When We no longer Hear from God

"When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.” (‭I Samuel‬ ‭28‬:‭5-7‬ NKJV)

King Saul had seen the Philistine army and was operating under fear. So they held a seance & brought Samuel up from the grave. The message of Israels defeat & Saul's death (including his son Johnathan is not the one King Saul wanted to hear. So the next day Sauls fear of losing the Kingdom to David & his son not being heir heir to the throne became reality. 

Our heart straying from the Lord is a suttle process that we don't identify immediately. The enemy is not going to point it out, instead he will justify, he will encourage us to be our own person and follow our heart. We may not recognize how far our heart has strayed. Saul wasn't involved in what we would say are great big sins. He instead decided to do things his own way. There is where the road to to bitterness, anger & hurt begin. Before we know it we are no longer hearing form God & we are seeking the desires of our own heart instead of the heart of God. We become more wrapped around what we think & want instead of seeking what the Lord sees & wants. We are on the roller coaster to destruction & we are taking our family & followers with us. I've heard it over and over "I never knew it would take me this far and cost so much." So they get off the ride of danger that their family & friends are still on & they begin to pray for them. 

Your sphere of influence is greater than you think. Allow the Lord to guide your path, let Him have the rightful place in your life. Then you will see the plans He has for you unfold & He will bless nations through your walk with Him!

Letting The Lord Fight Your Battles

"So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them." (I Samuel 26:12 NKJV)

This is the second time David could have killed the one seeking to kill him. Even though David was a young man he knew God intimately, trusted Him completely to fight his battles for him & and let the Lord deal with King Saul.

So what do you do when people oppose you? What is your role?
1. Believe what God says in His word, and personalize it.
"I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3 NKJV)
Understanding scripture, what capacity does God have to do this? Live out your role in their life by praying and interceding to the Lord on their behalf.

2. Seek Godly counsel & ask them to pray for wisdom.

3. Trust the Lord to handle it & do or say nothing negative about them. I thank the Lord for godly men who have interceded & held my feet to the fire as they had to teach me this, and I'm still learning.

4. Prepare for rain. Two farmers prayed for rain, one got up and went out & plowed the field. Which one trusted God? Prepare yourself for reconciliation or whatever God decides to do & be okay with His decision.

5. Be okay with God's timing. Remember if you're praying for God to move mountains, there will be an earthquake in your life or theirs. Try not be surprised or afraid when this happens. I never cease to be amazed when I see him work thugs out.
I have seen this process over and over.

Have a hard time verbalizing your prayers? To me that is a real challenge during solo prayer time. When we break it down we have; (acts) adoration, confession, thanksgiving & supplication (petition or our requests). When the Lord brings someone to your heart & mind pray scripture into their life. Here is a great Psalm to start with, written by David while King Saul sought to kill him. "Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by. I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me. He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth. My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows And their tongue a sharp sword. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They dug a pit before me; They themselves have fallen into the midst of it. Selah. My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! Awake, my glory! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens And Your truth to the clouds. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth." (Psalms 57:1-11 NASB)