And speaking of spiritual encounters..

I was trying to open my eyes but I was so sleepy. A thought a person had come into my room and sat down in the chair next to my bed and said: “I’m in so much trouble, I don’t want to be humiliated, I need help, please pray for me.” I was trying to open my eyes and I woke myself saying, “I can’t open my eyes, I’m so sleepy.”I sat up and realized that I hadn’t seen that person in two years had not thought of them at all, so I knew that the Lord had prompted this encounter. I woke and called that person,“The Lord told me to call you, what’s wrong?” That person had come to the conclusion that God was not aware of them, their word was, “Everything in my life is upside down, I have been through a terrible divorce, child custody battle and now my finances are the worst they have ever been. So many people depend on me I don’t know what to do, (then the words) I don’t want to be humiliated.”  That nudge in the Spirit proved once again, to be a life saver for this person. I told them, “If God wasn’t aware of you, I wouldn’t be on the phone with you right now!”While we spoke God inspired me to give Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Knowing that I had no way, except by the Spirit of God, to know what was going on in their life and hearing this promise from the Word was all they needed to give them the hope and knowledge that God knew them and their need and cared enough to send help! At times I have felt that what I did was of no importance, then something like that happens and reaffirms to me that He indeed has a plan for my life, one that I must be willing to carry out! I think we fear being wrong, not really knowing if it is God speaking or our own mind, but I would rather err on the side of the warning than to ignore it and realize that I should have said something. Jeremiah felt that way and voiced it in Jeremiah 20:9-11You pushed me into this, God, and I let you do it. You were too much for me. And now I’m a public joke.They all poke fun at me.Every time I open my mouth I’m shouting, “Murder!” or “Rape!”And all I get for my God-warnings are insults and contempt.But if I say, “Forget it! No more God-Messages from me!”The words are fire in my belly, a burning in my bones.I’m worn out trying to hold it in. I can’t do it any longer!Then I hear whispering behind my back: “There goes old ‘Danger-Everywhere.’ Shut him up! Report him!”Old friends watch, hoping I’ll fall flat on my face: “One misstep and we’ll have him. We’ll get rid of him for good! “But God, a most fierce warrior, is at my side. Those who are after me will be sent sprawling—Slapstick buffoons falling all over themselves, a spectacle of humiliation no one will ever forget.

We have to give what we feel in our heart is right, whether anyone agrees with us or just makes fun of us, we have the responsibility to say what God gives us. You can take the easy way out and just keep your mouth shut, but would you stand on the sidewalk and watch a person walk out in front of a car they didn’t see without yelling out for them to STOP? No you wouldn’t, you would yell at the top of your lungs. When you feel the nudge in the Spirit to pray, or in this case speak, to someone, don’t wait, it could be the most important prayer or call you will ever make. Pray for wisdom, knowledge and understanding in all you do and then listen for the voice of the Lord in your own life!