best. So seek Me diligently. Seek Me early, and seek Me late in the evening. Seek, seek, seek...seek, and you shall find."
This has been such a recurring thing for me recently. If I seek Him, I will find Him. If I diligently seek Him, I will find His Will. These are promises, and they are waiting to be fulfilled. And the Lord continues to feed me this verse again, and again, and again... (and again, four times!). Remember Jesus' question to Peter? (John 21) He speaks to us repetitively so that we can get His Word deeply ingrained. He stresses a message so that we can know He is God, even in our stillness (Psalms 46:10).
I remember that when Vanessa and I were in Springfield, Missouri, last month, a close friend of ours imparted to me some godly wisdom. Now this friend is very prophetic--glory to God for the gifting--and he told me specifically, "Seek and you will find". I was so blessed by that. The Lord has quickened this verse to me in my own quiet time so often and in so many ways.
There is so much to be found--so many things to find out. There is so much to hunger after--the unspeakable riches we have inherited in Christ, and more than that, the unspeakable love we have been given by Christ. We need to know that the Lord is good, so that we can praise Him accordingly.
And there is so much to seek. Those who seek Him find Him (Proverbs 8:17). Those who seek Him become filled as He draws near (James 4:8). Those who seek Him do so when they are hungry, and He fills the hungry with good things (Psalms 107:9).
The Lord is coming in glory. (Isaiah 60:1) He is coming in splendor. And He will come, as soon as we really, really search for Him. As we seek Him, pieces and portions of His character will surface. The many facets of His Will can come to the surface, and He brings them to our attention. (Jeremiah 6:16) Glory to God!
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Snapshot: Applying the Ephod
Yesterday the Lord led me to enter the number 642 into Eliyah's Greek lexicon. Hmm, exciting stuff. That website is such a good way to hone hearing. And I found out what that meant, below:
--a girding on (of the ephod)
And I knew that it was time to put on my spiritual armor--that the Lord was encouraging me in that. In the Old testament, the Levites had the ephod, and today, every believer has the breastplate of righteousness.
"Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" Ephesians 6:14
These are things that we ourselves are responsible to put on or apply to ourselves. God doesn't necessarily do it for us. We can apply to ourselves the Words of Truth and allow God to protect our body. How are we protected? Because we take on markings that set us apart.
And then today, I was reading 1 Samuel 30 (verses 6 through 8 below). In it, David had just experienced a huge loss and was very much out of control. But then a shift happened. David found strength in the Lord. He girded up and sought out God--to use some KJV terms.
Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. "
And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
Interesting, huh? David applied the Urim and Thummim--a way of discerning God's will--to His problems so that He could overcome them. That's how David mounted up. That's how David recovered from such a tragedy.
We need to know that God is on our side. We can't blame Him for problems or bad events. We can't think He has made loss our only option. Within the heart of God, there is a solution, There is a way out. David could seek God through inquiring of the Urim and Thummim, and we can seek God through inquiring of the Holy Spirit. And He'll give us the right answer and the right plan. Even the disciples in the book of Acts cast lots (Acts 1:26)! So we can expect God to speak to us through whatever means the Spirit prompts us to use.
We can gird on the ephod today. We can put on that breastplate of righteousness and know that God is good--that He's for us and not against us! That's when we have confidence to inquire of Him. If you ask Him what to do, He'll give you the best solution. He'll make your path perfect (Psalm 18:32)! He'll provide a window of grace that enter in through and overcome.
--a girding on (of the ephod)
And I knew that it was time to put on my spiritual armor--that the Lord was encouraging me in that. In the Old testament, the Levites had the ephod, and today, every believer has the breastplate of righteousness.
"Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" Ephesians 6:14
These are things that we ourselves are responsible to put on or apply to ourselves. God doesn't necessarily do it for us. We can apply to ourselves the Words of Truth and allow God to protect our body. How are we protected? Because we take on markings that set us apart.
And then today, I was reading 1 Samuel 30 (verses 6 through 8 below). In it, David had just experienced a huge loss and was very much out of control. But then a shift happened. David found strength in the Lord. He girded up and sought out God--to use some KJV terms.
Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. "
And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
Interesting, huh? David applied the Urim and Thummim--a way of discerning God's will--to His problems so that He could overcome them. That's how David mounted up. That's how David recovered from such a tragedy.
We need to know that God is on our side. We can't blame Him for problems or bad events. We can't think He has made loss our only option. Within the heart of God, there is a solution, There is a way out. David could seek God through inquiring of the Urim and Thummim, and we can seek God through inquiring of the Holy Spirit. And He'll give us the right answer and the right plan. Even the disciples in the book of Acts cast lots (Acts 1:26)! So we can expect God to speak to us through whatever means the Spirit prompts us to use.
We can gird on the ephod today. We can put on that breastplate of righteousness and know that God is good--that He's for us and not against us! That's when we have confidence to inquire of Him. If you ask Him what to do, He'll give you the best solution. He'll make your path perfect (Psalm 18:32)! He'll provide a window of grace that enter in through and overcome.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Hope For The Future, Part Two: Confidence in Prayer
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." 1 John 5:14
And again,
"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:14
CONFIDENCE IN HIS PROMISES
These verses should give us so much confidence in prayer. If we believe them, then they will! Can we become bolder and more decisive in our prayers? We can, if we make God's Word a reality in our lives. We are free to make bold petitions and ask big questions. We are free to pray big prayers. Can't God do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask? (Ephesians 3:20) He can, and He will, if we pray in faith.
Praying for someone else is so exciting when you know the work has already been done. If I believe Jesus when He said, "It is finished", then I'll believe that He has also already overcome every single work of the devil. Praying for someone else is so easy sometimes, because I can realize that God loves that person even more than I do. I know that Jesus will overcome the enemy's work in their lives--He just lets me say the words. I know that the hard work has been finished by another. And because of that, I know that He will choose to show His glory.
Praying for myself is great, too. The results are effective and often immediate. If I ask for wisdom for God, I am destined to receive it. That's what the Word says, and if I believe it, then I will allow God to manifest it. Just look at the promises below:
"For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:8
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5
Lord, give us wisdom. Lord, give us faith. Lord, make us pure. Lord, give us more love. Lord, please touch our families. Lord, please give an opportunity today.
OK, so God will do all those things. Praise Jesus! He made things so simple. We can always take heart (John 16:33) and have confidence in Him. We can put all of our trust into His heart.
CONDITIONS TO MEET
There are conditions to meet, however, before we can know that God will listen to our prayers. I could try to explain this, but instead, I think we should all meditate on the scriptures below. These are the conditions, and these are the results of disobedience:
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear" Isaiah 59:2
"We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will."
John 9:31
"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:3
These warnings have been written so that we might know the benefits of obedience to God. The closer we are to God, the close He will be to our prayers. We need to be close. We need to be pure, godly, and obedient--that's when God will listen. That's when He will listen and intercede with us. That's when we can be confident! We have been given in the Holy Spirit a purity that causes Him to respond to our every prayer and petition.
Prayer changes things, after God has changed you. Prayer moves things, after God has moved you. And there comes a time when God gives freedom in prayer. There comes a time when, as a friend of God, we can cause Him to change His mind (this is in the Word--look at Jeremiah 42, esp. 42:10). We can know that our prayers move the hand of God.
"If the Holy Ghost doesn't move me, then I move the Holy Ghost."
Smith Wigglesworth said this. Many people refused it, or thought it was unscriptural. It probably seemed to be a prideful statement--maybe Smith Wigglesworth thought he was God.
But in reality, Wigglesworth was just a really close friend. And he knew that persistence gets things done. He knew that faith in God to carry out His Word always pays off. He knew that God's promises do not ever fail--if you stand on them, if you make them your life. We need to know what Jesus says--"If you ask for anything in My Name, so I will do it." We need to make Jesus our best friend. We need His love and His conviction resting upon us. That's when we trust Him. That's when we have boldness. And this is the way that we can have confidence in prayer.
And again,
"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:14
CONFIDENCE IN HIS PROMISES
These verses should give us so much confidence in prayer. If we believe them, then they will! Can we become bolder and more decisive in our prayers? We can, if we make God's Word a reality in our lives. We are free to make bold petitions and ask big questions. We are free to pray big prayers. Can't God do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask? (Ephesians 3:20) He can, and He will, if we pray in faith.
Praying for someone else is so exciting when you know the work has already been done. If I believe Jesus when He said, "It is finished", then I'll believe that He has also already overcome every single work of the devil. Praying for someone else is so easy sometimes, because I can realize that God loves that person even more than I do. I know that Jesus will overcome the enemy's work in their lives--He just lets me say the words. I know that the hard work has been finished by another. And because of that, I know that He will choose to show His glory.
Praying for myself is great, too. The results are effective and often immediate. If I ask for wisdom for God, I am destined to receive it. That's what the Word says, and if I believe it, then I will allow God to manifest it. Just look at the promises below:
"For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:8
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5
Lord, give us wisdom. Lord, give us faith. Lord, make us pure. Lord, give us more love. Lord, please touch our families. Lord, please give an opportunity today.
OK, so God will do all those things. Praise Jesus! He made things so simple. We can always take heart (John 16:33) and have confidence in Him. We can put all of our trust into His heart.
