PRAY FOR GOD TO ENCOUNTER THEM

PRAY FOR GOD TO ENCOUNTER THEM

  • Encountering the Father

PRAY FOR GOD TO ENCOUNTER THEM

I came to my spiritual mentor crying over the choices of someone else. I was enduring suffering at the hands of their brokenness. I will never forget his response to me. He said, “Lisa, turn all that emotion into prayers that God would encounter them because one encounter with Jesus can heal their heart, align their mind and restore what is broken inside them.” At first, I couldn’t do it. I was too hurt to love them ‘that much.’ I then began to see that deep down, they weren’t trying to hurt me, but their brokenness was hurting not only me but them as well. It positioned me to intercede for them in a whole new way. Sometimes we get hurt because there is stuff in our hearts that God wants to heal and restore. Other times we get hurt because those around us need freedom.

ENCOUNTER HIM

When we face anger, anxiety, fear, etc., it invites us to encounter Him. Many believe you have to be free of such things to encounter God, but the truth is some of the greatest intimacy comes when we invite Him into those messy places.

ENCOUNTERING THE FATHER

God longs for His children to experience Him, not just know Him mentally. I am convinced that one of the biggest reasons why so many children grow up and leave the church is not because they never knew or loved God, but because they failed to EXPERIENCE Him. 

ENCOUNTERING THE FATHER is a resource tool we created for parents, friends, and leaders to help usher others into an encounter with the Father. There are over 100 encounter questions, along with instructions on how to guide anyone into an encounter, host your own ‘encounter the Father’ event, or use them in a corporate setting.

We have provided you with two formats including a running list of all of the encounter questions, as well as a printable card format.

Jesus has a lot to say to a child walking through the ups and downs of life. Sometimes, despite our wisdom, they need to hear from the One who knit them together. This tool will teach you how to lead them into an encounter.

Could you imagine what would happen to your family if you were able to lead them to encounter Him in their time of need? You will discover key questions to ask your loved ones so that they can experience Him.

Encountering the Father EBook – Let the Children Fly

LET’S ASK JESUS

Call to your mind when your firstborn baby was born, and you held them in your arms for the first time. Visit that memory for a bit.

Then ask, “Jesus, will You show me a picture of how BIG Your Father is in relation to the baby?” Now picture YOU as that little newborn baby.

Next, gather as a family in the living room, in the car, at the dinner table, or at bedtime, and ask Jesus together. This is empowering for children because they witness how God communicates with you, which increases their faith, and together you get to encounter Him. Spiritual hearing is a muscle that is strengthened by worshiping and praying. The more you do it, the stronger you become at it.

MY ANCHOR

Invite the children to join you in the family room with their pillows. Have them stand on their pillow and act out this childhood song. Find it on YouTube and let it serve as a reminder of our safe footing. 

 

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness; 

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, 

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. 

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; 

All other ground is sinking sand, 

All other ground is sinking sand. 

When darkness veils His lovely face, 

I rest on His unchanging grace; 

In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil. 

His oath, His covenant, His blood, 

Support me in the whelming flood; 

When all around my soul gives way, 

He then is all my hope and stays. 

When He shall come with trumpet sound, 

Oh, may I then in Him be found; 

In Him, my righteousness, alone, 

Faultless to stand before the throne.

ENCOUNTER HIM

Carve out some intentional time to sit with Jesus and ask the following questions. Listen and journal what He is speaking to you.

“Father, does my heart truly, sincerely want more of You?” 

“God, is there anything keeping me from going further?” 

“Jesus, is there anything in my heart that is afraid or fearful of more?” 

Next, pray this prayer: “Holy Spirit, I invite You to come and remove anything in my life that acts as a wall or barrier to going deeper with You. Remove everything that stands in the way of ALL You have for me.” After you pray, I encourage you to sit for a moment and let Him do some heart surgery. 

The following is an excerpt from Graham Cooke’s LIVING ON A HIGHER PLACE: “You are going to have to grow if you want to live with God at altitude because at a high altitude you must learn to walk at a pace that you can actually sustain. At high altitudes, you have to do everything for yourself. So high altitude, spiritually, becomes solely about your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. No one can do it for you. It has to be your walk. It has to be your worship. It has to be your faith, and it has to be your relationship with the Holy Spirit. You can’t borrow stuff from other people like you did in the valley because the way life worked in the valley does not work on the mountain. It has to be you.”

