Dropped Balls and Seeing In The Spirit (Thirty Days To Greater Fruitfulness, Day 19)
This blog has been temporarily overtaken by my Thirty Days To Greater Fruitfulness Challenge. You can find out more by checking out the Introduction.
Today did not go how I expected nor did it go how I would have liked. What went wrong today? Well,for the first time in about 19 days I did not get any time in front of Jesus listening to His voice. Don’t get me wrong. Our church gathered together to worship. I did spiritual things today. I even accomplished some things that I heard earlier in the month (more on that later). Nonetheless, today I dropped the ball. I missed time waiting, hearing, and listening.
How could such a thing happen? To be honest, a need came up. The jury is still out on whether I should have filled the need or whether I should have waited for the Lord to open another door. Sometimes the enemy to good listening is all of the legitimate needs that are going unmet. My friend Mary can tell you a little bit more about that from her perspective. All I know is that I stepped in to fill the need and used up any time that could have been used for waiting on Jesus. I’m not even filled with condemnation over the fact that I missed the time today, more than anything I just really miss it.
However, the fact that I missed time waiting and hearing does not mean that nothing else happened. Today I also was able to get together with the first couple and share the things the Lord has been speaking to me about. First of all, our time was great. We really enjoyed time together. And then, when things turned to more serious conversation I could really feel the Lord present, guiding the conversation.
At one point in the conversation something new happened. As we were talking I began to see an issue “in the Spirit.” It’s not something I can describe with words. All I can say is that I saw an issue that was about to come up in conversation floating in front of me. Normally, I would not have brought the issue up. But when I saw it, I knew that when it came up I would have to address it. Sure enough, two minutes hadn’t gone by before the chance to address the issue came up. Having seen it “in the Spirit” I knew that it needed to be addressed and I did. And, I have to say, it was good to address it and helpful to everyone involved. I think the Lord really moved at that point in the conversation.
So the good news is even though I missed some time today, the Lord is still with me. All of the time I’ve spent listening the past few weeks has carried me. Not only that, He is more faithful than to just abandon me because I got busy and made a few bad choices. The result? Despite the worst day of listening so far, I may have managed to be obedient. Pretty good for a bad day, huh?
How have you experienced Jesus leading you even when you haven’t done the best job at listening through this journey? Tell us in the comment section.
Join us on the “Thirty Days to Greater Fruitfulness” experiment. For the rest of September we are spending 30 minutes in silent prayer listening to Jesus and then acting on what He asks us to do. Then we blog about the changes that are occurring in our lives through the marriage of listening and obedience. It’s not too late. If you’re just checking out that experiment feel free to jump in. And if you want more information, you can check it out here.
Photo Credit: September WallPaper Calendar by DewDreams
Learning to Focus, Learning to Love (Thirty Days To Greater Fruitfulness, Day 18)
This blog has been temporarily overtaken by my Thirty Days To Greater Fruitfulness Challenge. You can find out more by checking out the Introduction.
In some ways, today was a rehashing of something the Lord spoke to me about yesterday. While I was waiting on the Lord, the Lord started to talk to me about how scattered I can be sometimes. And in the midst of Him showing me How scattered I am, He said, “You’re scattered because you want to know about everything going on around you. You cannot focus because you want to show your sense of control through your understanding.”
He then began to break down the difference between love and knowledge. Of course we all know that knowledge puffs you up, but love builds up others (1 Corinthians 8:1). But He began to show me that this constantly searching and grasping for understanding begins to make a person proud and give them a sense they are powerful. Then he showed me the nature of love and how love is focused. Love isn’t in a hurry and it can linger with someone beyond the initial “information grab” that allows a person to feel like they’ve grasped a person or a idea. Carnal knowledge will create a Christianity that is infinitely wide but very shallow. But love will push a person to linger in the presence of the Lord and even in the presence of others, creating depth beyond what many of us know.
So today I’ve been trying to focus on things more simply and not be in such a hurry. I’ve been trying to love and linger beyond my initial understanding of a person or a concept. And I’m beginning to enjoy lingering in the presence of the Lord in a different way than I have before.
So…no fruit in anyone else around me today…but I’m seeing some change in me and that’s a big win.
What changes are you seeing happen inside of you as you listen and obey? Leave a comment and let us know!
Join us on the “Thirty Days to Greater Fruitfulness” experiment. For the rest of September we are spending 30 minutes in silent prayer listening to Jesus and then acting on what He asks us to do. Then we blog about the changes that are occurring in our lives through the marriage of listening and obedience. It’s not too late. If you’re just checking out that experiment feel free to jump in. And if you want more information, you can check it out here.
Photo Credit: September WallPaper Calendar by DewDreams
Confirmation (Thirty Days to Greater Fruitfulness, Day 17)
This blog has been temporarily overtaken by my Thirty Days To Greater Fruitfulness Challenge. You can find out more by checking out the Introduction.
I love it when God speaks about something. I love it even more when God is committed enough to an issue that He speaks to you about it multiple times. While God doesn’t always speak twice on a matter He is serious about, His repitition can be a clue that we are on the right track (2 Corinthians 13:1).
This morning, after repenting, I woke with a dream. In the dream, Couple B, whom I mentioned buying a book for in a previous post, had their home overtaken by people I consider national leaders in the house church movement in this country. In the dream I was worried that Couple B would be horrified and angry about the intrusion. However, as things progressed, it became clearer that these national house church leaders were not a burden like I had initially thought.
So as you can imagine, having this dream, I felt like I should probably get back on the ball and have a conversation with Couple B. You know, the one I decided I was going to have about two weeks ago. The dream seemed to me to be indicating that taking a plunge into an organic church might be messy, in the end it may be rewarding. The crazy part was that when I got home that evening, the book I had ordered for them about the exact same topic had come in the mail. Coincidence? Only if there is no such thing as God.
These are the sort of things that are beginning to happen more and more. God speaking, a little hear, a little there, and then confirming what He has already said in subtle but important ways. Part of it is I’m watching for it more. But a large part of the change is I’m certainly more connected.
How about you? How is God speaking to you and confirming what He has said in this time? Leave us a note in the comment section.
Join us on the “Thirty Days to Greater Fruitfulness” experiment. For the rest of September we are spending 30 minutes in silent prayer listening to Jesus and then acting on what He asks us to do. Then we blog about the changes that are occurring in our lives through the marriage of listening and obedience. It’s not too late. If you’re just checking out that experiment feel free to jump in. And if you want more information, you can check it out here.
Photo Credit: September WallPaper Calendar by DewDreams
Cluster Map
Pursuing Glory 