There is almost a contradiction inherent in these verses. Abraham desires something for his son, but is unwilling to acquiesce in order to achieve it. Why is Abraham so adamant? Verse 7 gives us the answer. Here, Abraham explains that God brought him out of the land of his fathers and placed him in a foreign land and commanded the blessing over that land as an inheritance. Abraham is unwilling to leave the place of his blessing in order to acquire that which he desires for his son.

Do you know your place of blessing?

Abraham understood something in these verses that came as a striking revelation to me in my own life. As long as we stay under the umbrella of our blessing, then God will bring our desires into that covenant. Everything we do must work to draw our desires under the blessing, and not to have our desires draw us outside of the blessing.

There is a passage of scripture in James 1:14, 15 that uses this very terminology of being “drawn out.” James explains that our temptations are the result of our own desires, which draw us out and entice us. That drawing away leads to sin–and sin, to death.

So then how do you reconcile that which you desire with your need to remain obedient to your place of blessing?

In my own life, I recently struggled with the answer. You begin to ask yourself questions and to wonder things like, but, what if I go after what I desire and it does not conform to my place of obedience? What if I am rejected? What if I lose out on it? Indeed, Abraham’s servant asked these very questions. In essence, he was asking Abraham, what if what you want refuses to abide within your place of obedience?

Abraham said two things that stuck with me. First, he said, “God placed me under this covenant of blessing, and I believe that all I desire He will provide to me without compromise.” Second, he said, “If she does not come with you, then you are released from this obligation.” In other words, if she is unwilling then she is not the right one. This is powerful.

Even if what we desire is outside of our place of blessing, we must be unwavering in our obedience to where God has placed us. We do not need to compromise, for the scripture makes it clear that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, then He will give us the desires of our heart.

I learned this lesson the hard way. I was drawn out by my desire and led outside of my place of blessing. The resulting sin haunted me so, and my repentance was great before God. I ran quickly back to my place of blessing, but found my heart was unresolved. God spoke to me clearly in that moment. That which I desired was indeed of God, but I let the fear of losing it cause me to step away from my place of obedience. Now that I had humbled myself before God, He was free to do the work He had intended to do all along. He would bring it to me. Our desires are transformed into a work of blessing by virtue of not just our obedience, but the obedience of that which is desired. You see, Rebekah had to choose to follow Isaac. And in the same way, God has to work to bring our desires in submission to His Will.

I encourage you to reevaluate your place of blessing. Submit your desires to God and remain obedient to where He has placed you. What God has promised to bless you with, you can be sure that He will provide. Without compromise.

We have all heard of the theory of natural selection. Whether you agree or not with its suggestion toward evolution, there is biological proof that certain traits are either developed or atrophied based on our environment. We are an adaptable species and, the same way that we use our thinking to learn from experience, our bodies use experience to learn from nature.

Grasping this concept is critical to understanding where I am headed with the topic of this blog post. I want to talk about the supernatural selection process.

It occurred to me some time ago that, regardless of whether I was clued in to its reality, I was a part of a natural selection process. Experience (past), environment (circumstance), and ego (identity) were all conspiring either to lead me forward or to shut down my existence.

The truth is, we are all dealt a hand. We all make choices based on our past, our circumstances, or our identity that contribute to the kind of future we will have. This is what makes the natural selection process so tangible and real. It is directly tied to things primarily outside of our control, and produces the direct consequence of choices we make with our limited understanding. It’s a zero-sum game in which the winners are those that operate in the most favorable conditions — whether that be experience, environment, or ego — and the losers are those in the worst conditions.

This is what makes the supernatural selection process so incredibly powerful. It is one of the few, tangible ways that we actually get to experience the existence of God.

You see, the supernatural selection process works like an antidote to the limitations of the natural selection process. The supernatural is not limited by our past nor our circumstances. It is not hindered by our identity. In fact, we are given a new identity in Christ. It took a while for me to understand the inner workings, but I have finally come to understand the power we received through the Holy Spirit when we came under the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ acts like a reagent. A reagent is a substance that is added to a system to produce a transformation.

