Categories
Getting Help Healing Holy Spirit Jesus Prayer Prayer, Intercession, Angels,

Jesus Teaches How to Pray

Jesus Teaches us – Intimately and Personally

Jesus will teach you how to pray – if you ask and also pay close attention to whatever it is you experience next. I’m still learning a lot, and he always surprises me. Here’s a recent example.

A good friend was lighting a heater, there was an explosion, and his eyes hurt so much he could not open them. So he went to the hospital emergency room.

I asked Jesus how to pray for him. I saw a thick white line out in front of my eyes; I was seeing through the face of the person who was hurt. Normally, I’d ignore such a strange thing to see, continuing to ask for an answer and looking for one. Which would mean I would miss the answer Jesus had already given.

I’ve learned that the first thing I experience after asking is literally the answer as to how I am to pray. So I prayed by seeing that thick white line in front of my eyes, as I identified as though being the person who was hurt.

This made no sense to me. Even more than usual, this made no sense to me. But I’ve been learning that what I experience first, after asking Jesus how to pray for someone or something – is my answer, and this is literally what I am to do.

This morning the line was far thinner. And I continue to pray this way, seeing that white line, no longer thick, as if through the eyes of my friend who had been hurt. Jesus is healing him.

I also realize that even if I am mistaken in how I am seeing what Jesus says about how to pray, when I pray as I am shown, I am praying with faith.

And I realized my friend is getting better, and I knew he would be okay. And I am to continue to pray this way, enforcing the answer to my question about how to pray in this situation, for this person, until the answer is completely enforced and his healing is complete.

Jesus will also teach me when I’m done, if I am attentive to this issue. He sends Holy Spirit to give me what I need.

And for most of my life I’ve missed the answers he’s given, I suspect, because his answers surprise me so much, seem so unusual and unexpected. And because I had not thought to ask how I should pray; I presumed I knew how to intercede – without asking Jesus and paying close attention to what he says to me through Holy Spirit.

I am slow…but I am learning.

Categories
Getting Help Hearing God Lessons Ministry Prayer, Intercession, Angels, Success

Ask

Asking Increases the Opportunities for Experiencing Answered Prayers

It’s important to ask God – in many situations.

And I forget, far too often; and sometimes for far too long.

I remember a time when I had a business problem that I had no idea how to handle. I suffered and worried about it for about two weeks. Finally, in frustration, I went for a walk by the river which hear my house.

When I went out the door, it finally occurred to me to ask God for help. I had an intention to ask. (An intention can be a kind of prayer. What happened next is a powerful sign that this is so.)

As soon as I had formed an intention to ask God for help, I got a “download” through Holy Spirit. Suddenly coming into my mind were all the ideas I needed to solve the issues I had been worrying about.

I could not help but think to myself that if I’d only thought of asking earlier, I could have had the help I needed, much sooner.

I was grateful for the help, glad for the ideas that were just what I needed and that I could not come up with by myself.

It also embarrassed me.

And worse, this sort of thing has happened all too often since then.

After 71 years, I finally came to understand that I could and should ask Jesus how to pray for people and for situations. To pay careful attention to what I experienced next, to consider that an answer unless it was against the character of Jesus. So far, it has always been a wonderful answer. And I am responsible to continue praying until that prayer answer is fully enforced. This has changed my life.

Why it took me so long, I have no idea. And I had long wanted to minister like Jesus, doing as I am shown and as I hear. And all I had to do was to ask. (He sometimes answers in other ways, too.)

I’ve had family problems, money problems, health issues, business issues – many problems. I am not the only one – we live in a broken world full of all kinds of problems.

Ask God. Have an intention: ask!

Categories
Kingdom of God Prayer, Intercession, Angels, Presence of God Purpose Spiritual Warfare Worship

Putting Kingdom First can be Surprisingly Powerful

Angel Wing over man – Art by Orit Martin

Putting righteousness and the Kingdom of God first — has the side effect of helping us sort all our priorities and values, automatically. Putting things in Kingdom perspective – the best perspective in the universe.

When something is disturbing, return to righteousness and Kingdom first, and restoration of values and priorities is automatic. And good for us:

  • The Kingdom of God is easier to experience.
  • Prayer is easier and more effective, and in line with what our Lord wants us to pray for.
  • Presence of God is much easier to experience. Our purpose and purposes are extremely clear and keeping us focused, and easily, too.
  • Spiritual warfare can be done in just this way, and Satan’s kingdom is disturbed and knows it’s losing.
  • Worship is a powerful side effect, and easy.

