Last week my husband and I went for a walk up to our local supermarket. It had been very hot and we were treating our children, who were at home watching a movie, to some ice cream.
As we checked out our few items at self-service, I noticed that the young girl overseeing the area had a bandage wrapped around her right hand. I looked at her and smiled, and felt the familiar nudge from God. I didn’t want to ignore the nudge, but I also didn’t want to force it. The checkout kiosk closest to her had just become clear, so I made my way over to it with our items.
As we stood and checked out our items, I turned to her and motioning to her bandage I mentioned that it looked nasty and I asked her how she did it. She responded that she had cut it deeply with a kitchen knife …
I winced in sympathy, and said to her “this may seem a little strange but, could I pray for your hand to be healed quickly? I’m a Christian and I would love to pray for you.”
“Sure” she said and I told her my name as she told me hers and I put my hand out to take her hand gently in mine, as she, misunderstanding my gesture, went to shake my hand in greeting.
“No … sorry”, I smiled “I just want to touch your hand gently” and she nodded leaving her hand out for me to pray, and I prayed, touching her hand gently with mine.
The sense of God swept over us and as it did I felt that she was looking for a new job. I looked at her and asked her if this was the case and she nodded … looking a little blown away (I was pretty sure she felt the power of God too) and so I prayed for her new job, I prayed for favour and for the doors of her destiny to open, for her to find what she was created for, and that she would flourish …
Finishing up, I thanked her for allowing me to pray and wished her a brilliant day and we left.
This is a simple story, but the sense of God’s presence was powerful, and the sense of His sheer pleasure as I did as He desired was gentle and sweet.
As we walked home, neither my husband nor I mentioned anything about it. For me anyway, it felt like a very sweet holy moment, and I nearly didn’t want to discuss it. Eventually, about half way home A turned to me and said “well done” and gave me a hug and he then said “did you feel the anointing on that? It was powerful and I wondered if you felt it …”
I nodded saying I had, and I said that it had felt good to step out and pray for her in that way with such a clear leading from the Holy Spirit, with no striving, no fear, and with such a strong sense of His presence as I did what He asked …
In fact it just felt good to be out walking, doing life and stopping for the one because …
God is Good!
Exactly how it should work. As you go, make disciples. God is good!
Amen to that! Thank you for reading! Blessings
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This is very encouraging to read. I struggle with the teaching that things God asks us to to are very hard and we have to grit our teeth and do what he’s asked us to do. Reading this I remember that it’s not like that and I feel a breath of fresh air in my spirit. I pray that I will get a new mindset soon.
Thank you for stepping out at God’s leading and then sharing the experience with the world. I always look forward to your posts that appear in my inbox because I know that I’ll be reading something exciting and encouraging. : )
Hi Staci
I agree – I believe in a God who is a loving Father who calls us up into who we are created to be. To step up into Him and then out into the world is who we are created to be. That does not mean that at times it in’t challenging but I don’t believe a loving Father would want us to do life by gritting our teeth and setting our face to the task … but rather He would call us deep into Him and in doing so call us fully into who we are created to be, and then I think He gives us co-labouring assignments that allow us to fully shine and express who we are created to be … with JOY!
Please keep battling for the mindset that He created us for His pleasure and it is in seeing us fully alive with Joy and Peace that I think brings Him the greatest pleasure.
Thank you. Walking in His peace daily is one of my biggest desires.
Thank you for sharing. It is good to read your stories of going and doing what God asks of you. Your obedience has a young lady, changed by the presence of God. God is good and lets us be conduits of his love to others.
I hope she is changed … at least she will have tasted and seen that He is good … I hope and trust it is a further nudge towards a loving God. Thank you for reading.
God is working on her and drawing her to him, through those who pray for her. Paying attention to God’s nudging reaps results beyond your wildest imagination.
I trust that it does. Thank you Pure Glory!
Love this!!
Thank you Jane 😉
“no striving, no fear, and with such a strong sense of His presence”
I love that. Reading your words, these God stories of you obediently stopping for the one, often usher in the presence of the Lord. Thank you again and again for faithfully sharing your experiences as you walk with and in Him.
It’s hot here as well. I think we are the only state in the USA experiencing an unseasonably warm winter (even for us!). My daughter keeps asking for ice cream. 🙂
Hi Jessie. I just realised I never responded to your comment. Sorry!
A number of years ago I felt God tell me that if I would tell the stories He would ride forth on them and touch people, draw people to Him and stir them for the same for themselves, so your comment is very encouraging and confirming – thank you. I just don’t seem to tell the stories as often as maybe I might.
Blessings my friend.
I hope you’re enjoying Spring – we are having a beautiful warm Autumn.
Thank you Jessie.
I just saw I have not responded to your comment – sorry!
What you write is encouraging. I felt that a few years back God told me if I would just tell the stories His Presence would ride forth on them and touch the people that heard/read them and draw the people to Him, giving them a hunger for Him and the same for themselves. So your comment is very encouraging. Thank you.
I just don’t seem to write as much as I once did or might.
I hope you’re enjoying Spring. We are having a beautiful warm Autumn (summer temperatures actually so rather hot 😊)
Blessings
God is Great!
Hy i’m from Indonesia, it’s good to read your story, its so amazing, so if i can conclude, the Obidient is the key for Us to feel His Presence, because without His Presence everything is vain. (Psalms 127:1) .
i think its good for Us to seek His Presence, we must learn from Moses (Exodux 33:15)
GBU
Thank you for reading and for your comment. I agree – obedience is key. God is Good!
Ahhhh… your obedience never fails to challenge me. You’re such a blessing <3
Ditto my friend
Another inspiring story from an inspiring servant of a good God. Thanks for sharing this. We should all pray for God to use us as we go through our routine day. It was a simple act like this (ironically a woman at a grocery store praying for me to get a job) that changed my horrible attitude about Christians and eventually wound up leading to my salvation.
It’s seemingly simple acts of obedience (to the Holy Spirit) like this, that change the world.
God is good!!!
Thank you for your encouragement. That is actually a great testimony for me to hold onto, because many “encounters” I never know what happens to them … and you are an example of someone stopping, risking rejection, praying for a stranger … who eventually, through an act of kindness (backed by a loving God) came to Christ … and now you are impacting so many through your life and your writing. Thank you. And blessings. I will continue to hold you up in prayer.
Thank God for your life.
Hope everything is going well for you and your family! I very much miss getting your posts in my email box. God bless you!
Hi Staci
Thank you for your kindness. I didn’t really think it was missed. Life has been crazy busy.
God may call me back to it with more purpose – the prophetic words are there calling me into it.
Right now I’m doing refugee legal work that God asked me to step into, together with some immigration work and leading a small group into stepping into this type of walk. That together with two elite ballet dancer children and an elderly mum I certainly have my hands full.
I hope everything is thriving for you.
Blessings.
Sounds like a lot is going on! May God bless the work He’s called you to! Blessings to you as well. : )
Oh you inspired me Staci x
Yay! : )
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