Luke 1:45 - Path Of The Arrow
Step 1: Pray. Select.
When I woke up this morning, I felt uncertain. Although I was grateful for the day, I was confused about the next steps I needed to take in life. I began to pray for clarity through confusion since I know God is not a God of confusion.
I was led to Luke 1, when Mary was told she would bear a son of the highest God. I thought if anyone understood feeling confused at that moment, it was Mary. She was probably like, "Are you sure, Angel? You got the right girl?!"
But what was spoken when Mary shared the news with Elizabeth in Luke 1:45 touched my heart, so I began today's prayer practice there.
Step 2: Write. Read. Circle
Luke 1:45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.
After reading the scripture three times, the following words stood out amongst the others:
Blessed Is
Who Believed
Those Things Which Were Told
From The LORD
Step 3: Re-Write
With a focus on the words that stood out, here is the personalized sentence(s) placed upon my heart:
Jennifer, blessed is who believed those things which were told from the LORD.
Step 4: Visualize
As I meditate on the words, I close my eyes and picture an arrow being pulled back, waiting to be shot into the air. I can see the bow surrounding it, and I even see the taught string, but I do not see a shooter. I can see hands, but there is not a body accompanying them.
I am unable to identify who is shooting or where they are aiming. What fascinates me is the arrow's level of understanding and commitment on its creator's trust that it's been built well enough to make the journey it is about to take, no matter how high or how far it will travel to land on the intended target. Not only will it land, but it will strike with confidence, standing erect and proud upon that landing as if to say. "Here I am! I'll bet you never thought I would make it!"
I realize an arrow is an inanimate object, but somehow, the arrow in my vision has a larger-than-life personality and, deep down, believes with all his heart that he is the one to land on the target. He is begging, saying, "Here I am, LORD - pick me!"
There is no hesitation or questioning; it wants to be released into the atmosphere, cut through the air, and land on the intended target.
The Holy Spirit wants me to focus on the arrow's tip as a metaphor for His word. It is essential to slice through the elements along his journey and sharper than any two-edged sword.
I was also prompted to look up arrowheads and the structure of an arrow. As I look at a few images, the Holy Spirit tells me the arrowhead is His word and spirit. We are the body or shaft following the spirit, armed with the word that goes before us, that there isn't anything out of reach that we cannot land on at the appointed time when we are shot into the atmosphere by the shooter, or our Father. However, we mustn't doubt the shooter's aim or direction. If we hesitate, we create a crooked path instead of a strong straight path resisting the shooter and his intended target.
It is our responsibility, as the arrow, to let go and let God. He can see the target, and we, being an arrow, do not have the foresight to land ourselves in places beyond our comprehension.
A question arises I need to ask the Holy Spirit. So, I continue to Step 5.
Step 5: Ask. Seek
The words that came to mind were:
Holy Spirit, when will I be launched, and how do I prepare for the waiting?
Step 6: Hear. Write. Receive
Here is the answer I received:
"There is no preparation for this type of journey. This is unmarked territory that only your creator can see. Go forward with your daily bread, for you are already sharpening your arrowhead and may already be in flight. Don't be distracted by things to the right or the left; stay strong as an arrow, and he will correct the paths to align with his will. Remember, he controls the elements, including the wind. If you bend, you are taking yourself off course. When he shot you out of your mother's womb, there was already a target in mind for you to land. As burdens become lighter and you can handle more than the capacity you perceived, shedding your childish understanding, you are more in alignment than ever with the will of your Father. You are capable of his strength and discernment to sharpen the blades of the tip of the arrow while you are flying, cutting through even the harshest of elements. Rather than things working against you, believe Him and His promises, and He will work everything together for your good in alignment with his perfect will. You will know when you finally land on your target because it will be familiar, like coming home. Until then, trust if you are being pulled back, ready to be shot into the air, flying through the air, or about to land on your target; either way, you are in his hands, always carrying you through the wind or any other elements ahead. If you let him. Remember one thing, He will never leave you or forsake you."
Step 7: Pray. Confirm
Holy Spirit, thank you for the visual of the arrow today. Help me with any unbelief and keep my focus on my Father's daily bread—nothing more, nothing less. I seal this prayer with the precious blood of Jesus —Amen!
If you used the scripture of the day and need prayer or someone to pray with you, connect Here. Remember, you are not alone.
Step 8: Share. Testify
If you workshopped any of the verses mentioned above using the 8-Step Prayer Practice, we would love to hear from you in the comments below about what the Holy Spirit showed or spoke to you today.
Don't forget to Spread hope and share HERE if you have a miracle or testimony. We want to see how God is working in your life!
Conclusion:
Friends, let us avoid resisting the path of the straight arrow, for our Father knows its intended timing and target.
Help us let go and let God guide us through all the elements, for only he can speak to the wind to provide peace along the journey.
No matter what stage you are in, waiting to be shot, flying, or with the target in sight waiting to land, He is there with you, carrying you the entire way.
Go forward, encouraged today, friends! Just by being here, we are on the straight and narrow. I trust we will get to the target as our shooter always intended.