God’s power (Holy Spirit) only works (or is activated) when a reagent is added to bring about a change that transforms the system in which we operate. This is why we read in the Scripture time and again how difficult it is for the limited to understand the limitless. We read how God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). We read how God uses the foolish things to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). We read how God’s power is made strong in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10).

One of the most powerful accounts in the Bible (to me) is that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three young men were thrown into the furnace because of their stand of faith. What makes this story so powerful to me is that they were not delivered from the fire. They actually had to go into the fire. But the supernatural prevailed. You see, what God did spoke more to the Babylonian king than deliverance would have conveyed. The king’s law was the highest — in the natural. Deliverance would have only reinforced this understanding by subjecting God’s power to that of man’s. What God did instead spoke volumes. It said, I am not bound by natural law. You are. In the end, it was the king who had to make exception to his own rule, for supernatural law had superseded his authority.

Man uses the natural selection process in an attempt to deny the existence of God. I say, it only confirms God’s existence. Every time we get to experience life and victory that defies the odds, every time the foolish things confound the wise, every time we take a step forward when experience, environment, or ego would hold us back — we are allowing God’s power to transform the system in which we operate. That’s powerful stuff, folks!

Here’s the kicker: A reagent must be pure in order to qualify as a substance of transformation. And so the pure blood of Jesus Christ was sacrificed so that we could be transformed from darkness into light. Yes, just as surely as there is a natural selection process, there is indeed a supernatural selection process. The path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter even as the path of the wicked draws to a close!

If I am headed in a particular direction and going through that door is a required step, then I will naturally reach out to open the door. If the door is not in my path, however, then it only represents a passing curiosity to me — a distraction.

I don’t want to talk about the doors of distraction, though. I want to talk about those doors that appear to be the logical next step in our journey.

We know from Scripture that God opens doors no man can close, and closes doors no man can open. So when we come upon a closed door, the primary question is this: By whose hand was the door closed?

In other words, how do we know the source? Suppose we attempt to open the door and it does not budge. Is God blocking the door, or is it man and we just need to demonstrate more determination?

I believe that in life, we get to a point in our spiritual walk where it is easy (or easier) to distinguish between good and bad. The difficulty arises when we set out to distinguish between good and best. This is where the untrained ear can often go astray.

The only way to determine the guiding hand behind any decision, opportunity, or challenge is through spiritual discernment. We have to get good about hearing God’s voice. God’s voice is God’s word; God’s word is truth. We receive this level of understanding through examining God’s Word (the Bible) daily, and through prayer. This is why it is important to develop both habits for your life. We can be easily deceived when the choices are between “good” and “best.” Here is what I’ve learned:

What is “good” has an immediate, tangible benefit; we can derive some sense of pleasure from it and it makes sense to our logical, rational mind

What is “best” does not have an immediate benefit; in fact, there is often an associated amount of work in order to receive a benefit, if any, because the payout is often so far away or unable to be seen at all that the only rational reason for doing it is simply to be obedient; as a result, it usually makes little to no sense to our mind

It is “good” for me to be gainfully employed. This makes sense. I have bills to pay and a family to provide for. A job brings money, therefore I will find a job.

It is “best” for me to wait upon the Lord. This makes no sense, but requires me to be obedient to the truth I have learned from His Word — He knows my needs, He will supply my needs, and He has the best plan for my future.

Both options will eventually lead to some source of provision, yes?

The first option has an immediate benefit and satisfies my immediate needs.
The second option tests my resolve and puts me in an uncomfortable situation, but — and this is critical — if I truly believe God and take Him at His Word, then this option should produce that which is “best” for me. And we know that God’s best is truly “above all that we could ask, think, or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

To hear God’s voice requires a special piece of equipment. You cannot hear without your spiritual ear. This is why Jesus constantly admonished, “Let him who has an ear, hear what the Spirit is saying.” You need the Holy Spirit to hear.

