Intentionality
Do you plan out your days, create a schedule or a plan to carry out what needs to be done in your daily life? Most people have some sort of way of planning their day. When we are making decisions to do something beforehand, we are being intentional. Intention is “a determination to act in a certain way” or “what one intends to do or bring about” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary. In so many aspects of our daily life, we are being intentional whether in our workplace, schools or with people and relationships. When we are focused on doing something specific we usually experience the fruit of that intentionality.
Recently, I got to experience some fruit of intentionality with God. I have been so wanting to get specific words of knowledge for people. To hear God so clearly for someone else so they would know they were seen and cared for by Him. I hadn’t really gotten much when I was out and about with people in the past, at least nothing that was so specific like names, birthdays, secrets that no one else knew or anything like that. So I began to press into God in my time alone with Him. What did I need to do in order to hear these words for others? Be intentional.
One Saturday I was invited by a friend to a sending off party for another friend. Here was my chance to be intentional. So beforehand I grabbed a notebook and pen and began talking with God about this friend. I asked Him what He wanted to encourage and love them with. I also asked Him for specific words of knowledge so they knew it was specifically for them. I wanted them to know they weren’t receiving a word from a fortune cookie that may or may not come to pass.
As I was seeking God beforehand I wasn’t hearing or seeing anything for my friend. It was time to head to the get-together and I had nothing. I was okay with it though because at least I would be able to pray a blessing for her there if nothing else. When I arrived I chatted with some friends and ate dinner, still not hearing a single word from God regarding my friend. Then, at one point I decided to go sit next to her. All of a sudden I began to get words of knowledge. I got a couple of specific things about her that I previously had no idea about!
As I would get a word of knowledge, God would follow it up with encouragement about that particular subject. He was assuring her that this new adventure she was saying yes to was from Him. Then someone I didn’t know sat in front of me and I just knew she could sing. I asked if she could sing because that was what I was sensing from the Lord. She just smiled. I had a couple more words of knowledge for her and encouragement about her voice. At one point she began to sing out loud. It was beautiful!
It was amazing to see how touched the two of them were after the words of knowledge and encouragement. One of them even texted me saying, “God showed you my whole life!” How neat is that?! Just a few words of knowledge and she felt like her whole life was seen and known by God. So beautiful. God is so good and so faithful. All I did was choose to be intentional to know what the Father’s heart was for his children and he showed me it. So take some time today to be intentional with the Father.
Written by: Liz Livingston
Published on 7/18/2017