Isaiah 65:24 - Before You Call I Hear
Step 1: Pray. Select.
Today's scripture came quickly to mind as I sat in the warm sun on my patio. One of my neighbors was playing music and singing softly along with a song in Spanish, which seemed to bring him joy this morning.
As I sat, grateful for the calm stillness in my private little sanctuary or backyard, with no wind and a crystal blue sky, I contemplated how less than three hours from where I am sitting right now, my previous home for the past twenty-plus years, the City of Los Angeles, is experiencing what looks and feels like an apocalypse, with mass devastation from the fires.
I thought about how both worlds exist simultaneously, yet it feels almost like it is not happening until I turn on the news, and my heart sinks over the place I once lived and the people in mourning over the loss of their homes and, even worse, loss of loved ones.
I was led to read Isaiah 64, which gives sound advice that if we pray for those going through this horrific time, it only takes one person to pray and cry out to the Lord on behalf of those hurting to activate God's restoration for his people.
As I read this instructional verse, the Holy Spirit brought Isaiah 24 to the top of my mind. This was my assignment for today.
Step 2: Write. Read. Circle
Isaiah 65:24 - It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer. And while they are still speaking, I will hear.
After reading the scripture three times, the following words stood out:
It Shall
Pass
Before They Call
While
Still Speaking
I Will Hear
Step 3: Re-Write
Adding my name to the front and with a focus on the words that stood out, here is the sentence(s) I came up with for today:
Jennifer, it shall pass before they call; while still speaking, I will hear.
Step 4: Visualize
I meditate on the scripture and this assurance from God. I think about how he sits and already has a plan of action before we know what we need before any desire is placed in our hearts.
Steve Jobs's quote, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward," seemed to embody the idea that all we need to do is follow the dots and have faith they will connect.
For the past four nights, I have been putting together a digital photo album as a gift for a family member, which ended up consisting of over 200 pictures and over 100 pages.
As I organized their lives in chronological order, I stared intently at the pictures of the person in early childhood. As I pieced all their moments in life together in a timeline, I asked myself if that little girl on page 1 would have imagined or had any clue of her journey, which eventually landed her where she is today on page 109.
I felt so honored and privileged to know this person, this wonderful soul, and after putting together page after page, it was a true testament to what life looks like, filled with love. Please understand that these pictures were not perfect pictures given to me, like people display on social media, editing out their less-than-perfect moments. They were honest and intimate real moments of a good and emotional life. I say emotional because as I mature, the less-than-perfect moments shape us and are far more interesting because they make us appreciate the times we laugh, celebrate, and dance in life as we make it through the valleys and live to tell about it.
I don't know if my family member knew what was ahead on page 1, but what I do know is that the pictures were a living testament to the fact that whatever she went through, God always delivered a blessing on the other side. Through the progression of her life caught on film, you see her happiness grow more freely with age, along with her family.
It showed me that no matter what age you are or how much you have experienced, He is present with you, waiting for you to arrive in a place he has prepared for you, filled with your next blessing.
The Holy Spirit is telling me to stop stressing about the future. Praise God for casting a wide net over your life and bringing in so many blessings that you won't have room enough to receive. Stop trying to predict where the dots may lead, and instead, climb the mountain in faith. When you get to the top, take a moment to enjoy the view.
I have a question that pops into my mind.
Step 5: Ask. Seek
The main question(s) that came to mind were:
Holy Spirit, how do I find comfort in the climb?
Step 6: Hear. Write. Receive
Holy Spirit, how do I find comfort in the climb?
"Study times and seasons. God constantly has you planting and caring for the land so you are ready to collect and start again when the harvest comes. In the waiting, rest your mind and focus on the small tasks ahead. Think about how you water and tend to a garden, but shift your focus on the expectation that something will grow from what you plant, not on what will actually come out of the ground. If you focus on the expectation of God's plan, He will deliver, and you want to be hypervigilant to his blessings, setting aside your own expectations. Have you ever planted something in a garden, and something else grew? Or it didn't look like you thought, but something still revealed itself. Once the promise reveals itself, it is time to take what you know about the environment you are planting in and, next season, work from the knowledge you gained. So is life. A multitude of seasons, collecting God's harvest along the way. Be patient and know that what you prayed for was already heard before you spoke, as the scriptures state. So ask your Father not when it will come, but what you can do to prepare for when the harvest comes."
Step 7: Pray. Confirm
I believe I have a clear assignment from today's practice for my prayer life. I will update my two or three witnesses to confirm what is needed for preparation for the harvest ahead. Right now, I am planting seeds, but since I am not sure what they will produce, I need to prepare and be on watch for the glory of God's goodness in all things.
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:
Pray for preparation and expect God will deliver on his promises
Know that he knows you better than you think, and before you declare your need, he has already made a way.
He hears you, friends. Don't question that just because you are in a season, a process will begin soon, producing fruit or crops with the
knowledge of what you have in your storehouse today.
Be on watch for God's blessing, not a preconceived notion of what you think you need.
Until tomorrow. May the rest of your day be fruitful, friends!
