My husband Sam and I are teaching a course called How to Hear God’s Voice. The past classes have covered hearing God in our thoughts. To activate this ability, students ask the Lord a question of their choice and wait quietly for an answer. Then they write what they hear or see in response to their question.
Heather Baker, one of the students who is also a part of The Pool Ministries, asked the following question and the answer was so encouraging, I wanted to share what she received from the Lord.
Question: Lord, why is the world so broken?
Answer: Beloved child, my heart weeps for the brokenness and pain of my children. This devastation was never my plan or design, but a path that was chosen out of innocence at the beginning of time, when choice was gifted to my creation. But just because something is broken does not mean it has no value, no redemption, no healing, no restoration. What is at work here will shine brighter than all the stars in the heavens, and will be the crowning jewel of my creation. Look on in hope, for what is lost will be found, and what is broken will be made new. All of the pain, devastation, and sorrow will be redeemed and made beautiful beyond anything you can imagine
.… He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:8-9
If you have someone willing to read the word and the scripture out loud to you, please ask them to do so.
Hugs to you all. Susan
205.556.4555 (Leave a message. I will call you back. We don’t answer unscheduled calls because of robo calls. You may schedule a call or prayer session via email).
Please send your email to thepool@thepoolministries.org
I’m one of those fortunate/unfortunate people who had the privilege/horror of attending graduate school as a brand-new, spirit-filled (in the traditional sense that I experienced an encounter with the Holy Spirit subsequent to my born-again experience and emerged speaking in tongues) Christian.
Shortly thereafter I was accepted into a graduate-level program at a university. Little did I know that the campus was saturated in the “Smarter Than You” spirit. Or perhaps you know it as the dog-eat-dog spirit which can manifest in environments other than academia, but academia was the place I first recognized it.
Because I was very vocal about my beautiful God and completely lacking in wisdom, my classmates and some of my instructors made me a target to mock.
But the very thing they mocked turned into my shield because I didn’t care one bit if someone was smarter than me. I just wanted everyone—and I mean everyone—to know about my wonderful Jesus.
From this seat in heavenly places I was able to observe how desperately, and often viciously, the campus population competed for the prize of being the smartest. Now, the competition I watched was mostly confined to faculty and graduate students. The staff were viewed as peasants and, thus beneath notice, while the administrators were powerful but considered unimportant.
What did I learn? That the ones so desperately competing were deeply insecure about their value; that they were terrified of appearing stupid; that they were willing to do “whatever it takes” to hide their vulnerability even if it meant partnering with a predator spirit that devoured anyone deemed weak.
Did you know that we inherit fallen behaviors from our ancient parents Adam and Eve? This means that blame shifting comes easily to us. Another automatic fallen behavior is hiding our true selves because we believe that we are shamefully naked and unacceptable.
What that boils down to is this: All the competing and showing off, all the despising another person and thinking ourselves better, smarter, richer and prettier equals fig leaves. My fellow grad students and the faculty were competing over who wore the fanciest fig leaves. Pretty dumb, huh?
Disclaimer: Not everyone competed. Some fought against it and were very kind. But I think everyone was affected by it. Those who were basically secure often felt despised by their peers. Others felt compelled to prove their worth.
Here are some clues that you are discerning the presence of that dog-eat-dog “Smarter Than You” predator spirit.
Do you feel compelled to prove to others that you are smart? Really, really smart? Do you feel compelled to make others feel stupid? Do you feel stupid and insecure around certain people, but otherwise feel ok? Do you feel haunted by feelings of insecurity in certain environments? Have you fallen into the habit of measuring your worth against the accomplishments of others?
I don’t have a solution for this problem other than this. Bring it before the Lord.
If you are keeping yourself safe by being smart and smarter than everyone else, for goodness sake repent! And ask the Lord to heal your broken heart and to heal the people that you have hurt.
If you are simply discerning this kind of spirit and not in agreement with it, you will feel bad about yourself as if you just don’t measure up. Of course, you may have unresolved hurts in your heart, but those hurts are amplified by this kind of spirit. The problem is a predator spirit—not you.
Ask the Lord how to pray. Ask him to reveal any unresolved hurts that need his touch. And ask for the courage and wisdom to be who you really are without getting caught up in the competition over whose fig leaves are the most dazzling.
These are the only words Jesus used to described his nature (that I have found). Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29
Be gentle and humble in heart. Hugs!
Susan 205.556.4555 (Leave a message. I will call you back. We don’t answer unscheduled calls because of robo calls. You may schedule a call via email).
Thank you for your many emails. Makes me feel loved. (Most of them do lol) Keep ’em coming. thepool@thepoolministries.org
I have been struggling with chronic headaches
and achy sinuses (that hadn’t become bad enough to seek medical help but
wouldn’t go away) for a while now. Yes. I have tried the home remedies. No.
