God's Precise and Timely Plans

Every year as I read through the bible I get to experience the never depleted truths and revelations of God’s Word.  It’s active, and it’s powerful as it changes the very core of man.  As I began my reading in 2 Kings I came across an amazing story  (though there are many more throughout the scriptures), which brings me to the resolve, that God's plans are both precise and timely.

In 2 Kings (8:3) The Shunammite woman went to make an appeal to the king. (8:5) As Gehazi was telling the king about the Shunammite woman...there came the woman. There are two confirming words in this story.  As the woman went (walked), the king talked, inquiring about the miracles Elijah had done, (which a couple of them involved her). 

Don’t you know that God will govern thoughts and conversations of those in authority as it pertains to you?  Yet, if this woman had not gone, the conversation about her would not have taken place because there would have been no need.   

When she arrives Gehazi said, "My lord, oh king! This is the woman". I can imagine he was saying, "Can you believe this! Can you believe this! We were just talking about her and she shows up, can you believe this"!  The king gets to hear about these incredible miracles from the woman who experienced them.  She was like a Celebrity! 

Verse 6 When the king asked the woman, she related it to him.  So the king appointed for her a certain officer, saying, "Restore all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now."

Yes, God's plans are both precise and timely, as He orchestra's His divine will for our lives.

God Wants to Introduce You to Yourself

And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel...  Genesis 32:28

Rather we want to admit it or not society sets boundaries, restrictions and categories for our lives that God has never intended.  Inadvertently our culture tells us to stay in our place. And subjectively many have done just that, becoming products of their environment.  Limited to whom and to where we were born.  Reduced to what we’ve experienced and affirmed by what others have said.  Accepting what is. 

In Genesis 32^nd chapter a man name Jacob is introduced to himself.  You see Jacob was defined by his name.  When He heard his name it not only defined who he was but it confined him to what he was.  The name Jacob means supplanter, trickster, con-man and deceiver, which very well suited his character.  Every time Jacob heard his name he played out and participated within the role that was subscribed for him.  His own mom assisted in the development of his character that helped sculpt him into this personage. She schemes a plan to have Jacob trick his dad into thinking that he was his brother Esau; so he could gain Esau’s blessing.  Working as planned. 

Later in life Jacob’s uncle Laban deceives him into marrying Leah instead of Rachel.  The same characteristic that was rooted in Jacob’s mother was rooted in his mother’s brother, those same traits being conveyed through Jacob.  Jacob becomes a product of his environment and of his up rearing.   

And like so many of us we too become what and who our environment, family, friends and society has told us we are. Yet God wants to introduce you to yourself as He did with Jacob.  During a crisis at the crossroad moment Jacob gets alone with God.  Key point.  For God to introduce you to yourself you must get alone with Him. Jacob was asked a question. Q:  What’s your name?  In other words who do others say that you are; but more importantly who do you say that you are?  A: “My name is Jacob”.

He comes face to face with the person he had become. God tells him “no longer will you be called Jacob”, trickster, supplanter, con-man, nor deceiver. I’ve come to introduce you to yourself.  Your name will be called Israel; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men. God introduces Jacob to himself! Yes, one moment in the presence of God has the potential to awaken you to the real you!

In like manner God desires to introduce you to yourself.  To do so you must be willing to get alone with HIM! He desires to reveal to you who you were before the foundations of the world.  Before you were in your mother’s womb He knew you.  Before you were born He called you by name.  Don’t be afraid to become who you really are.

Your deepest fear is not that you’re inadequate. Your deepest fear is that you are powerful beyond measure. It is your light not your darkness that most frightens you.  You ask yourselves, who are you to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. You were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within you. It's not just in some it's in everyone. And as you let your own light shine, you unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As you are liberated from your own fear, your presence automatically liberates others. 

(By Marianne Williamson)

Allow God to introduce you to yourself!!! 

One moment in the presence of God has the potential to awaken you 

to the real you!

I Will Pray With My Spirit...

One of my favorite times to pray in the Holy Spirit (in tongues) is during my commute to work.  I’m grateful to God to be able to pray in the Holy Spirit; yet able attentive to what's going on around me.  Many people have the understanding that you need to be in your prayer closet to pray in the Holy Spirit, when truthfully your prayer closest is in your heart.  Don’t get me wrong, I do believe we should have an appointed time and a designated place to meet with God, but the Holy Spirit is so awesome we can pray in the spirit and yet be aware of our surroundings.  Many think that praying in the Spirit can only be done as He (The Holy Ghost) permits us.  Believing that this type of prayer is something mystical and requires you to be in a trance or out of your mind.  The Holy Spirit is all wisdom and never leaves us out of our mind.  The Apostle Paul let’s us know in I Corinthians 14:14-15 that we can pray in the spirit as we will and that our natural mind is yet coherent, so we can still reason as we pray in the Holy Spirit.  Isn’t that awesome and supernatural!!!

When I pray in the Holy Spirit, I intentionally purpose to pray that way.  I’m aware of my surroundings, where I’m going and able to think about what it is that I am doing.  While I’m praying in the Holy Spirit as Jude 1:20 says I’m building up my most holy faith.  I liken it to my smart phone after using it a full day; I plug it up to be recharged at the end of each day.  As my phone retains a charge I’m able to communicate with people in many different ways. Likewise as I pray in the Holy Spirit I’m building my spirit man. It’s like a spiritual charge enabling me to stay linked to the spiritual realm of God, which empowers me to be lead, authorized and fortified for whatever a day may bring.

However, I believe there is a difference in praying in the Spirit and the Spirit praying through me.  It’s during the intimate, appointed and invited times with the Holy Spirit that He assists me as I pray in tongues and begins to pray through me.  As He prays through me it ‘s according to Romans 8:26, 27 “And in like manner the Spirit also helps our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself make intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”  This is a more intense time of prayer that flows from the inward being.  It’s as if there is a shift in the Spirit realm and you sense and experience a divine infusion to pray a prayer that moves heaven.  Praying in the Holy Spirit is a supernatural gift that has been given to the people of God.  Having been baptized with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues allows us continual awareness of God’s presence.  The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God - Romans 8:16.  So therefore I will pray with my spirit...  I Corinthians 14:14

Btw - I received this blog this morning as I prayed in the spirit during my route to work!  Supernatural download!!!