The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice.
I have been suffering under severe writer's block for the past month. Has anyone else ever felt like you have nothing to add, of any consequence, to a conversation? That's what it has felt like. All my thoughts just seem so trite or worn out. I want FRESH revelation from my Pappa God! I am desperate to hear His voice, moment by moment!
Last week at Christ Healing Center, our team decided, once again, to take the prayer ministry out of the four walls and do a "Treasure Hunt." We learned about this from Kevin Dedman in his awesome book, The Ultimate Treasure Hunt. I highly recommend it!
What we did was come together and time ourselves for three minutes. We all listened to our hearts for clues from God (words of knowledge) about people we would find as we went. We listened for
1. a place
2. a name
3. something about their appearance
4. something about their condition and
5. anything that is odd or unusual.
We wrote down what we got and those papers became our treasure maps; then we broke up into groups of three and went out.
It is always a blast doing this. God shows up and people's lives are touched powerfully. But I want to share something that bounced back and blessed me.
During our listening drill, I heard three names, boom, boom boom: Barb, James and Troy. (There were other items as well, and we found the beloveds the clues were for and they were healed! PTL!)
The reason these names meant so much is I have been asking and asking God to hear His voice more clearly. These names proved to me I was!
As we were on our treasure hunt, we were getting ready to cross the road at a light in downtown San Antonio. There was a bus stop on the corner, and seated waiting for the bus were three people. They caught my eye. I walked over and asked if any of them were named Barb, James or Troy.
Two of them shook their heads no, but the third, a woman, piped up, "I was just thinking of Barb, James and Troy!" Astonishment ensued.
I showed her my "treasure map" with the names written down and explained what we were doing. I asked her if they needed prayer. She said, "Yes, that's why I was just thinking of them. Troy needs a job, James is on drugs and Barb is so sad!"
Just then, the bus arrived. She said, "I have to go, but please pray for them, and me too!!!" And off she ran, smiling and giving thumbs up to the three of us.
So we stood there on the street corner and prayed. It was so much fun!
But this is why I was blessed: I realized the manner in which I heard God's voice was in my thoughts, and through following a prompting. It was Him in me. I never ceased to be amazed when I have revelation from the Lord.
I remember a line from the movie, Chariots of Fire, when Eric Liddell told his sister, "When I run, I feel His good pleasure." What I experience more and more frequently, is God's "good pleasure." It is becoming the barometer to measure what I hear and do as: God? or not God? I live more intentionally attentive, moment by moment. It is not easy. I am a person who is very easily distracted! But the wonderful result, in the days since we went out, is JOY. It is almost bubbling out of me.
So, thanks for listening to my ramblings...hope you are smiling!
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