FOGET ALL THAT

But forget all that — it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 18-19

This was the verse of the day Monday. Profound. I marvel at the Lord and His Word. I’ve read this verse a few times before, but the Holy Spirit quickened me when I read it Monday. I’ve been meditating on it and I even shared it at our Women’s Prayer group the other day. We’ve talked often about how verses speak into our lives at certain times in our lives. Remember, this is not by chance, this is by God. Hallelujah!

I’ve been diligently working on my prayer life. I feel a fool to know in my heart that the greatest weapons we have in war are the Word of God and Prayer — both are direct communications with God, and still not use them in the battle. The Word of God is God speaking to us and Prayer is us speaking to Him. It’s a two-way street. That’s how communication goes. In a vital love relationship (our relationship with God) there has to be communication between both parties. God speaks through His Word and we must listen. We speak through our Prayers and God delights to listen. Our prayers are so important to Him that He collects them in a bowl in Heaven. For real.

In my desire to speak more to God, I’ve been learning to pray His Word. You may say duh, but I’m just now realizing the importance of speaking His Word back to Him. He speaks directly out of it. It’s such a wild thing. But I’m also learning to write my prayers. It helps so much. There’s little chance of distraction (Admit it, you get distracted during prayer too!). If I have to think about what I’m writing to the Lord, think about what I want to say to Him, just allowing the words to flow from my heart onto the paper is a game-changer for me. No white-out, no colored pencils, no circling underlining, checking cross-references — those are all tools for my study time. It’s just pouring my heart out onto the paper. I’m going to share with you my personal prayer regarding Isaiah 43, not for any other reason than for you to see where the Lord can take you, when you pray His Word. This practice has been life changing and life saving for me. Here it goes, don’t judge:

Lord, I can’t thank you enough for Your Holy Word. Thank you Holy Spirit for guiding me, teaching me, bringing the Word to life and to Light. Thank You!

I desire Your Word. I crave it’s wisdom, Lord. Holy Spirit work this Word into my life! This Word is about God. This Word is about Jesus. This Word is so precious Lord. I’m sorry I have underestimated the Word and my need for it for so long. Thank you Lord for creating in me a new heart, transforming my mind and renewing a right Spirit in me all through Your Word. You are so worthy of praise! Hallelujah!!!

As you said in Isaiah Lord, what you’ve done in the past is nothing compared to what You Mighty God are going to do. Thank you Lord that You are constantly working — you never stop working Lord for Your Children. We do not deserve it Lord, nevertheless, You work for our benefit and Your glory never stops, it goes on and on. Hallelujah!

Of my goodness Lord!! Isaiah 43 tells of a new exodus through a new wilderness! You ask here Lord, are you watching — do you see what I’ve done? You say, I will bring you out of the wilderness again, I will provide an exodus that will not even compare to what I did in the exodus of Egypt. Lord, it’s so crazy to think about and so hard to imagine how anything could be bigger than the great exodus circumstances. Lord Above, You put a baby in a basket on a river. Lord Above, you had Pharoah’s sister find the basket. Lord Above, You had the baby’s mother care for him until he was weaned. Lord Above, you had him raised in Pharaoh’s palace as an Egyptian. Lord Above, you gave him a passion for his people. Lord Above, you had him escape to the desert. You prepared his heart to listen to your instruction. Lord, burning bush, holy ground, plagues, Passover, release of the captives escape into the wilderness, and then you sustained in the wilderness. O yea, you even parted the sea for escape!! O Lord God, so many unbelievable-believable miracles in that escape Lord!! You are God Almighty!!!

And now, you are telling Isaiah, I am about to prepare another wilderness escape that is incomparable to what I did before. But Lord, isn’t that just like you!! Providing a way when we see no way?? O Holy God above, how can we ever doubt you? How? You are constantly providing an escape from the wildernesses of our life and each time it cannot compare to the escape of the former. And yet I doubt you. Ugh! I’m so sorry Lord. Help my unbelief!

Lord, you promise a new exodus and you call me to be watchful — you say “see” “see it.” You tell us to watch and learn. You call us to “see” where you’re working — you don’t just say you’re going to, you say watch me, look!! Lord God Above, thank you, thank you, thank you that you are cutting the path through the wildernesses in my life You make a way when there seems to be no way — you work in ways I cannot see but at the same time you call me to watch as you cut a swath through the adversities in my life. I’m watching, Lord!!! Show me, Lord!!! Show me Your Glory — I want to see You working, Lord! I want to learn from Your working, Lord. I love Lord that you are creating rivers in my dry wastelands, in my circumstances and in the circumstances of those I love so dearly. May Your rivers of Living Water flow over the deserts and wastelands in my life. Flood me Lord. I know they will, Lord, because that’s what you said in Your Word. You will create rivers in the wasteland. You will work extraordinary, outrageous, only Holy God ways in my life. Rivers don’t flow in wastelands, but God does! Magnify! Magnify you Lord for what you are about to do, something incomparable, Lord, I’m watching, I’m waiting, Lord, I want to see. LORD YOU WILL BE GLORIFIED!!! I love you Lord!!! Thank you, Lord!!!

You are doing a new thing!!! Forget the past!!! You’re making something new, you’re making a way!! I read that paying attention to Your provision is vital for recognizing Your presence.

Jesus!!! You are the provision! You are the pathway in my wilderness! You are the only pathway, Lord. You came to make The Way but you did not leave us alone. Holy Spirit, my Advocate, my Counselor, teach me! fill me! keep me! use me! even me! Amen.

There it is. Poor punctuation, sentence structure, misspelled words, and incomplete thoughts. But, I believe the Holy Spirit presents our prayers to God on the throne in perfection. I hope this deeply personal prayer helps you see that God is a two-way street. I don’t just offer my prayers to Him, my requests. I’m not the sole communicator when I want or need something. He longs to communicate with His. He longs to display his glory to us. One way to hear Him more clearly is by being in His Word. We cannot be Christians and not rely on His Word. Truth. He answers our prayers in His Word. Can you see? Are you watching? He’s about to do something new that will blow your mind. Don’t miss it!