Many of us received the baptism of water. Few have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The first baptism allows you to distinguish between good and bad. The second equips you with your spiritual ear. It is the equipment which allows you to hear God’s voice.

A fellow servant was paired with me; she was new and a bit hesitant. She hung out near the table (our safety zone) and didn’t venture out into the crowd. I approached her and asked if she was new. She said she was, so I told her to partner with me. I left the table and went out to mingle in the crowd before the concert began. She watched me from the table.

When the concert started and we were alone, she said, “I wish I had your boldness to just walk up to people and ask them how you can pray for them.” I smiled at first, but her comment stirred something in my spirit. I turned to her and replied, “You know, I don’t have boldness. I do it afraid.” She was genuinely surprised. She said, “No way! You could never tell.” I said, “I know. I love how God covers my fear with His love. What you see is Him, not me.”

It was important for me to share that with her. Too often, we let our circumstances intimidate us into paralysis. We think we could never do something because we are looking at others who do it so effortlessly and we think they have it all together. I had two choices in that moment where she expressed disbelief in her own abilities based on what she saw in me. I could, a) smile, say nothing, and let her believe that I truly do have it all together; or b) I could let her behind the curtain to see the real me. I chose the latter. Why? Because we are all fellow workers. Jesus said in Matthew 9:37-38, “The harvest is plenty but the workers are few.” To say nothing would perhaps leave a fellow worker feeling like she could not contribute to the kingdom in the same way. We need workers. It was important for me to let her know there was absolutely nothing different between her circumstance and mine. I didn’t have it all together. I felt the same fear, the same hesitancy. In 1 John 4:18, we are told that God’s perfect love casts out fear. I’ve just learned how to trust God enough to do it afraid.

I want to encourage you to take stock of your life. Identify those areas where you know you need to take a step of faith, you know you need to make a change, and do it afraid. Too often, we talk ourselves out of our blessings, or–even worse–we deny someone else access to their blessings, because we don’t press through the fear. You don’t have to worry about appearing foolish, feeling vulnerable, or facing rejection. The  moment you took a step of faith, God’s love began to cover your steps. It’s no longer you they are seeing.

We were able to minister to many souls that night. Not only did I watch a tidal wave of prayer occur simply because of small steps of faith to reach out to others, but I got to watch my fellow servant take many bold steps of her own to reach out to others. She did it afraid, and so can you!

Later on, she shared something with me. She said, “You know, I have always wanted to become a Realtor. I tried a decade ago, but I failed the test. I was so discouraged and intimidated that I put it down and never went back to it. I was afraid of failing. But you spoke something to me tonight that has given me motivation to go after my dreams. You showed me how much can be accomplished if we are just willing to do it afraid.”

How could I have known the larger impact this would make in her life? Imagine if I had let her seeming compliment in the beginning go right in my back pocket and not up to God. She never would have seen the authenticity of the servant life, never would have experienced the blessings that come from doing it afraid, and she might not have found the motivation to pick up a dream and run with it again.

I don’t take credit for any of it. The same fear that faced me at the beginning of the night was with me when I decided to share my vulnerabilities with another. I did it all afraid. Afraid of rejection. Afraid of connection. Afraid of someone else thinking less of me (that pedestal feels good sometimes). In many ways I am comforted by the fact that I face fear. It serves as a constant reminder of God’s Hand upon my life, for without His provision I know I can accomplish nothing.

If ever there were a year of stumbling and fumbling forward, this was it. To be in such a position is truly unusual for me. Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that poise and polish are my hallmarks. I discovered something in the fumbling along, though. Fumbling is freedom.

To not have all the answers.

To be willing to make mistakes.

To forge ahead in spite of misgivings.

To look down at the path and realize your feet are making the first marks.

To trust in God’s perfect plan for your life.

The truth is—we all seek assurance. We look to stability, the rote nature of life, the predictability of our habits, to give us some sense of comfort. There is nothing wrong with seeking assurance. The danger lies in where we place our confidence.

