Obey the Prompting

Has there ever been something nagging you on the inside? Something you wake up with each morning that leaves you with a firm urgency in your heart? Is there a knowing that you better get to it or miss out on something down the road? If the answer is yes, that urgency is known as a prompting of the Holy Spirit. He's drawing you to do something and it is wise for you to pay attention and act on what He is saying. 

For several years, I kept getting this impression that I needed to purchase land in a particular part of our city. I previously purchased one of the lots in the area, but for some reason I kept feeling as if I needed to purchase more. For months, this nagging feeling stayed in my gut and it didn't matter where I was or what I was doing. If I got a quiet moment, the land would come floating up from nowhere. After a year or two, I finally made the move to visit the owner. I introduced myself and stated what my intentions were. The owner was completely unimpressed and literally gave me the cold shoulder. I walked out of her office thinking, “God, I did my part and she wasn't interested. What else can I do?” I left it alone, but deep in my heart I knew it wasn’t over. For another year or two the land would come floating up and I would say, “Lord, I did my best.” The impression wouldn’t go away. One day I was reading in the local paper that a multimillionaire had presented plans to the city to build a multimillion-dollar development in the very area that I was prompted to buy. The plans included purchasing all the land from its owners at top dollar prices. My heart sank and I immediately understood what the urgency was about.

When God speaks to our hearts we can’t ignore Him, nor can we wait for conditions to be favorable. Furthermore, we can’t back away from the prompting simply because someone tells us “no.” When God is leading us and we are following what we believe to be His leading, a person’s “no” can lead to discouragement. When we step out to obey and a person involved tells us they won’t help us, it may be that they are not the person that God has chosen to help us, so we have to keep looking or “knocking” until we get to the right door or the right person.

We have to understand God never speaks just because He can. God is not an idle talker. Every word that comes out of His mouth flows from His Spirit and has a targeted location in your life. When acted upon, it will bring to pass the very thing God desires. 

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:10-11).

Think about the fact that God’s Word will accomplish what He desires; the Word “will” is a contractual term that makes a declaration about the future, and it’s said to be one of the strongest declarations you can make in the English language. When you say, “I will” you are binding yourself to something. God said His Word “will” accomplish what He desires. He has bound Himself to make it happen and you can absolutely believe His Word won’t fail. 

When we listen to and obey His promptings, God’s Word goes to work on our behalf and the purpose and desire of God is brought into existence. It doesn't come without opposition, but it does come without fail.      

If there is something that’s “floating up” from your heart, a prompting of God’s spirit, don’t ignore Him and don’t delay! Obey His voice and He will lead you to a place of abundance and blessings. 

Daily Scripture: Isaiah 55:10-11

Daily Confession: Today I will obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit, I will be quick to obey and respond to His voice!