CONDITIONS TO MEET
There are conditions to meet, however, before we can know that God will listen to our prayers. I could try to explain this, but instead, I think we should all meditate on the scriptures below. These are the conditions, and these are the results of disobedience:
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear" Isaiah 59:2
"We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will."
John 9:31
"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:3
These warnings have been written so that we might know the benefits of obedience to God. The closer we are to God, the close He will be to our prayers. We need to be close. We need to be pure, godly, and obedient--that's when God will listen. That's when He will listen and intercede with us. That's when we can be confident! We have been given in the Holy Spirit a purity that causes Him to respond to our every prayer and petition.
Prayer changes things, after God has changed you. Prayer moves things, after God has moved you. And there comes a time when God gives freedom in prayer. There comes a time when, as a friend of God, we can cause Him to change His mind (this is in the Word--look at Jeremiah 42, esp. 42:10). We can know that our prayers move the hand of God.
"If the Holy Ghost doesn't move me, then I move the Holy Ghost."
Smith Wigglesworth said this. Many people refused it, or thought it was unscriptural. It probably seemed to be a prideful statement--maybe Smith Wigglesworth thought he was God.
But in reality, Wigglesworth was just a really close friend. And he knew that persistence gets things done. He knew that faith in God to carry out His Word always pays off. He knew that God's promises do not ever fail--if you stand on them, if you make them your life. We need to know what Jesus says--"If you ask for anything in My Name, so I will do it." We need to make Jesus our best friend. We need His love and His conviction resting upon us. That's when we trust Him. That's when we have boldness. And this is the way that we can have confidence in prayer.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Snapshot: Wisdom, a Characterization of the Holy Spirit
Before Jesus came and the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell believers, wisdom was the best thing one could have. Wisdom was the way that many in old testament times described God's Spirit--because they did not yet have a full revelation of Him. David and the prophets excluded, many did the best that they could by describing wisdom as being a part of God.
"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me"
Wisdom even has a voice! Now to me, the above verse sounds like something that the Holy Spirit would say. And it is! Wisdom is an attribute of God--an attribute of His Spirit, God has all the characteristics of wisdom, and wisdom has many of the characteristics of God. Wisdom is part of his mouthpiece. Wisdom brings us deeper into the mind of God, and wisdom, like the Holy Spirit, is given to those who are obedient and ask.
"If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding"
Wisdom is portrayed as feminine. Why? Because both wisdom and the Spirit are relatively gender neutral--our own English language is what has assigned genders to each. We can search for this wisdom, and it will not hide from us, although it had been hidden initially. The one who seeks will find!
So let's discern by the knowledge of God. Let's fear Him because we truly realizing that He has all understanding at His disposal. Our God is an awesome God. Let's fear Him, and let's also earnestly seek Him so that we can receive wisdom. Let's lay hold of the treasures that have been made by Him to give. Let's find wisdom and use it to align ourselves with the viewpoint of God. Let's make the very best decisions that we can--not by our own effort, but by the gift of God in understanding what He wants us to do.
"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me"
Wisdom even has a voice! Now to me, the above verse sounds like something that the Holy Spirit would say. And it is! Wisdom is an attribute of God--an attribute of His Spirit, God has all the characteristics of wisdom, and wisdom has many of the characteristics of God. Wisdom is part of his mouthpiece. Wisdom brings us deeper into the mind of God, and wisdom, like the Holy Spirit, is given to those who are obedient and ask.
"If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding"
Wisdom is portrayed as feminine. Why? Because both wisdom and the Spirit are relatively gender neutral--our own English language is what has assigned genders to each. We can search for this wisdom, and it will not hide from us, although it had been hidden initially. The one who seeks will find!
So let's discern by the knowledge of God. Let's fear Him because we truly realizing that He has all understanding at His disposal. Our God is an awesome God. Let's fear Him, and let's also earnestly seek Him so that we can receive wisdom. Let's lay hold of the treasures that have been made by Him to give. Let's find wisdom and use it to align ourselves with the viewpoint of God. Let's make the very best decisions that we can--not by our own effort, but by the gift of God in understanding what He wants us to do.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Snapshot: Clinging to God
This morning I saw a vision that made me understand the importance of clinging to God. When turbulence or testing comes, clinging to God is the best thing we can do. And every morning, when we need a new dispensation of grace, we will receive it if we wait and cling to Him. Clinging to the Lord is when we grow strong. That's why God allows a sifting--so we can hold on tightly, anchor ourselves in truth, and then go on to a greater strength.
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
Luke 22:31- 32
If we will cling to the Lord, then our faith will not fail. If we cling to Him, we will not desire to turn back. This is what's necessary to overcome any problems. That's what's necessary to gain spiritual strength.
God should be our go-to in every situation--we need to always go to Him first. And more than that, we need to realize that He wants to come to us. He is our ever present help (Psalms 46:1). He is always with us. If we realize this, then let's also realize that clinging to Him is our ever present solution.
"For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me." Psalm 63:7-8
He has been our help, and He will be our help. He's upheld us in the past, and He will continue to uphold us now. What comfort! We can go through a trial knowing that if we suffer, we can also reign with Him. We can turn back, have our faith renewed, and go on to new heights with the Lord. The more tightly we try to hold on to Him, the more He'll let us do the same. Let's allow Him to take us from strength to strength.
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
Luke 22:31- 32
If we will cling to the Lord, then our faith will not fail. If we cling to Him, we will not desire to turn back. This is what's necessary to overcome any problems. That's what's necessary to gain spiritual strength.
God should be our go-to in every situation--we need to always go to Him first. And more than that, we need to realize that He wants to come to us. He is our ever present help (Psalms 46:1). He is always with us. If we realize this, then let's also realize that clinging to Him is our ever present solution.
"For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me." Psalm 63:7-8
He has been our help, and He will be our help. He's upheld us in the past, and He will continue to uphold us now. What comfort! We can go through a trial knowing that if we suffer, we can also reign with Him. We can turn back, have our faith renewed, and go on to new heights with the Lord. The more tightly we try to hold on to Him, the more He'll let us do the same. Let's allow Him to take us from strength to strength.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
STREET MINISTRY UPDATE #5: SPRINGFIELD
On Tuesday, we enjoyed some downtime in the morning. This blog takes some time, as do several other things...Vanessa usually has a music project to work on. So, it was very nice to relax a little, but by lunchtime we were excited to head to the mall.
MALL MINISTRY
We went to the Springfield mall in the afternoon, and had some fun. Alex and Lane went with us, and we had an awesome time! After some time walking around, we prayed for two people with intermittent back pain. They didn't have any pain at the time we had prayed for them, so we couldn't witness a tangible healing. But we trust that God has healed them, and that their pain will not return. They were both kind people who were open and appreciative of prayer, and that was refreshing to see.
The Lord then gave a word of knowledge about a younger, teen guy. I hesitated to share it with him, and waited for a confirmation. We walked on and away from him...oh no! But I felt I'd get another chance to share later.
We walk around the mall a little and enjoy the food court's samples...and then learn via one of Alex's friends that we needed to return to the house. At this point I was hoping in the Lord to align us with someone who needed a healing. So we turnaround and begin heading back the way we came, and I see that same teen guy again. It turned out he worked in that area, so he wasn't going anywhere! God was gracious to have him working there, so that we could see him again.
WORD OF KNOWLEDGE CONFIRMED
Anyways, we see the guy again and he looks right at me. I walk up and share with him the word. He's pretty surprised, and that provides a way for us to talk more! I asked him if he knew God. He said that he used to go to church, but was now going back and forth with God. I encouraged him to seek God in order to see the fulfillment of what I'd told him first. I was thankful for the word of knowledge, but more thankful that God touched his heart. Walking away, I had faith that God really used that moment to bring that guy back towards Himself! Praise Jesus!
Were almost out of the mall, having been turned down from prayer a few times. Then we see a man with a cane walking towards us slowly. He's with two ladies. I feel God saying yes, so I ask him if we can pray for his healing. He says yes! He has pain in his foot and weakness in his hip. The Lord shows me it was a long-standing injury...the man then confirms that it was from his time in the military. I asked if he has forgiven the military (we have met several people who were not healed because of unforgiveness toward the military,) and the man said he had forgiven them, so we are set to pray! The Lord impresses that one prayer would be enough, and it was! The foot pain, arthritis, was totally gone. Praise God! We then prayed for the man's hip, and afterwards he said it felt better. We didn't get verbal confirmation that the hip felt perfect, but when we asked if his feet felt perfect, he said yes! He had such a kind heart and gentle spirit, and we were blessed to come into contact with him. On that note, we headed home from the mall, having been there only an hour or so.
On Wednesday, we return to the mall again, in the afternoon. We again took the morning easier, as Vanessa caught a bad cold from a night we had about 20 youth at the house. A pretty bad nose/throat thing has been sweeping through Springfield. God still permits us to get sick, and sometimes we command it out, and it goes instantly, but sometimes He allows it to stay. We are learning that the gift of healing is primarily for others, and not ourselves! However, the Lord gave me a vision of Vanessa praying for healing in others while herself still being sick, and them both getting healed! So we both felt that going back to the mall was God's will, despite the circumstances.
SLOW START AT THE MALL
We get to the mall and ask a few people for prayer, and they all say no. I feel sad when that happens-many just don't know what they're missing out on. So our time starts off encountering hardened hearts and few opportunities. That doesn't stop us from having joy and ourselves receiving from God, and you can always pray silently as the Holy Spirit leads. Nonetheless, we are always thankful when a lot of people say 'yes' to prayer.
