Listen to That Voice

Sometimes just sitting quietly and listening is enough. That small voice that we hear inside, the one that we too often discount or lend no credence to is where we hear from God. It is good to lend an ear to that voice when we know that we are a child of God.

While singing and praising this week, I was struck silent. Suddenly words began to flow through that voice, and I was directed to begin writing. I really believed that these words were intended to minister to my needs at that time, but as I began to hear some of the prayers that were being offered up for our community, state and nation, I realized that these were for all of us.

I wrote the words as they were given to me, and, as directed, shared them with our church family at the CrossRoad's House of Prayer. I am now led to share them with whoever comes across this page:

 

I give you strength;

I give you courage;

I give you peace;

I give you the tools

to defeat your enemy,

who wishes to destroy you,

the devil who attacks you.

 

Come to me, I will give you

all you need to be victorious!

I am one breath after another.

I am the life in your veins.

I am your greatest ally,

your most faithful friend.

 

Seek Me!

I am always here with you.

I AM your God!

--Michael Aubrey Porter, Sr., 2014

“He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."   --Micah 6:8

©Michael A Porter, Sr. 2014

 

 

Giving in to God

January 22, 2014

This has been an interesting week, so far. Sunday morning, before the sermon at Crossroads of Arlington began, as we were worshipping, I went and lit a candle, began to pray and was led to just tell God that I wanted to lay everything down and let him have it. It was such a strong leading, that when the sermon began, and Joe went along, coming to the invitation to approach the altar and lay our burdens down, or give up something (using rocks as symbols) I was shocked. Man, he was reading my mind.

I was actually frozen at that point. I knew right then that God had indeed heard me. I knew He was right there with me. He was working on me. I could never imagine what He would do next, though.

Forward to Tuesday night's prayer and worship. I was again led to the cross to sit and speak with God. I was sitting, praying, again that He would unburden me from the things I carry with me when I noticed a hole in the cross. I glanced across and saw another, then down and another. I was seeing the holes where the nails had anchored Christ to the cross. Fixated on those holes, I suddenly realized, seemingly for the first time, exactly what Christ really suffered for me. I felt guilty, indicted, dirty, you name it. I realized my selfishness; how I let my petty, little problems rise up to a level that I had made seem greater than the pain and suffering He went through. 

It was then that it struck me. I was not just letting my anger, disappointments, bitterness and fears fester inside of me, I had created a shell; an outer wall; a fake persona. I prayed, hard, then softly, then honestly. I prayed that God would break the casing surrounding me and release the person He had created. 

It seemed, in that moment, as the worship team sang softly, and the murmured prayers of those behind me lifted up, that God touched that shell and shattered it, releasing me. So many things felt like they just slipped off of me right there.

That should be enough, but God was not finished yet. I went back to my seat, sat and sang and prayed, and basked in what I thought had been an awesome experience. Except that He was not done. My head bowed, eyes closed, I was in my own world, when a hand touched my shoulder; it was Gene-O, and he was praying over me. He prayed what I had been praying, for some time, that God would release me and work through me, that whatever was standing in the way be removed. He prayed that my wife, Carmele, would be strengthened to contine walking along side of me on this path He has set us on. It surprised me so that I actually asked him how he knew I had been praying for all of these things? He said God told him to come and pray for me. You get that? He said God told him to come and pray for me.

God knew what I needed. He knew when I needed it. He knew how to respond to me. God spoke to me this week. He used many things to form those words: my own actions, the cross, the worship team, others hands, and prayer - powerful prayer.

What is next? Not sure, other than more prayer. I know that He sees and hears me.  I know that He recognizes what burdens me and what brings fear into me. I also know that, even though I should not be, I am amazed when He acts on my behalf. So I will continue praying hard, and softly, and honestly, worshipping Him, understanding that the things I build up myself are only hindrances to what God has in mind for me.

Amen!

Let Go In 2014

2014.

A new year.

A new calendar on our wall.

A new set of promises made to ourselves, destined to be left strewn along the road of life as the calendar turns to . . . Next week.

No worries, though, everyone does it. We are not alone when fruitlessly chasing the things of this life, the promises of the flesh. Personally, I have always excelled at choosing my own way; directly to failure.

Who says that we must never indulge our whims, our desires, our wishes? Where is it written that we should not follow the paths set out by our friends and acquaintances, those who we blindly follow because it is "in" today? What else can we do to change our paths and begin to live as we really desired (if we only knew what we truly desire?)

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2 ESV)

We should carefully weigh our decisions, and our choices, giving them over to God and listening to that voice that we know to trust, though seldom do. The voice that never says, "I told you so," but rather, "I am still here, I will still wait for you." We give up our place at the head of the line, as if to imply we are no longer the driving force behind the "why" of our decisions.

Paul continues:
"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." (Romans 12:3 ESV)

God will work within the faith we display.

So maybe this year, in lieu of making resolutions that will invariably be discarded almost before we have an opportunity to fail at them, let us give in to Our Lord.

In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, he says, "Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:1, 2 ESV)

God's grace is sufficient. We do not have to make promises to ourselves, to try to do these things ourselves, to go out and fail by ourselves. ". . . Now is the favorable time," and all we have to do is accept that. God wants to be for us as He goes before us. Let Him lead you this year to great and wondrous blessings.

Have a blessed year and more.

In Christ,

Michael Porter
January 1, 2014

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