Sensitive to the Spirit
My husband and I have a friend that we don’t get to see as often as we’d like as he lives a little ways from us. This past weekend, he reached out and asked if he could go to church with us on Sunday as he felt in his Spirit he needed to be there. Granted, our friend John has never been at our church before and knows no one there but my husband and I. But something in his Spirit whispered, “You need to be there.”
On his end, all chaos broke loose before the weekend began. Some of his cows escaped and he spent a better part of his weekend rounding them up. By the time Saturday evening rolled around, he wasn’t sure he had the energy to drive a couple hours down our way just to go to church.
And yet, something inside him continued to nudge him forward, to be obedient to the Spirit’s prompting to attend our church.
Although we weren’t able to spend a lot of time with our friend, he showed up faithfully that Sunday morning. John had been having back problems and when he showed up to church, he knew that was why he was there. A healing invitation was released and John came forward. As a couple of people prayed for him, my husband sensed that his friend was going down. He came behind him to support him, and just as my husband sensed it, John fell down as the Spirit washed over him. Fire spread down his back and he knew something was healed in his back that day! Praise Jesus!
As I pondered this supernatural event, I began thinking: What would have happened if John weren’t sensitive to the spirit’s nudging? He could have thought: What a crazy idea, to drive down all the way to a church I have never been to before, for a reason I don’t understand. That must be the leftover 5-day lasagna talking. I thought it smelled a little funny. He could have made excuses: I’m exhausted. My cows got loose. I’m worried they’ll get out again if I leave. I’m too tired to drive all that way just for a day. He could have come up with his own solution: I could go to the church just down the road. It’ll be easier. And won’t the same spirit be there as any other church?
I know, I am coming up with some crazy notions! Yet, I wonder how many of us (myself included) have similar thoughts when the Spirit is nudging toward something we don’t understand or may sound a little crazy. I wonder how many invitations we miss because we lean on our own understanding rather than the Lords.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Galations 5:25 also tells us: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
That day, hearing John’s testimony greatly encouraged me in my walk with the Spirit. It reminded me to recognize the Spirit’s nudges and to be obedient to those promptings. My prayer that day was, “Lord, help me to discern your will and your ways more clearly in my life. Help me to be open to your leading, to have a heart that is set on obedience, and to trust you and acknowledge you in all my ways. I want more of you. I don’t want to miss what you want to do through me!”
My encouragement to you is to lead each day with eyes wide open and heart wide open to where God wants to take you. I pray that you would become more sensitive the the Spirit, with a heart that responds with “Yes!” to wherever He wants to lead you. I pray that you would confidently walk in absolute dependence and glorious obedience to the Spirit and to live in expectation of hearing from God, each and every day!
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
(Jeremiah 29:13)
❤️Anastasia Daniel