Living a Spirit Led Life

Hearing from God in Everyday Living

listening prayer

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Word of the Day: Lettuce

Lettuce consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  
Lettuce not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but lettuce encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
—Hebrews 10: 24-25

The Invitation: These became the Bible’s lettuce verses for me as I thought of creative ways to memorize scriptures for the Experiencing God study years ago. And, if you can be-leaf it, the verses have ro-mained with me!*

With the pandemic, most of us have gotten out of the habit of reading the Bible as a group and meeting together. I’ve heard people say they prefer listening to a podcast or watching church in their living room. It’s easier and faster. They can stay in their pj’s and mute or fast forward through music they don’t care for.

Last week I attended my first socially undistanced event at our church–a memorial service. The sanctuary was full, and I saw people I hadn’t seen for a year and a half. We gathered to remember a life well-lived—someone we all cared about. We comforted one another and were reassured that the promise of eternal life is real. The peace and hope of God was passed from one person to another. Many of us left that service asking God to help us love more extravagantly and live more generously. And when we see each other again, we’ll be able to ask one another how it’s going.

That was church. No, not the building, although we need a place to gather on a regular basis. It was the people. The Christian life is meant to be lived in community—not just for what I can get out of it, but for what I have to give and you have to give that people will miss out on if we don’t show up.

We can get information about Jesus and grow in our understanding of the Bible on our own. We can pray and worship in our personal quiet time. But it’s through my church community that I’ve been refined, challenged, encouraged, and held to a higher standard than at the grocery store, soccer field, or workplace. Church is where someone will not only empathize with me, but will pray with me. Church is where I’m made aware of my rough edges through another’s gentleness. Church is where I have opportunities to give in ways that make a difference for eternity.

Whenever possible, lettuce meet together.

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another,
especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
—Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)

Your Response: Today, talk with the Lord about your going-to-church feelings. Ask Him what He wants to say to you through these verses. If you’d like some prompts, try these:

  • Lord, show me how I feel about church right now. What does my heart for the church look like?
  • Now Lord, show me Your heart for Your church.
  • If my heart doesn’t line up with Your heart, Lord, may the Holy Spirit to set it aright. Do I need to die to selfishness in some way or exchange apathy for action? (Take time to listen and respond.)
  • Lord, You say that the church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:25-27). May I be given Christ’s heart for the church. May I serve Your church and love Your people. Is there anything specific You want me to know or do?

*P.S. I was thinking of including more salad jokes in this post, but I tossed them.

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Word of the Day: Handoff

The Invitation: I tried to listen to the Lord—about whatever was on His mind. But even though I was sitting down, my mind was busy, as if it had turned into a playground for thoughts. They were racing, taunting, and jumping around. I pictured myself nestling up close to Jesus, determined to listen. He knew what was going on and calmly invited me to do a handoff. A handoff? Sounded like football to me. I looked it up.

Handoff–hand·off/noun: an exchange made by handing the ball to a teammate; to relinquish
—Oxford English Dictionary

“Handoff implies an interaction between two people with a common goal.
Also, handing off often means the other person is going to do something with the object.”
—english.stackexchange.com

I sensed Jesus telling me I had hopes and hard things that were blocking my capacity to listen to Him. The hopes were things that were out of my control, and when they popped into my mind, a simple prayer would still their voices. I chose to pray “Giver of Life, Your kingdom come” when my dreams or desires tempted me to take things into my own hands. The prayer was a handoff or relinquishment to the Lord.

The hard things? They were tasks that are necessary but no fun, making complicated decisions and plans, the details of life, etc. I made a list of all those things and handed it off to Jesus in prayer. I don’t expect Him to do them for me, but He will manage the list and even go before me—leading me to what is the most important for today and encouraging me along the way.

Circumstances hadn’t changed, but my mind had free space. I could listen to the Lord, and I realized that handing off hopes and hard things allowed me to take on God’s perspective and heart. It also allowed God’s hand to be at work in circumstances beyond my reach.

Therefore…let us strip off every weight that slows us down,
especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
—Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)

Your Response: (Pray) Lord, I don’t want anything to get in the way of being able to hear Your voice. I give You permission to strip off things that block me or slow me down from being available to You. You are the One who sets good things before me and shows me the way.