WOMEN'S FOOT PROBLEMS HEALED
Finally we run into a lady walking with a crutch--yes, just one--and favoring her left leg. I quickly ask her if she wants prayer for healing, and she replies that she believes in such things, but has to go right to work. Essentially she said no, but she did seem to want it...Vanessa had been praying for someone else when I started the conversation with this lady, and walked up just as the lady was saying, "I would, but I have to get to work." Vanessa was led with boldness by the Spirit to just put out her hand and say, "In the name of Jesus, I command all of the foot pain out!". The woman looks up, looks down, looks back up, and says her foot pain is completely gone. She was surprised by the healing and praised God. I told her jokingly, "Well, you better hurry off to work," and with that, we said our goodbyes. We don't know what the original foot problem was, but we do know that God healed it instantly.
We watched her walk off... she worked in the mall, just a few stores down. Having been healed, she picked up her crutch and carried it under her arm like a kid would carry his skateboard! She then walked up a set of stairs, all without the crutch and apparently normal. Then, she stopped and looked down at her foot, and moved it around a little--yes, it's healed!--before going right into work... still carrying the crutch!
We were not able to get this one on camera due to the quickness of it all, but we praise God that He touched that lady and made her day. The day before this one, the Lord had spoke to me that today we would see the biggest healings so far on this trip. I believe that He was referring to this one! Glory to God, and praise Him that He always makes good His Word.
BACK PAIN HEALED
Vanessa was stopped by a make-up kiosk, and accepted the offer to have a demo done on her (later found out she was able to share the Lord with the artist,) so Lane, Alex and I keep walking around the mall together. We are looking for people to pray for, when all of a sudden I get a pain in my upper left shoulder and also in my right knee. I look around wondering who it may be for...but no one nearby gets our attention. There's a woman sitting on the edge of the food court with a John 3:16 shirt on, so I figure, why not talk to her? She's a very sweet lady and wants prayer for her sister who was in a car accident and is now in a nursing home. She explains to me that her sister has injuries in her upper left shoulder, her right knee, and her right abdomen area. Hmm, that sounds familiar! I didn't share with her the word of knowledge because I didn't want to weird her out, but I am thankful that God built my own faith through it.
I want to pray for her sister, but I ask the lady if we can pray for her, first. (In general, we prefer to pray for the person present first, in order to build their faith when it comes time to pray for things unseen. If someone is healed through prayer, I feel that it encourages them that the prayers following also are having tangible effects). She says yes--she has some back pain, and after prayer she is healed. She says that the pain is gone, and I encourage her to move around a little and test it out. She does so, and demonstrates that she is able to rotate her back pain-free! We also prayed for her sister, and I believe for her healing.
PEOPLE WHO "GO TO CHURCH" REFUSE PRAYER
Just having fun with the title...
We pick up Vanessa, and then walk around a little more. We ask a few people if they would like prayer for anything, and they make replies such as, "Oh, I pray everyday", or, "Oh, I go to Church". You go to Church? That's great! We can pray for your church community! You pray everyday? Well, OK, but let's pray now, also, and pray without ceasing! Many Christians give this kind of response, when they ought to accept prayer from others and unite as the body of Christ. Anyways...it's so important to abide in God's Love when dealing with such people. Otherwise, it's really easy to get offended. But if we abide in love and love one another, that's when we can bear all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).
HEALING FOR HOSPITALIZED SISTER
On our way out, we were passing the food court, and saw the lady with the John 3:16 shirt again. She explained to Vanessa most of what had happened. We prayed again for her sister, and it was so powerful. I've said this in the past, but there is a cumulative effect when believers come together in prayer. Vanessa prayed, and as she spoke healing for each injury, I saw the Lord doing the operation. I saw a new knee being set into place, the left shoulder being straightened...I saw pins being taken out of joints and healing being done! Glory to God! I choose to believe for the healing. I choose to believe that these visions weren't just my imagination--they never are. I choose to believe that the pains I felt just prior to talking to this women were a confirmation of her sister's injuries and God's desire to heal her from them. Thank you Jesus!
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24
....and again,
"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
John 14:13
So, we spent much of our time at the mall having been refused the opportunity to pray with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This can really be frustrating. There should be openness and humility in the Church. If someone ever approaches me out in public and wants to pray, that'd be awesome! I'm not above it, and if I start to feel like I am, I've got a problem. Nonetheless, we are thankful for those who accepted prayer. We are thankful that the two people who wanted prayer for healing were both fully healed. We are thankful and choose to believe that God also healed the lady with the John 3:16 shirt's sister. And we're thankful that the Lord is blessing us with joy and fun!
THURSDAY
Today we saw a few healings, and we were blessed with praying for people with open hearts. We were only in the mall briefly today, but the Lord healed a man who had been resigned to sitting down due to chronic foot pain. This guy had a quiet joy about him, and he was more enthusiastic after some prayer. Praise God!
We also had the unique opportunity to pray for some friends who were unsure of the power of God. Vanessa prayed for her friend's daughter who had strep throat. After one prayer, she said it felt only a little better. Vanessa vigorously commanded the pain to leave a second time, and the daughter said, "Wow! It feels ALOT better!" Vanessa prayed one more time, and she enthusiastically said it still felt a lot better. No confirmation on a perfect throat, but we encouraged her to believe that it would keep getting better and better. It's easier to do this when you've seen God take away the majority of your pain! Vanessa then prayed for her friend's neck pain and arm stiffness. Not much of a difference after the first prayer, except a little relief from neck pain. Vanessa asked if she could pray again, and her friend was open. After the second prayer, she said it felt better, but she wasn't completely delivered. We are continuing to pray for her healing in our own time.
In the next few days, we plan on spending more time at the mall. We are praying for open hearts. We'd also like to get back downtown. We'll be in Springfield a little while longer, until next Monday or Tuesday. We are excited and have hope in the Lord that He will release greater healings, greater miracles, and greater convictions.
MALL MINISTRY
We went to the Springfield mall in the afternoon, and had some fun. Alex and Lane went with us, and we had an awesome time! After some time walking around, we prayed for two people with intermittent back pain. They didn't have any pain at the time we had prayed for them, so we couldn't witness a tangible healing. But we trust that God has healed them, and that their pain will not return. They were both kind people who were open and appreciative of prayer, and that was refreshing to see.
The Lord then gave a word of knowledge about a younger, teen guy. I hesitated to share it with him, and waited for a confirmation. We walked on and away from him...oh no! But I felt I'd get another chance to share later.
We walk around the mall a little and enjoy the food court's samples...and then learn via one of Alex's friends that we needed to return to the house. At this point I was hoping in the Lord to align us with someone who needed a healing. So we turnaround and begin heading back the way we came, and I see that same teen guy again. It turned out he worked in that area, so he wasn't going anywhere! God was gracious to have him working there, so that we could see him again.
WORD OF KNOWLEDGE CONFIRMED
Anyways, we see the guy again and he looks right at me. I walk up and share with him the word. He's pretty surprised, and that provides a way for us to talk more! I asked him if he knew God. He said that he used to go to church, but was now going back and forth with God. I encouraged him to seek God in order to see the fulfillment of what I'd told him first. I was thankful for the word of knowledge, but more thankful that God touched his heart. Walking away, I had faith that God really used that moment to bring that guy back towards Himself! Praise Jesus!
Were almost out of the mall, having been turned down from prayer a few times. Then we see a man with a cane walking towards us slowly. He's with two ladies. I feel God saying yes, so I ask him if we can pray for his healing. He says yes! He has pain in his foot and weakness in his hip. The Lord shows me it was a long-standing injury...the man then confirms that it was from his time in the military. I asked if he has forgiven the military (we have met several people who were not healed because of unforgiveness toward the military,) and the man said he had forgiven them, so we are set to pray! The Lord impresses that one prayer would be enough, and it was! The foot pain, arthritis, was totally gone. Praise God! We then prayed for the man's hip, and afterwards he said it felt better. We didn't get verbal confirmation that the hip felt perfect, but when we asked if his feet felt perfect, he said yes! He had such a kind heart and gentle spirit, and we were blessed to come into contact with him. On that note, we headed home from the mall, having been there only an hour or so.
On Wednesday, we return to the mall again, in the afternoon. We again took the morning easier, as Vanessa caught a bad cold from a night we had about 20 youth at the house. A pretty bad nose/throat thing has been sweeping through Springfield. God still permits us to get sick, and sometimes we command it out, and it goes instantly, but sometimes He allows it to stay. We are learning that the gift of healing is primarily for others, and not ourselves! However, the Lord gave me a vision of Vanessa praying for healing in others while herself still being sick, and them both getting healed! So we both felt that going back to the mall was God's will, despite the circumstances.
SLOW START AT THE MALL
We get to the mall and ask a few people for prayer, and they all say no. I feel sad when that happens-many just don't know what they're missing out on. So our time starts off encountering hardened hearts and few opportunities. That doesn't stop us from having joy and ourselves receiving from God, and you can always pray silently as the Holy Spirit leads. Nonetheless, we are always thankful when a lot of people say 'yes' to prayer.
