Thursday, January 10, 2008
Recognizing That Still, Small Voice
So it's been a busy last couple of days and the weekend will be the same.
Last night, the other children's church teachers and I were talking with a parent, discussing how people often put out a "fleece" before the Lord. I've often put out fleeces to God and what's funny is that I often kick myself when he actually does what I ask him! For instance, I spent a few years fighting a call to missions when I finally said, "Okay, if I'm supposed to do this, then this person or their wife (former missionaries and my pastor away from home at the time) has to come up to me and say that they feel that I'm supposed to be in missions. The very next Wednesday night during altar call, the pastor's wife came up to me and said, "Sometimes, I feel like you are supposed to be a missionary." Okay, God, no doubt in my mind since then, just the questions, when and where. Then, when I was trying to figure out if I should get involved with the youth here at New Life (I had been coming to the church for 5 months at that time), I told God to give me a clear sign that he wanted me to be there. The youth pastor at the time came and prayed for me that weekend and the things he told me that God wanted to do through me were things that had been prophesied over me 5 years prior that I had never told anyone. It also gave me a trust in him as a spiritual leader. We discussed the importance of being able to recognize the "voice" of God. This came about as we shared stories of one person praying/telling you one thing and another person praying/telling the exact opposite and how you have to be able to distinguish what is really from God. A few months ago, I had someone who was very concerned for me say a bunch of things that really hurt but caused me to examine who I was. I had a hard time believing I was that horrible, but I know that I can be rather partial to myself! So I prayed that if I truly was that way, then this other specific person would pray for me and tell me I was in the wrong. The person prayed for me the next week and said the exact opposite of everything that had been previously been told to me. And this person had no idea what was going on and is the type that if I was in the wrong they wouldn't hold back. I don't usually talk to them other than to say hello, but I know from watching them at church, listening to other people who trust them, and having seen/heard them praying that they know the "voice" of God. It's very important to have those people in your life that you trust that they are in tune with God and that they will tell you like it is, but that you know they are doing it for your betterment.
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail!
Last night, the other children's church teachers and I were talking with a parent, discussing how people often put out a "fleece" before the Lord. I've often put out fleeces to God and what's funny is that I often kick myself when he actually does what I ask him! For instance, I spent a few years fighting a call to missions when I finally said, "Okay, if I'm supposed to do this, then this person or their wife (former missionaries and my pastor away from home at the time) has to come up to me and say that they feel that I'm supposed to be in missions. The very next Wednesday night during altar call, the pastor's wife came up to me and said, "Sometimes, I feel like you are supposed to be a missionary." Okay, God, no doubt in my mind since then, just the questions, when and where. Then, when I was trying to figure out if I should get involved with the youth here at New Life (I had been coming to the church for 5 months at that time), I told God to give me a clear sign that he wanted me to be there. The youth pastor at the time came and prayed for me that weekend and the things he told me that God wanted to do through me were things that had been prophesied over me 5 years prior that I had never told anyone. It also gave me a trust in him as a spiritual leader. We discussed the importance of being able to recognize the "voice" of God. This came about as we shared stories of one person praying/telling you one thing and another person praying/telling the exact opposite and how you have to be able to distinguish what is really from God. A few months ago, I had someone who was very concerned for me say a bunch of things that really hurt but caused me to examine who I was. I had a hard time believing I was that horrible, but I know that I can be rather partial to myself! So I prayed that if I truly was that way, then this other specific person would pray for me and tell me I was in the wrong. The person prayed for me the next week and said the exact opposite of everything that had been previously been told to me. And this person had no idea what was going on and is the type that if I was in the wrong they wouldn't hold back. I don't usually talk to them other than to say hello, but I know from watching them at church, listening to other people who trust them, and having seen/heard them praying that they know the "voice" of God. It's very important to have those people in your life that you trust that they are in tune with God and that they will tell you like it is, but that you know they are doing it for your betterment.
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail!
# posted by 99 Blogger @ 9:58 PM 
