5 Simple Words

encouragement

The last couple of weeks have been especially tough. I can't point to any change in circumstance, but rather a change in perspective that weakened me.

A while ago our prayer focus centered around anxiety and the necessity of "taking every thought captive." We studied 2 Cor 10:3-6 and true to what has been previously written -"God has a way of testing revelation with situation!”

Once the Lord supernaturally reveals something to you out of His Word, like he did with 2 Cor 10:3-6 for me, situations began to arise to test and make sure that His revealed truth was completely settled deep in my spirit.

I thought the truth of 2 Cor 10:3-6 was deeply settled in my spirit, but it was tested again and again. For several weeks after I wrote that and prayed that for my fellow prayer soldiers, my mind was bombarded with negative thoughts. I was fighting as best as I could, doing all of the things I know to do …prayer, Word, worship, taking EVERY thought captive, only to be slammed by 10 more to replace the one! I was at the end of myself (a great place to be) and the Holy Spirit whispered something to me. "Ask for prayer." And He told me who to ask.

I knew I had to immediately obey! I picked up my phone and tapped out a text of five simple words "will you pray for me?" I didn't give any details, nor did my precious sister on the receiving end of my text, ask. She prayed. By the end of the day the burden had lifted, the oppression was gone and I WAS FREE!

I don't know why it took me weeks to get to the point of asking for help. I know that God does NOT want us to isolate ourselves. We should not go it alone. He created us to support one another. We are HIS Body and if "one part suffers, every part suffers with it." (1 Cor 12:26)

I know we are to "confess our sins to each other and pray for each other so that we may be healed." I know the "prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16) I "know" these things but my "knower" sometimes gets in the way of my "doer" and keeps me circling the drain!

I "know" that an authentic life flows out of a shared life. I "know" that I need to be honest about my failures and my weaknesses." I "know" that I need the diversity of the Body of Christ. I "know" that I need the diversity of gifts, callings, aptitudes, temperaments and experience that is residing in my sisters in Christ. So, if I "know" all this great stuff, why do I sometimes hesitate to reach out for help when the battle is too big for me to fight alone?

I "know" what my head tells me, but I also "know" that a strategy of the enemy is to isolate me and tempt me to try and fight the battle on my own. Thank you Holy Spirit for pulling me out of that mindset!

When the Spirit whispered "ask for prayer" He also taught me a lesson about redwood trees. We have two huge redwoods in front of our house. They are tall and majestic and beautiful. I can't estimate how tall they are, but I can tell you that I will soon be close to tipping over backward when I try to see the tops! The amazing thing about these trees, given their enormous size, is how very shallow their roots grow. These roots only go 5 to 6 feet deep, but what they lack in depth they make up for in width. The width can sometimes extend up to 100 feet, and when in proximity with other redwood trees, they intertwine and even fuse together. This inter-connectedness gives them tremendous strength against the forces of nature and allows them to survive for centuries.

You see where the Spirit led me, right? Ask for prayer. Five simple words "will you pray for me" and I am connected to a root system that is going to strengthen me to not only fight but WIN every battle that comes my way. Five simple words and I am able to go further and faster in the race that I am running. I am sometimes even picked up and carried across the finish line!

In Rev 3:12 Jesus tells us that "the one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God." The tough times build us up so that we, like pillars, are able to bear weight. BUT I've never seen a temple supported by only one pillar. A pillar that stands alone is usually a monument, and a monument normally commemorates something or someone that is dead!

I am not an engineer, but I've read that a pillar transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to the structural elements below it. This teaches me that HIS strength is built into us so we can stand alongside each other and provide stability to our surroundings.

I am proud to stand alongside each of you and so thankful for the times you have picked me up and placed me back into the root system! I hope I can do the same for you. I hope you find the support you need in this group.

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three is not easily broken. " Eccl 4:12

Five simple words: "will you pray for me?" Those 5 simple words pulled me up and out this week. I will be praying for you, and if Holy Spirit leads you to do the same and ask those 5 simple words - do not delay!