Has God Ever Told You to Shut Up?

Has God ever told you to just be quiet? I’m sure He has told me plenty of times, but I don’t think I ever really listened. This time I did and I am so glad I did because I surely would have interfered with what He had planned next.

I just got home from a 3 day mini vaca in Charlotte, NC. Mad props to that city. It was clean, beautiful and the people showed true southern hospitality. If you are ever that way I highly recommend eating at the Dish. It was amazing and apparently was visited by Guy Fieri on the Food Network’s Diner’s Drive Ins and Dives. I can see why.

While preparing for our Joyce Meyer getaway I set aside time to pray for our trip like I always do. As I began to seek the Lord for His plan and then throw out there what I wanted from our time away, I heard Him say, “Just be quiet, you’re going to hinder my blessing for you”. It jolted me and I froze. Did I just hear what I thought I heard? Did God just tell me to shut up? Haha! What a scene it was. There I stood, a preacher, completely tongue tied and not able to speak. My prayer ceased. I closed my eyes and listened for the confirming voice of the Lord. The hold on my tongue began to lift but I heeded God’s warning. So unlike previous trips where I sought to walk in total favor, I prayed to be used by Him in a mighty way.

The reason this prayer is so different from my usual prayer is because when I go away for a conference or a retreat I look at it as my filling time. I pour out of myself every day, sometimes it feels like all day, and when I go away I just want to get filled back up. God reminded me that He lives inside of me and I am always full, I just depend more on my flesh than my Spirit and that needs to change. So as God loosened the hold on my lips, I began to pray for opportunities to pray for others, to lay hands on them and pray with them, I prayed for new connections in the Lord, to make new friends and for opportunities to connect with them beyond just the conference. I prayed for God to use me and said “Amen”.

Feeling satisfied that I had obeyed God, I couldn’t help but wonder what He had planned for our trip. It was hard not to let my mind wander to previous years when we met Matt Redman, met Joyce herself, got front row seats and basked in the glory of being front and center and not missing anything. What was God going to do? He showed up, that’s what He did!

How many times do we miss out on what God has for us because we insist on telling Him what we want and what we need; like He doesn’t already know! I love this saying from Joyce, “I’d rather believe God for a whole lot and get half, then believe Him for a little and get it all”. Perspective. Plain and simple. I choose to believe God for everything and then praise Him for whatever portion I receive. I choose not to get in His way by hindering myself to my flesh centered prayers. I went to a new level this weekend and I am humbled by God’s favor and blessing.

Due to some miscommunication we arrived at the coliseum 2 hours earlier than we had planned, putting us in line 4 hours before the doors opened. You may be inclined to think what a drag, but I beg to differ, it was a blessing in disguise. We ended up being the very first ones in line...lol...the first time that has ever happened (if you knew our group, you would totally get it), and it gave us lots of time to fellowship and pray. A young lady named Donna, was in line behind us and had been suffering with pain in her hand for months. Doctors couldn’t diagnose it and she felt hopeless. We laid hands on her and prayed and boom, my prayer to be able to pray for others had been answered. This is why we were here; to serve, not be served. More things happened while in line, but the bottom line is, God showed up.

After our 4 hours were up, the doors opened and thousands of women went rushing in like cattle being herded on a cattle drive. It was intense. I made my way to the front of the coliseum to look for my security friends Ronald and Dave. I had met these guys at previous conferences and they both blessed me tremendously. The rest of our group went to find seats. I honestly had prepared myself that we would not sit on the front row this trip. I did not want to be pushy and make our friends feel uncomfortable but I did want to see them and give them a hug. I also wanted to ask Dave where I should take our church’s $5,200 check for Hand of Hope. (We raised this money for their well project.) I just didn’t feel right putting in the offering buckets. Before I could share my heart he asked how many people were in my group. What a blessing. Front row again. I was sincerely humbled.

The blessings didn’t stop there. We made new friends, got to meet Matt, Joyce’s chief editor of her magazine who hand delivered our check to where it needed to go and personally told Joyce about our church’s endeavors. We ended up getting reserved seats on the front row for the rest of the weekend and ended up sitting right next to Dave Meyer. He came out and sat with us and thanked us for our donation to the well project.

I just looked around at the thousands of people that were there and thought how blessed we were to have made the connections we made, sit where we sat, pray with whom we prayed with and were able to soak up the goodness of God. Joyce’s teaching was exactly what I needed to hear and it penetrated my soul to the point I am seeking more of God, less of me, on a whole other level.

I wish I could share every detail of our trip, but you know how it goes, some things are just for you and God. I will say, that this is probably the best trip I’ve had thus far and I am so glad I just shut up and let God have His way because I surely would have hindered His plan for us all.

That is a thought right there isn’t it? When we don’t listen for the voice of the Lord, we aren’t just messing with our own situation, but others as well. We are all connected on this earth and what one does or does not do affects another or many others. This sounds like another blog for another day.

I am happy to report that we received above and beyond our heart’s desires this past weekend. Let me end with just encouraging you to take some time out and really listen for the voice of the Lord. His plan for our life is always better than what we have planned for ourselves.

Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,  neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways   and my thoughts than your thoughts.