I sit in the riverbank of your creation. With water flowing. And wind less then blowing.
Melody chirps in the air. Fragrance of peddles in the breeze.
Your world lies at my tips. But why the dam that interrupts belief. It’s evident that you are the turning of the leaf.
Whirling, static, haze of mind. With looping, cycling, and spinning that pays a fine. Feelings mimic this ride.
It’s been strokes that I have felt you. Sensed you.
The gnats bite like the unbelief that I tread. Swarm and swarm is an understatement.
But even though I don’t see you. I acknowledge, speak, pray to you. What would I do without you.
This has to mean something. The Bread even toasts, that I am blessed. John 20:29 will confess.
So, feelings and emotions. Take more than a rest, leave. Because I really do believe.
We are now in conclusion with the series of, “The difficulties of the Secret Place.” The last few months we talked on how various things can keep us from the Secret Place such as feeling too messy, depression, and now today’s article as alluded to in the above poem, you don’t feel the Lord.
If the Secret Place is a new concept for you or need a friendly reminder of what it is, here you go: The Secret Place is partially your one-on-one time with Jesus, with your Bible and perhaps journal out, and at a much deeper level, it is a life that remains in the hiddenness of the Lord. It means you dwell, abide, and stay in all of Jesus’s promises, truths, direction, and love for you—no matter what. You talk to Him at your inner core, and you do not stop.
There are times when I can sense the presence of the Lord, and it feels so amazing as tears fill my eyes and I am overtaken by Jesus’s existence and holiness. I get emotional, but in the very best way. When I feel like this, the Secret Place is very easy to enter into and stay in! However, this does not always happen.
There are times when I do not feel Jesus at all. In fact, there was probably a three-to-four-year time period when I did not shed one tear of experiencing His majesty. I felt so numb. I remained in the Secret Place and talked to the Lord daily. He was still speaking, guiding, and encouraging me. However, I still felt like a dried-up well. I have walked this walk long enough to know that even though I may not feel the Lord, that does not mean He is not in the room.
If we are not feeling the presence of the Lord, does that mean He is not there? Of course He is there! We cannot always lean into our feelings (or sensations) for guidance and assurance; we need to lean into the Word of God for our direction and validation.
If we are not feeling the presence of the Lord, does that mean He is not hearing our prayers? No way! Of course He is hearing you and me! On the topic of being tired when you pray, I even heard one pastor say, “You might be tired, but the Holy Spirit is not tired.” At times, if someone (or even yourself) is needing prayer for healing, deliverance, or anything, if we do not feel the Lord or if we are tired, we may think our prayers won’t be as powerful. Well, that is silly because it is not us doing the healing or deliverance—it’s Jesus in us. We are the ones speaking; He is the one doing the work.
So please, whether it is in your own personal time or when you are with others, if you do not feel the Lord or if you are tired, that does not mean He is not in your midst nor hearing you. HE IS THERE! HE DOES HEAR YOU! Remain in the Secret Place. Pray the prayer. Not only read the Word, but trust the Word. For example, you may not be feeling the love of Jesus, but guess what, the Bible says you are loved, SO YOU ARE LOVED, BELIEVE IT! The sensation of His presence will come again.
Perhaps you have never experienced the Lord as I described a couple paragraphs back. Feelings of awe and wonder as tears build up in the best way possible. Maybe you feel like a dried-up well too, and it’s always been like that. If you do feel dry, no worries. Remember, the Lord is still answering prayers and working even if you’re not sensing Him. With that said, if you are wanting to experience the Lord with more emotion, I would encourage you to ask Him.
I was talking to my husband right around the three-to-four-year mark of me feeling pretty dull, and I told him that I wanted to sense the presence of the Lord more. He replied, “Pray that it comes back, even more than it has ever been.” So I did, and it came!
It was a normal day as I grabbed my coffee and plomped on my couch with my Bible open. I picked up where I left off the day prior which was in Leviticus 9. Then, when I got to verses 22–24 and Leviticus 10:1–7 I felt the presence of God.
All of a sudden, my mind was enlightened and eyes grew wide. Something clicked in my brain with the words I was reading and I said aloud, “There is something here!” Meaning there is something the Lord wants to teach me. He sure did have something to show me—He taught me about His holiness.
He did this by sparking a fire within my brain and I took that fire and studied the Scriptures by using a commentary. As I studied, revelation brewed. Oh guys, His holiness, may we grasp it and not forget it. God (Jesus) being holy means He is set apart. Nothing is like the Lord God Almighty. NOTHING. We need to honor His holiness and not profane it. Once this exposure came, so did the tears. Oh, how I pray for more encounters and revelations like that one for both you and me!
I pray, in the name of Jesus, whoever is reading this will be touched by your presence in an overwhelming way, that they will experience your holiness and splendor. I pray they, too, will open the Word and revelation will fall. As they wait for it, God, let them know you are still ever so close and love them dearly. Amen!
Solution:
1. You “not feeling” the Lord does not mean He is not there or working. HE IS THERE! Sometimes we will not always sense Him, and that is okay. Don’t let that discourage you. Continue to press into Him. Lean into the truths of the Word, not your feelings.
2. If you are wanting to experience the Lord at a more emotional level, then ask. Simply pray, “Jesus, I want to be overcome by your presence.”
3. As you wait for the Lord to reveal Himself in this matter, be patient. It may not happen right away. Stay in the Secret Place as you worship, pray, and get into the Word of God. A lot of spiritual endurance is getting produced in you as you do this, much more than you realize!
Although, “not feeling the Lord” may want to keep you from the Secret Place, do not let it. Feelings can lie. And guess what, you are even blessed when you believe and you do not see! Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. (John 20:29)
Blessings my friends, Ashley
