Are you an orphan or a daughter?

An orphan spirit has permeated the Christian community. This spirit causes us to live in lack rather than fullness.

We plead for our prayers to be heard and answered, instead of climbing on Daddy’s lap and listening to what Jesus and Holy Spirit are praying into our situation
(Rom 8:34, Rom 8:26). And then joining in with those prayers.

Don’t you think our prayers would be more effective if we knew how God was praying and lifted our voice with Theirs, instead of praying from fear or despair?

But how can we get to that place if we don’t walk in intimacy with Them?

And if we don’t have intimacy or we fear Their disapproval, we likely carry an orphan spirit.

I used to feel like I had to beg God to listen, and persist, persist, persist with my prayers. Kind of like the widow with the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8). If I pleaded often enough, then just maybe He’d grant me a favor.

That’s the mindset of a beggar, not a daughter.

Four years ago, when we moved to eastern Oregon, we became concerned for one of our kids. He was drawn to the rabble-rousers. Rebellion began stirring in him and my heart began breaking. No amount of discussion seemed to reach him.

One evening, Mat was away on business and we were talking on the phone. We started praying for our boy. After I hung up and lay down to go to sleep, the Lord started depositing a praying in my heart. I’d turn on the light and write a line and then lay down. Then another and another would come to me, until He’d given me an entire prayer tailored for our son.

It was sent from His throne room and I felt the breath of His Spirit on it. I knew we had permission to pray His will into our son’s life. At times I prayed that prayer with joy and heartfelt appreciation when we saw huge changes in our child. Other times, I prayed it stomping my foot on the enemy’s head, choosing not to let what I saw with my physical eyes (that could have brought discouragement), leech my faith into fear.

But I prayed it as a fact, pulling the future into his present. I didn’t have to plead. I was pulling heaven to earth in our son’s life. We are seated in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 2:6), so we are simultaneously walking this earth and seated in heaven. I don’t understand it, but I’ll take it. And am grateful for it.

We can pull heaven down to earth—–into our lives and circumstances. All the resources, all the joy, all the bounty of heaven is at our disposal. And it’s our adventure to discover how to connect with God and bring it to earth. That is living as a son and a daughter.

Before I understood this, I approached Him from a place of lack. I didn’t understand His goodness toward me and mine. Now, I’m persistent, but it’s from a place of fullness. I know I’m His daughter and have the position to pray His goodness into other people’s lives.

Orphans plead from earth toward heaven instead of asking and discovering God’s will, and praying it into existence (Heb 11:1).

So how do we do that?

It takes time. Time spent getting to know Him. Getting to know His character. Bringing Him our fears, letting Him expose the lies we believe, letting Him become Friend, Comforter, Teacher, Healer…and so much more.

Like with any relationship, it takes time and effort to talk and listen. And He’s patient (1 Cor. 13:4). He understands what keeps us away from Him. And He wants to heal those places in us.

We all long for intimacy, even if we’ve closed off the parts of us that yearn for it. Deep intimacy with God can happen. He longs to know you and be known by you.

We can ask Him to start revealing and healing the hurts that have created the walls in our lives. It will lead us into fullness and life.

Click here to watch a video that describes the orphan spirit in a compelling testimony or you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O41AbkNpB1o

Tell Me What You Think…

Do you struggle with an orphan spirit?

Photo by Brielle Sand

Photo By Holly Lay via StockPholio.com