Posted by Jennifer Young on March 8, 2010
This week I had a new and fun experience with the Lord. I was on my way into a meeting and had really hoped to have time to meet with God on some things before going into the meeting. As my LIFE hit me that week it this time with the Lord had not happened. I arrived at my meeting place 15 minutes before my meeting was to start. I would normally make some phone calls , balance my checkbook….things that need to be done that I could take advantage of these few spare moments. As I began to think through this I heard clearly from the Lord…lets talk about your meeting. This made me very uncomfortable as I felt that 15 min. was not nearly long enough for me to have the my time with my Lord “the way that I desired” before entering my meeting. He continued to nudge me and I gave in! I had my journal in the car with me and picked it up, pen in hand and began talking to the Lord. I first shared with him that I really did not like doing things this way with Him! I wanted more time, I wanted “our special spot” in my home, and I wanted to not feel rushed. I wanted to give Him more of me than I felt able to give in this situation. I felt the Lord’s delight in me and how He has made me when He received from me these thoughts and my hearts desire to have a “moment” with Him instead of coming quickly to get what I need. He then proceeded to tell me that as we (He and I ) walk and talk more He wants more times like this with me. Imagine my shock…..he really wants me to come and just take from Him without giving Him anything!
What He showed me in a way that only He can is that if we are going to be always talking and walking through life together that there are times that we need “power talks”. He wants access and the ability to speak into all areas of my life. In order to do this there will be many times that I come and “get what I need from Him”. He likes this and will actually enjoy me doing this. He gave me the example of my relationship with my husband. In our relationship there are times of deep intimacy and understanding. There are also a lot of times of taking care of business and talking about what has to be talked about because there is time for only that. Because my God desires to be my friend, my counselor, my ALL He wants me to receive from Him in many ways….including this one!
This is uncomfortable for me but I do want it ALL! I look forward to experiencing the Lord this way more and more as He shows me more that when I come to Him desiring to listen, He will give me the richest of who He is….it is not about what I bring but instead about who He is! Praise God!
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Posted by Jennifer Young on March 4, 2010
As I spent time with the Lord preparing this lesson He really spoke to me about His great understanding of me. He knows me well and knows what I need before I ask Him. He showed me that in spending time with Him regularly He is able to provide for all of my needs, often even before I “feel” or understand what my need is or will be.
He is such an amazing parent. I have really felt a deep desire to receive His parenting not only for my well being which is wonderful but also for the benefit of understanding how to be a wonderful parent to our children. My Father God is the greatest role model of a great parent!
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Posted by Jennifer Young on January 19, 2010
[Note: this is an example of what we call "dialoguing" with God, a written prayer in which we listen and write what we believe God is saying to us. To learn more about this, please check out our Vision or email us with questions.]
Good morning Lord. I praise you for your promises and mercies. Lord God, Jesus you are worthy of ALL my worship, praise and adoration. You have given me life, without you I would be in utter darkness and despair. Knowing you Jesus..knowing you.. there is no greater thing. You are my all, you are the BEST, you are my joy and happiness. I do love you. Please forgive me for looking to other things to satisfy. These things are so temporary, so fleeting really and yet such a temptation!
Jennifer, I forgive you. I really do want you to come to me and listen more. If you turn away from the things that want to rob you of my fullness, finding me is the easy part. I want to be found. The hardest thing is seeing how icky and unsatisfying the things that you chose apart from me really are.
Yes Lord. It is so easy to say things like” I deserve this” or this is” a little something fro me” without realizing or truly understanding that the BEST for me is time with you. Doing for myself what is really good and a treat for me would be you. I need to change my way of thinking really Lord. The best favor or service I could do for myself is you and the life that you give. Will you talk to me about this word Life?
Yes Jennifer, don’t you love how I communicate with you?
Yes Lord. I love how you tell me to come and listen with ears wide open. This gives me the picture of everything you say having entry and me being open to hear everything. If my ears are wide open everything makes it in! It is when my ears are receptive to ALL that you say that I find life. Will you explain this to me more?
Yes Jennifer. What I really want to show you here is that to find life you must be willing to be a good listener…a thorough and complete listener. I do not want you to feel like you have to do something performance based here because that is not the deal. As we have talked about before…this gift of life that I give you is not something that you can buy or earn. This is something that you receive because of who I AM.
