While waiting for them to finish speaking...

we should not be preparing our next sentence. The Lord gave me a new assignment today and I can't wait to try it. I've been mildly frustrated lately by the fact that my life and ministry are still in the holding pattern so I launched into a deeper study of His word. I have declared again that nothing is more important to me right now than seeking His kingdom and laying hold of the life He bought for me. In this pursuit, I came across a man named E.W. Kenyon. If you're not familiar with him, I suggest you seek out some of his writings. He wrote some Bible study courses and other materials which I'm already finding profitable. The Lord Himself, His Spirit that speaks to my inner man, has reminded me frequently that He is a rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY seek Him.(Hebrews 11:6) The Lord appreciates diligence on our part when we use it to find Him. He's gracious enough to give us insights and inspiration even when we fail to demonstrate diligence, how much more generous he must be when we purposely set out to please Him with our diligence. This is one of those precious gifts that we can offer up to Him.
So, as an act of diligence, I have started taking this advanced Bible Course by E.W. Kenyon. Lesson 3 is titled "Acting on the Word" and the lesson revolves around James 1:22 and Matt 7:24. Be a doer of the Word and be like the wise builder who built his house on solid ground.There are questions to be answered at the end of these lessons and as I was trying to answer one about how to walk in love, the Holy Spirit gave me a great idea. He showed me in my imagination what I should do the next time I have a chance to speak to someone.
The next time I have a conversation with someone, while they are talking, I will be praying this prayer: "Father, what do you want this person to know about you? What lie has kept them from fully trusting you? Give me the words to dispel the darkness in their understanding of you so they will turn to you." Instead of my usual practice of just waiting for them to stop talking so I can talk again, I'm going to be praying for and believing to receive words that will have a real impact on their lives. I trust that as I do that, I will start to gain a reputation that will please the Lord and the people in my environment. Word will start to spread about how people just seem to feel better after talking to me. They may not be able to express why they feel better, but they'll remember the feeling of relief or hope or inspiration or revelation. I trust that as I make a habit of this, people will be eager to talk to me and walk away from our encounters feeling refreshed in their spirits. I trust that as I faithfully use the words precisely dictated by the Holy Spirit, the people I encounter will feel better afterwards and not necessarily know why. All they will know is that they enjoyed speaking with me and will seek more opportunities to do so, which will give me more opportunities to speak love into their lives, which will make them more hungry for God. I also trust that while I'm tending to my Father's business in this practice, He will be looking after my interests. He will be giving me favor with men, He'll be opening doors and preparing a table for me in the presence of my enemy. I have decided that I will no longer try to look after my own best interests. It is no longer my goal to win a debate, display my own wit, promote my own popularity or defend my own goals. Henceforth, it is my goal to be a conduit for God into the lives of the people around me. I will be looking out for someone else's interest. I will be seeking their benefit, not my own. This is a radical new approach for me.
For years, for as longs as I can remember, I have gotten by in this world by being the funny guy. It will be a whole new experience for me I'm sure. To just drop my need for constant approval and ego strokes and focus in on the spiritual needs of someone else is a completely foreign impulse. Instead of being so preoccupied with my own emotional needs, I will be purposely striving to meet the spiritual needs of others. I sense that this will be very freeing to me. To be finally relieved from the burdensome duty of catering to this self-absorbed flesh sounds exhilarating. I am certain the Lord will richly reward me with the privilege of seeing the impact He can have on someone's life.
I'm thinking about some of my co-workers who are bound with self-hatred and I'm excited for them. I know the Lord is going to make the most of our time together and give me just the right phrase or illustration or reply that will make them aware of His presence and affection. I'm not necessarily expecting scripture verses. I'm expecting vernacular terms that have the most meaning to them. Phrases that will nestle into their memories and keep releasing faith into them. I know it won't be flattery because He despises that. I know it won't be condemnation because that is a weapon of the enemy. I think it might be something simple like a genuine compliment they can't dodge. I think it might be a reference to something benign that reminds them of a time in their past when they were closer to God. I am truly bubbling with excitement to see God in action like this. I am even more excited by the fact that I get to be a part of it all. I feel like God and I are up to something that no one else is aware of. I feel like I'm in cahoots with God and I'm going to see amazing transformations happen in their lives. Transformations that lead to great new works for the kingdom.
I can't wait to start reporting on these great transformations on this blog. Stay tuned.