Your Sons & Daughters Shall Prophesy - Prophetic Gifts Today In The New Testament Church

God's Thoughts toward Us

extends his or her faith like a spiritual antenna, receives some divine thoughts of God for that given moment and then speaks them forth by the power of the Holy Spirit to an individual or group for the glory of God. Psalm 139, the chapter that tells us of God's thoughts toward us, could be titled "I Am Important to God." Three descriptive paragraphs state brilliantly how the greatness of God is focused on each individual life: • Omniscience (He knows all), verses 1-6: God is constantly aware of everything I do. • Omnipresence (He is everywhere), verses 7-12: God is wherever I go, so there is no possibility I will escape His scrutiny. • Omnipotence (He has all power), verses 13-16: God created me (the psalmist uses seven descriptive words) and knows every detail of my biological construction and development. It was a hot Sunday morning and I was about to stand up and preach the morning message in a native church in Nigeria. The women and girls were seated on one side of the church and the men and boys on the other side. They all sang joyfully to the Lord. I was agonizing mentally over my prepared message, for I sensed that God wanted me to change the mes sage to "The Lord's Prayer." Although I have spoken often on that famous prayer, this time there was an inner spiritual urging taking place. I had observed the poverty of the people-the graceful, tired women balancing great stalks of bananas on their heads as they walked to mar ket in the early morning; the men eking out a bare existence in various kinds of drudgeries. As I waited to preach, I felt an unusual prophetic insight of the Spirit. I became acutely aware, as is possible only through spiritual revelation, that even the most destitute and forsaken person can find God's care extending to him if he will believe. As I began the message, I made the mistake of starting with my pre pared thoughts. The almost total disinterest of the people was painfully obvious. So I shifted to the prophetic insight-the thoughts God had for the people. Their attention turned on immediately, and I could not help noticing that the ushers, with their long sticks to prod sleepers and talkers, were no longer busy. What was happening? God was sharing some of His thoughts through His servant and the people were hearing it joyfully. 21 • Sharing His Thoughts