The Father's Healing Embrace

The Fathers healing embrace. It is the one thing so many cry out for, but may never feel. It is also the one thing so many need, yet so many reject. For those of you unfamiliar with the spiritual verbiage being used throughout these writings and in particular today, the main thing you need to understand for now is that there is spiritual activity happening all around us all the time. The spirits that are around us are not always good and they look to attach themselves to us, because they need a living host. The good news is when you give your life to Jesus, Holy Spirit inhabits your body. You become a new creation, born again, and the living host for the Holy Ghost upon repentance and acceptance of Jesus. Where there is light darkness is cast out just as it says in John 1:5 “And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehend it not.”

This is where we must begin on our journey to encountering the Lord in our lives. We have seen so far how he qualifies the unqualified to do His work, and how He uses our failures for good. Now, we get to cry out to Him to be the focal point of our lives. We get to ask Him to inhabit our body in spiritual union with the light and life of the world, Jesus. The spirit of loneliness, the orphan spirit, the spirit of infirmity, the spirit of fear, the spirit of anxiety, the spirit of depression, the spirit of suicide, the spirit of addiction, the spirit of unworthiness, the spirit of condemnation, the spirit of shame, the spirit of hatred, the spirit of prejudice, and the spirit darkness just to name a few (yikes) must flee as they no longer can live where Jesus resides. Instead, we get to be filled with and share with others the fruit of the Holy Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control. Darkness cannot comprehend the light of Christ and abhors when we walk in the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Truth (with a capital T) and He is so bright that He often shines light on the places and spaces we try to ignore and not touch. It is why many struggle with their walk. It is really hard and I do not judge anyone with where they are at in their process. It is also why many true believers in Christ cause some people to flee from their lives. True Holy Spirit filled believers will repulse darkness. Now to clarify, this is not that the individual is darkness, but the spirits operating inside of them are and they cause them to run away from the healing light of Christ, often without realizing it. Hence, why many reject the healing embrace of Christ. We need Jesus, now more than ever. He is the defender of your heart, soul, and spirit. This is the true expression of God’s love for us. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal everlasting life.” He wants to break darkness off of us and draw us into His Heart and into freedom. It is why He says so often in scripture not to fear. He is calling out to the courage in us to step out in faith. Remember, God is working on our behalf regardless of where we are in our faith life. He is waiting for us to run to Him with all of our doubt, bumps, and bruises. Simply show up, cry out, repent, and yes even rest at His feet and He will show up. Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

My guess is we have a few camps of people right now- this is crazy talk, this is spot on, this could be true, but I need more proof. In all sincerity, I am not one to force Jesus on anyone, because I know that God is the God of free will. I also know that He can transform your life into something incredible if you let Him. That being said, if this gives any credence to His desire to encounter us please proceed with an open heart and mind. Normally, I would not share my intimate prayer time with the world, but I feel prompted to use my morning as in illustration of just how much God wants to encounter us. It was nothing extraordinary, but it was also wildly extraordinary because any moment with Jesus fills me with a sincere wonder and awe. There was not a cloud in the sky, the sun was shining, and I had the most beautiful view of Lake Erie from these large white steps overlooking the expanse of the park. All of the sudden I heard in a still quiet voice to bow at His feet. As I lay face down arms stretched out and hands facing the sky I began to weep. It is with hunger and surrender I cried out to the Lord, submitting my every praise, my every overwhelming fear, and every anxiety. I cast out the ugliest things, needs, desires at the Kings feet. Only King Jesus would accept such a mess of a person. One moment I was praising Him and telling Him how much I love Him and the next moment I was releasing my angst. Jesus met me with compassion because the next thing I new I could feel this pressing on my back as though a large hand was pushing me down into the earth. I began to see in the spirit realm an angelic presence standing over me with massive wings. My lips began to have a cool tingle and foreign words I have never spoke left my lips. I felt like a rushing wind the warmth of Holy Spirit cover me. I knew that in His graciousness He wanted to show me I was being protected. He doesn’t have to meet me, I humbly knew deep down inside this truth. He could ask of me to have faith without sight; which He so often does, yet today He wanted to be with me and brought a few angels to let me know He was with me through everything. Even when I feel like the world around me is closing in with no way out, even when I lay there like a limp noodle, Jesus wants relationship and He wants to protect us all. He was reminding me that this morning as He left me in an overwhelmed haze of gratitude the rest of the day.

As I replay this encounter among the countless other’s I have had the honor and privilege of having I believe the Lord is asking me to impart this prayer to those who want to feel His presence. Father God, we just thank you for being the best provider, protector, and defender of our souls. We thank you Father for sending people, places, and things to remind us of your goodness. We ask you Father to draw us closer to you and in doing so we decrease so that you might increase in our lives. Father God thank you for the obstacles and tribulations that we face as they are a reminder to us of what we are capable of accomplishing when we embrace your healing hands. Father we cry out for an encounter with you today, please give us the vision to see beyond what meets the eyes, the hearing to hear beyond what rings in our ears, and the sounds from our lips to speak the sweet melody of heaven onto this earth. Father we pray for humble hearts, to be selfless servants, and to be bold warriors to proclaim the gospel of Peace. We ask for an army of angels to surround us and protect as you send down the Fire of Holy Spirit upon our heads to awaken us out of our slumbering. We cry out to you God to be with us God to never leave us God just as it says in Deuteronomy 31:8, “ And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

~Kathryn