This past year taught us that, if we’re seeking it in a job, it will fail us.

If we’re searching for it in a home, we will lose it.

If we’re holding on to it in a relationship, it will leave us.

But if we’re looking for our Savior, we will find Him.

God gives us all the assurances we need in this life—ones that we can rely upon every single day.

He gives us the morning dew, the rising sun, the breath of life, the gift of Christ.

These things will never fail us.

I woke one morning and caught a glimpse of something odd in my backyard. I ventured further to discover a rose had bloomed—in winter. I thought my rosebushes were all but dead, given the harshness of the past winter. When spring and summer came and went, yet the roses still had not bloomed, I figured they were gone. Imagine my surprise to see my winter rose.

This past year forced us to acknowledge reality with an almost cruel harshness. It was as if God were shaking us out of our stupor, trying desperately to get our attention. All that was not real was stripped away, and we found ourselves naked in the light of His face. We thought we would die from the heat of His gaze. All the while, we could hear Him saying, “I can make you bloom again. Trust me. Rely on me. And you will flourish, even in the desert.”

And so, my winter rose testifies to the truth of God’s promises. Be willing to open up to the possibilities inherent in God’s love for you. The red-tipped yellow rose symbolizes moving from friendship to falling in love. If God could orchestrate the weather so that a rose could bloom in winter, He can cause your life to bloom again! Fall in love with the mysteries of God.

I thought I’d share a link to the summary points from my broadcast. Bear in mind that this is just a summary…there’s a book in the works!

If you like what you read, please, please, feel free to share it with others. Retweet this blog or share a link with your friends. There’s much more here to discover!

And let me know your thoughts after having read the summary points. I need as much feedback as possible to make it a success.

http://g-squaredbms.com/The_Future_Focused_Christian_Summary_Points.pdf

Until next time!

Olive

As I reflected on the larger themes in this movie, it struck me just how concerned God really is with our heart. He wants a willing and obedient heart, a heart fully committed to following Him and doing His Will. You can make mistakes and be tossed to and fro, but do you continue to find God at the center of your heart? We are all sinners, but it is not perfection God is seeking. He is seeking true worshipers, those who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23, 24).

I know that this posting might ruffle a few feathers, but there is a truth which must be stated.

Sonny, the central character played by Robert Duvall, had a calling placed upon his life. Even in the midst of circumstances that might have made another person put down the cross, Sonny remained faithful to his calling. At one point in the movie, Sonny is talking to another minister about the difficulty of his circumstances. The minister responds that God has us placed exactly where He wants us. That means God uses us no matter where we might find ourselves. Even when we’ve made foolish mistakes, the place where we fell is the place where He meets us. His Will was not undone, revoked, or nullified just because we made the mistakes. It must still be carried out. This is why we are urged to pay our vows before God.

Now this brings me to the title of this posting: The Servant and The Child.

In Galatians 3:26-29, we are called “children of the Most High God.”

In Psalm 116:16, we are called “servants of the Most High God.”

Both of these references are true; we are children and we are servants. But there are differences in these two roles. Any parent knows that the nature of a child is to ask and receive. Children are often very self-centered because they have not come to learn independence and how to fend for themselves. They rely on their parents to provide for them. We are children of God, which means that we rely on Him for our needs. He is the Source. So we are quick to call upon Him when we have needs. Lord, give me this, give me that, take care of this, I need you for that. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. God wants us to depend on Him. In fact, we are told that He doesn’t want us worrying about any of these things on our own, but to cast our cares upon Him because He cares for you (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7).

But what about our role as servants of the Most High God? A master knows that the role of the servant is to do the master’s bidding. This is not the same as the role between a parent and a child. Children are also to be obedient, but children have not been bought with a price. Servants, on the other hand, have – and as such, are then fulfilling their responsibility to the one who purchased them. The role of the servant is not to say, give me, but to say, Tell me. Tell me what you want me to do, Lord. Instruct me in your ways. Let me know where you want me to go, what you want me to say, how you want me to behave.

