The Sacred Place

Recently I was going through a dry spell. Some of the younger crowd might say, “just not feelin it.”

Nothing was wrong, but my soul had a deep hunger for more of Him and His touch. My prayers were powerful and I could feel His presence but I wanted more. I’m sure you can identify with what I am describing. Times when you want to know, and need to know that it is more than words you are praying. Like a face to face encounter with our Savior.

One morning while praying about this I was prompted to go kneel by the side of my bed and pray. This place is very sacred to me. This was my altar for many years, after purchasing my first home, following a divorce, years ago. My address has changed, my singleness has changed, along with many other things, but one thing hasn’t changed, my Savior who appeared to me during times prior in a lawn chair on a porch, and again at this place.

He is the One who brought me out. I grew to love my Savior Jesus, the One who paid my price for redemption and Holy Spirit who speaks to me about what my God desires for me. Prior to the purchase of this house I had encountered the very real Jesus, and was baptized with the baptism of His Holy Spirit and fire, while sitting in a lawn chair, on the front porch of my mother’s house. I had been seeking God with all my heart. I was living with my mom having left at His prompting.

I’m sure each of us has that time in life with our Father and Savior and His Spirit, where it got raw and it got real. That place where we decided I am going to make it or die trying. “I need You Lord” was the cry of my heart. I knew He had brought me to this place so how else could I continue forward, but by His word.

Years ago I wore a huge ridge in my carpet kneeling beside my bed. A fitting description of what it means by “pressing into the things of God.” My pressing into Him while praying caused a ridge in the carpet. I didn’t realize I was even doing this until seeing the ridge. I noticed it got bigger overtime. At first I didn’t realize where it was coming from. I didn’t give it much thought in the beginning stages  and I’m not exactly sure when I noticed and realized what caused it.

Starting over was frightening and exciting for this woman. I was starting over and this time it was with Him. Jesus and I were partners. He had manifested Himself to me and I wanted Him more than I wanted any manmade ideas or quick fixes. I would pray and believe to hear from Him. I would tell The Lord, “according to Your word, if I diligently seek You, I can hear from You. I would say, I need to hear from you and I expect to hear from YOU.”

Today looking back reminds me these times were among the hardest days and moments of my life, but the sweetest times of tender union with Him. Yes, He spoke to me. He spoke through dreams, through reading my bible, through stumbling forward, through tested preachers and teachers, and yes I have been gifted to hear His audible voice more than once.

When I couldn’t see anything happening He continued to draw me, and I kept believing and calling out. I couldn’t see what was happening but the momentum was building. Just like the pushed back carpet that created that ridge hadn’t appeared overnight, neither did the changes I was praying for. But after many heartfelt prayers through tears with snot running, through the screams, the absolute begging, and pleading and yes praising, things were changing and did change.

Is this how the truth of God appears? I believe the answer is a resounding yes. Greg and I were talking recently; how you cannot draw the exact line between the hour, or the exact minute, or day, when it is in God’s timing. God’s timing is supernatural and a mystery.

Ephesians 1:4 tells us that He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight, in love. The NLT says He chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. Weymouth says, He chose us as His own.

Greg said, “I believe it is like the colors in the rainbow.” You know they are different because you see all the colors, but to divide the colors for the human eye is impossible. We cannot find the exact line of demarcation in events He has planned; but, like the rainbow is a symbol of promise and His covenant, how much more the covenant of salvation, and His faithful love for us, His people.

There are times, seasons, and appointments with God that have eternal meaning. When we do not understand what is happening, something great is being ushered in for His people.

If you can’t see the change you need today I encourage you to seek The Lord with all your heart. When our minds, our wills, our hearts, and our spirits mesh with His we lose all pretense and we get real. When He knows we are desperate for Him, He appears. And sometimes He just appears to encourage us and let us know He is with us.

God has never denied a desperate prayer. He may change the circumstance, He may change the other person, but He may not. I promise He does change us, and we can trust His process to be better than we could think or imagine.

If you have gotten too deep, too mature, overly obligated or just so busy, I have a suggestion for you and for me. Let’s go back to where it all began and with childlike faith just spend time with Him. We will find Him when we diligently seek Him. Oh what a promise.

As I look back to the times reminisced in the poem above, it seems like it was only a couple of years ago but it all began two decades ago.

He is faithful!