Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be Solomon in the story recorded in 2 Chronicles 1 (or 1 Kings 3)? He had just been given the keys to the kingdom, having taken over from his father David, the “man after God’s own heart.” Now Solomon was ruler over all Israel.
Ask Me Anything
Take a look at what happened one night after he had made a thousand sacrifices:
2 Chronicles 1:7-12 (ESV) – “In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. O LORD God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” [1 Kings 3:10 (ESV) – “It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.”]
God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.””
Perhaps, Christian, the Lord is offering you something similar. What would it look like if, instead of forgetting the Lord in the good times and only seeking him in bad times, we started seeking the Lord in the good and amazing times? After all, the Word says to ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking (Luke 11:9-13). Solomon was given everything: a kingdom, power, wealth, honor; but he still sought out the Lord, choosing to “up the ante” on sacrifices to Him.
It was going great, but then…
Let me give you a bit of my background. My wife Cherise and I moved here to Round Rock, TX, after feeling like the Lord wanted us to move down here. We were living on temporary assignment in the country of Ireland and were seeking the Lord as to where in the USA to come back to. After deciding to move here (another great story for another day), we rented a small house, bought some phones and cars, found a great church, and established our lives. Except I didn’t have a job and couldn’t find one. In another amazing story of God’s provision, I got an engineering position at an up-and-coming technology company. My family life was going well; church life was great; my job was enjoyable; my spiritual life was good and growing.
Then I started praying and everything changed.
A new friend invited me to join a new prayer initiative. It was a radical 3-hour prayer time on Saturday mornings in the prayer room at our local church. Prayer had become increasingly important in our family’s life over the past couple years, especially as I was looking for a job here in the Austin area. Our family would gather around me before interviews and pray that the Lord would give us direction. On the first day of my new job, we prayed together, thanking Him for such a great opportunity. The second day of work, we were like, “We should pray.” And then it stuck. We call it “Pause ‘n’ Pray,” where we stop what we’re doing before I head off to work and pray as a family.
Anyway, after praying on Saturday mornings for a few months, I decided one weekend to fast on Friday with juice and veggies. Looking back, I know the Holy Spirit prompted this action. At the time, I was thinking, “I wonder what would happen if I fasted Friday and then prayed on Saturday? What might the Lord do?” I think there’s a reason “fasting and praying” go together. My prayers were intensified that morning.
“I have a vision for you. It’ll rock your world.”
Yep, that’s what I felt like the Lord said to me, “I have a vision for you. It’ll rock your world.” I responded with a silent prayer, “Cool! Lord, if you think I’m ready for it, then I’ll receive it.” This is how our conversations go sometimes. God is very good at putting messages into our modern vernacular. It’s kinda neat how He humbles Himself for us to understand Him. This fact always blows me away. And this is what I wrote about what the Lord showed me:
“So I waited. I listened to the other guys pray and waited. My mind wandered. We’ve been studying Revelation in our Life Group for the past few months, so my thoughts have routinely been on what the end times would look like. Also, my wife and I have been watching a TV series called The Colony, which is a bit apocalyptic as well. So my thoughts meandered in this direction. I thought of my kids and how they are Christians growing up in an increasingly anti-Christian world. A picture popped into my head. I was standing off to the side of 3 tall telephone-pole stakes, spaced about 20 feet apart. My wife was at my side, but we were captives of an oppressive military government. We were there watching our 3 children, each tied to the poles, being burned. Burned at the stake.
That’s It?
That was it. And I was slightly disappointed. My next thought to myself was, “Well, if my kids are going to die in that way, maybe there are some practical things I can teach them now to start preparing them.” Then I prayed, “Lord, if my kids are meant to die for You in this way, let it be so, and give me and my wife strength to go through this.” But this didn’t rock my world. I know that as we near the end times, persecution against Christians will get worse.
I got up and left the prayer room to refill my paper coffee cup. Back in with the fresh brew hot in my cup, I settled into the prayer couch long-ways with my back against the arm and my legs stretched out. I listened and agreed again with the other guys in prayer. My mind again drifted back to the picture of my kids being burned at the stake. Except they were singing! Then the Lord said, “I will spare their lives.” Whoa! I imagined them like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, coming out of the fiery furnace unscathed. They were given a voice over the crowd that was watching. They were allowed to speak and tell the crowd to give their lives to Jesus for the salvation of their souls.
He said to me, “*That* was the vision.” Wow. So amazing!
Fear is a defeated foe
You know, one of my new favorite verses says, “Perfect love casts out fear.”
1 John 4:18 (ESV) “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
God used this vision of seeing my kids burned at the stake to rob fear of its power over my life. You see, every so often, I’d be driving home and fear that my family had been killed in my absence. It was completely illogical and unrealistic, and yet, I imagined it anyway. I would typically dismiss these thoughts (using 2 Corinthians 10:5). After the vision, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord has my family firmly fixed within His hand.
It’s interesting to look back and see how my physical life was affected by this spiritual experience. This type of thing has happened over and over again since I was given the gift of that vision in May of 2018. I’m convinced of this: the spiritual affects the physical, and the physical affects the spiritual.
Learning a new skill
I’ve come to understand that spiritual gifts like I’ve experienced are grown much like you grow in any other skill in your life. Repetition and practice, wanting it and learning about it, investing time and thinking about it. The Holy Spirit is very good at His job. He’s the Helper, the Guide, the Comforter. He’s so good.
How does the Lord speak to you? It’s probably very different than the Lord speaks to me. You know what? That’s ok. I love math and cheesecake. Other people love literature and roasted marshmallows. The Lord created every person special and unique, and I believe He created you to hear Him in a unique way.
I’ve grown so much in the last 2 and a half years, and the Lord has been very faithful to me, showing me visions that would blow your mind, at least He has blown mine. I’ve had over 100 visions in the last year alone; it’s fun and exciting and creates a vibrancy in my life. Other people have benefitted, and it’s helped in ministry. I believe in my family this verse has been fulfilled:
Joel 2:28 (ESV) – “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”
What about you?
It’s easy to say, “Wow, the Lord is really working in that guy’s life. I wish God would work in my life that way.” To this comment and this mindset, I would say, “repent.” Wait, what? Yes, “repent” means to change your mind or change your pattern of thinking. Instead of thinking that “it would never happen to me” or “that would never work in my life,” why not think and pray, “Wow, Lord, a life filled with hearing your voice sounds exciting. Can you show me the way you created me to hear from you? Can you teach me? Will you fill me up with Your Holy Spirit to overflowing?” Why not now? How about today? Why wait for some future time to have abundant life? Let’s experience God’s abundant life of hearing from Him today!
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