I sat behind a prayer warrior Sunday during one of my church’s worship gatherings. When she and her husband asked if the seats were taken, I said I’d been saving them for spirit-filled people who would magnify God’s presence during worship. They laughed. I was only half joking. I had not saved the seats, but knew they would fill them with the tangible presence of God, who abides in them with power and authority.
I call the woman who sat in front of me a prayer warrior for good reason. She takes prayer seriously and engages in it frequently. When she does, the Holy Spirit often puts a picture in her mind. It happened Sunday when she offered to pray for me.
She saw the journey I’m on like a chalk mark drawn as a straight line by the hand of God. Suddenly the Lord scratched the line with scribbling, and then resumed drawing the line in another direction.
With my head bowed and eyes closed, I silently offered a prayer of surrender. I told God that He alone directs my path. I promised to trust Him even when He changes the course of my life and redirects my steps. I tried to stay focused and yielded, but my mind began to wander…
Would I soon encounter a disappointing roadblock? How severely would the scribbled mess of my plans disrupt my life? Should I give up on my intended destination altogether?
In that moment of escalating confusion, my praying friend closed our time by quoting the Scripture I chose for today’s memory verse. The reminder instantly settled my heart.
When my well-planned journey turns into a crooked path, I can hold tightly to the truth in Proverbs 16:9.