Is there anything quite like a newborn baby? The smell, so clean & new; the downy softness of hair; the wide~eyed gaze as they absorb the wonders of the world they suddenly find themselves in. Yep he's absolutely adorable: loved; wanted; petted & coddled just as every baby should be.
Sundays have had to be adjusted a little bit to accommodate bubs & mum ~ but isn't that how it should be? Funny isn't it? You never lose the knack once you've learned how & babies always seem to know when they're being handled with confidence.
The spiritual life's like that too, don't you find? Once you've learnt how it's all so easy but until you get the knack you wonder how other people can breeze through things without batting an eyelash. So, the Lord & I have been having one of our sessions where I do a Star & roll my eyes & go, "Must I?" & the Lord digs in His heels to wait patiently till I accede. *sigh* Just sometimes I'd like to do things the easy way...well, alright; I'd always like to do them the easy way instead of batting round wildly like a netted bird trying to figure out how this stuff works.
Now I don't know how any of you learn. Probably not the way I do. You can tell me & you can show me ~ & if you're really brave you might try making me do it myself ~ & nothing happens except I get more confused & even stupider than I at first appear. What I need to do is study it from every angle & then quietly experiment with different approaches until I randomly hit on the one that is going to work for me this time. I can't be relied upon to get it the same way every time. I am a nightmare to teach because I never want to do it the way I'm told to do it & am likely to be majorly distracted by random sidetracks which are far more entertaining & end up at my destination by a very circuitous route. It drives people batty. I think like that too. Ever notice?
Anyway....I have been sitting on some stuff the Lord showed me like a broody hen hatching a clutch of cuckoo eggs ~ & I have been sitting on this stuff for some time, years in fact for some of it. And whenever I went to the Lord & said, "Look, what do you want me to do about this?" I got a big, "WAIT". I'm not strong in the patience department & my patience was being stretched thin. Bit of a worry when that happens. I tend to take things into my own hands & create havoc & mayhem. Yeah.
So for Christmas Liddy gave me a couple of books on dealing with the gift of prophecy because like I said I am waaay out of my depth with this stuff with no~one to ask. The chappie who thinks I'm going to do the exercises he sets out is delusional. Um, no. However I am pondering two things that have stayed with me after my first quick read through to see what's in there. The first is so obvious I wonder about me, I really do. Character first. God is far more interested in developing our character than he is worried about our spiritual gifts. Um, yeah. I knew that.
The second has got me floundering because it was completely unexpected. The flip side of prophecy is intercessory prayer. Now logically this makes perfect sense. I can see how this works. And chances are if you are anywhere at all on my blog roll I have prayed for you. Sorry Sandra.
Now I don't do intercessory pray. I have never ever thought of myself as an intercessor. Some days I feel quite silly praying for people when God knows so much better than I do what they need & how best to provide for their need. I prefer God tell me what He wants me nattering at him about. I don't really know the first thing about standing in the gates. My prayer life has not been like that. I don't even have the sort of mind that thinks wrestling in prayer with God is a good idea. Job tried that & got told; big time. I can be a little slow sometimes so what am I missing here, girls? [I think I need to go out & buy another book or two...] Who does intercessory prayer & how does it work for you? "My ear is open like a greedy shark..." Don't you love that quote?! Keats. Some things really are inexcusable!
17 comments:
Why are you always picking on me??? I'm pretty sure I've got the intercessory gift, but I've not exercised it properly. So here you are reminding me to "stir up the gift" except you do it nicely as a request for yourself. >rolling my eyes at God< ;-)
Anyway... I know I'm in the zone when I feel the subjects' pain even more keenly than they do. For instance, when my sister was in danger of losing her baby, she was worried. I was flat on my face, crying and pleading with God.
It's hard to get in there when I start getting theological and think like a Calvinist (God has everything all planned out, so my thoughts don't really matter). Best to go with the emotional/relational side of things, which should be easy for you. :-D You know Moses and Abraham bargained with God to good effect.
Hmm, this isn't a logical step-by-step answer as I expect from me, but maybe you'll get something out of it.