WOMEN'S FOOT PROBLEMS HEALED
Finally we run into a lady walking with a crutch--yes, just one--and favoring her left leg. I quickly ask her if she wants prayer for healing, and she replies that she believes in such things, but has to go right to work. Essentially she said no, but she did seem to want it...Vanessa had been praying for someone else when I started the conversation with this lady, and walked up just as the lady was saying, "I would, but I have to get to work." Vanessa was led with boldness by the Spirit to just put out her hand and say, "In the name of Jesus, I command all of the foot pain out!". The woman looks up, looks down, looks back up, and says her foot pain is completely gone. She was surprised by the healing and praised God. I told her jokingly, "Well, you better hurry off to work," and with that, we said our goodbyes. We don't know what the original foot problem was, but we do know that God healed it instantly.
We watched her walk off... she worked in the mall, just a few stores down. Having been healed, she picked up her crutch and carried it under her arm like a kid would carry his skateboard! She then walked up a set of stairs, all without the crutch and apparently normal. Then, she stopped and looked down at her foot, and moved it around a little--yes, it's healed!--before going right into work... still carrying the crutch!
We were not able to get this one on camera due to the quickness of it all, but we praise God that He touched that lady and made her day. The day before this one, the Lord had spoke to me that today we would see the biggest healings so far on this trip. I believe that He was referring to this one! Glory to God, and praise Him that He always makes good His Word.
BACK PAIN HEALED
Vanessa was stopped by a make-up kiosk, and accepted the offer to have a demo done on her (later found out she was able to share the Lord with the artist,) so Lane, Alex and I keep walking around the mall together. We are looking for people to pray for, when all of a sudden I get a pain in my upper left shoulder and also in my right knee. I look around wondering who it may be for...but no one nearby gets our attention. There's a woman sitting on the edge of the food court with a John 3:16 shirt on, so I figure, why not talk to her? She's a very sweet lady and wants prayer for her sister who was in a car accident and is now in a nursing home. She explains to me that her sister has injuries in her upper left shoulder, her right knee, and her right abdomen area. Hmm, that sounds familiar! I didn't share with her the word of knowledge because I didn't want to weird her out, but I am thankful that God built my own faith through it.
I want to pray for her sister, but I ask the lady if we can pray for her, first. (In general, we prefer to pray for the person present first, in order to build their faith when it comes time to pray for things unseen. If someone is healed through prayer, I feel that it encourages them that the prayers following also are having tangible effects). She says yes--she has some back pain, and after prayer she is healed. She says that the pain is gone, and I encourage her to move around a little and test it out. She does so, and demonstrates that she is able to rotate her back pain-free! We also prayed for her sister, and I believe for her healing.
PEOPLE WHO "GO TO CHURCH" REFUSE PRAYER
Just having fun with the title...
We pick up Vanessa, and then walk around a little more. We ask a few people if they would like prayer for anything, and they make replies such as, "Oh, I pray everyday", or, "Oh, I go to Church". You go to Church? That's great! We can pray for your church community! You pray everyday? Well, OK, but let's pray now, also, and pray without ceasing! Many Christians give this kind of response, when they ought to accept prayer from others and unite as the body of Christ. Anyways...it's so important to abide in God's Love when dealing with such people. Otherwise, it's really easy to get offended. But if we abide in love and love one another, that's when we can bear all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).
HEALING FOR HOSPITALIZED SISTER
On our way out, we were passing the food court, and saw the lady with the John 3:16 shirt again. She explained to Vanessa most of what had happened. We prayed again for her sister, and it was so powerful. I've said this in the past, but there is a cumulative effect when believers come together in prayer. Vanessa prayed, and as she spoke healing for each injury, I saw the Lord doing the operation. I saw a new knee being set into place, the left shoulder being straightened...I saw pins being taken out of joints and healing being done! Glory to God! I choose to believe for the healing. I choose to believe that these visions weren't just my imagination--they never are. I choose to believe that the pains I felt just prior to talking to this women were a confirmation of her sister's injuries and God's desire to heal her from them. Thank you Jesus!
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24
....and again,
"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
John 14:13
So, we spent much of our time at the mall having been refused the opportunity to pray with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This can really be frustrating. There should be openness and humility in the Church. If someone ever approaches me out in public and wants to pray, that'd be awesome! I'm not above it, and if I start to feel like I am, I've got a problem. Nonetheless, we are thankful for those who accepted prayer. We are thankful that the two people who wanted prayer for healing were both fully healed. We are thankful and choose to believe that God also healed the lady with the John 3:16 shirt's sister. And we're thankful that the Lord is blessing us with joy and fun!
THURSDAY
Today we saw a few healings, and we were blessed with praying for people with open hearts. We were only in the mall briefly today, but the Lord healed a man who had been resigned to sitting down due to chronic foot pain. This guy had a quiet joy about him, and he was more enthusiastic after some prayer. Praise God!
We also had the unique opportunity to pray for some friends who were unsure of the power of God. Vanessa prayed for her friend's daughter who had strep throat. After one prayer, she said it felt only a little better. Vanessa vigorously commanded the pain to leave a second time, and the daughter said, "Wow! It feels ALOT better!" Vanessa prayed one more time, and she enthusiastically said it still felt a lot better. No confirmation on a perfect throat, but we encouraged her to believe that it would keep getting better and better. It's easier to do this when you've seen God take away the majority of your pain! Vanessa then prayed for her friend's neck pain and arm stiffness. Not much of a difference after the first prayer, except a little relief from neck pain. Vanessa asked if she could pray again, and her friend was open. After the second prayer, she said it felt better, but she wasn't completely delivered. We are continuing to pray for her healing in our own time.
In the next few days, we plan on spending more time at the mall. We are praying for open hearts. We'd also like to get back downtown. We'll be in Springfield a little while longer, until next Monday or Tuesday. We are excited and have hope in the Lord that He will release greater healings, greater miracles, and greater convictions.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Creative Ideas
A few days ago now, Vanessa and I were praying and I felt driven to say to God, "Thank you for creative ideas". I felt inspired to say this but didn't really know why. Afterwards, Vanessa asked what that was all about, and I said I don't know!
I remember, that late last year the Holy Spirit was teaching me to speak things with His authority. Basically, God has to speak something first! The best we can do is repeat after Him. If we speak after Him, that's when our words have power. That's when they have heavenly significance.
"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways."
Job 22:28
This is what Job's friends told him, and it was true--for the most part. There comes a time when God gives the righteous--that was Job!--freedom. There is a time when we can enjoy such freedom in the ways that we serve God. God wants to bring us into freedom where we can serve alongside Him, dream with Him, and create with Him.
There comes a time when "all these things will be given" to us, as well (Matthew 6:33). There comes a time when we will decree a thing, God will back it, and it will be birthed into reality. There comes a breakthrough when God takes over our minds, hearts, and imaginations, and makes them pure.
We need to understand that the Holy Spirit makes the word flesh. He makes the word of God, and the inspirations of God, manifest into something that can dwell among us. (John 1:14) In our lives, we should see the Word come alive and make a tangible impact on whatever is around us. God had a wonderful idea named Jesus, and He has made us in His own image. Thanks to His idea, we can enjoy the the many ideas that were originally only His.
And His purity can make us pure. God has purified our desires, and He has created us with the intention that we break free from our sinful nature. He made us with imaginations; He made us with creativity; He made us with ideas! He wants to purify us and give us His righteousness, because He wants to see our dreams become reality.
God wants us to declare and decree His promises. Start with the Word. Speak the truth into existence--there is the power of life in our speech (Proverbs 18:21)!
The spiritual comes before the physical, so stay grounded in the Word. But aren't there also personal promises God give us? Don't you think He wants to bless the work of your hands? Don't you think that He wants to give you success in whatever you do (Genesis 39:23)? This is the truth, but not many people seem to make it to that point.
Anyways, if there is a promise God has given you--an acting career, a certain type of ministry, a successful published book, etc.--pray into it. Pray into it, speak into it, act into it. Speak His Kingdom come. There is power when our words agree with God in Heaven. There is power when God gives us an idea from Him. Don't you know that God cannot fail? There is such security in doing the things that He tells you. These things won't fail! If He tells you something, decree it? Decree it, and the Holy Spirit will breath it into existence.
God is the most creative One out there. And we can be included into Him! We can have His righteousness, and after we have it, we can have His creative ides. Let's be bold in our declarations and in the things we say--let's be bold and forcefully advance the Kingdom (Matthew 11:12). Let's access God's version of reality by speaking supernatural life and not death.
Since praying that prayer a few days ago, so many 'creative ideas' have been coming at Vanessa and I. It wasn't that my words had much power, but I spoke into what God was saying, and in doing so, aligned with the power that is only His. Glory to God! He gives us freedom, even to have what we say come to pass. Be heavily led, be in tune and in step with the Spirit, and watch as you receive whatever you ask for in prayer (John 14:13)
I remember, that late last year the Holy Spirit was teaching me to speak things with His authority. Basically, God has to speak something first! The best we can do is repeat after Him. If we speak after Him, that's when our words have power. That's when they have heavenly significance.
"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways."
Job 22:28
This is what Job's friends told him, and it was true--for the most part. There comes a time when God gives the righteous--that was Job!--freedom. There is a time when we can enjoy such freedom in the ways that we serve God. God wants to bring us into freedom where we can serve alongside Him, dream with Him, and create with Him.
There comes a time when "all these things will be given" to us, as well (Matthew 6:33). There comes a time when we will decree a thing, God will back it, and it will be birthed into reality. There comes a breakthrough when God takes over our minds, hearts, and imaginations, and makes them pure.