Lord, when hopes come into my mind that I can’t make happen, what words do I pray to hand them off to You?
(Listen and write down what you hear. Then practice using this prayer; sense the difference it makes.)

Lord, bring to mind all the hard things on my mental to-do list.
(Listen and write them down in any order.)
I handoff the list to You, Lord. (Picture yourself doing so in prayer.)
Thank you for showing me what I’m to do in the next hour or day, and how You want to help me complete the tasks.

Now, Lord, I’m ready to listen. What’s on Your heart?

And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
—1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)

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Word of the Day: Backwards

The Invitation: “Tell the women they can live in perfect peace,” I sensed the Lord saying when I asked what to share at a women’s event.

“How is that possible?” I questioned, not wanting to speak words I didn’t always live out.

“By living life backwards.”

Not knowing what that meant, I prayed, “Lord, tell me more.”

I sensed the Holy Spirit taking me on a life journey in my imagination. But it didn’t start with my childhood. It began by viewing myself living in the fullness of the promises of God that will be mine in heaven. I sensed total joy, contentment, and peace. Then I saw my current life circumstances through the lens of what is coming, and I realized how that changes my view of things now. Living life backwards made sense.

Practically, if I’m worried about having enough finances, I remember the streets in heaven are paved with gold. If I am worried about health issues or death, I remember He is our Healer and has already overcome death. As I practiced this way of thinking, I couldn’t find anything to worry about that God has not promised to restore and make new.

Let’s give it a try. Take a few minutes and imagine:

  • You know you’re going to come into great wealth and it will cover every need you can imagine. There is nothing you lack to live comfortably, with more than enough to share with others.
  • Your health is completely restored and you have ample energy, wisdom, and time for everything you need to do.
  • You are with those you love without worry of loss or separation.
  • There is internal and external peace and harmony in every area of your life.
  • This is your destiny. This is your destination. This is heaven. Imagine what it’s like.
  • Now look at a current situation in your life with this mindset.
  • Ask the Lord for His perspective. What have you been missing? What is the Lord’s heart? What does He have in store down the road?

What did God show you when you looked at life backwards? When I imagine life from this viewpoint, I think, What am I so afraid of? The Lord is making provision for everything. He’s got this!

It can be a challenge to believe the promises of God, but they are there. They are real and they are available today. Imagine the peace-of-mind you would have if you actively trusted God to deliver on His promises.

You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You
[with hope and confident expectation].
–Isaiah 26:3 (AMP)

Your Response: Lord, what would it look like for me to trust and take refuge in You today, full of hope and a joyful expectation of good? Show me one way I can live my life backwards.

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Word of the Day: Whisper

The Invitation: It’s been almost a year since our lives were turned upside down. A year without the usual ways to encourage our faith—in-person church, Bible studies, retreats, hugs, coffees—without some of the common activities God uses to speak to us.

Where was God in the midst of the pandemic, riots, politics, social distancing, and cancellations of events? Did you see Him or hear Him in new ways? Or was He hard to find? Were you ever surprised at how God showed up–or didn’t?

 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told (Elijah).
And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by,
and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain.
It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose,
but the Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake,
but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  
And after the earthquake there was a fire,
but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.  
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak
and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
—1 Kings 19:11-13 (NLT)

Elijah was surprised by how God spoke to him. Our powerful, majestic God revealed Himself to Elijah in a whisper. One-on-one so that only he could hear. Up close. Personal. And Elijah paid attention.

I think it was the year of the whisper for me. Sometimes I sensed God’s presence right away. Other times I looked back and realized where God had been and how I grew in knowing who He is. We don’t need to remember every detail about this past year, but we do need to remember how God showed up and carried us through a difficult season.

Let’s ask God to reveal a time He whispered during this season. Maybe we were aware of it, or maybe discouragement blocked us from hearing His quiet words. Perhaps we just didn’t recognize Him. Let’s go back

Try it out: Lord, I’m here, waiting for Your whisper. Open my spiritual ears and senses to Your voice. First-of-all, will You whisper my name? (Pay attention to what His whisper says about how He sees you. If nothing comes to mind, ask Him to whisper your name a few more times.)

• Lord, during the past year, whether I was aware of it or not, what is one thing You whispered to me about who You are?
• Where were we when You whispered this?
• Whisper it again to me.
• (Give God a few minutes to whisper anything else that’s on His heart for you, then respond to Him in prayer.)