Don’t Miss Your Day of Visitation

Ever feel like God isn’t showing up like you think He should in your life or your family’s life?

Do you feel like God isn’t hearing you? Or He’s not doing something quick enough?

Do you ever want to scream “God, where are you?”

Sometimes we think God needs our advice on how He should orchestrate the events of our lives. We think He needs a little help from us in how He should intervene in our family and answer our prayers. We forget God has a bigger picture in mind.

That’s what happened to the Israelites many years ago when Jesus was riding on a donkey into Jerusalem during the time of the Passover Feast. They were shouting “Hosannah! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:9-10 NKJV) Hosannah is Hebrew for “save us”. They were looking for a savior to come and take over the Roman regime and establish Himself as their earthly king. They were looking for a temporary solution to their problems. They didn’t see the bigger picture.

Jesus was riding in on a donkey to proclaim to them and to all people the good news that He was about to save them. But He was offering them salvation from sin and death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NKJV) He was about to give up His life at Calvary in order to give them salvation, true freedom, eternal life, and lasting peace. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)

However, they didn’t recognize Him as the Savior of the world in this way.

And as a result, He went on to tell them their enemies would destroy them “all because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand (from observation and experience) the time of your visitation (that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ)”. (Luke 19:44 AMP) Read Luke 19:28-44

They missed the bigger picture, the saving of their souls and freedom on the inside- the freedom that would last for all eternity, not just a temporary solution.

Sometimes we are just like the people in Jesus’ day. We want God to answer our prayers here and now and in a way that might be a temporary fix or solution. But, often, God has a much bigger picture in mind. He’s looking to change some hearts not just situations.

Because we want to pray for ourselves, our families, and others in ways that are effective, it would be wise for us to ask God to give us spiritual eyes to see what He is doing. We want to pray in alignment with what God is doing and how He sees things. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV says “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

The Apostle Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus this very thing: that God would give them spiritual eyes to see what He was doing, what His bigger picture was. “Because of this, since I first heard about your strong faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and your tender love toward all his devoted ones, my heart is always full and overflowing with thanks to God for you as I constantly remember you in my prayers. I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation to know him through your deepening intimacy with him. I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling-that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones!” Ephesians 1:15-18 TPT The NKJV says it this way in verse 18 “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling…”

In our prayers for ourselves and our family members, as in every aspect of our lives, we want to be led by the Spirit. Romans 8:14 AMP says “For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” That word sons actually means mature ones.

May I encourage you, my friend, to listen for God’s instruction, His strategy, and His Word to you concerning those you are praying for including yourself?

Don’t look at the natural circumstances and necessarily focus your prayers on the temporal, quick solutions.  I understand sometimes this is necessary for situations that are in crisis.

But, for the most part, God has something bigger in mind concerning our loved ones, our family members.  He wants to bring about heart transformation in us, in them, and perhaps even in other members of your family.

• • • Therefore, sit with the Lord, and ask Him what He is doing.
    • Ask Him to show you the bigger picture.
    • Pray according to what He shows You.
    • Ask Him for Scriptures to pray that would align with what He wants to do.
    • Don’t pray about the problem. Pray for the solution. Put God’s Word on your problems.
    • Let your heart cry be “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10 NKJV)

He promises you that your prayers are powerful and effective and avail much when you pray in alignment with His will and His heart. (James 5:16 NKJV)

May the Lord bless you, my precious friends, with a sensitivity to hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to you concerning your trials, your situations in your life, and in the lives of your family members.

How can I come into agreement with you in prayer for your family?