We need to understand that the Holy Spirit makes the word flesh. He makes the word of God, and the inspirations of God, manifest into something that can dwell among us. (John 1:14) In our lives, we should see the Word come alive and make a tangible impact on whatever is around us. God had a wonderful idea named Jesus, and He has made us in His own image. Thanks to His idea, we can enjoy the the many ideas that were originally only His.
And His purity can make us pure. God has purified our desires, and He has created us with the intention that we break free from our sinful nature. He made us with imaginations; He made us with creativity; He made us with ideas! He wants to purify us and give us His righteousness, because He wants to see our dreams become reality.
God wants us to declare and decree His promises. Start with the Word. Speak the truth into existence--there is the power of life in our speech (Proverbs 18:21)!
The spiritual comes before the physical, so stay grounded in the Word. But aren't there also personal promises God give us? Don't you think He wants to bless the work of your hands? Don't you think that He wants to give you success in whatever you do (Genesis 39:23)? This is the truth, but not many people seem to make it to that point.
Anyways, if there is a promise God has given you--an acting career, a certain type of ministry, a successful published book, etc.--pray into it. Pray into it, speak into it, act into it. Speak His Kingdom come. There is power when our words agree with God in Heaven. There is power when God gives us an idea from Him. Don't you know that God cannot fail? There is such security in doing the things that He tells you. These things won't fail! If He tells you something, decree it? Decree it, and the Holy Spirit will breath it into existence.
God is the most creative One out there. And we can be included into Him! We can have His righteousness, and after we have it, we can have His creative ides. Let's be bold in our declarations and in the things we say--let's be bold and forcefully advance the Kingdom (Matthew 11:12). Let's access God's version of reality by speaking supernatural life and not death.
Since praying that prayer a few days ago, so many 'creative ideas' have been coming at Vanessa and I. It wasn't that my words had much power, but I spoke into what God was saying, and in doing so, aligned with the power that is only His. Glory to God! He gives us freedom, even to have what we say come to pass. Be heavily led, be in tune and in step with the Spirit, and watch as you receive whatever you ask for in prayer (John 14:13)
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Healing vs. Perfect Health
Nearly a week ago I was thinking about the subject of healing. Divine Healing has become such a wonderful part of my walk with God. I believe, according to the word of God, that healing is a gift given for every believer. It is part of our daily bread.
But what about perfect health--continually being renewed to the point of never feeling any bodily imperfections? Is that always God's will? For some, that's a hard question to answer. I don't think it is.
Let's look at the story of Job, and accept what happened to him. After all, every bit of scripture is useful for exhortation and teaching (2 Timothy 3:16). So Job was willing to accept evil from the Lord as well as good. I'd say it's clear that the Lord willed for Job to experience much less than divine health. We can't discount this story in trying to understand the gifts that we're entitled to in Christ.
He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2:10
I myself have have been given healings by the Lord--from Achilles tendonitis, anemia, gout, and several other things. And of course I've seen many more healings in the lives of others. The Holy Spirit has made it clear to me that He is willing to heal all my diseases(Psalms 103:3) and deliver me from all evils.
But there is an even better way. Just like there is a time for mountaintop experiences with God (see this post), there is also a time to enjoy divine health from the Lord. Remember, He is not slow in keeping His promises, and He cannot fail (2 Peter 3:9). There is a place of constant regeneration that God has reserved for us. And He is giving this blessing of to those who ask Him for it.
I remember that nearly a year ago now God told me something interesting:
"Perfect Health will come with perfect peace".
So He revealed to me such a precious truth there. He gave me a promise to look to and a standard to strive for. To this day, my health is still not perfect. Sometimes I begin to develop colds or congestion. Now, can I reach perfection? Of course not. But the Holy Spirit within me is already perfect, and if I yield to Him, He will lead us to the inheritance we've already been given in Christ!
If we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), we are able to receiving the body of Christ. We are able, according to God's Will, to receive perfect health. God won't turn us away from asking. He wants to give us His peace, and so transform us that our bodies experience peace, too. Ask Him to take you to that place.
For the time being, we have received our treasures in jars of clay. God has allowed this. He's done this so we realise the full extent of His power! (2 Corinthians 4:7) The next step is to ask accordingly for a portion of that Life. It's time to believe that He gives without finding fault! (James 1:5) Now is the time to accept the gift of faith and the gift of healing, and with them, an inheritance of perfect health.
Confirmed: Last week there was a Word on the Quickened Word website. It said that many would be brought new life by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit. Below is a short excerpt. Hereis the rest of the article.
The Holy Spirit will give...spiritual power that will invigorate you so that divine healing will flow. Spending time with the One who has the gift of healing will bring the "times of refreshing" that is needed by the body of Christ. "
Glory to God! Spiritual healing will flow. This is the gift of healing applied continually. This is faith to see the gift of healing constantly poured out. This is a place where the presence of God is faithful to heal. He knows what to do. He knows what our bodies need!
Now is the time to receive new wineskins, and inherit the incoming gift of God. We need to empty ourselves so that the gift of healing can flow into us. We need to spend time with Him and receive, receive, receive! It's time for refreshing, and it's time to do more than survive. It's time to begin to thrive.
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Romans 8:11
But what about perfect health--continually being renewed to the point of never feeling any bodily imperfections? Is that always God's will? For some, that's a hard question to answer. I don't think it is.
Let's look at the story of Job, and accept what happened to him. After all, every bit of scripture is useful for exhortation and teaching (2 Timothy 3:16). So Job was willing to accept evil from the Lord as well as good. I'd say it's clear that the Lord willed for Job to experience much less than divine health. We can't discount this story in trying to understand the gifts that we're entitled to in Christ.
He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2:10
I myself have have been given healings by the Lord--from Achilles tendonitis, anemia, gout, and several other things. And of course I've seen many more healings in the lives of others. The Holy Spirit has made it clear to me that He is willing to heal all my diseases(Psalms 103:3) and deliver me from all evils.
But there is an even better way. Just like there is a time for mountaintop experiences with God (see this post), there is also a time to enjoy divine health from the Lord. Remember, He is not slow in keeping His promises, and He cannot fail (2 Peter 3:9). There is a place of constant regeneration that God has reserved for us. And He is giving this blessing of to those who ask Him for it.
I remember that nearly a year ago now God told me something interesting:
"Perfect Health will come with perfect peace".
So He revealed to me such a precious truth there. He gave me a promise to look to and a standard to strive for. To this day, my health is still not perfect. Sometimes I begin to develop colds or congestion. Now, can I reach perfection? Of course not. But the Holy Spirit within me is already perfect, and if I yield to Him, He will lead us to the inheritance we've already been given in Christ!
If we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), we are able to receiving the body of Christ. We are able, according to God's Will, to receive perfect health. God won't turn us away from asking. He wants to give us His peace, and so transform us that our bodies experience peace, too. Ask Him to take you to that place.
For the time being, we have received our treasures in jars of clay. God has allowed this. He's done this so we realise the full extent of His power! (2 Corinthians 4:7) The next step is to ask accordingly for a portion of that Life. It's time to believe that He gives without finding fault! (James 1:5) Now is the time to accept the gift of faith and the gift of healing, and with them, an inheritance of perfect health.
Confirmed: Last week there was a Word on the Quickened Word website. It said that many would be brought new life by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit. Below is a short excerpt. Hereis the rest of the article.
The Holy Spirit will give...spiritual power that will invigorate you so that divine healing will flow. Spending time with the One who has the gift of healing will bring the "times of refreshing" that is needed by the body of Christ. "
Glory to God! Spiritual healing will flow. This is the gift of healing applied continually. This is faith to see the gift of healing constantly poured out. This is a place where the presence of God is faithful to heal. He knows what to do. He knows what our bodies need!
Now is the time to receive new wineskins, and inherit the incoming gift of God. We need to empty ourselves so that the gift of healing can flow into us. We need to spend time with Him and receive, receive, receive! It's time for refreshing, and it's time to do more than survive. It's time to begin to thrive.
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Romans 8:11
Monday, December 22, 2014
Snapshot: When We Only Get Crumbs
The amplified version of John 1:16 says this:
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.
It's almost too easy. God lavishes us with gifts! And He wants to be this generous with us. The problem begins when we start to take Him for granted. When we start to despise the "day of small things". When we stop intently seeking Him because He's blessed us so much. There is so much lost in spiritual plateau.
"When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me." Hosea 13:6
Let's not get to this point. Let's stay hungry for God. Let's keep searching, keep seeking. Today the Lord is saying, "Seek my Face". Will you respond in obedience?
There comes a time when some will fall prey to distractions. I've done it. There comes a time when the enemy gets a stronghold and we lose our focus on Jesus. What does God do then? He alerts us! He makes known to us our mistake, and withholds Himself just long enough for us to realize our own desperation for Him. So we start to miss Him, so to speak, and then we begin seeking Him again.
We may start seeking Him, though, and only find crumbs (see Matthew 15:23 and on). We may only receive spiritual milk. We may not feel His presence like we did in the past. And we may not have our hope fully restored--not right away at least. There is a time for begging and wrestling with God. The correct response is to be desperate for God
"Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me." Psalm 142:6
Let's beg for His mercy, if we need to. Let's plead for more than crumbs. We have already entered into the fullness of God in Christ, but let's beg Him to allow us to live in this knowledge. Even though we already have every spiritual blessing, let's eagerly desire the spiritual gifts that He holds out for our taking (1 Corinthians 12:31). It is by faith in Jesus that we take hold of all of our heavenly inheritance. It is by faith in His unveiled character that we realize we can wrestle with God.