Philippians 2:13 says that it is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose. Yes, indeed. You see, the calling that was upon Sonny’s life is upon the life of every believer. We are children of the Most High God, which means we will receive an inheritance set aside for God’s children. But we are servants of the Most High God, as well, which means that we are here to fulfill God’s purposes.

In spite of Sonny’s circumstances, he maintained obedience to his calling. No matter what he was facing, whether his own frailty or the frailty of others, he never wavered in his service. I say this to call us to a higher level of thinking in our walk with God. There are times when we all might be going through difficulty. And we might be tempted in those times to abandon the calling on our lives and to stop and focus on our circumstances. Can’t go to church, my marriage is in trouble. Can’t tithe, my finances are in trouble. Can’t reach out to help this one, I need help myself. But God is faithful to His children. If we will be faithful to our calling, He will be faithful to us as children.

Job demonstrated this quite well. Even when his world was falling apart, Job maintained his obedience to the calling upon his life. His faithfulness was rewarded. Jesus Christ suffered unto death. He was faithful to his calling. We are called, as well. Will God be able to say of us at the end, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23)?

The word ‘love’ is evocative, and can bring to memory all kinds of notions from the romantic to the egoic. This world has done a fantastically horrible job of teaching us about love. It is warped and twisted in such a way that we often are left quite dissatisfied at its many subjective and superficial manifestations. What is interesting is that, somehow, deep down inside, we know that what we are receiving — what is being labeled as ‘love’ — is not. Like Forrest Gump, we declare, “I know what love is.”

I think this is why the Apostle John chose to write about love, to help us to define what it is. His definition is quite telling, and immediately our hearts are drawn to it. Yes, this is love.

John tells us in 1 John 4:7-10 that God is love. We do not know love because of what we see or experience in this life. No, we come to know love by the way that God has expressed it toward us. In fact, we did not know love before we knew God. Put another way, we do not have love if we do not have God. You can go through this life doing and having and being for everyone around you, but you are only regurgitating the actions of love if you do not have God in you. The love of God causes us to act in ways that the flesh cannot comprehend. The love of God will cause you to love those around you, and let me be the first to tell you this: Of all the commandments we have been given, the commandment to love one another is by far the most difficult. This is why Jesus tells us that we must first love God (Mark 12:28-34). He knows that unless God is in you, love will never come out of you.

But the title of this posting is not ‘love’ but ‘perfect love.’ There is a difference. Perfect love is the kind of love we receive from God. And, if we are to understand John correctly, when God is in us, His perfect love comes out of us. Perfect love? How can we, who are imperfect, express perfect love? Ah, now we reach the true heart of this message.

What I really want to talk to you about today is fear. The opposite of love is not hate. It is fear. Let’s think about this concept for a moment.

Fear, at its root, is separation. Young children have only one fear — being separated from their parents. It is a feeling of disconnection that causes them to feel alone, alienated, abandoned, and afraid. Their parents represent love and trust, comfort and security. When we are separated from truth and love, we lose trust and hope. Think about all of the things that you fear. Are they not all tied to separation? Being cut off? Disconnected? We fear we will lose our way of life, we fear we will lose our loved ones, we fear we will lose our life, we fear we will lose our identity. On its surface, it may seem like the fears are merely contextual. If we dig deeper, though, and apply John’s definition of love, we will see a different story.

God’s love is perfect. In it, He has promised us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He has promised that He will take care of us. He has promised to love us unconditionally. This is the love of God. And we know it to be true because He sacrificed His son, Jesus Christ, to make the way possible for us to receive it. That’s love, ladies and gentlemen!

