A few months ago I was strongly inspired by the Holy Spirit to begin praying earnestly and intentionally for a family I know well. I can’t explain the urgency I felt led to, but I absolutely knew it was directed by God Himself.
One cold rainy afternoon I was encouraged to do something “out of the ordinary” for this family. I will admit that it felt strange, but the prompting was strong enough that I was automatically compelled to obey.
The request was that I drive to the home of this family. And while I knew they weren’t there (due to work and school), I was to sit in my car and pray fervently over them all - individually (by name), and as a family.
I didn’t know the specific requests, and I didn’t need to. I pulled out my pen and notebook and as I sat outside of their house on the road in the rain, the Holy Spirit directed me how to pray and orchestrated the entire prayer time that lasted for about an hour.
I will likely never know, this side of eternity, the full result of those words whispered in faith for this family, but I know that it was one of the most powerful personal experiences I have had with the Father in what I felt like was a co-laboring and an almost “warring” for these individuals who are precious in the eyes of the Savior.
Because the truth really is that we have a need to pray with great expectation over the people we’ve been entrusted to love. To pray with assurance that they will step into the fullness of life Jesus died for them to experience. To pray on behalf of their salvation and radical restoration boldly and and with great confidence. To see potential and to speak life into dry places.
THIS is the privilege we have as believers of the Miracle Worker and the grace that accompanies our Gospel proclamation.
We all need risk-takers in our lives.. ones that see the goodness and intentionally call it out in us.
The writer of Hebrews was concerned with the spiritual immaturity of his audience. He had a great desire to see them experience a deeper level of faith, increased by a sincere eagerness to advance in holiness and righteousness.
In chapter 6, verses 1-8, he gives warnings against fundamental teaching that was causing them to remain unmoved and unchallenged in their current condition of faith. He was cautioning them against apostasy, and challenging them with real spiritual meat as opposed to the basic nourishment of milk appropriate for babies (which they were no longer).
And then we come to verse 9 that says this, “Dear Friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation.”
The author here knows a little bit about encouragement. And he knows the secret to foundational inspiration and life-breathing stimulation.
And so it is with that we have been given an opportunity to follow the example laid out before us.
To be life-givers.
To believe the best in others.
To expect good things.
To put hope in the miracle.
To celebrate what Jesus paid for at the cross.
We will take risks for the ones we value and love.
Can we take it a step further and take risks for the ones He values and gave His life to show His love?
It matters.
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