Confirmed: Yesterday I was listening to Christian radio and I overheard the story of the Canaanite women who insisted that the Lord at least give her the crumbs. Didn't she have great faith? It was this faith that pleased God. When we have faith, we can ask for more. We don't have to settle for just crumbs! If we are reckless in our trust towards Him, it will be done as we wish. Wigglesworth said, "Asking is receiving." Glory to God!
Confirmed: I was talking with Vanessa today about wrestling with God, and when it is appropriate to really plead with Him. She, too, had heard the story of the Canaanite women yesterday, except she read it in the Word.
Let's come to God with a boldness and empowerment by His Spirit. Let's come with pure hearts and trust that He has allowed us to stand before Him. He has made us clean! He wants our future to be prosperous, and He wants us to be fed with the finest of spiritual foods. Let's believe what Jude 1:24 says. Let's believe it and act on it!
"Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault."
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.
It's almost too easy. God lavishes us with gifts! And He wants to be this generous with us. The problem begins when we start to take Him for granted. When we start to despise the "day of small things". When we stop intently seeking Him because He's blessed us so much. There is so much lost in spiritual plateau.
"When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me." Hosea 13:6
Let's not get to this point. Let's stay hungry for God. Let's keep searching, keep seeking. Today the Lord is saying, "Seek my Face". Will you respond in obedience?
There comes a time when some will fall prey to distractions. I've done it. There comes a time when the enemy gets a stronghold and we lose our focus on Jesus. What does God do then? He alerts us! He makes known to us our mistake, and withholds Himself just long enough for us to realize our own desperation for Him. So we start to miss Him, so to speak, and then we begin seeking Him again.
We may start seeking Him, though, and only find crumbs (see Matthew 15:23 and on). We may only receive spiritual milk. We may not feel His presence like we did in the past. And we may not have our hope fully restored--not right away at least. There is a time for begging and wrestling with God. The correct response is to be desperate for God
"Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me." Psalm 142:6
Let's beg for His mercy, if we need to. Let's plead for more than crumbs. We have already entered into the fullness of God in Christ, but let's beg Him to allow us to live in this knowledge. Even though we already have every spiritual blessing, let's eagerly desire the spiritual gifts that He holds out for our taking (1 Corinthians 12:31). It is by faith in Jesus that we take hold of all of our heavenly inheritance. It is by faith in His unveiled character that we realize we can wrestle with God.
Confirmed: Yesterday I was listening to Christian radio and I overheard the story of the Canaanite women who insisted that the Lord at least give her the crumbs. Didn't she have great faith? It was this faith that pleased God. When we have faith, we can ask for more. We don't have to settle for just crumbs! If we are reckless in our trust towards Him, it will be done as we wish. Wigglesworth said, "Asking is receiving." Glory to God!
Confirmed: I was talking with Vanessa today about wrestling with God, and when it is appropriate to really plead with Him. She, too, had heard the story of the Canaanite women yesterday, except she read it in the Word.
Let's come to God with a boldness and empowerment by His Spirit. Let's come with pure hearts and trust that He has allowed us to stand before Him. He has made us clean! He wants our future to be prosperous, and He wants us to be fed with the finest of spiritual foods. Let's believe what Jude 1:24 says. Let's believe it and act on it!
"Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault."
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Snapshot: Power in His Cross
In Church last Sunday I saw a vision of the cross. It was surging with electricity. There was so much power in the sacrifice God's Son made for us. And there still is! I saw the cross being filled with power. We can join in this. We can partake of this heavenly power. We can receive tangible life in our dying. We can be glorified with Him if we share in His sufferings.
"Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:17
"I want to know Christ--yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10-11
If we are willing to carry our cross, if we are willing for our flesh to be crucified, that's when we receive His Glory. That's when we receive power. That's when we can "Sing with all the Saints in Glory". That's the time when The Holy Spirit comes in and makes us truly alive.
Jesus, through His Spirit, is asking us. He is knocking on the door and asking us if we will drink from His cup... if we are willing to take and use all that He gives us. Are you willing to be crucified with Him? There have been many times when I haven't. But willingness starts with Him. It starts by knowing His goodness and beginning to die to self. Every time we die to our sinful desires, we become more like Him. When we become more like Him, He always comes to comfort us.
There is a point when we become wired with the Life of God. There is a point when He gives us a type of Life that overcomes any problems on this earth. "Life to the fullest" can and does overcome our sins, our selfishness, and our sicknesses. If we are crucified with Him, then He can give us a taste of Glory on this earth. Then we can experience His power and might and glory, and then we can give it all back to Him. Are we willing to carry that cross?
"Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:17
"I want to know Christ--yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10-11
If we are willing to carry our cross, if we are willing for our flesh to be crucified, that's when we receive His Glory. That's when we receive power. That's when we can "Sing with all the Saints in Glory". That's the time when The Holy Spirit comes in and makes us truly alive.
Jesus, through His Spirit, is asking us. He is knocking on the door and asking us if we will drink from His cup... if we are willing to take and use all that He gives us. Are you willing to be crucified with Him? There have been many times when I haven't. But willingness starts with Him. It starts by knowing His goodness and beginning to die to self. Every time we die to our sinful desires, we become more like Him. When we become more like Him, He always comes to comfort us.
There is a point when we become wired with the Life of God. There is a point when He gives us a type of Life that overcomes any problems on this earth. "Life to the fullest" can and does overcome our sins, our selfishness, and our sicknesses. If we are crucified with Him, then He can give us a taste of Glory on this earth. Then we can experience His power and might and glory, and then we can give it all back to Him. Are we willing to carry that cross?
Friday, December 12, 2014
Asking for His Details
I was asking God for a few things in prayer earlier today... and decided to play some worshipful music on my Kindle while getting some things done. As I was getting the music set up, a YouTube add came up which said: "Ask More, Get More". This was quickened to me because it happened synchronistically with my prayer.
"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" John 14:13
If we abide in Him, this will be obvious in our lives. Because when we abide in Him, our will is replaced by His. When we abide in Him, we are led to pray His Kingdom down, just as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10). And if we ask in prayer for His Will and His Kingdom, He will surely give it!
But we need to ask. Even more than that, we need to live in a hungering for His Will that results in our asking. Smith Wigglesworth said that asking is receiving. But this is only true if we are walking really close to God. He is waiting for us to ask, and He is waiting for us to receive. He is waiting for us to stop and consider the very BEST for our lives...and that requires searching for His perfect Will. God wants to guide us continually (Isaiah 58:11). Are we willing to surrender all and long for His desires?
Confirmed: There was a new Rhema Word on the Quickened Word website today. Here it is. As I've gotten close to God, I've realized that He is really into the details. He wants everything, even the little things.. He desires everything, because all things are His, and He will not turn down an opportunity to glorify Himself. His name is majestic in all the earth (Psalms 8:1). This article goes into that very well.
God wants to bless every aspect of our lives. But He can only do that if we are living for Him. He will only :guide us continually" if we are seeking His Will and praying into it. The more we ask Him, the more we get direction. And the more we can receive Holy direction, the more we can please Him and rise above this world. But we need to seek Him intently and not for selfish reasons.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
If we are set apart from the world, we can receive downloads of God with clear filters. God's Word has already been planted in our hearts, but it cannot mature unless we have been sanctified. So we are sanctified, we pray His Will into manifestation, and we receive a mind in tune with the Spirit and the perfect Will of God.
Finding God's Will is an art more than a science. We have to be equipped to test it. We have to strive for His PERFECT Will. God wants the best for us. We need to do our best to follow Him. It takes purpose and purity of heart to see what He wants. We need to become more pure, in order to plunge deeper into spiritual things. We should be able to discern God's thoughts on all areas of our lives. Why not? Our vision will take on His own if we abide in Him, if we are pure.
God delights in every detail of our lives (see Psalm 37:23 on that Quickened Word post). Yes, every detail. The problem is that many are still learning the basics of God over and over and over again. So many need to stay confined to spiritual milk because they choose to live with minds fixated on this world. Why not pay the price for spiritual meat? (See 1 Corinthians 3)
Our God is willing, our God is able, our God is mighty. He is mighty to save and sanctify EVERY part of our lives. He is not willing for any of our works to be burnt up. But we can only please Him in everything if we deeply abide in Him. If we abide in Him, we will find that salvation is a full experience. Let's seek God for every aspect of His Will.
Let's ask Him for every single detail. Let's choose the very best path, so that He can delight in us. Do you know when God wants you to wake up tomorrow? If not, what does He think about the way you dress? Does He want you to pray for a particular neighbor? Does He want you to live where you do? Do not expect to discern these things if you are living in the world. We can only see a larger part (see 1 Corinthians 13) if we have taken on His purity. It takes a transformed mind and a walk in His Spirit to please Him in all. Let's commit to this.
Remember, God want to guide you continually. He wants you to enjoy favor in all things you do. There is a price to pay, but it is worth it. Entering the fullness of salvation is worthy of counting the cost. Put Him first, and He will direct you.
