In Sync with Holy Spirit

“Lord, I want to be in sync with the Holy Spirit,” I frequently pray to God. I’m using a modern analogy, such as when we sync 2 electronic devices, causing them to function as 1 single unit. Jesus prayed a similar prayer to the Father, “that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in You” (John 17:21). I want to be living out each day, united with Him in mind, heart and spirit; not going ahead of Him or lagging behind; nor turning left when He is turning right. I want my will to yield to His will.  Because if I am doing what He wants me to do, and going where He wants me to go, and connecting with the people He wants me to connect with, then it will be blessed by God and His p0wer is able to flow through me so to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God and my life will glorify Him.

I’d like to share personal stories that depict what it looks like to be in sync with the Holy Spirit. While in prayer one morning, I heard God tell me to leave Victory Church* that my family and I attended and to attend Living Waters Church.” I talked with my husband and 3 children about leaving Victory Church but none of them wanted to leave. I asked God for a confirmation that I heard Him correctly and He gave me one. However, I didn’t take action to obey Him. I had only recently gotten permission from my children’s father to take my children to church on Sundays and now I would have to leave them. I asked God for another confirmation and He gave me one, in the form of a dream. However, I still didn’t obey. At the time, I didn’t view my lack of action as disobedience. I guess I viewed it as a form of procrastination.

Then one day, 3 weeks later from the first time I heard God to leave Victory Church, I heard God speak to me, “Obey!” It was the loudest I had ever heard God speak to me. I was determined to go to Living Waters Church the following Sunday, even when the devil attempted to stop me when that morning arrived. I let in my cat Moonbear from the outdoors and he appeared to have been attacked viciously, to the point of near death.  I knew that if I took Moonbear to the vet I would miss church so I simply prayed over him for God to heal him. I obeyed God that day by attending Living Waters Church and when I returned home, Moonbear was doing significantly better. My husband and I tended to his wounds in the days following and he had a full recovery without going to the vet.

Why would God call me to leave my family? It wasn’t important then nor is it now, the why behind what God called me to do. God admonished Job for asking the question “why.” I love this verse “For mighty is the one who carries out His word” (Joel 2:11). It is God’s desire that I obey and trust Him that He has His reasons, and His ways and thoughts are higher than mine. Many people from Victory Church judged me in a negative way for leaving my family and for not following my husband. Some people thought I had walked away from Jesus when they didn’t see me sitting in church with my family. Even though it hurt my feelings to learn of these things, I chose to value what God thought about me. I chose to please Him over them, over my husband and children, and over my own will. I attended Living Waters Church for many weeks, sitting by myself, as if I were a single woman. When people found out that I had a family who were attending another church, I’m sure they wondered why on earth I wasn’t with them. But within a short time my youngest son chose to attend there with me so that brought my heart comfort. God is sooo good!

​God never had to tell me why He called me to make that church move, just as the general of an army battalion doesn’t tell his soldiers why he commands them to do 50 sit-ups. Years later I came to realize that it was an assignment as an intercessor to join the intercession of the senior pastors in praying for a revival in our state of Rhode Island. After 4 years of praying, weeping, and 24-hour prayer gatherings, our church birthed a statewide revival that lasted for about a year. Daily street outreaches occurred around the state for 3 weeks that led to approximately 3,000 people hearing the Gospel message, being prayed with and asking Jesus into their hearts. Was my sacrifice and my family’s sacrifice worth these results? You betcha! Glory to God! Radical obedience releases the radical power of God.

At another time, God told me to join another intercessor in her monthly prayer assignment. I never would’ve chosen to spend time with Cynthia,* a member of my church, because she and I were very different and she never acted interested in me. Nonetheless, I obeyed God and traveled the long distance in her car to a particular destination where God had told her to go and prayer walk. Those monthly times with Cynthia were very difficult because she would say things to me that were very hurtful, which at times, led me to cry on God’s shoulder. Sometimes she would put me down in front of others who joined the prayer assignment. After one year, I heard God tell me that my assignment to accompany Cynthia was done. Alleluia! Why did God call me to do it? He never chose to tell me why, but some time later, I received much favor for my ministry right at the destination where I prayer walked with Cynthia.

​Living my life in sync with Holy Spirit sometimes leads to people being offended because they feel that I should do something with or for them, especially if they had done something for me previously. They behave as if I owe them a favor. For example, a woman once opened her home to me when I visited her church to lead in an all-night prayer gathering. She and I both prayed at the time for God’s will and we walked in it. It was glorious what God did! Several months later, she asked me to be an intercessor for a ministry that she was part of. I prayed and sought God’s will in this but I didn’t feel that He wanted me to do it. After I declined, I never heard from her again and previously we had kept in touch. This is a very common occurrence in my life which has led to the loss of friendships. I choose to follow God and His perfect will for my life and desire to please Him over pleasing people. I’ve come to learn that His way is the best way. He knows what’s best for me because He knows me better than anyone else and He has a destiny for my life. I want to fulfill all that God has destined for me to accomplish in this life, for the sake of His Kingdom and for His glory.
 
 
Food for thought: When we pray for God’s will to be done in our lives, do we mean it? Do we really value God’s opinions and desires above others? Do we really trust Him when He tells us to do something, or go somewhere or say something? Do we trust that His ways are higher and far better than our own, or others? Do we really love Him? With our actions? Or only with our words? What does it look like to love God with all of our heart, with all our mind and with all our strength? (Mark 12:30).
 
*Names have been changed. 

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