Don't Sleep on the Power of Devotion

It is amazing how the simple things that are often taken for granted such as faith, prayer, fasting, and a sincere heart can be the paths that lead to a connection with God. Last night after watching Run’s House and eating a ice cream sundae from Baskin Robins (cold stone is bomb, but sometimes you have to go back to the “old landmark” (you would have had to grow up in church to get that!), I went to sleep with a myriad of emotions and thoughts regarding my responsibilities and things that need to happen. If we are not careful our natural situations can bombard our thoughts to the degree that our connection with the supernatural God is impeded by natural situations, instead of our Supernatural God impacting our natural situations.

I woke up this morning at 4am, and my immediate response was turn over and go back to sleep until the Today show to come on, but my Spirit tugged with desperation to connect with the presence of God. Even at the threshold of an encounter with God, my situations and things on my agenda came to my head, my personal inventory and where I desire be as a person began to inundate my mind, and what would have been prayer, was about to turn to contemplation and analysis. But my faith and desire for God prohibited me from becoming a prisoner of my own analysis and robbing me of my prayer time. I am reminded of when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane and the bible declares, after taking Peter, James, and John with him to pray, KJV Matthew 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. Jesus could have stopped with his feelings regarding his situation, but the bible says. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

I have discovered this morning, that your breakthrough, your Spiritual shift will occur if you have the courage to go a little further. The moment we step outside of our comfort zones, out of the norm, what we are accustomed to our faith will become the bridge that leads us to an encounter with God. Worship takes us a little further. In his presence there truly is fullness of joy. Bishop Swancy who Pastors the Peace Apostolic church told me that my grandmother who influenced my life in indescribable measures, used to sing a song called “In the garden.” This words of the song, say “…And He walks with me, and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own, and the joy that we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.” Marvin Sapp does a phenomenal rendition of this song as well.

It is in the morning when thing are silent and tranquil, while it is still dark outside, as the new day dawns that I felt the embrace of God’s Spirit. I began to listen to his voice in prayer, listen to his word, and then I watched Deitrick Haddon presents…Voices of Unity “Together in Worship.” As the songs were playing, God was speaking, depositing into m Spirit. In enjoy “professional” encounters with God that prepare me to share publicly, but it is the “personal” encounter in the morning that reminds me that God and I have a secret place that we share. My mom and I used to have devotion in the morning before leaving school @ 6:50am. We would read a scripture, sing a song, and pray. Didn’t catch the significance at the time, but train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it. A married couple that is in a covenant relationship understands the value of communication. They must communicate in multiple scenarios. But perhaps one of the most significant scenarios is in the bed, “pillow talk” where they are transparent before one another in a way that they haven’t been before. While prayer is essential, don’t sleep on the power of devotion, “pillow talk.” The next time God nudges you wake up and become intoxicated by His presence, you won’t regret it.