Confirmed 12/15: This post is a confirmation of the "asking" theme. Like the post says, never be afraid to ask for directions! Vanessa and I like to call them 'navigational commands'. We need to ask if we want to receive fully.
"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" John 14:13
If we abide in Him, this will be obvious in our lives. Because when we abide in Him, our will is replaced by His. When we abide in Him, we are led to pray His Kingdom down, just as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10). And if we ask in prayer for His Will and His Kingdom, He will surely give it!
But we need to ask. Even more than that, we need to live in a hungering for His Will that results in our asking. Smith Wigglesworth said that asking is receiving. But this is only true if we are walking really close to God. He is waiting for us to ask, and He is waiting for us to receive. He is waiting for us to stop and consider the very BEST for our lives...and that requires searching for His perfect Will. God wants to guide us continually (Isaiah 58:11). Are we willing to surrender all and long for His desires?
Confirmed: There was a new Rhema Word on the Quickened Word website today. Here it is. As I've gotten close to God, I've realized that He is really into the details. He wants everything, even the little things.. He desires everything, because all things are His, and He will not turn down an opportunity to glorify Himself. His name is majestic in all the earth (Psalms 8:1). This article goes into that very well.
God wants to bless every aspect of our lives. But He can only do that if we are living for Him. He will only :guide us continually" if we are seeking His Will and praying into it. The more we ask Him, the more we get direction. And the more we can receive Holy direction, the more we can please Him and rise above this world. But we need to seek Him intently and not for selfish reasons.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
If we are set apart from the world, we can receive downloads of God with clear filters. God's Word has already been planted in our hearts, but it cannot mature unless we have been sanctified. So we are sanctified, we pray His Will into manifestation, and we receive a mind in tune with the Spirit and the perfect Will of God.
Finding God's Will is an art more than a science. We have to be equipped to test it. We have to strive for His PERFECT Will. God wants the best for us. We need to do our best to follow Him. It takes purpose and purity of heart to see what He wants. We need to become more pure, in order to plunge deeper into spiritual things. We should be able to discern God's thoughts on all areas of our lives. Why not? Our vision will take on His own if we abide in Him, if we are pure.
God delights in every detail of our lives (see Psalm 37:23 on that Quickened Word post). Yes, every detail. The problem is that many are still learning the basics of God over and over and over again. So many need to stay confined to spiritual milk because they choose to live with minds fixated on this world. Why not pay the price for spiritual meat? (See 1 Corinthians 3)
Our God is willing, our God is able, our God is mighty. He is mighty to save and sanctify EVERY part of our lives. He is not willing for any of our works to be burnt up. But we can only please Him in everything if we deeply abide in Him. If we abide in Him, we will find that salvation is a full experience. Let's seek God for every aspect of His Will.
Let's ask Him for every single detail. Let's choose the very best path, so that He can delight in us. Do you know when God wants you to wake up tomorrow? If not, what does He think about the way you dress? Does He want you to pray for a particular neighbor? Does He want you to live where you do? Do not expect to discern these things if you are living in the world. We can only see a larger part (see 1 Corinthians 13) if we have taken on His purity. It takes a transformed mind and a walk in His Spirit to please Him in all. Let's commit to this.
Remember, God want to guide you continually. He wants you to enjoy favor in all things you do. There is a price to pay, but it is worth it. Entering the fullness of salvation is worthy of counting the cost. Put Him first, and He will direct you.
Confirmed 12/15: This post is a confirmation of the "asking" theme. Like the post says, never be afraid to ask for directions! Vanessa and I like to call them 'navigational commands'. We need to ask if we want to receive fully.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Snapshot: The Promised Land
Yesterday I began reading about the Israelites and their journey to the promised land. Today, I was listening to Christian radio and there was a segment on the topic.
I was directed to think on the topic. What has God promised to me? So many things...He will be with us always, and He is not slow to fulfill what He's spoken. He gives us promises, and our response is to be carried into them. Our response needs to be love. God's demand is simple. He gave us a new commandment, that we love one another. This love, for others but especially for Him, is required if we want to see the Word dwell in us. If we want to be sure of the validity of His promises, then we need to be filled with His love.
We can enter the promised land every moment. Let's remember God, and His mighty power. Let's abide in His Love. Let's act like children of the light and acknowledge that His light is all we need.
God had me realize today that what He requires is enough. Knowing that I can please Him is enough. If I please Him, I have accomplished everything important. If I know He is pleased with me, I can ask Him and believe, I can return to His promises. I can enter into the Promised Land. His requirements become simple as we get to know Him. He doesn't give us only commands; that wouldn't be right. He gives us a desire to walk with Him. Let's do what He's shown us is good, and walk humbly with our God. He can always be trusted to cause us to break through.
I was directed to think on the topic. What has God promised to me? So many things...He will be with us always, and He is not slow to fulfill what He's spoken. He gives us promises, and our response is to be carried into them. Our response needs to be love. God's demand is simple. He gave us a new commandment, that we love one another. This love, for others but especially for Him, is required if we want to see the Word dwell in us. If we want to be sure of the validity of His promises, then we need to be filled with His love.
We can enter the promised land every moment. Let's remember God, and His mighty power. Let's abide in His Love. Let's act like children of the light and acknowledge that His light is all we need.
God had me realize today that what He requires is enough. Knowing that I can please Him is enough. If I please Him, I have accomplished everything important. If I know He is pleased with me, I can ask Him and believe, I can return to His promises. I can enter into the Promised Land. His requirements become simple as we get to know Him. He doesn't give us only commands; that wouldn't be right. He gives us a desire to walk with Him. Let's do what He's shown us is good, and walk humbly with our God. He can always be trusted to cause us to break through.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Snapshot: His Mercy
Today I was in riding in the car for a while and forgot to bring anything to read. Praise God, though, that I found a pretty comprehensive Bible Commentary book to look at. I was ready about the theme of God's mercy...what a significant thing. Some have it, some do not, and that makes all the difference. Praise God that He greets those who come to Him with His Love.
Anyways, I was reading about mercy in context to the Psalms. David made so many mistakes, but He also gloried in God's mercy. His sin made the mercy of God all the more amazing. Yet David new repentance, and what it is to be truly sorry and humble before God. He did not live in sinfulness; that would be an attempt at abusing God's mercy. This simply doesn't work, because our Lord cannot be mocked. (Galatians 6:7-7) He can be trusted merciful, though, and if we accept the riches of His mercy, it will be enough to compel us to "bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:8)
I was praying about this. I wanted to be assured that I have His mercy. I was begging for it. I'll be honest, I'm very human in that my faith needs to continually be "reminded". I need a God who is quick and active! I felt Him saying that I did have it, and that I could rest assured in that. What did I expect? God is faithful.
Anyways, right after feeling confirmed by God, I looked up. We were still driving down the highway, and right in front of us was a car whose back license plate said, "MERCY" in all caps. Glory to God! He wants us to feast on His Word. He wants us to crave it, even if that means craving the basics of our spiritual faith (1 Peter 2:2). He always brings us back.
Anyways, I was reading about mercy in context to the Psalms. David made so many mistakes, but He also gloried in God's mercy. His sin made the mercy of God all the more amazing. Yet David new repentance, and what it is to be truly sorry and humble before God. He did not live in sinfulness; that would be an attempt at abusing God's mercy. This simply doesn't work, because our Lord cannot be mocked. (Galatians 6:7-7) He can be trusted merciful, though, and if we accept the riches of His mercy, it will be enough to compel us to "bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:8)
I was praying about this. I wanted to be assured that I have His mercy. I was begging for it. I'll be honest, I'm very human in that my faith needs to continually be "reminded". I need a God who is quick and active! I felt Him saying that I did have it, and that I could rest assured in that. What did I expect? God is faithful.
Anyways, right after feeling confirmed by God, I looked up. We were still driving down the highway, and right in front of us was a car whose back license plate said, "MERCY" in all caps. Glory to God! He wants us to feast on His Word. He wants us to crave it, even if that means craving the basics of our spiritual faith (1 Peter 2:2). He always brings us back.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Snapshot: When He gives us Our Desires
Two days ago I was reading Heidi Baker's newest book, "Birthing the Miraculous". I came to a section where the Lord granted Heidi the desires of her heart. For her, this was the nation of Mozambique. Wow...what a glorious calling. But what a cost to count, too, as I went on reading. Are you willing to count it? Anyways...
So, this inspired me to ask a similar thing to God. Yesterday during my morning time I felt like He began answering. I asked the Lord for what I wanted. But more than that, I asked Him for the specific desires that He had put on my heart--I asked Him to manifest what He Himself had taught me (see Psalm 119:102 or the previous post). I felt like He was saying yes, and in my mind I went into a vision of my desired calling being carried out. Glory to God!
"Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires." Psalm 37:4
What came first, the chicken or the egg? He gives us His Spirit first, then we delight in Him. When we delight in Him, He gives us His desires, with a tailoring to our specific calling. If we keep our delight in Him, He will carry out these new desires. If you delight in the Lord, if you really truly do it, your life will take on a whole new characteristic. Now God doesn't give us just anything. We will not receive this Word if we ask selfishly (see James 4:3). We will receive our desires, only if our heart is pure before Him.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Isaiah 36:26
We cannot ask out of the desires of our flesh, but only out of a soft heart of flesh. We cannot ask God with one foot in the world and one in His presence. We can ask as the Spirit prompts us. If we ask out of selfish ambition, we risk believing in vain. Allow God to soften your heart, and then you can ask in faith. This is what we all need to do.
