Explore me.
God whispered these simple words into my spirit last month. He revealed to me that a major facet of my Race is to explore the depths of who He is. This both perplexed and invigorated me.
I have been walking with the Lord for over 7 years now. And yet, somehow in the midst of mastering Bible Study and unearthing the importance of prayer, the beauty of experiencing my mysterious, relational God became a buried treasure.
As I have sought deeper intimacy with Jesus, He has been coaxing me out of my comfortable, cramped little row boat. He is standing on the heaving, tumultuous waves. Hand extended; smile mischievous and knowing; beckoning me to muster all the faith I have to step into the wild, mysterious unknown of God.
It’s both scarier and more rewarding than I ever expected.
I never realized how little freedom I was walking in, in my relationship with the Father. I limited Him, and in turn myself, in so many ways. I limited how and when I thought He could speak, I limited how I would hang out with Him, I limited my relationship with Him to something predictable and boring. But, in inviting me to explore Him, I know God is inviting me into greater freedom.
Let me show you what I mean.
Last month, my teammate Mary challenged me to start praying into what my role in the body of Christ is. In order to continue practicing the discipline of hearing God’s voice, I decided to go ahead and ask Him! On the first day, I didn’t get anything. But on the second day, He had me turn to 2 Chronicles 20.
For those who need a refresher, here is a quick recap of this passage: Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, hears through the grapevine that a massive army is en route to Jerusalem. Fear drives him to lead the entire nation in seeking the Lord’s face, and he even institutes a fast. During prayer, the Spirit of the Lord comes upon the Levite Jahaziel, who exhorts the people not to fear because the battle is God’s. He proclaims that they will not execute a single swipe of their sword, for the Lord will be with them.
The next day, Jehoshaphat reminds the people to believe, and then appoints several people to precede the army in singing and worship of the Lord. As they are singing, the Lord sets an ambush against the enemy, and uses them to destroy each other!
Through this passage, the Lord showed me that my role is that of a Worship Warrior.
Last month, God called me to step into bold, specific prayer as a way to explore Him. So, I prayed that He would use someone in leadership to confirm that this is in fact my role. I asked Him to do it within the week.
Well, a week came and went; no answer. But, I sensed Him encouraging me to continue seeking, knocking and asking. So for the past month, I have been praying for Him to answer.
Two days ago, after leading my squad in worship at the beginning of the day, my squad leader Kent pulled me aside. He bluntly told me that I am anointed to lead worship, and that I lead people into the Father’s presence. He spoke such life into me in that moment.
And then it hit me; God had answered my prayer, just as I had asked Him to! He used someone in leadership to confirm my role in the body of Christ!
I was probably more shocked than I should have been, but regardless, I was absolutely ecstatic. I felt seen. Loved. Known. By stepping out and exploring this side of God’s Father heart, my belief that He truly cares about my prayers has increased exponentially. I was faithful to ask, and He was faithful to answer.
“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:8). God showed me that it’s not about the prayers, or even about the answer, but it is about the adventure and journey of seeking Him. I discovered such freedom through this! I am His beloved child; of course I can ask Him anything!
I challenge you to step out of how you normally spend time with God this week, and do some creative experimenting! God doesn’t want to be bored by your time spent with Him any more than you do. Do something special together! Step out of your comfort zone, and then let me know how it goes!
I have felt God’s pleasure so much this month in Zambia. Our squad has been busy working alongside JZone doing manual labor to prepare a piece of land to host day camps for children! We host our first one next week. Please keep that in your prayers; so much planning and prayer has already gone into it, and we want the first one to be a success! Also, pray it doesn’t rain!!
