It brings me so much joy as I remember the night when I experienced the closeness of Holy Spirt. It was the night I cried out to God for help not knowing what to do.

A decision had to be made during the COVID-19 epidemic- whether or not to travel to be with my daughter for her upcoming delivery.  I had many concerns regarding the trip, but relying on God’s Word gave me peace and confidence of His protection (Psalms 91, Exodus 12:13-14).

However, the Thursday before my flight (which was on the following Tuesday), listening to the news about the coronavirus spreading, flights being canceled, the possibility of my husband being alone for longer than 5 weeks, all started to bother me. The peace I had until then started to change. Physically I felt the churning and wanted to just sleep hoping it would go away by morning. Before going to bed I prayed for wisdom to make the right decision. I was tossing and turning trying hard to come up with an answer.

In the middle of the night I woke up and Holy Spirit started to expound on Hebrews 11:1. He highlighted that my faith was not complete. He asked, “How can you see My protection (things not seen yet) if you don’t travel?” The ball was in my court, it was up to me to answer. I asked for forgiveness for my worry and fear.

After this, I also had a mental picture of a big bubble hoop coming to the door. Again, it was up to me to step out of my door and into the bubble to experience His protection. His promises never change but I had a part to play in receiving the fulfillment of His word. This conversation with Holy Spirit gave me peace and rest and I was able to sleep peacefully. God saw my concerns and His Spirit gave me comfort and direction.

In the morning I did not mention this to my husband before our family prayer, but as soon as he finished praying, with a firm and confident voice he said, “You are going to Chicago!” With confidence, I responded, “Yes I am!” The night before both of us did not know what to do and I shared with him my conversation with Holy Spirit.

The intimacy of God the Holy Spirit is what I want to highlight. It was a sweet fellowship and there was no trace of disappointment for my anxious thoughts, or displeasure in my half-hearted faith. Overflow of His love, His gentleness, His patience and His grace is what I experienced as He helped me navigate through the scripture.

Confident of His protection, I made the trip and had a wonderful time with my daughter and family and newborn grandson!

Desire more of Holy Spirit, He is waiting for a deeper intimate relationship with us.

Some people are good at conversations and some are not. Often I hear my children say, while we talk, “Mom can you finish the sentence please?” or, “take your time, we will wait.” Occasionally I say things half way and move on to other things. In a conversation we express and exchange our thoughts, needs, feelings, memories, ideas, questions, and answers. Conversations with God are called prayer. Do I talk to God the same way, leaving the conversation half way? Do I ask Him for things, but fail to listen? Do I do what He says? These questions went through my mind as I was meditating on Exodus 14.  

Pharaoh let the Israelites go after many years of slavery. They were on their way to the promise land led by Moses, but the Egyptians had a change of heart and pursued them. With the Red Sea in front and the enemy around them there was no way out for the Israelites. They cried out to the Lord (v 10). The Israelites started a conversation with God when they were in trouble. It doesn’t matter who initiates, but both parties need to talk to make it a conversation.  

The Israelites went on to talk to Moses before God could respond to them. They said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?” (v 11). If we talk to man before finishing our conversation with God, our focus stays on the problem. We also impede the promises when we don’t take time to listen to God. Life in Canaan was God’s plan, not death in Egypt or in the wilderness. There was one Israelite who listened to God, Moses. He heard God’s plan for their protection and for complete destruction of the enemy. Moses said to them,”Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever (v 13). Answers can be seen in faith when we hear His voice. Moses continued the conversation by listening to God. God’s answer to prayer is either yes, no or wait. But sometimes His answer can be questions.

The Lord said to Moses,”Why are you crying out to Me?” Does this mean we shouldn’t cry out to God when in trouble? No, in our conversation there is a time to listen and also a time to speak. God said, “Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.” People stay in fear and hopelessness when we don’t tell them what God says. The conversation continued by Moses conveying to the people what God said. The conversation was still not done with conveying the message, he also had to do something.

The Lord told Moses to lift up his staff, stretch it out over the sea and divide it (v 15,16). Moses needed to do what God said in order to make a way for them to cross over. People stay trapped when we don’t do what God says. They did what God told them to do. Moses stretched out the staff and divided the Red Sea and the Israelites went forward and crossed over safely. The Lord heard their cry and saved them from the enemy.

Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD (Exodus 15). Miriam and all the women took the timbrels and exalted the Lord with dancing (Ex 15:20,21). This conversation ended in thanksgiving and praise.

The answers to my questions were yes, I need to listen more, encourage others more, do more, and give thanks more. God is waiting for me to finish some conversations just like my children wait for me to finish sentences. Our prayers to God are conversations.

Prayer is asking, prayer is listening, prayer is telling, prayer is doing, and prayer is thanksgiving.

Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, which is commonly referred as “The Lord’s Prayer.”  He continued to teach them about intercessory prayer using a hypothetical situation involving three friends.

“Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him” (Luke 11:5,6).

One friend had an unexpected visitor late at night, a friend from a far away place.  He had nothing to offer to this tired and hungry friend.  His love and compassion did not allow him to go to bed without dinner.  So he inconvenienced himself at midnight, went to another friend’s house knocking and asking for bread.  This friend was already in bed.  Because of his friend’s persistence and friendship he got up and gave as much as he needed (Luke 11:5 – 8).

Jesus reveals three secrets to getting answers to intercessory prayers through this story.  One is friendship or fellowship with God and people.  Second and third comes out of the love from the friendship;  intercession and persistence.

Interestingly, all the characters in this story are referred as “friend”.  After telling them this story, Jesus said, “So ask, it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9,10).  When we read words like so or therefore, there is a truth behind it.  I believe he was emphasizing friendship for intercession.  

Our family, children, friends, colleagues, neighbors and nations need salvation.  They come to us tired and hungry.  We cannot give eternal life with Jesus, we cannot meet their financial need, we cannot heal their emotions, we cannot protect them from evil, we cannot take away their sickness and pain.  We don’t have what they need.  Though we are helpless, we have a Friend Jesus to go to (John 15:15).  You are my friends if you do what I command (John 15:14).  When we obey Him we are His friend.  Abraham believed God, it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God (James 2:23).  When we believe Him he calls us friend.  So let’s go to Him in obedience and trust on behalf of our friends.

Lord, thank you for the friends who are praying for us and our children.  Restore things that are lost and reward them with deeper friendship with You.

Rewarding intercession requires growing fellowship with God and friendship with men.

To find out more about the Kingdom of God, I read the gospel of Matthew.  The question “Does Jesus know me?” stood out as I read chapters 7 and  25.  My initial thought was “what a question, of course He knows me.”  He knew me when He formed me in my mother’s womb (Psalms 139:13).  Even before He formed me He knew me (Jeremiah 1:5).

Matthew 7:21-23 says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!'”  

What!!! after all that I am doing for the Lord, he doesn’t know me?

Matthew 25:11,12 says, “Later the other virgins (foolish ones) also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us.’  But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.‘”

What!!! I kept myself pure, I had the lamp and waited patiently.  Okay, I agree that I fell asleep but others did too.  How am I suppose to know You were going to be late?  Even in the middle of the night, when I heard You are coming, I went to get more oil.  Still you don’t know me?  Lord, how can I let you know me?

Do the will of the Father, not just good things.  Be prepared to keep the lamp lit through out the dark nights.  Tell Him who you are, Jesus wants to know you.

“Show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely (Song of Songs 2:14b).”

The truth is Jesus is not concerned about our good deeds, his desire is to know us.

Dear loved ones, let us remove our masks and allow Him to see us and let us raise our voices in worship and allow him to hear us.