"...The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated those He has invited." Zephaniah 1:7
I was lead to this verse yesterday after that experience. I felt it was a type of exhorting confirmation. What is the sacrifice? Firstly, Jesus, but then comes our part--our lives for His desires. He invites us to sacrifice all, and in return He consecrates us and makes us His own. He invites us to partake of His Word. He invites us, but we need to be consecrated as the Word comes to fruition. Are you willing to be His sacrifice? If so, Psalm 37:4 is for you.
So, this inspired me to ask a similar thing to God. Yesterday during my morning time I felt like He began answering. I asked the Lord for what I wanted. But more than that, I asked Him for the specific desires that He had put on my heart--I asked Him to manifest what He Himself had taught me (see Psalm 119:102 or the previous post). I felt like He was saying yes, and in my mind I went into a vision of my desired calling being carried out. Glory to God!
"Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires." Psalm 37:4
What came first, the chicken or the egg? He gives us His Spirit first, then we delight in Him. When we delight in Him, He gives us His desires, with a tailoring to our specific calling. If we keep our delight in Him, He will carry out these new desires. If you delight in the Lord, if you really truly do it, your life will take on a whole new characteristic. Now God doesn't give us just anything. We will not receive this Word if we ask selfishly (see James 4:3). We will receive our desires, only if our heart is pure before Him.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Isaiah 36:26
We cannot ask out of the desires of our flesh, but only out of a soft heart of flesh. We cannot ask God with one foot in the world and one in His presence. We can ask as the Spirit prompts us. If we ask out of selfish ambition, we risk believing in vain. Allow God to soften your heart, and then you can ask in faith. This is what we all need to do.
"...The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated those He has invited." Zephaniah 1:7
I was lead to this verse yesterday after that experience. I felt it was a type of exhorting confirmation. What is the sacrifice? Firstly, Jesus, but then comes our part--our lives for His desires. He invites us to sacrifice all, and in return He consecrates us and makes us His own. He invites us to partake of His Word. He invites us, but we need to be consecrated as the Word comes to fruition. Are you willing to be His sacrifice? If so, Psalm 37:4 is for you.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Synchronicity: How to Read The Word
God gave us His Word for many reasons. The Word is our hope and our encouragement, our "ever-present hope in times of trouble." We cannot forget or underestimate the Word. It is alive and active, and by the Holy Spirit it is made real to us.
The Bible gives us commands to keep us pure in the eyes of God, and it also gives us moment by moment direction. There are a few names for the Word's present-time guidance. I like to call this kind of direction "rhema" or "navigational commands". These things come from the Word as we read it led by the Holy Spirit.
So, how to get specific commands from the bible? There are certainly times when it's good to read long passages of scripture at once, but the Lord has given us faster ways to discern His answers to specific questions. When we are led by the Spirit and operating out of a place of faith, random bible reading is often miraculously on topic. Try randomly opening a bible up and you'll see what I mean. As long as we precede this by trust and reliance on God, He gives specific direction through the Word, in ways that are sometimes totally unrelated to the context of that scripture section.
For example, last night I had a warning-type dream. It related to discipline that was painful. I felt it was from God, and this dream really helped me understand His might in disciplining those He loves. His discipline, and His commands to stay blameless, are designed for our protection, "lest some worse thing happen". After asking for His help, I open up the Word to Proverbs 19:18:
"Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction."
So this verse synchronously confirmed the topic and message of last night's dream. God is always faithful to His Word. The Bible is unlike any other book, and because of that, it is reliable to direct us when opened at random. So, often, I open my Bible at random and the first thing my eyes see totally relates to the day's events. Sometimes the first passage I read relates to things that happened just minutes ago. These synchronistic happenings are not just coincidences! No, those who are near God need to acknowledge His power (Isaiah 33:13).
In the last month or so, the Holy Spirit has been teaching me how to get specific instruction from God on behalf of others. I don't mean prophecy here, but more so selecting timely bible verses, that often have a prophetic meaning. It all starts by hearing God's voice. The further you go along with God, the less and less you can do things, even spiritual things, according to your own will.
This new method is very efficient, but like I said, it must be strongly guided by God. So, most mornings I seek God on behalf of my wife. I acknowledge His ability, and His power, and then open my Bible at random. I may have my eyes closed, and point to a spot on the page, before opening my eyes and reading the selected verse. Or, I might just "know" that I'm meant to keep my eyes open, and immediately look on near the top left corner of the page. Direction such as this is a benefit of "keeping in step" with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25).
Once again, distinct guidance is critical here! The Lord directs me when I do these random, finger-pointing readings...it is He that gives me protection and wisdom. Often He speaks with that "still, small voice" and tells me where to point my finger, which side of the page to gaze at, or where in the Word I should first open. When I do read as directed, God always gives me a passage whose message couldn't be a bit better. This is my one of my favorite ways to get specific direction from God.
"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalm 119:105
The Word is a light for the feet, not a spotlight into the distant future. So many people miss this! The Word guides us step by step. If we could do more than just "see in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9), we would not need to fully rely on God, nor have faith in the unseen! The synchronistic things God directs to us often fall around our feet, as He turns our "darkness into light" and guides us moment by moment. God's Spirit aligns us with converging events, through the Word, that guide our path. Glory to God! He really is so creative. Synchronicity through the word keep us "in step" better than almost anything. Reading the Bible at random is such a faith builder. Like I said, though, we must begin reading in faith that "the Lord is God, shining upon us". Or else, we are in serious danger of our faith being hurt even more:
"...Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." Matthew 13:12
So, let's read the word with faith to receive, and faith to believe the rhema word that God wants to speak. Let's desire clear and specific instruction, so that we can walk on His path for us, and not resort to lighting our own fires. Let's acknowledge God's power to move through synchronistic events, and give Him the Glory for it!
"For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." Romans 11:36
The Bible gives us commands to keep us pure in the eyes of God, and it also gives us moment by moment direction. There are a few names for the Word's present-time guidance. I like to call this kind of direction "rhema" or "navigational commands". These things come from the Word as we read it led by the Holy Spirit.
So, how to get specific commands from the bible? There are certainly times when it's good to read long passages of scripture at once, but the Lord has given us faster ways to discern His answers to specific questions. When we are led by the Spirit and operating out of a place of faith, random bible reading is often miraculously on topic. Try randomly opening a bible up and you'll see what I mean. As long as we precede this by trust and reliance on God, He gives specific direction through the Word, in ways that are sometimes totally unrelated to the context of that scripture section.
For example, last night I had a warning-type dream. It related to discipline that was painful. I felt it was from God, and this dream really helped me understand His might in disciplining those He loves. His discipline, and His commands to stay blameless, are designed for our protection, "lest some worse thing happen". After asking for His help, I open up the Word to Proverbs 19:18:
"Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction."
So this verse synchronously confirmed the topic and message of last night's dream. God is always faithful to His Word. The Bible is unlike any other book, and because of that, it is reliable to direct us when opened at random. So, often, I open my Bible at random and the first thing my eyes see totally relates to the day's events. Sometimes the first passage I read relates to things that happened just minutes ago. These synchronistic happenings are not just coincidences! No, those who are near God need to acknowledge His power (Isaiah 33:13).
In the last month or so, the Holy Spirit has been teaching me how to get specific instruction from God on behalf of others. I don't mean prophecy here, but more so selecting timely bible verses, that often have a prophetic meaning. It all starts by hearing God's voice. The further you go along with God, the less and less you can do things, even spiritual things, according to your own will.
This new method is very efficient, but like I said, it must be strongly guided by God. So, most mornings I seek God on behalf of my wife. I acknowledge His ability, and His power, and then open my Bible at random. I may have my eyes closed, and point to a spot on the page, before opening my eyes and reading the selected verse. Or, I might just "know" that I'm meant to keep my eyes open, and immediately look on near the top left corner of the page. Direction such as this is a benefit of "keeping in step" with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25).
Once again, distinct guidance is critical here! The Lord directs me when I do these random, finger-pointing readings...it is He that gives me protection and wisdom. Often He speaks with that "still, small voice" and tells me where to point my finger, which side of the page to gaze at, or where in the Word I should first open. When I do read as directed, God always gives me a passage whose message couldn't be a bit better. This is my one of my favorite ways to get specific direction from God.
"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalm 119:105
The Word is a light for the feet, not a spotlight into the distant future. So many people miss this! The Word guides us step by step. If we could do more than just "see in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9), we would not need to fully rely on God, nor have faith in the unseen! The synchronistic things God directs to us often fall around our feet, as He turns our "darkness into light" and guides us moment by moment. God's Spirit aligns us with converging events, through the Word, that guide our path. Glory to God! He really is so creative. Synchronicity through the word keep us "in step" better than almost anything. Reading the Bible at random is such a faith builder. Like I said, though, we must begin reading in faith that "the Lord is God, shining upon us". Or else, we are in serious danger of our faith being hurt even more:
"...Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." Matthew 13:12
So, let's read the word with faith to receive, and faith to believe the rhema word that God wants to speak. Let's desire clear and specific instruction, so that we can walk on His path for us, and not resort to lighting our own fires. Let's acknowledge God's power to move through synchronistic events, and give Him the Glory for it!
"For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." Romans 11:36
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