Especially in times like these, where there is so much that is disturbing going on, and so many people disturbed.

Categories
Conversation with God Discipleship Hearing God Holy Spirit Journal Prayer Prayer, Intercession, Angels,

Conversations with God – Fast & Slow

Some conversations with God are really fast. Only taking a moment. Like when you are reading scripture and a passage speaks to you more personally and more deeply. Or when Holy Spirit pulls you up short with a correction. And your answer is a wordless – or maybe with actual words, maybe something like, “Yes, Lord!”

Other conversations are slower and can go on for months or years. As when God brings us back to a particular scripture time and time again. These are usually topics of great learning and deep transformation over time. At other times, you may have a back and forth conversation with God where you are led and learn more gradually – over a longer period of time. There is a lot God has to say, and he speaks to you, one key notion at a time, over a long period of time. The conversation can cover many topics, even. Like a long walk in the rolling hills where the grass and trees are fresh and full of life.

Once I had asked to go west, to the western United States. I had asked strongly and repeatedly. I asked many, many times. Then I heard Still Small Voice say, translated into words, “Not yet!”. I had no idea Still Small Voice could be so loud and so definite.

God has taught me on particular subjects that go on for months, pointing out various things to me. Such as his teaching me about the Kingdom of God. We keep coming back to that, again and again. Sometimes there is no conversation on the subject for a while, at other times the subject is picked up again and he shows me new things, or he reminds me of previous lessons. A lot of my learning is this way.

I keep a Prayer Journal. A record of our conversations, often two way conversations. Reviewing these brings me valuable lessons back to mind again, it’s too easy to forget or lose track of key ideas. Writing also helps make the conversations more real and definite than when they are just “in my head”. I recommend learning about and doing this. Perhaps we’ll explore this in this blog. In the meantime, you can go to cwgministries.org and look for his book or video series about hearing from God, conversations with God; and especially, “4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice”, as an eBook or as a video series – offered on the same page.

Mark Virkler teaches that when we do all four of these things at the same time:

  1. Stop and be still.
  2. Look with the eyes of our heart towards Jesus
  3. Listen to what God says to us or shows us, especially through flowing thoughts, and
  4. Write down what we experience

He guarantees that we will hear from God or get our money back. Quite an encouraging guarantee!

Any area of your life where you let God freely operate and rule is part of the Kingdom of God. The King rules his Kingdom. This is my favorite place from which to hear God. His Kingdom is at hand – within reach. Now. Always.

If you are having a good conversation with God, especially a longer one over a greater period of time, you are probably having such a conversation inside of the Kingdom of God. You know what that’s like, then!

St. John had such a conversation, an unveiling. A showing. A revelation; it’s called the Book of Revelation. This will take a lot of time to study and study well. This will be a longer conversation.

See, the Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking – no, not of things like that. The Kingdom is standing rightly before God, in peace and joy in Holy Spirit. (See, Romans 14:17.)

God has already been talking to you and with you for a long time. Are you ready to notice and realize how this is true? Can you recognize and remember some of those “conversations”? Appreciate them? Maybe even take notes. Begin or continue with a Prayer Journal or a Conversations with God Journal, if you like. I encourage you to write daily. When you do, your life and your faith will grow and transform. I promise you. So…do such as this, and be sure to give thanks and rejoice!

Categories
Healing Hearing God Holy Spirit Intercession Kingdom of God Ministry Prayer Prayer, Intercession, Angels, Presence of God

Interceding from Within the Kingdom of God

When you pray from within the Kingdom of God – the place God rules from – which is now always within reach – literally. You pray from a place of Love, Power and Holy Spirit Guidance.

The Presence of our Lord is powerful. Within reach, always. The Glory of our Lord emanates from his holy Presence. Some see this as light, other times, missed, other times a weight – being weighed down.

This is a magnificent way to pray.

A lot of us have not thought to pray from here; yet once you consider this, it may be obvious that this is an outstanding thing to explore and learn about. And to do.

This is what Jesus did; and his prayers and commands for healing were – successful! Powerful. Full of compassion.

You can be this way, too. And hear and do what Father shows you, through Holy Spirit. Ministering more like Jesus.