You know this is maddening. I got a prayer request tonight that needs this sort of intervention & I'm hamstrung. Clueless.
I have friends who are intecessors & they speak of *carrying the other's burden* as you do ~ & they are my first port of call if I need prayer. lol My prayer has always been along rather different lines ~ & even prophesy, when it comes, works with a teching gift so there is study & logic with it ~ not this giving a word before the congregation ...ARgh! This should be easy. Simple ~ & when I work it out it probably will be but just at the moment I'd like somebody's ship to scuttle. Just to relieve my feelings, dontcha know. ☺
Thank you for sharing. I had no idea. How interesting. Um, now you know what to pray for me just now. ;P
Ganeida, will be praying for you. Intercessory prayer is a very interesting topic that has piqued my curiosity many times but I have experienced it only a few times when led by God. I don't know about anyone else's experiences and can but share my experience with it, take it or leave it as you like!
As with most things of God that I have found, I need to make the time to sit before God and ask him to show me his heart. It may not happen right away or at a time when you expect it, but once you are open to it and willing to listen, then God will speak if he wills.
You will be in my thoughts - I'd love to know how it goes and what he shows you. <3
Wouldn't you know it, I thought of you this morning in meeting, and prayed for you a while. ANd just now got a message from a cousin-in-law, asking me to pray for her. So yeah, God is working.
:) I hope you have a lovely time with the baby and that the waiting time is used well. You will be all very busy when the wait is over!!
Lightbulb: Yes, well, nothing I touch seems to work the way other people describe it. Apparently I am just *different*.
MamO: Thank you.
HEM: I am most definitely enjoying the baby! Babies are always good. ☺
Ganeida, so interesting. I do have an intercessory gift (in fact I run the very small prayer team at our church):)
I have always thought my intercession had a prophetic side to it but then learned that was part of intercession so it's interesting to hear that person say that the flip side of prophecy is intercessory prayer, hmm very interesting!
Anyway a few years ago I was praying that God would sharpen the prophetic gift in my life and you know what He's been doing instead - teaching me to walk in love more:) yep, God is more interested in our character! So, I've stopped praying for my prophetic gift to be sharpened and instead focussing on learning to love with His love more:)
I am no theologian as I've told you before but I think you have the calling of a prophet and perhaps not the gift of prophecy? dunno...I'll need to study it some more but reading some of your writings I think you definitely have the calling of a prophet:)
Joyfulmum: I think the problem is labels. I know what I do & how it works for me ~ a combination of prayer & study which I have always said is for the people of God. I don't have a call to the unsaved except in the general sort of way every believer does, unlike my Liddy.
I also have an aversion to that title. :( You do know what the people do to prophets?! Anyway, can you explain your definitions for me & what you think the difference is. I'm trying to align myself with God's will with this & keep coming unglued on silly things ~ like labels! lol
Love is a difficulty for me. When I am shown how a person or a church needs to line up under God's authority I have a tendency to rip, tear & bust ~ but there is a way to do that with love & I am still learning to speak even hard truths in love. I am not a happy camper. Pew warming was good. lol I am finding this so hard ~ especially as the prayer & study bit seems to be working but everything around that keeps fraying & I find myself grasping at loose ends.
I have Haggai at the moment, which is making me happy. ☺ I am going to focus on that & try & let the rest take care of itself for the present because it's not making sense in my life. I am happier when I understand; God likes to keep me guessing. *sigh* ☺
ok now that I've stepped out of the boat onto the water here I go: I might sink or I might walk, I don't know, anyway, here goes my take on what I understand from the scriptures:
There is a five fold ministry in Eph that includeds the 'prophet' and there is a gift of prophecy mentioned in 1 Corinthians under spiritual gifts.
