Because of our intimacy with the Lord we have access into His heart.  He begins to share things with us that we could not have seen before.

It was the time of the last Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Since we lived near there, our city had offered our large recreation complex to the athletes for practice several days a week, even advertising their schedules and inviting the public to watch.

In a room above the ice rink about one hundred of us crowded near the large window to watch the figure skaters from several different countries.  During the first time period they were all on the ice together and I enjoyed watching the international warm-up session.  Next came the time for each pair of skaters to do their routine.  The atmosphere in the room began to change.

The Russians were first.  The warm-up jackets came off and the bright red and black costumes stood out starkly against the ice.  Then the music started … the epic, classical tragic music of Russia.  It was like a knife stabbing my heart and with a shock I realized there were tears streaming down my face that I could not prevent.  For a moment all I could do was cry as I watched the drama of a land and a people crying out for deliverance from generations of bondage.  I began to feel God’s heart for them.

Suddenly I realized the opportunity the Lord was providing me.  Here were the top, choice representatives in sports from many nations right here in my home town and I was close enough to see their faces!  I could not go there but He had sent them to me.  Listening for the Lord’s heart for them now, I began to pray as if I was down on the ice laying my hands on them.  Through my tears I silently prayed that God would reveal Himself to them so clearly and that they would respond to His love.  I prayed for their families, their future children and  their nation as they danced out their history before me.

This is only a very small and low level experience on the ladder of intercession.  Prophetic intercession in its basic form is simply being willing to hear what is in God’s  heart and pray or act on what He shows us.  Sometimes He asks us to partner with Him in bringing healing, salvation or freedom to the captives.  Many have had experiences of being taken away in the Spirit to different locations in the earth realm to pray and actually help people there.

In the next post I will continue this subject and move deeper into it.  But for now, allow the Lord to show you once again … there are no limits in Him.  In the Spirit you can fly!

Scripture references: Isa. 40:31, 2 Cor.12:2-4, Rev. 4:1,2, Acts 8:38-40, 1 Thes.5:17, James 5:16

Worship had begun in the small group setting but I found it difficult to quiet my spirit and enter in.  Random thoughts and problems were crowding my mind.  Desperately I cried out to the Lord, “Take me into Your river of life.  Put me in the water and hold me under until You have accomplished Your work in me.”  For so long I tried to “get there”, to see the river, to sense His presence.  Then finally, even with my eyes closed, my vision began to be blurry or wavy.  Eventually I realized I was looking through water.

Amazed, I saw that I was laying horizontally in the river a few feet below the surface and several angels were holding me down.  They were laughing. They looked like young men in their early 20’s and despite their long white robes, their demeanor was very casual.  They were joking with each other and obviously enjoying their assignment.  Breathing under this celestial water is as easy as breathing above it and there is no sense of fear … only life and peace.  This helped to calm me but my spirit was still longing for the Lord.

Finally I saw Jesus standing in the water near me.  But I was shocked when He put His finger on my chest and slit it open from neck to waist!  Then He gently took out my heart and held it.  Looking on it lovingly, He began to massage it in His hands.  Now I could feel His touch on my spirit and it released a torrent of emotions that had been blocked before.  A flood of tears came forth, followed by a burst of joy and then such peace.

In the chaos of our lives, He comes to super-impose His reality on our current circumstances.  In one instant He can remove us from the cares and stress of life and transfer us into His timeless realm of peace, showing us where reality truly lies and giving us courage for the battle here.

Oh God, make us so much more aware of Your continual presence with us.

These are challenging times when we are facing great difficulties and uncertainties.  This is causing fear in many of God’s people.  Recently the Lord  reminded me that His peace is another one of those crucial blessings that flow out of intimacy with Him.  Let me share with you what He said:

“Fear will only cripple you and hold you back.  Fear is from the enemy of your soul.  Do not listen to or agree with fear.  As the times grow darker, peoples  hearts are failing them because of fear.  But not you!  I have delivered you and trained you and filled you with My peace.  Then I set you among them to help deliver them from fear and show them the way of peace.”

“You must continually dwell in Me and in My peace, so that same peace can flow out of you and into the darkness around you. You are the light of the world. (Mt. 5:14-16)  Only when you are hidden in Me, only when you live in that secret place of intimacy with Me can I flow through you unhindered to bring light to those around you.  It’s not just something you do.  It’s who you are … it’s who I Am within you.”

“When you feel that peace disturbed or sense a lack of peace within you, stop and return to Me.  Come and really be with Me.  I am standing beside you, waiting with open arms.  I will never leave you. (Heb.13:5)  Call to Me and I will answer you. (Jer.33:3)”

“Come and let Me breathe the breath of My Spirit on you once again.”