Layers of an Onion!

As an Unbound Prayer Minister, I often hear the same comments and observations again and again. For example:

* “I had all that ‘Father stuff’' prayed into twenty years ago...”

It’s the sort of comment Unbound Prayer Ministers sometimes receive from believers who can’t understand why they still don’t experience real intimacy with their Creator. They yearn to hear His voice more clearly and feel His presence more tangibly, but despite their faithful practice of spiritual disciplines such as prayer, worship and scripture it just doesn’t seem to happen.

* “I know He loves me ‘in my head’ but I don’t feel it with my heart...”

And so the faithful servant soldiers on with their Christian life and puts up with a less-than-personal experience of The Living God; their Father and would-be Friend.

Perhaps the answer to these comments and observations is that sometimes we can fail to appreciate the truth that Deliverance is a lifestyle, not a quick-fix event!

Our healing and deliverance starts with a supreme and wonderful encounter: Being ‘born again' as we surrender to the Lordship of Christ. This is our ‘exodus’ from darkness to light, from spiritual death to new life in the Kingdom of God (Jn. 3:3-8). And then our journey into freedom should continue as we appropriate, by faith, the victory that Jesus won for us on the cross; progressively conquering our ‘inner-land’ as we win it back from the enemy … step by contested-step (Ex. 23:30).

It’s a bit like working through the layers of an onion; a journey of tears, testing and triumph as Holy Spirit leads us into deeper God-encounters that enable us to know and really experience the incredible goodness and kindness of Jesus.

So how many layers of your ‘onion’ has God yet to peel?

As we have discovered both through ministering to others and by receiving ministry ourselves, we are ALL a work in progress! Maybe receiving a little more ministry yourself will help you push through to a fresh, exciting and personal revelation of the goodness of your loving Father... as Holy Spirit unfolds the next chapter of His plan for your life.

It may be helpful to embrace the deep and inspiring truths found in that famous hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ as you seek God afresh for the next stage of your own sanctification and transformation into the likeness of Christ:

Amazing grace How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now I'm found Was blind, but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed

My chains are gone I've been set free My God, my Saviour has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy rains Unending love, oh, Amazing grace

The Earth shall soon dissolve like snow The sun forbear to shine But God, Who called me here below Will be forever mine

The Lord has promised good to me His word my hope secures He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures

My chains are gone I've been set free My God, my Saviour has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy rains Unending love, oh, Amazing grace

John Newton (1725–1807)

Andy Smith is Co-Leader of 'The Lighthouse' ministry team in Harpenden, Herts. He and his wife, Hazel support the pastoral function of local churches with transformation ministry and related training.