When we receive this love, we are reconnected to the source. If fear is separation, then love is connection and abiding. This is why John says in verses 18 and 19 that “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts our fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” Powerful words. When God’s perfect love abides in us, we truly have nothing to fear. We are free from all of the manifestations of fear. The many ways that we try to construct our world so as to protect ourselves from the things we think will cause us harm. These prisons of fear are broken from our lives. We can love without fear of retribution. We can pour out without wondering if we will run empty. We can love without fear of being hurt, used, manipulated, or abandoned. We can even love without prejudice. We can walk through this life with boldness, for the God of the Universe walks with us. Hallelujah!

He who fears has not been made perfect in love (verse 18b). When we love God, we can keep His commandments. We can love one another without fear because it is no longer we who are loving — it is God demonstrating His love through us toward others. This is no ordinary love. This is overcoming love. This kind of love can only come from on High.

We know what love is because we know what we have received. God’s love is not subject to the laws of supply and demand. He is the God of More Than Enough. His love will not run out, so we can afford to share it!

I want you to do a gut check today. Ask yourself if there is anything that you are still holding onto as fear. Identify those things and place them on the altar of sacrifice. Show God that His love has been perfected in you by walking in the truth of His love. If we confess that we believe God, then our actions will reflect that confession.

Perfect love is a gift from God to those who know Him.

Rising higher is not a new theme. There is nothing I can share with you about “rising higher” that you probably cannot already surmise from your own interaction with this phrase. I know when I first came across this theme I was not particularly moved by it. What more could be said that had not already been articulated elsewhere?

But God is constantly revealing new aspects of His nature, and He took me to the place where it was written so that I could understand this phrase more fully. He took me to Matthew 6.

In this stretch of verses, Jesus examines the earnest desire of a man. Jesus begins Matthew 6 by exposing the ways that we deceive ourselves and others by constructing outer deeds that give the appearance of the spiritual without ever doing the work of aligning our inner man with the spiritual. Then, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us how to pray and how to align our will with God’s Will. What follows, beginning in verse 19, is the most powerful expose  written — a singular way in which we can test whether we are authentic in our confession and relationship with God.

Jesus begins verse 19 by exhorting us to forsake making physical investments and begin making spiritual investments. And he tells us why. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (verse 21). So the first step of alignment is the abandonment of the physical for the spiritual. That makes sense, because we work for what we want. If we make relationship with God our heart’s desire, then we will work to attain that. And, just as the heavens are higher than the earth, the desire of our heart will be set on higher things. We rise higher.

In verses 22 and 23, we credit Jesus Christ as the author of WYSIWYG. What you see is what you get. Our eyes illuminate what is in our hearts. What our eyes focus on is what has our attention. We can profess to be Christlike in spirit, but if our eyes are not on Jesus then we are still tied to this world. When Lot and his family had to escape from Sodom and Gomorrah before its destruction, Lot’s wife was hesitant to leave behind the things she had gotten used to — the lifestyle and amenities. The instruction of the angels was for the family to flee and not look back. Looking back places one’s eyes on the things that are temporal. Lot’s wife looked back because her eyes illuminated the desires of her heart. She lost her life because her heart was found to be corrupt.

Jesus refers to Lot’s wife during his ministry. Do you know when? In Luke 17:20-37, when he is speaking about the coming of the kingdom. Significant, isn’t it? Jesus is letting his disciples know that the affairs of this life can lull you into complacency. When the Son of Man comes again, those whose hearts have been waiting will be ready and able to let go. Others, like Lot’s wife, will try to hold on to their life, and they will lose it.

If you truly desire the things of God, you will work for the things of God. We were all created as servants, so we instinctively have the desire to serve. Submission is a matter of whether you are working for God or working for yourself.

Now we come to the beautiful revelation Jesus gives us in verses 25 through 34. Here, Jesus lets us in on the great secret of serving God. When you serve God and place Him first, then all these other things will be added to you. When the god of this world puts the things of this world in front of you, like Jesus, you can rise higher. You have detached yourself from the pinings and trappings of your physical circumstances. Because your heart is set on God, your thoughts will naturally follow.

This is how we rise higher.