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Some additional thoughts, in response to a request for more on this:

The Kingdom of God is the love, power and Presence of God ruling in a situation or place. Where there is righteousness and joy in Holy Spirit. This is always at reach, at hand rather. All you have to do is reach out in your spirit, your heart. God and his Kingdom are within reach. This is the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

The King is in his Kingdom, this is where Jesus is. You can call on his name, or ask for the other Comforter he sent, Holy Spirit. You have already Holy Spirit in you.

You can always ask for more of Holy Spirit with sincerity – and receive by faith. Your experience may not be dramatic, but you receive more of Holy Spirit when you ask sincerely with faith, confidence and trust in God.

With more of Holy Spirit you can pray for others. You can ask how to pray and receive guidance for that.

Here’s an article about how to have such guidance for prayer, if you are interested and you can learn to minister more like Jesus — doing as Father says and shows. What a wonderful way to pray and minister!

Categories
Angels Discipleship Hearing God Holy Spirit Intercession Ministry Miracles Prayer, Intercession, Angels,

Always Praying

It is more practical to continue praying and to be praying always than many of us have thought. It’s easy, it’s good to do – and it can be important, even life saving.

The first time this happened, and I was led with conscious awareness by Holy Spirit was after my father collapsed and threw up a rather large amount of blood.

He was rushed to the hospital, and immediately sent to emergency surgery. Which took a surprisingly long number of hours.

I prayed for him and for his surgery to go well and for his healing. Holy Spirit was directing me. I saw a star, a smallish star, and I knew I was to keep my attention on this star as a part of my prayer.

So where ever I was, what ever I was doing, I kept part of my attention on this “star”, as I was being gifted and led to do.

I was helping, I was praying, and I would be learning from this.

It turns out that when they thought they were finished with the surgery, they miscounted sponges and thought they were missing one. So they opened him up and looked for it.

As they were looking for this sponge, they found a small artery that was bleeding. They said it would have killed him, but was small enough so that there would be no dramatic symptoms right away – which would delay or even keep them from knowing they had to cut him open again to find the bleed and save his life.

The found the small bleeding artery, closed it, and closed him up. Surgery was successful, and he lived.

He not only lived, he went on to change his life in other good and needed ways – which gave him a longer life and a better one. That’s another story.

From what I could tell, the time I the star and the flow of intention and dunamos energy stopped was about the same time the opened him up again, found the bleeding artery and fixed it.

The timing was to teach me something about how prayer goes.

And I learned consciously how to pray in the Spirit, with my spirit. How to notice and respond to the signals I was given, to obey and continue. Until it was done.

You can do this too. Pray in the Spirit, noticing and paying attention, obeying what is given you, until it is done.

You will be praying continuously, and can continue until it is complete: until the prayer work is done. You will know when it’s done, because a part of you is still and continuously paying attention.

You can pray in the Spirit. With your spirit. Notice what you are given to do, led to do; and to obey until it is complete.

You will over the course of your lifetime, by doing this, help many people in many situations. Including following Holy Spirit as someone heals. Lives will sometimes be saved. Other blessings will accrue.

Pray in the Spirit as directed until it is done and complete. You can do this, and our Lord wants you to do so.

Thus you will be doing what you are shown, and ministering more like Jesus.

Categories
Discipleship Getting Help Intercession Kingdom of God Pain Prayer Prayer, Intercession, Angels,

When You Can’t Move or Lessen the Pain

There are times that you have pain and you cannot manage or lessen it on your own.

This may be because you are a Highly Sensitive Person, an empath, or a discerner – someone with a gift of discernment.

Normally, if you have pain that is physical or emotional, you can manage it or lessen it, at least some. That’s when the emotional or physical pain is yours.

When it’s not yours, you cannot touch it, manage it, or lessen it. You cannot “handle” it on your own.

What do you do that can help? So far I’ve found four things:

  • Pray for the person to whom it really belongs. Intercede. Can’t hurt, usually helps. It’s impossible for you to identify with the pain when you are interceding for someone else.
  • Sometimes it’s from an unclean spirit – it’s not yours. Resist evil, even as you draw closer to God. (See James 1.) Tell it that it has to leave and stay away; Jesus has given you authority. Don’t be bluffed or tricked into keeping it.
  • Worship! Which you can combine, of course, and do with either of the above. When you give praise for what God has done and especially when you worship God for who he is — everything just gets better.
  • Ask Holy Spirit to adjust your feelings, energy, body and relationships.

I do not know why I had to be told about this last one, and did not realize it myself. Thank heavens I have good mentors! For more about this, see the post I learned this from, at: https://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2020/06/18/discerners-god-is-healing-your-perspective/