That's the title I feel I should give this thread, but, it looks pretty bold and lonely to me as I write this short word of testimony.In a book by Leanne Payne called the Broken Image, she describes praying for one and another whom she had counselled. At one point, it occurred to me that an answer to prayer which a man had received was waaay more than God had been asked to do.... which reminds me of this scripture.Ephesians 316 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Last Monday, I received a pm from a brother whom I love and respect. He offered two suggestions, neither of which I was inclined towards and I challenged him in my reply. I won't justify that; that's what I did.I knew the most I could honestly offer was to bear his thoughts in mind and to work for change and I did realise something was more wrong than I'd been aware of, because of what he'd said. So, I had as much peace as I could have expected in such a circumstance. I could sleep, too.The next day as I was waking up, I was aware of several spiritual truths simultaneously. I was hurting - felt like the dead meat in the title - but, being healed at the same time as being convicted and then found myself repenting, more or less after it was all over - of spiritual pride. At the time, I linked the event to the pm correspondence. I was surprised. Then, hot on the heels of the first 'revelation' was the knowledge I had not been esteeming others more highly than myself. I knew who they were.... OUCH :-? but I'm not going to say publicly here.Although all that was unexpected to my mind, I did remember afterwards, being aware the previous week that I was giving God permission to anoint me for burial, a phrase which had appealed to my spirit from one of Neil's posts a week or two earlier. The result was then, I found and now find myself able to deal with a whole lot of old baggage from my past, which I really need to deal with and leave behind forever. But, I simply had not been prepared to be laid out to the public gaze, even though some of what I've already shared does glorify God. I wasn't even embarrassed at the thought. I just was not going to do it. Well, possibly, I couldn't, but now, I can, and have. Probably, I'd be naive to think there will not be more, but, in the first instance, I thought I should share this with you all and thank you for loving me the way I was. 8-)Although I'm not aware of being out of fellowship with anyone in particular, I apologise for those attitudes to which the Lord has drawn my attention. I have prayed constructively with the information,- about receiving His mind, His humility and the adornment of a meek and quiet spirit. As I write, it seems like a tall order :-P but I am in deadly earnest with Him and He knows that. Your prayers are appreciated and have already changed my life more than you can ever really understand. Thank you all who can claim any repsonsibility for this. Let it encourage you to obey the Spirit's prompting for whomever (next) comes to your heart. You don't know how they might be blessed if you do........... and please don't feel obliged to post in this thread. This is not the sort of confession you can pat someone on the back for :-( But, PRAISE THE LORD! :-)