I have now gotten into the habit of constantly declaring my allegiance to “higher things.”  When circumstantial matters rise up in my mind, I don’t try to fight them. I simply declare, “Not even that.” What am I saying? I’m saying, “Not even that circumstance can keep me from serving you. Not even that situation will get me off course. Not even that obstacle can cause me to become distracted, fearful, or worried.” I make a declaration just as Job did, “Though you may slay me, yet I will still trust in you” (Job 13:15). Job forsook the physical for the spiritual. Because his heart was set on God, God knew that Job could be trusted with the things of this world.

Can God trust you?

In that same chapter, Job declares that a hypocrite cannot come before God. And hypocrisy is the place where Jesus starts Matthew 6. God wants you to not be bound by anything earthly. He wants you to keep your mind and heart staid on Him. When you let God become the Lord and Master of your life, you allow Him to determine what comes into your life and what goes out of it. You have to be willing to put every concern and every blessing on the altar, for they both are tied to the physical world.

God has called us all to rise higher in our hearts and in our minds. He likens us to eagles for a reason. The eagles are above the things of the earth. And, at the coming of the kingdom, those who were eagles in life will be eagles in death (Luke 17:37).

I serve as a prayer volunteer. It was not a ministry that I felt called toward; in fact, I was quite intimidated by the prospect of going into such a place of vulnerability with others. I panicked over trivial things like the words, the setting, the needs. A lot of ‘what ifs’ entered my mind that initially kept me from saying ‘yes’ to the call of prayer and intercession. I had a great mentor, however, who let me know quite clearly that it was not about me. I was merely the vessel. The Holy Spirit would anoint my heart, mind, and mouth to speak the words that ascended to Heaven.

To be used…

I began to pray with others. Tentatively, at first, but then becoming more emboldened by the everyday miracles I saw occurring around me. I prayed out of my own need. I prayed from my overflow. My strong desire is to keep my feet clean before God so that my prayers are heard, for I am not just praying for me but for the needs of others around me. The vessel has to be unfettered, but that’s a post for another day.

I started this posting because it occurred to me just how much I pray. Over the littlest things, too. And I pray for others even when they have not asked me to pray for them. When I pass someone on the street and their car sounds like it needs repair, I pray. When someone cuts me off or is mean-spirited toward me, I pray. When someone is about to lead or assume a position of authority, I pray. I know I am not the only one who does this. People who know the power of prayer because they have experienced its effects firsthand in their life pray without ceasing. When you know that the One you are praying to has the power and the willingness to hear your prayers because you have kept yourself clean before Him, you take full advantage of that help line.

Now, here’s where I’m going with this. Some people go through life never acknowledging God and only acknowledging ‘coincidences.’ They call their favor ‘luck’ without ever realizing the true source. You see, as someone who prays, I know that I pray for people I do not even know. People who do not know that I have spoken a prayer on their behalf. And I know that there are many other believers who display this very same act of kindness and mercy for those they come across. Our hearts become burdened with the needs of others. We pray for marriages, families, jobs, whatever is the burden of our heart for the day.

If you think that God is not in your life, yet you are experiencing random acts of kindness, goodness, and mercy, do not be quick to chalk these things up to ‘coincidence.’ Someone prayed.

You see, God cannot enter your darkness, but He can draw you into His light. And He uses those around you who are commissioned to be light in the darkness (in the world, but not of it) to speak for you so that He can get His kindness, goodness, and mercy to you. Even in the darkness, God is still covering you.

Honor God for all that is good in your life. Thank God for those who are obedient to His voice and pray on your behalf. And if you are a believer, then begin exercising the authority granted to you through prayer. Of all the things you can do for another person, prayer is by far the most loving and powerful. You are petitioning God on someone’s behalf. It is an entirely selfless act that at once does two things: First, it acknowledges the One who has supreme authority, for it is He and not you that causes things to happen (you are, in essence, leading others to God); and second, it demonstrates a tender act of love to enter into another person’s hurt and help them withstand the pain.

Prayer is indeed powerful. My prayer is that my words reach the one who was needing to hear them.