Electrify and Pruning
As soon as I stepped away from the driveway I began my prayers and I heard myself cry out for the Lord to “electrify” me, my family, and church. I followed by asking for His “current” and began praying for the River of Life, of Healing, of Love, and of Deliverance to flow in and through us. I was thinking about John Bevere’s teaching on “The Bait of Satan” based on Matthew 24. The “bait” is offense and in a nutshell it is actually hatred, which is a lack of love with the root of anger.
[MP: Also see my word study on “electrify“]
PRUNING
During my quiet time at my listening bench, I heard the gardener’s repetitive clipping on the neighbor’s rose bushes. This is the time of year when we prune back our roses. All the legginess, rust, disease, scragglyness is cut off. Rose bushes are re-shaped with only the vibrant, uncrossed main branches left in place. In fact, if there are new green ones, those are preferred over the older, mature ones as they yield greater strength and flowers for the new season.
I pondered this pruning and realized that this is what many of us do at the beginning of the year. It’s my new season and my greatest desire is to see new spiritual growth. Many of the “dead” or “old” habits need to be cut off so that the new growth in me can mature to full blossom.
I heard, “You please Me.” That touched me. As I sat on the bench, I envisioned Jesus sitting to my right and the Holy Spirit hovering on my left (where the birds were flying and chirping). I bowed my heart and worshiped His holiness and sang, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, who was, who is, and who is to come.”