MIND VS. SPIRIT

All the wisdom in the world doesn’t change a person’s heart. When I speak words of wisdom, they go from my mind to your mind; but when Holy Spirit speaks, it goes into your spirit, and that is where the real transformation occurs. One word from Jesus can change more inside of you than a 12-week course. This is why it is so crucial that we often bring our children to the Lord’s presence to ask Him what He thinks. This is creating an encounter for our children. Instead of wisdom alone guiding them, they are learning they have a relationship with the living God, who wants to help them in all situations.

DO NOT BE UNWISE

Do not be unwise in this hour! I have noticed that many people who were once ‘on fire,’ full of passion and love for the Lord, appear to be dry, flat, and behaving in a way I didn’t see before (foul speech, sharp words, uncaring actions). I was asking the Lord about it, as it surprised me. I realized at that moment how many people gained their passion by someone else going to the secret place with God and sharing it. People come to enjoy the revelation and intimacy of others and share in some of the fruit, but they have no oil of their own. Now that the church has been affected for months, people are drying up, not because God isn’t good or that they have turned their hearts, but because they are used to enjoying someone else’s oil and do not know how to get it for themselves. The Word says they missed Jesus because they did not have their own oil. 

How do you get oil?

  • Spend time with Him
  • Be in the Word
  • Pray
  • Declare
  • Worship Him
  • Be grateful
  • Study Scripture
  • Take communion
  • Believe
  • Adore Him
  • Understand the times and season
  • Be expectant
  • Resolve those heart issues
  • Seek His face
  • Honor His Word

This isn’t a one-time event. It is a cultivated LIFESTYLE. Matthew 25: 8-9 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both you and us. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves…’ so they went out, but it was too late. They missed Him. Do not be unwise in this hour.

ALIGNMENT

Picture a spine with a pinched nerve. Now picture that person having to carry a box upstairs. The weight of carrying the box would put pressure on what is out of alignment and cause GREAT AFFLICTION! The same is true in the spirit realm. God created us to be in alignment, and when we are out of alignment with Him, the pressures of the world (work, relationships, financial issues, parenting, heart splinters, etc.) can cause great affliction. We cannot always control the pressure that comes our way, but we can manage our mind, body, and spirit to be in alignment with Him. How? Ask Him.  

“Jesus, is there anything in my body that is not in alignment with Your will?” 

“Jesus, are there thoughts I am feasting on that are not Yours?” 

“Jesus, is my spirit in alignment with the Holy Spirit?”

RIVER OF LIFE

The Bible teaches us there is a RIVER OF LIFE flowing from the throne of God. Gather everyone in the family room and read together: Revelations 22:1 – “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the Throne of God and of the Lamb.” Have everyone stand in the same direction with your back facing the throne of God. Picture the river water rising and moving past you as if it were removing things off of you like shame, guilt, worry, fear, sin, temptations, strife, etc. Stand in the river for as long as you need and allow the River of Life to move in, on, and around you. Removing whatever needs to be taken care of, let go, washed, or aligned. Now collectively, turn around facing the same direction with the throne of God in front of you. Picture the River of Life releasing the things of heaven, such as peace, joy, identity, forgiveness, acceptance, belonging, faith, etc. Grab them, pick them up and hold onto them. They are yours!

Read Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” I came down for my quiet time with Jesus one morning and so badly wanted to encounter His love, but a nagging issue was demanding my attention. It was heavy and consuming. I so wanted to let it go but couldn’t seem to find my way to peace about it. I was reminded of this encounter (above) that I had years ago and stood with my back facing the throne and allowed the River of Life to wash this demanding issue off of me, to consume me with His presence. Then I turned around and received the flowing gifts of peace, joy, and alignment to His power! It was breathtaking, life-giving, and so freeing.

Give it a try! The River of Life is waiting for you to encounter the throne of your Living God.

TEACH ME

What is your number one parenting question right now? Ask Jesus and learn how to partner with Him in parenting your child – together! He alone knows what they need more than 100 earthly wise men. So give it a try, and then spend the next 18 years strengthening your partnership with their Creator.