Yes Lord, This is what is so beautiful and astounding about all of this . Who you are IS LIFE, is THE FINEST, is A KEEPER OF PROMISES. You are everything good, right, honest, true, merciful, etc……
I AM, Jennifer. I am everything you/man will ever need. There is nothing you desire or need to enjoy life and find rest, peace and deep lasting joy that you do not find in me. I am your ALL! I can be trusted to be all. I do want the next Sunday School curriculum to be about who I AM. Jennifer, it is so important to know who I am because all that I am is yours/theirs. Knowing me and who I am is the greatest thing. The children at Crossland can count on and trust who I am . I want to show them this year more about who I am. Last year with nothing is impossible they saw much of what I can do, want to do, and will do for my people. This year I want them to see who I am and how coming and listening and knowing me, who I am, is what brings deep joy, understanding and confidence. I want them to have an unusual confidence in who I am and and unusual trust in me because they know who I am. The result of this is LIFE. A very abundant life. This is what I have for them.
Wow, Lord. This is wonderful. Thank you. Lord I sense that you want the children to worship you this year, to bring glory to your name.
Yes Jennifer. This is true. I so want them to worship me deeper. As the children know me they will be able to praise and worship me more. Most children know the CTS part of ACTS prayer model. Many do not know how to praise me and worship me because they do not really know who I am. You know worship is what brings me close and brings you into my presence. If we are asking the children to come and listen you are giving them a wonderful knowledge of who I am that will help them to worship which leads to coming into my presence and makes it easier to listen.
Yes Lord, Thank you so much. We want to lead them to you. Thank you so much for showing me this am how you desire to do this. Your ways are wonderful. You really are wise!!
You really are funny Jennifer! You make me smile. You know there is nothing I would not do for you don’t you?
Yes Lord. I do know. The trick is keeping me in a place of belief —not just knowledge of this.
That is so true Jennifer. That is why the coming and listening is sooo important. The belief, the life comes by listening. In the belief in me is the life. You know when people first believe in me/Jesus there is such a faith required and such a drawing of the HS that occurs. The problem Jennifer is that all too often after the intial “belief” my people stop believing in me, who I am, and instead go into a knowledge of me. A relationship is what keeps my people believing and the believing keeps you alive. How can you believe in me if you do not spend time with me and know me? How can you believe and trust deeply someone that you do not spend time with and know? I want you/my children to know me and receive what I really want to give you. Please come, please listen! Please do not rob my kingdom and my people of what I desire to bring them through you / my people when they come and listen.
OK Lord, I am so sorry for the way that I hurt you, the way that your people hurt you because we do not take time to know you and share what we know with a world that desperately needs you….even though often they do not see their need. Open our eyes Lord “wide open” to see our need. Then out of your mercy would you speak to us would you give us the courage we need to come to you with ears wide open. Ears ready to hear and receive. Oh the life we are missing all because we will not listen. Please forgive us Lord for the ways we reject your goodness. Jesus there is no sweeter name.
Listen to the song Jennifer… No Sweeter Name-Kari Jobe Write down the words now.
No Sweeter name than the name of Jesus. No sweeter name have I ever known. No sweeter name than the name of Jesus. You are the Life to my heart and my soul. You are the Light to the darkness around me. You are the Hope to the hopeless and broken, You are the only Truth and the Way. JESUS, JESUS, JESUS.
Yes Lord. Thank you for that song. Jesus there truly is no sweeter name and no greater name than yours. In your name there is life, light, hope, healing, the truth, the way…Jesus you have fulfilled every promise and every need.
Yes my bride. I JESUS am life. I bring all that you ever need and I have done all that will ever be needed for you to know me and my Father. Jennifer I love you so much and love your hunger and thirst. I love how you see your need for me and how you come and listen. My bride this year I have much more to tell you and many more opportunities for you to see your need so that you will come and know me more and more.
Jesus, I cannot wait. I love you so.
I love you too Jennifer. Oh so much. Are you excited about the curriculum?
I am Lord. I cannot wait to discover with the children and teachers more and more of who you are. I want to know you more. The more I know you the more I love you. Loving you and being loved by you is the BEST!
Yes my bride. It is isn’t it? Lets go do what we need to do today together ok?
OK!
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