Father, use me to glorify Your name.
I had a spiritual experience about 6 months ago. It was on a Sunday and the preacher let us know that the Long Island Medium was coming to town that Wednesday about 7:30 or so p.m.
He called us to set aside time to pray at that time. Immediately, something like a rushing wind entered my heart (not the literal heart). It felt like there was a rushing wind swirling around inside my heart--it was amazing! I had never experienced anything like it before. I have not experienced it since. It was a constant, very persistent wind. That's the only way I know how to describe this spiritual experience. This lasted up and through the time we were called to pray. I couldn't eat anything--I had absolutely zero desire to eat. People brought food in at work for us to eat that is normally a temptation for me, but I could look at it and feel 100% content--no desire to eat it.
I called my pastor up about Tuesday and asked him what he did to me--my heart felt so different. He was concerned that I should get to a doctor at first, but I explained that it wasn't anything like that and explained what I just wrote above. I prayed, "my God--what are you calling me to do?" It came to Wednesday about 7:00 and I sat down to pray. I had fasted for several days now and prayer was an experience like none other before nor after. It felt like I was connected to God in a way that I never felt before. When I've told this experience to others, sometimes they say that I was "anointed" for this task by the Holy Spirit. I find it hard to put spiritual experiences to words, and it looks like the prophets also had a difficult time, but I know that for myself, that was not physical, though it affected the physical (no desire to eat). I prayed against the demonic realm that is exercised by mediums. Anyway, the point is that this is my experience. I can think back to it and relive part of it without the breakdown in putting these experiences in words. I thank God that I have this experience! No amount of intellectual discussion about why we should discredit the Bible means anything. God laid out promises. I read some of those promises and took God up on them by telling Him, "You say this in this verse. I want to claim this for myself. Please help me meet the criteria so that you have to deliver on your promise." I have followed through on reading the law and being smitten by it--it said not to do things that I had already committed. It led me to Christ. I told God that I was wrong. I did these things, I watched pornography, I lied, I stole, ... etc. The Bible said that Jesus paid for my sins and that I need to turn away from my sinful ways and confess that Jesus died for my sins, was raised by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit on the third day, and now sits at God's right hand. I believed this and accepted God's salvation from His wrath. I received His Holy Spirit, as the Scriptures promise. Yes, that void in my soul is gone--truly amazing! I had been filling it with online games, pornography, the next big "geek toy." Now I could finally appreciate what I had--appreciate life! Appreciate a life that the Bible says will never end--eternal. Laying claim on the Bible's promises requires humility and submission. God created me--He knows how the world works best. If I continue doing this bad stuff, it plays out in various ways and my sin finds me out.
I had accepted Christ before that call to prayer and fasting and after I was given an appreciation for the blood of Christ. I received the appreciation for the blood of Christ while listening to the series "The Way of the Master." I had missed looking into the perfect law of liberty to see my specific sins and what that would look like had I not had a savior. Even though I claimed the name of Christ as my savior, I didn't have an appreciation for the blood it took to save me. What an amazing breakthrough! I really recommend watching that series!!
So, what's with the long introduction?
I simply encourage the following: Pick a promise in the Bible and claim it for yourself. Do what I did. Tell God that you see this promise and want to meet every criteria for that promise. See what happens. I recommend starting with Luke 11:13.
Luke 11:13 NLT
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
Numbers 6:24-26 NLT
‘May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.’
