Living a Spirit Led Life

Hearing from God in Everyday Living

listening prayer

Posted on by 6 Comments

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.

Posted on by 4 Comments

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.)


Posted on by 4 Comments

What if We Forgave Ourselves?

Page 4: What If . . .

Why is forgiving ourselves more difficult than forgiving others? We condemn ourselves, thinking we should have known better or been stronger, wiser, or less selfish. It’s as if we leave the door open for the tormentor, Satan, to point his finger and whisper, “Shame on you,” over and over. Why do we sometimes believe the lies of the enemy more than the Truth, Jesus?

From my life and through prayer ministry, I’ve seen that the expectations we place on ourselves are often unrealistic. We recognize mistakes we made and the consequences to ourselves or others and can’t let them go. We think we should have been able to control outcomes or fix situations and tend to blame ourselves for things we didn’t see coming.

Some people are distraught over things they did out of desperation or before knowing God’s ways. Abortion, cheating, deception, adultery—the list is long. Yes, we have consequences, but even after we repent, make amends if needed, and ask God for forgiveness, sometimes we still live in shame. We need to forgive ourselves.

I’ve needed to have the same compassion towards my younger self—the one who knew about God but didn’t know Him—as I have toward others. I’ve had to remember that the only perfect person who ever lived is Jesus, and not be surprised at my imperfection. I’ve needed to forgive myself for words I spoke, perhaps yesterday, that sounded judgmental or were insensitive. I apologize, allow someone to tell me how my words or behavior affected them, and let them know what I would have liked to have said or done if I could do it over. Then I forgive myself.

I’m saddened by the number of people who hold their younger selves captive to judgment. For example, a woman I prayed with could forgive her father for abusing her over and over as a little girl, but she couldn’t forgive that little girl for both hating what her father did, but craving the attention he gave her. She was ashamed of the little girl’s enjoyment of feeling special or needed.

A prayer model we can use as we pray for others and ourselves is to imagine the younger self in conversation with our adult self. With this woman, I asked her to picture the little girl at the age the abuse was taking place along with her adult self. Then we invited Jesus into the prayer picture and she asked Him to show her how He saw her younger self. Jesus revealed the little girl’s confusion, pain, and longing to be loved and safe. The woman’s heart for her younger self broke. In prayer, she spoke, 

  • Younger (or Little) (her name), I see how scared you are. I see you are defenseless and wronged by the man who was designed to guard and protect you. I’m so sorry all that happened to you. 
  • Younger (her name), I set you free from the judgments I’ve held against you. I forgive you for not knowing how to change the situation and for enjoying the attention.
  • I forgive myself for the hatred, shame, and unforgiveness I’ve carried towards my younger self all these years.
  • Jesus, what do You say and do? (Then take time to listen and watch in prayer.)
  • Jesus, how will You use this for good in my life (Romans 8:28)?

In each situation, Jesus does something different. In our prayer picture, He may initiate a group hug or walk away holding our younger self’s hand to go be with Him, but at the same time coming to us and setting us free from the shame and weight of the unforgiveness we’ve carried.  He showed this woman how she had been given extraordinary compassion for children and an ability to love in difficult situations.

We are not the exception to the gift Jesus gave when He died on the cross. We are forgiven. It’s time to forgive ourselves. Then we are free to love and serve others more whole-heartedly.

If we humbly confess and acknowledge our terminal selfish condition,
he faithfully and rightly forgives us for all the mistakes we made
while living in selfishness; but more importantly–
he heals us from all corruption, decay, and sickness of heart and mind. 
–1 John 1:9 (The Remedy paraphrase)

Try it out:

David, God’s anointed king over Israel, lied, committed adultery, and had a man murdered. Yet God called him a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). How could that be? David repented, dealt with the consequences of sin, and kept going back to God. He knew he was far from perfect, but he continually pursued the only One who is. 

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, 
O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 
When can I go and meet with God?
–Psalm 42:1-2 (NLT)

Pray: Lord, I come to You for Your perspective, insight, and heart. You are the only One who can satisfy the deep longings in my heart. I want to live in freedom—forgiving others as well as myself. Show me, Lord, if there’s any place I’m carrying unforgiveness toward myself.

(Take time to listen. God will reveal it if there is.) 

(If something comes to mind, go through the prayer exercise above, adapting it to your situation. Be sure to take time to listen to God. He is the Healer, Restorer, and Priest. Allow Him to minister to you.)

Lord, You called David a man after your own heart. What do You call me?

Posted on by 6 Comments

What If I Listened to God?

This is Page 3 of our series: What If . . .

“I can’t hear God talk to me! He might talk to you, but not to me!” announced 7-year-old Ali when she was at my house recently. Her frustration was real and her words seemingly out of the blue.

I reminded her of times she’s heard God when we pray at bedtime. “I just make that up because I want to hear Him,” she said. So I asked if she’d like to learn more about God’s voice.

We went up to my loft and I read her a little bit about hearing God from a book for children. I explained how we hear God’s voice through the Bible, but also through thoughts that comes into our mind. Then I asked if she wanted to practice. We looked at the trees out the window, and I prayed, “God, if Ali was one of the trees outside, which one would she be?” I waited a few seconds and asked if she heard anything. With bright eyes, she said, “A palm tree!” There weren’t any of those nearby, but I went with it! 

I asked if she knew why He said a palm tree, and she replied, “I don’t even know what they look like.” I described the tree and told her some palm trees grow food for people, like coconuts or dates. She said, “That’s it! I want to give food to the homeless, but no one will help me!” And she started weeping. She’d talked about helping the homeless before, and I knew this was something planted deep in her heart. I told her I would help her figure out how to do that. Then I shared that palm trees provide shade for people in really hot areas—like God giving people what they need because He is compassionate. Ali said she really cares about people, too. Then she ran off to play.

The next week, Ali, her brother, my husband, and I made sack lunches for a homeless shelter in Yakima. We went to the camp and gave them to people at lunchtime. Knowing many of the residents had dogs, we brought dog biscuits, too, and Ali passed those out. She radiated joy, and wanted a tour of camp.

One of the staff women learned we were there because Ali wanted to feed the homeless. She leaned down to Ali’s level and asked what made her want to bring lunches to people. Ali looked her in the eyes and said matter-of-factly, “God told me I’m like a palm tree.”

The woman looked confused, so I prompted Ali to tell the rest of the story. But I think for her, it would have been enough to stop there. She knew God valued who she is and loved her compassionate heart. She had put her faith in action.

It was a reminder to me that a word from God changes things. We were created to hear from Him! What if we’d known this as a child? What if we believed today and everyday that God is speaking to us? What if we didn’t discount the thoughts of possibility and promise that pop into our minds, but talked them over with God in prayer? Would it change how we live?

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
—Galatians 5:25 (TPT)

Try it out . . .

Pray: Lord, thank you that I was created to hear Your voice. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for living in me and for enabling me to know God’s heart and ways. I want to keep in step with You. I want to remember to ask for Your perspective and love for every situation in my life.

Lord, how would things be different if I remembered to do this?
Is there one thing You would like to talk with me about right now?

(Take time to respond to God, to ask Him questions, or to thank Him. Then, if you’d like to practice hearing His voice, try a listening prayer exercise about trees. Maybe you’re a palm tree, too!)