This past weekend we had our Going Beyond – Jacksonville event, and it was simply amazing! This was my first time attending the event as an employee, and I literally was in awe the entire weekend. Saturday morning at 5am, Linnae got up to go for a run. And yes, you heard me correctly. That girl is a running machine. When she left the room I rolled over and tried to get at least one more hour of sleep before it was time to leave the hotel and head to the event. As I was desperately trying to force myself back to sleep, I kept feeling this tug to get out of bed and spend some time with the Lord, so I got up. After I spent some time in worship, the women attending the conference were placed on my heart, so I asked the Lord what my assignment was for that day (regarding them) and He said, “Stand in the gap for them”. Now I don’t know about you, but when the Lord speaks to me, I always follow up with clarifying questions to make sure that I completely and accurately understand what He is instructing me to do. So I asked the Lord, “What do you mean by stand in the gap for them”, and this is what He revealed.
So many of the women attending the conference are having a hard time believing Me, so you stand in the gap and believe for them. Not that all of their problems are going to completely disappear, but you believe for them that my grace is sufficient for whatever situation they are facing. Believe that I will provide for them exceeding and abundantly above all they can ask or think. Believe that I have begun a good work in them and that I will finish it. Believe that the testing of their faith will produce perseverance and that once My work is finished in them, they will be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Believe My Word.
After receiving that from the Lord, honestly I thought, “That’s it, I can do that”, but then He said something that quieted my spirit in such a way that left me speechless. The Lord gently said, “Before you can stand in the gap and believe for them, you must first believe the things I have spoken to YOU regarding your OWN life”. Ummmmm……can you say ouch! Isn’t it awesome how the Lord always turns the mirror around and focuses it on you?! Right at that moment I began thinking about the recent prayer requests that I have laid before Him and how at times, I doubt some of the things He has clearly promised me. Why? Because my problematic reality doesn’t always align with the promise. Bottom line is, I sometimes doubt because I am going off of what I currently see. But we all know what Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. I promise you that I learned that verse when I was about 16, but even now, I have to meditate on it from time to time.
Faith is believing. Faith is trusting. Faith is moving forward in obedience even when things don’t make sense. Faith is looking at your storm/situation and saying, “I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”. Faith is saying, “Lord, I will be still and wait patiently for you”. Faith is believing that the Word of God will prevail in your life.
So my question to you is, are there some things in your life that you know (without a shadow of a doubt) God has promised you, but you have a hard time fully believing? Do you sometimes find it easier to believe God’s Word for somebody else or to stand in agreement that God is going to answer somebody else’s prayer? Do you sometimes find yourself trusting the Lord with some things in your life, but when it comes to the “BIG” things, you allow doubt to creep in? I sure hope I’m not alone with this one:)
As always, can’t wait to hear from all of you!
Antrenette
