Being Led By The Holy Spirit

When we originally started this prayer group, I told you that I would send an email directing us on what to pray about every Monday. I wish to redact that entire statement at this time. I will send you an email as the Lord directs me to send you an email when he directs me to do so. Often times, when Monday comes around and I don't feel like I have clarity from the Lord on what to pray about that week, I begin to feel guilty that I haven't heard from God yet. I put all these time constraints on myself and God as I hurriedly try to get a word to you by that Monday deadline. As I began pleading and begging God this morning to just speak to me about something because it was already Tuesday you know, I was reminded that without being led by the Holy Spirit we are doing all this in vain. This is God's timing and not my timing. In saying that, these emails may come weekly and they may not. It will all just depend on when God chooses to speak.

God wants the Church to be led by him and if we want to see the Power of God manifested we must learn to walk accordingly. We need to lift our Shepherd up in prayer and pray that he continually allows the Holy Spirit to lead and guide him in every area of his life. Our Pastor was "Called" to preach so that we might accept, follow and strive to reflect Christ in our daily lives. Please understand what Paul was saying when he said he was separated from his mother's wound and called that he may preach (paraphrased) Gal 1:15-17. Our Pastor did not choose his calling, God chose our Pastor. I am so grateful to have a Pastor that was handpicked by God to lead us. I am thankful to have a Pastor that doesn't preach a message for the sake of pleasing our flesh. However, Satan wants to steer our Pastor in the opposite direction that God wants him to go or to use our Pastor to "water down" the scripture in an effort to blind us to the reality and truth about the ugliness of sin. We have to cover our Pastor in prayer to be continuously led by the Holy Spirit in every area of his life.

It's also important that we the congregation learn to be led by the Holy Spirit as well. How can we make sure we are being led by the Holy Spirit?

These are just a few practical ways that God brought to my attention:

1. Pray in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:14-15).

2. Strive to not quench the Spirit (1 Thess 5:19). Every time we willfully disobey or despise the word, or ignore the promptings of God we have in effect quenched the Spirit.

3. Set your mind to live by the Spirit (Romans 8:5-9)

4. Die to self (Gal 5:24-26)

Heavenly Father, forgive me for trying to do anything outside of your guidance and your timing. Holy Spirit lead my Pastor as he shepherds your flock. Father you have called him for such a time as this, you have called him to lead this body at Powell Church of God so God I ask that you order and direct every step he takes, guide him in every direction he should go, anoint every word that comes out of his mouth. Holy Spirit pour your wisdom into him so that you may speak to us through our Pastor. In Jesus Name Amen

1 Corinthians 14:14-15
1 Thess 5:19
Romans 8:5-9
Gal 5:24-26

Prayer List
1. Divine Protection for Pastor and Family
2. Holiness
3. Heart like Hur to pray through the battle/strength when weary
4. Revival
5. Steadfastness
6. Surrender/Church about our Fathers business
7. Discernment
8. Worship in Spirit and Truth
9. Trust
10. Pray to be led by the Holy Spirit

Trust

Have you ever been faced with a situation in your life that you know you need to forgive someone, even if they don't ask you to forgive them? I think our expectations of people are so high at times that when they don't meet our expectations, we are hurt rather quickly. Sometimes people hurt us and they don't even know they have done anything wrong and then we have those times when people knowingly hurt us but they just can't seem to take that step to apologize. God's word tells us to forgive them anyway. It doesn't say that we can choose what to forgive them for or that we only have to forgive them if they ask us or we only have to forgive them once. Jesus said to forgive them 70x7 which basically means as many times as needed:

Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone[a] who sins against me? Seven times?” 22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

I'm saying all this because I thought that I was dealing with a problem of forgiveness in my life, until this morning and God revealed that it was so much more than forgiveness. We can't forgive anyone on our own; we can only forgive through Christ. When I am hurt by someone I place that person before God and say God forgive me for whatever I have done in this situation to cause them pain and hurt and help me to forgive them for the hurt they have caused me. Forgiveness is taking that initial step in actively pursuing forgiving someone. It's taking the situation to the foot of the Cross and asking Christ to forgive them through you. However, the minute a new hurt would arise all the old stuff would rise up again also. Immediately, I would think well obviously I haven't forgiven them or all this old stuff wouldn't be resurfacing.

So, I focus on the issues, get angry with myself and the person involved, cry, go through all these self pity actions and after I dwell on it enough I go through the steps of humility again and take it to the cross. Naturally, I'm thinking that I don't know how to just let go of the past and forgive them. So, this morning as I was praying God said "Amy when you come before me repenting and asking me to help you forgive someone your heart and motives are pure but forgiveness is not a one step process. You have to choose to forgive over and over again. You have to choose to walk in forgiveness daily. If the old stuff surfaces you bring it to me again immediately. Stop waiting until you have done everything you know to do and dwelled on the situation for days before you truly bring it before me. You know how to forgive what you need to learn to do is trust. You don't trust me to handle the situation. You ask me to handle something for you and you surrender it to me for a little while but when you don't see immediate change you come and pick it back up and try to do it yourself. Your ways are not my ways. When people don't meet YOUR expectations than you fall apart and dwell on the circumstances again. This is an issue of the heart; I need you to trust me. I'm answering prayers for you; I have your best interest at heart. I'm working on things for you that you haven't even asked for yet. I know that trust is hard for you because you have never had anyone in your life you felt like you could trust but I am your Father. I have watched over and protected you even when you didn't want my protection. Now, I need you to trust me to handle every situation you encounter".

