The Lord desires our fresh and new encounters with Him every time.  He longs to reveal to us more of Who He is, His thoughts and His ways.  He is excited to explore and experience with us what He has in store for us.  His windows are open and ready to release and download anything when and what we are ready to receive.

The readiness of our hearts comes from our stillness and quietness, fully trusting in His willingness and ability to bless us.  It comes from our fully persuaded hearts as we get to align ourselves to the truth that nothing is impossible with Him.  It is a posture where the Holy Spirit graces us to believe that WHATEVER we ask our Father in Jesus’ Name, it’s a done deal.

I woke up today sneezing like crazy.  It was for a couple of hours of successive sneezes until my eyes were teary and swollen, my body became weak and tired.  I had no unction to retire and sleep but instead I pressed on to praise and worship Jesus in the luxury of my home with my hands finding their privileged purpose on the keys of my piano.

When I started fiddling the keys, I noticed that the sound produced were like clanging cymbals.  After a few minutes, I found myself pressing in for more, aggressively playing and singing, but I knew I wasn’t entering in.  After a few more minutes, I  continued to be persistent with my will, my effort and my faith extravagantly expressed yet nothing still was happening.  I was in expectation that He inhabits the praises of His people but I wasn’t experiencing it.  The sound that I was making wasn’t a sound of worship.  I felt like it was just mere noise.  I knew in my heart that there was a missing link that I needed to tap into.  I analyzed, assessed and looked for reasons here and there yet to no avail.

Although I knew that I was barely at the outer court, I didn’t stop.  I found myself relentless and desperate for Him to show up because I SURELY know that when He does, my sneezing would instantly stop.  It happened to me before and I knew it will happen to me again.

After an hour with my piano, I stopped, stood up and took my communion elements.  With no music, I simply was walking back and forth in my living room and all of a sudden I felt His presence embraced me.  I heard Him gently speak into my heart these words without condemnation, “Do not put your faith and trust in your ability to praise Me.  TRUST IN MY LOVE FOR YOU that even when you sit still, but focused and mindful that I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS is more than enough for Me to manifest Myself in your midst.  MY LOVE NEVER FAILS.”  I was stunned as I stood in awe of what I just heard that put my heart to rest and confidently knew my sneezing is history.  I knew that it would stop without me having to do anything but rest in His presence.  After such brief yet powerful encounter, I fell asleep.  Lo and behold, I woke up healed.  Thank You, Jesus.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have CONFIDENCE to enter the Most Holy Place by the BLOOD OF JESUS,  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body,  and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Today, I was reminded not to use old formulas to get results. My default was to run into my piano and worship, little did I know that He had something much easier for me to get into His presence.  He has a million and one ways for us to discover and explore, and His intention and desire is for us to always seek Him for His fresh and new ways of encounter ALL BECAUSE the Blood of Jesus made way for us to enter in.  It is not according to our own effort and our own capacity to be welcomed into our Daddy God’s embrace BUT only by GRACE through faith. Religiosity is when we are bound to do things according to set rules apart from a heartfelt pursuit that deprive us to His fresh and new mercies set before us every morning.  He longs for an intimate relationship with us. He longs to lavish us with His love expressed in ways and means that no eye has seen nor ear heard nor mind can conceive what He has prepared for us.

“Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually.” (1 Chronicles 16:11)

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for healing me in the midst of Your heavenly presence.  Jesus, thank You for healing me by the stripes that You bore in Your own body that set me free and made me whole.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for leading me and revealing to me fresh, new and living ways set before me that are meant to deepen my relationship with You.  Amen!