Hyper Intercession

“The Holy Spirit rises up within us to super-intercede on our behalf, pleading to God with emotional sighs too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26 TPT)

Traditional forms of prayer and worship are well-suited for those who favor verbal communication. Even when we don’t pray out loud, our mind composes ideas into words. Scripture, songs, liturgy, church services, sermons, group prayer, rote prayers, private prayers, devotional readings, writing--all involve linguistic expression. 

Not every brain is wired for verbal expression. There are those with beautiful minds who express themselves best through drawing, painting, sculpting,  wordless music, dance, service, photography, and other forms of creativity. Customary molds for prayer do not accommodate for these differences. 

By worldly standards, verbal forms of communication may seem superior. However, the spiritual realm is too deep for words. The super-intercession of the Holy Spirit is wordless, soundless--yet highly expressive. It is emotional in nature--groaning, sighing, pleading. It is creative, fresh, passionate, and articulate in a way that human language cannot be. Participating with the Spirit of God in this wordless form of communication can be a hyper-intercessory form of prayer.

Inner Mean Girls

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

When I was in 9th grade, there were two girls from my history class who followed me around saying mean things to me. They took every opportunity to mock, tease, and bully me. I remember always trying to avoid them as much as possible. Why they picked me as their target is anybody’s guess. 

Now that I am an adult, I am much better equipped to deal with people who are mean. In fact, I routinely defend others who are being tormented or manipulated by bullies. However, I am still powerless against the mean girls who live inside of my mind. They follow me everywhere I go, criticizing me at every turn, filling me with self-doubt, fear, worry, and negativity. I can’t seem to get away from these inner demons. I would never tolerate this level of bullying to happen in the external world, but I allow it internally. 

I need to remember that I am God’s handiwork--shaped intentionally and designed thoughtfully. Every aspect of me was crafted with a unique purpose in mind. The things I say to myself, as well as the criticism I accept from others, need to reflect this truth. I am like a beautiful sculpture in a lush garden. Without regular care, I would be covered in bird poop. When discouraging thoughts, shame, blame, accusations, and humiliation overwhelm me, I have to take the time to be cleansed. Spiritual self-care is essential. The external bullies need to be confronted.The inner mean girls need to be silenced and expelled. 

Bond-Servants

“James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ...” (James 1:1 NASB)

In many of the New Testament epistles, the disciples  introduce themselves as bond-servants. This antiquated term is unfamiliar to most of us. The only context that I have heard it used is by nurses from India. Indian nursing schools require students to make a two-year commitment to work for the training hospital after they graduate. The nurses are paid a stipend during this time, and they gain work experience before they set out on their own. However, a nurse has the option of paying off the ‘bond’ early and leaving for a higher-paying job.

Many of the disciples who were directly trained by Christ committed their lives as bond-servants. Christ had invested in them, and now they were glad to serve Him in return. This is not a relationship based on bondage, oppression, obligation, or debt. Those who identify themselves as bond-servants of Christ rejoice in the opportunity to be of use to God. They are not concerned about better opportunities or self-promotion. Instead, they have a single goal--to fulfill God’s purpose through His power flowing through them.

Teachable Spirit

“If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.” (Proverbs 15:2 NLT)

For the last few years, I have been training with a running coach who has many different clients.  I have noticed that Coach gets different results from each of his students. At first I thought it was based on ability--but that is not the case. Some clients improve more than others, regardless of their level of athleticism. Much of the instruction is nonverbal, so I have had to pick up lessons from simply hanging out with him and paying attention. Coach is not pushy. He will make suggestions but not demands. He doesn’t repeat himself. He might say something like: “We should meet at 5 am for speedwork.” If you make excuses or decide you would rather work out on your own--he will leave you to your own devices. This is counterproductive. The whole reason to train under a coach is to become a better runner. If I reject instruction and discipline, I only harm myself. Coach can only get the best out of me if I yield completely to his way of doing things.  

The Holy Spirit has a similar style of coaching. He is not pushy or demanding. Much of the teaching is nonverbal--requiring contemplative time, devotion, and attention. The more you yield and submit to His instructions, the more you get out of the coaching. If you ignore the nudges, pass up on difficult training, or question the directions--He will let you make your own choices. This is counterproductive, sabotaging spiritual growth.  If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.

Dissatisfying Substitutions

“Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2 NET)

Have you ever craved one thing but substituted something else for it? I do this frequently with food. The other day, I was hankering for freshly-baked, caramel pecan rolls. These yeast rolls take a bit of time and effort to bake.  Since I didn’t feel like waiting, I looked around to see what I had in the kitchen that was similar. I found some store-bought bread and topped it with honey and nuts. Although I ate several slices, it still did not satisfy my craving. Even though I consumed a bunch of calories, I ended up scrounging around for more to meet my want. 

“Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry.” (John 6:35 CEV)

Our souls have been created to find satisfaction in God. It is tempting to grab what is within our reach instead of pursuing what we truly need. This is idolatry. Worldly pleasures and accomplishments cannot be substitutes for Divine yearning. Spending time, energy, money, health, or relationships on things that fail to nourish is wasteful.  Squandering resources on that which doesn’t satisfy is meaningless. Our souls hunger for the bread that gives life. Everything else leaves us unfulfilled.

Surrounded and Filled

“God is Love.” (1 John 4:7 TPT)

In cellular biology, the protoplasm comprises all the living material in a cell, including the cytoplasm, nucleus, DNA, cell membrane, and all the organelles. It is responsible for all living processes. We are surrounded and filled by it, within and without. The term has become unpopular in modern science; it is considered too all-encompassing. 

Love is another concept that is all-encompassing. Love includes faithfulness, trust, loyalty, sacrifice, desire, security, kindness, selflessness, attraction, suffering, passion, and connectedness. The generalization of the word ‘love’ may have led to overuse and dilution--but the concept of love will always be limitless.

“In him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

 God is all inclusive and all encompassing. Everything is comprised of God and connected by God. God is Love--immeasurable, unconditional, boundless, interpersonal, responsive, relational. God is eternal--before all things, in all things, after all things. With God, within God, immersed, saturated, embraced--we live and move and have our being. 

Ministry and Friendship

Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.” For there was constant coming and going. (Mark 6:31 MSG)

As I grow older, I have become highly selective in my investments of time and energy. As a result, I often feel confused about how to handle casual relationships. With intimate friends, we can all be real with each other. There is no pretense, comparison, or guardedness. However, what if you feel the nudge to befriend someone whom you sense will be a temporary acquaintance, a passerby in this journey of life?

“Look at Jesus. He was able to minister to thousands, but He intimately invested in only twelve. Yet through those twelve friendships, He changed the world. That’s why we need to look at our relationships and not our accomplishments as our true legacy.” (Run The Mile You’re In by Ryan Hall)

Like Jesus, we may be called to minister to many--but only a few relationships can be intimate. Our legacy is not our accomplishments nor our ministry--but we can change the world through our intimate friendships. Thus, recognizing the difference between ministry and relationship can mitigate some of the frustration that comes with serving others. If your life is a swirl of constant activity and caring for others, you might need to take regular breaks with intimate friends. It is in these true relationships that we are built up and replenished. Our impact on this world, our legacy, depends on it.