My father spoke this to me all morning. He took it another step further though, as soon as I got to work and turned my computer on, my devotion for the day was on Trust. WOW, I don't know where you are with trusting God in your own personal life but God has spoke this so heavy in my heart today I think this is what he wants us all to realize today. Our ways are not his ways, he has the perfect plan for our life, plans to prosper us and not harm us. This week let's pray this for us and our Pastor. Pray that we may trust God completely with everything and every situation in our life.
Nahum 1:7 (NLT)
The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. 

Psalm 37:3-4 (NLT)
³ Trust in the Lord and do good.  Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.  ⁴Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Isaiah 55:8-9(NIV)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. So are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Prayer List
1. Divine Protection for Pastor and Family
2. Holiness
3. Heart like Hur to pray through the battle/strength when weary
4. Revival
5. Steadfastness
6. Surrender/Church about our Fathers business
7. Discernment
8. Worship in Spirit and Truth
9. Trust

Worship

For weeks now, I have wanted to speak about one thing in particular and I really thought this was going to be the week. Then God reminded me once again that this is not what Amy wants but what he wants. He said, Amy....YOU asked for this. You asked me to use you so you just let me handle this and I will be as gentle as I can but I'm going to do some open heart surgery on you and anyone else who will allow me to transform their life. Know that I am your creator, I am your all in all, I am your Lord and I have YOUR best interest at heart. Trust me to change your heart in these areas.

So, we are going somewhere that I never knew we would be going this week but God apparently thought this was very important for us right now. God wants to be glorified, he wants to be worshiped. God expresses the importance of praise and worship throughout his word. The question God wants us to ask ourselves today is, how important is it that we please Him through our worship? Imagine what would happen if we ALL worshiped like he tells us to, in Spirit and Truth. Your worship WILL reflect your love for God. Let me rephrase that for those of you who just skimmed over it, I want to make sure you catch this completely. Your love for God is expressed through your worship. When God brought that to my heart, my heart sank because my mouth says so much more than my worship is revealing. He must get tired of the luke warmness, of the games, of his children going through the motions, of the fact that we're more concerned with what the people around us may think rather than worshiping the One true God. I know that I don't always worship the Lord at church like I do at home. At home, I can turn my worship music up really loud, dance, shout, weep, melt in his presence without a care around me. I'm comfortable there. There's no one but me and God and I can just be me. However, when I'm at church, I have people around me and they may not agree with how I worship, or I may look stupid, or I might be rebuked for such radical worship so I try to worship in Spirit and in Truth but I can't ever really just be me and pour my heart out to him like I want to. You know why, because I am more concerned about what others think of me than about worshiping and pleasing God.  Can anyone identify with me?

I know that's rough but please stay with me. My words are only words but the word of God is everlasting and it will not return void, so please if you do nothing else read the scripture.

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Now, real quickly I want to go through some quick points to a very familiar story to us. I know that most people use this story to share about the forgiveness we have through Christ but I really want us to see the Worship in this story.

1. She recognized who Jesus was. She recognized the one person who could cleanse her from all her sins regardless of what she had done in her past and she worshiped him.

2. Because she recognized who he was, she didn't care what others thought. She didn't care that others were talking about her and speaking of her sinfulness. She didn't care that she had mockers and was being ridiculed for her act of worship.  In fact out of everyone that was there, she was the ONLY one worshiping the Lord.

3. She gave ALL that she had out of love and Jesus forever changed who she was. A great exchange took place. She worshiped with complete sacrificial love and He received her worship and forgave all her many sins.

This story was so important that God said whereever the gospel is preached this story will be remembered. Do you worship God with all you have not caring what anyone else thinks or says? This lady reminds me so much of me.  A woman immersed in filth from the sins of her past.  The only difference is, she didn't care what others thought of her like I do. I'm not saying I don't worship, I do worship, just as you do. What I am saying is how would you worship if you were face to face with the King of Kings? I venture to guess that our worship would be so much more than what it is. So this week, let's really pray to worship in Spirit and Truth, with love giving all that we have. If we will allow God to transform our hearts in this area, I honestly believe it will change everything.

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. John 4:23

Prayer List
1. Divine Protection for Pastor and Family
2. Holiness
3. Heart like Hur to pray through the battle/strength when weary
4. Revival
5. Steadfastness
6. Surrender/Church about our Fathers business
7. Discernment
8. Worship in Spirit and Truth

Discernment

This weekend has brought about a lot of decisions that my family will have to make in the very near future but in order to do that, we will need to spend alot of time in prayer discerning God's voice and asking God to reveal his will for our lives. I can see Satan attacking my family and moving in situations to pull me away from a very special connection that I believe God has given me. I can sense the enemies work all around me and it sickens me.

I know that Satan can pretend to be God speaking to us in an effort to get us off track, lead us astray or confuse us. We all know the verse, John 10:10 that says Satan is out to steal, kill and destroy. John 8:44 says that Satan is the father of lies. 2 Corinthians 11:14 says, For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Which to me this says that Satan is a liar, whose intentions are to steal, kill and destroy and he will disguise himself as something good in order to accomplish his purpose.  With that being said, I would like for us to cover our Pastor in prayer this week for discernment. Obviously, Satan uses any measure he can to mislead us and guide us down the wrong path.

Heavenly Father, I pray for discernment in exposing any schemes of the enemy against my pastor. Show me how to pray against all the powers of this dark world. Lord I pray that you give my pastor a discerning spirit, so that he can easily identify the attacks of the enemy in his life and his family’s life. God, protect me as I wage warfare on behalf of my pastor. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Proverbs 2:1-15

Eph 6:11-12

Prayer List

1. Divine Protection for Pastor and Family
2. Holiness
3. Heart like Hur to pray through the battle/strength when weary
4. Revival
5. Steadfastness
6. Surrender/Church about our Fathers business
7. Discernment