Beloved, as we were praying for you, it felt like you were trying to move mountains with your bare hands, by your own strength saying, “Why is life so hard?” or that you were swimming against the current and saying, “Life shouldn’t be this hard!”
This was how it was for me. I felt like I was always forcing myself to get a project done. And nothing I was doing was in the realm of things I was naturally good at. Everything was more a necessity for the paycheck or forcing to get things done for the deadline threat. God started turning this around for me when one day I was looking at my very long “Things To Do” list and I was agonizing in prayer over it, just asking God what on earth was the next project I should try to work on?
Suddenly I realized I had a strange “Can Do” energy for one of the items on the list. It was an odd sensation, like a soft caffeine energy, it felt bright like sudden clarity. I was also even “getting” creative ideas about this one particular task that had that Can Do energy coming from it. With the Can Do energy, and the creative ideas flowing, I went for it. The thing was, it wasn’t at the top of my priority list, it wasn’t something I would have picked because it didn’t fall into the criteria of “who’s waiting on me or what’s the deadline?”
I was pretty burned out by this point and to feel ANY positive energy coming off that list was nothing short of a miracle! It was a fabulous feeling to be getting something done and going with this energy flow, like I said it was like a soft caffeine energy, and utilizing these “out of left field” creative ideas. It all had the sensation of Doable. It was wonderful! The project got done in record time and I hopped back on my Things To Do List, energized and hope-filled.
As I scanned through it praying, asking to know where God was working next, I had a Can Do energy about another item on the list and it did have a deadline attached. But no creative ideas, nevertheless, I was willing to take the Can Do energy as a sign and move by faith. And sure enough, the next project was quick to resolve and I didn’t feel like I was utterly drained or that the project was “dragging me by the back bumper of life,” like so many items on my list had been treating me up to this point.
To sum up, everything on my list was completed within a week and I learned something very powerful that first day; that God’s idea of getting projects done, was only like 2 or 3 projects (depending on the size of the project) a day. Not like me at all.
Because when I went back to the list that first day for a third attempt at this phenomenon, all that Can Do energy was gone. I was slightly worried. I wanted to use that to get more done that day. But it just wasn’t there. It just disappeared. Vanished. Like the Presence of God was gone. So I finished some filing, organized my desk and the day was over. I went home.
But the next day I was kind of excited to see if God would bless me again with it. I prayed to see where God was working from the list and there was an idea that came to me, that wasn’t even on my list. It was something I knew I would need to address “sometime” but there it was, the energy and the creative ideas on how to get it accomplished were flowing. And it wasn’t even on the list yet. I went for it and it turned out that I had the wrong dates for that “future” project. It was due a lot sooner than I even knew!
So now I pray about blind spots, forgotten things, overlooked projects when I am making up my lists. I pray about being deceived about due dates too, via miscommunications, realizing now that the enemy was getting in on some things and messing with my office relationships, and reputation, via these miscommunications, misunderstandings.
Now my Things To Do List is so much more complete and I can say, I excitedly pray over the list now, where before it was even fearful to look at. Overwhelming to look at. I also learned that if I’ve forgotten anything I trust now that the Holy Spirit has my back. And that used to cause me a lot of worry and stress, because I had become “known” for my absent-mindedness in the past.
While praying for you, these passages came to us to pray over you… If possible, meditate on the “attitude” of the Lord, not just the words from these passages… tap into the feelings of Love that caused Him to say these words…
Matthew 11:28–30 (AMPC) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.
What also came to us to pray for you was Philippians 4:13 (AMP) I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]
This is that “Can Do” energy I was experiencing and still experience even today when I was looking to see what was on God’s agenda this morning. Apart from Him I can do nothing (see also John 5:19;30).
We are looking to see what He is doing and what He is inviting us to join Him in. It actually comes with its own energy, His Energy. He provides the energy, the grace to do it. It comes with His Signature “can do” energy. His Presence. Joining Him in what He is doing and for me to look to Him and rely on Him in ways I didn’t know was possible. Using His Strength and not my own. It’s how you can recognize what He is doing, too. Since you are a follower of Christ, you don’t need to “make” anything happen. By following that Can Do energy and any creative ideas that are flowing, you will come to know that’s All Him!! It’s how Jesus lived His mortal life too.
In John 5:30 Jesus said, “I am able to do nothing from Myself. Even as I hear, I judge [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision], and My judgment is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (AMPC) Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
It’s really my own insights and/or my own understanding that are so limited that messes me up. Things with God just unfold naturally when I surrender to His better way, without it being forced or hard. This is where the “divine fluidity” of life is…you go with the flow of God…not against it. You don’t need to make anything happen because you’re afraid nothing will happen for you unless you make it happen. Fear and painful life experiences that whisper, “you will be overlooked, or forgotten” just break the heart. You see others go past you and you wonder when it will be your time, your turn.
If you are feeling this way, then it’s time to step back from all the drama around you, the frenetic energy that drains you and step into stillness and just listen to Love. Ask for the eyes of your heart to be open to see His Vision for your Life, and what He is doing so you can follow Him. He will show you what the next step is, what He is doing next. But you have to surrender your Will for His Will. You have to trust. You have to stop all the doing and be a beautiful humble child…Simply Be. Sit with Him and let Him speak into your heart about “who you are” and what He has “already” given to you of gifts and talents.
Because out of who you are, comes what you will do, but it will only happen as you see Him doing it first. You follow His lead and He won’t do anything unless you are following Him. He stops revealing when He sees we are trying to do it on our own, in our own way, on our own time table. That’s when all the frustrations and weariness flood in.
But when we surrender, and say not my Will but Your Will be done, you will see that you are floating effortlessly with the Holy Spirit. Trust that you float, you won’t sink like a rock and drown on the River of God. Just relax and trust, and you will see you are going with His flow, with His movement. You are being guided, supernaturally…you are one with Him and He will be glorified in and through your Life for what He is doing, not what we are trying or striving to do in our own strength.
It all started for me with that horrible Things To Do List and just being obedient with the simple task of doing what His Energy was providing and His ideas that He was feeding me on how to accomplish that task, then stepping out in faith.
This of course branched out into all areas of my life…His Energy, His Ideas, His Glory.
Know that I am praying for you!
