My husband and I live in a small town
about twenty minutes away from the second largest city in our state. Sometimes
I drive the interstate to the city for my shopping needs and as I drive along I
pray for others as the Holy Spirit conveys the needs to my heart. One day I saw
in the spirit the representation of the interstate symbolizing the ‘highway
of holiness’ as Isaiah 35:8 speaks of. The only difference was that the
road was named ‘Truth’. The exits became as side roads along life’s
journey that pull us away from the main road and our purpose in life. These
exits were named for various types of sin. People would exit and then
try to get back on the interstate as they found they had taken the wrong exit.
But what was interesting is that the people now over on the side roads were
taking every road except the one that would lead them back to wellbeing
and protection on their journey. As I prayed for the people who had taken the
wrong exits, my prayers began to take on a disapproving tone. Instead of having
them simply go back to the correct entry ramp, I lost sight of prayer and found
myself forming other opinions on how these wayward drivers should get back on
the interstate.
Then Holy Spirit spoke to my heart:
“Love does not condemn Jeanne, I Am all
Love … nothing false and opinionated lives within Me … I Am Life … you must
reach out and love with the same love I reach out and love you with and cover
these people in prayers of the same comfort as I comfort you. Share the
language of My love when you pray and not the opinion of the soul. Speak the
truth of My love from a pure heart.”
Empty silence filled the car as I drove
along, repenting for praying in such an opinionated fashion. All those
searching souls looking for answers in all the wrong places had brought
impatience to my prayer. I thought I had been praying correctly, but now I
questioned the rightness of my prayer. I had formulated my prayer based on what
I had perceived concerning their sin instead of allowing God’s compassion to
infuse my prayer without an opinion of my own over the situation. ‘Love does
not condemn…’ echoed in my heart. “A soft answer turns away wrath.”
(Proverbs 15:1) The lesson was clear. I was to allow the Spirit of Truth to
convey the transparency of my prayers and the importance of my words from, ‘…
a pure heart.’ I was not to condemn these errant ones with my opinion of
their situations and difficulties of testing. Love does not condemn, even in
prayer.
We as believers in His Truth pursue righteousness
and a godly life. May we keep in mind as we travel the highway of holiness that
along the way we will encounter many exits that could pull us away. On our
journey of the good fight of faith, we learn to recognize where the wrong exits
are. When we obey the commands of the Lord we therefore maintain the course on
the interstate of Truth. Living in the Light, we run from anything that
stimulates youthful lusts that leads us astray. Instead, we pursue righteous
living, faithfulness, love, and peace and without judgment pray for others who
will call on the Lord with pure hearts. (2 Timothy 2:22)
Father God, You deserve all the praise …
and we bow before You for You are always with us as Your banner over us is love.
Thank You for watching over us on our road of life, for it is Your holiness we
seek to find. May our journey bring us to knowing You and Your love for us more
confidentially. We live to know You more, for we do not know true love until we
know all Your loving ways … as You are all love. Teach us to love others, as
You love us and may we continue to pray with a pure heart so our love does not
condemn.
