Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
One mistake I hear church people make is they decide how they want God to deliver them and they pray that God deliver them that way.
What I have found is God delivers us HIS way ... and HIS way may not be the way we think we should be delivered.
Psalm 34:4 ... I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Fear is often a big motivating factor behind prayer. We are afraid, so we turn to God, as we should do.
Recently I was frightened about my vision, my eyes. The TV picture was blurry. Then my eye doctor frightened me. I turned to God with this fear. And God called my attention to the eye doctor who prescribes lenses for my glasses. I called him and asked him if he could recommend another eye doctor from the one I go to for glaucoma. He did recommend another doctor. I went to that doctor and he told me the problem and when he explained what he saw I was no longer afraid because at some point if I need to I can have the problem taken care of by laser.
Someone might say, "Why didn't you ask God to heal your eyes?"
I just committed the fear to God and let HIM tell me the solution. I believe this was the solution in this case.
Another problem: Hail damaged the roofs in my neighborhood and people began putting on new roofs. The first thing I remember doing was to ask God what to do about my roof. I called contractor and he came and looked at roof and said it needed to be replaced. I called insurance agent and he said it needed to be replaced. My roof is two types of material: metal & foam. Both the contractor and the agent said the metal would not leak. But the metal was dented. Do I care what my roof looks like as long as it does not leak? NO. But this concept was brought to my mind by a thought which I believe was from God. Although I don't care what my roof looks like, if we put the house up for sale later, the buyer would have the roof inspected and he would care about the damage and require that the roof be fixed. This concept caused me to go ahead now and replace both the metal and the foam roof. I really continue to marvel, knowing that it was God who showed me this by HIS Spirit. (Jn. 14:26 & Jn. 16:13)
Another fear: I'm 75 years old. What if I have to go to assisted living? Should I be out there now looking for assisted living locations so later I can be ready if I need this? I talked to God about this, asking HIM what I should do. I was reminded of an earlier time in my life when someone said I would need something but things changed so I didn't need it at all. I believed God was showing me I would not need assisted living. So I didn't go out and hunt this.
All fears are taken care of when we ask God what we should do about the situation. Then we wait until we are fully persuaded God has shown us what to do. Then when we really believe God has given us the answer, we take appropriate action in line with the answer we believe to be from God. This is the basis for real faith in God.
Working of Holy Spirit in our lives:
Jn. 14:26 ... But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Jn. 16:13 ... Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Four things the Holy Spirit does:
- Teaches us all things
- Reminds us of everything Jesus says ... scriptures, dreams, thoughts ... whatever Jesus speaks
- Guides us into all truth (one step at a time)
- Shows us things to come