I think I have the gift of prophecy but not the calling of a prophet. So I can prophesy (speak a word to someone that has edification, exhortation and comfort) and my intercessory gifting has a prophetic element to it - praying what God sees and what He wants to happen in a situation. I also 'see' things or 'discern' things that others that don't have the gift don't always see, now that may be getting into another gift altogether lol! Anyway I don't have the calling of a prophet to the church where God speaks to the church as a whole. Which is what i think you have. If I can put it another way the gift of prophecy is often for individuals (but can include the church) and the gift of a prophet is most always to the church as a whole. Now this is just my study and take on this and I could be wrong altogether lol! But from my study and observation of various people with the gift has lead me to believe this.
Now I know why God has been training me to walk in love more when I asked him to sharpen the prophetic gift (I believe my gift can damage if not done in the right spirit) so I am happy to wait on God to develop this side of my character as in the long run this is definitely more important! Also I didn't mean that you had this problem when I wrote my first comment, sorry if that came across that way:(
I was purely talking about myself as I know my heart:)
Will check later, got to get dd to another play date today:)
Rosemary: Thank you so much. That is beautifully clear & so helpful. It explains, in part, why I am having so much trouble. I do get given things for individuals, words of comfort & exhortation & edification ~ & it is always very clear whom I am to give the word to ~ but this is not the dominant leading of the Spirit in my life. My *rants* are always for The Church, the ecclessia, the body of Christ to turn the hearts of God's people back to God. It is frustrating. I *see* but can't seem to make anyone else see too ~ mind you that is not my job & I do know that, I just happen to like to see positive outcomes for all my hard work lol. My job is simply to faithfully deliver the message God gives.
One of the books I am looking at is Prophecy & Resbonsibility ~ Graham Cooke. He says two things that you also may find relevant:
1. The bulk of his ministry is not public but is about his personal walk & relationship with God.
2. Prophecy should always drive us deeper in to prayer for those we prophesy for ~ especially when we are hearing a word of admonition ~ hence the intercessory prayer bit.
Ganeida, glad my thoughts came across clearly:)
Yes I think often prophets feel like their words are 'rants' as you put it:) but as you said it's your job just to be the delivery girl:)
I need to look for that book, it was recommended to me by another intercessor to read some of his stuff which I am yet to do! need to do that this year, in fact it's one of my priorities this year to focus more on the intercessory part of my life:)
and oh sorry forgot to say that point number 1 was very interesting too - it's about my personal walk and relationship with God, oh how true that is lol!
Ganeida, ok I thought I'd talk to my dh tonight about you:) He says that as Eph 4 talks about there is an office of a prophet and these are people who operate in the gift of prophecy full time (prophesying over people in the church, to the church etc). I asked him about what the author said about prophecy and intercessory prayer and he said that it's not always the case but they can go hand in hand. Not all people who have the gift or prophecy are intercessors (and come to think of it, I have seen quite a few wherein this is the case). So, if a person finds themselves operating in prophecy constantly and all the time they would be a prophet (and are usually recognised by their church as one) as opposed to someone that has the gift of prophecy and operates in it from time to time. Eph 4 talks about the full time ministry and includes the office of a prophet in it along with pastors, teachers etc. I hope I have not led you astray and as I said I am no theologian:)
Rosemary: Be at peace. Your comments have been thoughtful & brought light to bear ~ & I very much believe that before God we are each personally & individually responsible for our own spiritual condition. The Holy Spirit Himself will help us discern truth from error.
I meant to say earlier too, I did not take your comments on love personally. I have a very dear friend who has pointed out to me on more than one occassion that I can forget to operate in love. ☺ It is a fault I am trying to rectify ~ especially when I have a message.
phew! thanks Ganeida!
Ummm, just want to chime in here with some extra thoughts.
The 5 fold ministry was strictly men only. No women. Sorry.
Prophet is a masculine term.
Perhaps the term Prophetess might work better?
Interesting discussion though.
Mrs Adept: Just to be clear lol I am not calling myself a prophet. ☺ Acts is very clear, quoting Joel, that in the end times [which we are in] that both men & women will prophesy. Philip himselp had daughters who were prophetesses ~ so perhaps the confusion is in terminology. As a lit major I often use masculine terms to refer to both male & female roles ~ as in actor [m], to also include actresses [f]. Your thoughts are much appreciated. Thank you for *chiming in*. ☺
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