They haven’t helped. I have felt tired but restless. Guilty about not being
productive, but too heavy and fuzzy to be productive.
“So what,” I asked
the Lord, “is going on?”
His answer came
when I was sleeping: Witchcraft.
A lot has been
taught on the subject of witchcraft, some of which has dumbed it down in my opinion.
I don’t think Christians praying controlling prayers is witchcraft in its true
sense. I think that is the behavior of unbelieving believers, often
well-meaning, who struggle with doubt and fear.
I’m talking about
intentional witchcraft that involves casting spells and curses with the intent
to do harm. Witches, warlocks, Satanists and Luciferians (and only God knows
what other groups) actively view Christians as their enemies. As a prayer
minister, I have had two Satanic cult members sent to me at different times in
the guise of needy people seeking prayer ministry. When the Lord uncovered
their true motive, they abruptly stopped their sessions. Which was very sad
since both of them appeared to have been groomed from childhood to be tools in
the hands of people truly given over to evil.
My point is this:
They were sent to destroy my ministry if possible.
Spells, curses and
even bitter words are being sent against God’s people—especially the
intercessors, ministers and those deeply committed to the Lord—to discourage
them, to make it too hard to pray, too hard to continue the good fight of faith.
Evil spirits have
no authority, having been stripped by Jesus (Colossians 2:5). So one way they
attack is by attaching to the words humans speak, claiming that because a human
wants to hurt you that commissions them to carry out the human’s wishes.
But the truth is
this: That another human wants to harm you does NOT give demons a legal right
to attack you. (I question any legal right claimed by the devil since he is a
criminal himself.) We, as the children of God, are not subject to demons or to
people who partner with demons. Look at Luke 10:17-19.
The seventy
returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your
name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like
lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but
rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
Demons are subject
to us. Even if a human being orders an evil spirit to harm you, you are not
subject to that. Now, there is nothing we can do about a person choosing to use
their free will to hate, criticize, judge and curse. But we can stop the demons
from piggy backing on it. Persons who hate without demons attached are annoying
but generally harmless.
Now there are
levels of cursing, ranging from the bitter words of grumbling, disgruntle
people to systemic and ritualized cursing and spell casting. Both are handled
the same way.
(You might want to
print this out for future reference. Also, please share it with your friends).
First: Tell any and all
demons partnering with any human words spoken against you, your family, your
prayers, your ministry or anything that your life touches that they are not
allowed to attack. In other words, tell them no. Like this: “Demons. You will
not use the words of humans to hurt me or anything my life touches. In the name
of Jesus, I forbid it.”
Second: Once you have
forbidden the attacks, sever the partnership between human and demonic. Like this: “I forbid any
demon from partnering with any human to harm me or anything my life touches.”
Third: Commission your
angels to go forth and destroy all such partnerships. Like this: “Angels. I
commission you to destroy all human and demonic partnerships that have formed
in order to harm me or anything my life touches. I send you forth in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Fourth: Break assignments. Like this: “I break all
demonic assignments against me and anything my life touches in the name of
Jesus. I reassign all demons to the feet of Jesus. Angels, take them there now.”
Fifth: Send the curses to
the cross. Like this: “I send all
curses to the cross of Christ to be destroyed.”
Last: Clean up. Like this: “Lord, please
cleanse me and mine from all demonic defilement and remove any demonic devices
that have been placed on us. I ask in the mighty name of Lord Jesus.”
I think that covers
it. Demons do just as much as we allow. And sadly, we allow too much.
Oh! My headaches
are gone. My sinuses are better. And you can see that I am able to be
productive again.
Many blessings to
you! And I exhort you to be joyful! The devil hates joy 🙂
Susan
205.556.4555
(Leave a message. I
will call you back. We don’t answer unscheduled calls because of spammers. You
may schedule a call via email).
Send me your
emails. I love getting them.
thepool@thepoolministries.org
Here is a shift in perspective for you. A shift that powers down a particular attack of the evil one. First, how many of you have had distressing thoughts about time running out? How many of you have agonized over the thought that you are too old and its too late in life for you to be useful in the kingdom of God? How many of you are sad because you desperately wish that the truth you understand now is something you had understood back then (when you were younger)?You can put your hands down.
Here is what the enemy is up to. He is pressing your buttons in order to get a painful emotional response from you: disappointment, regret, anger, self-hatred, shame and so on. Why does he bother pushing your buttons? He wants to suck down the life energy that flows from your heart when you are miserable (Proverbs 4:23).This “energy”—for lack of a less New Agey word—has been measured by scientists who call themselves neurocardiologists. Neurocardiologists call this negative energy emitted by the heart when a person feels upset a discordant heart sine. Let me suggest that this energy is what the adversary is seeking to devour. Consider that he is cut off from the life of God and stripped of all power. From where does he get life and power?
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
These same neurocardiologists call the harmonious heart beat that results when a person is at peace or grateful or in awe of something amazing and beautiful a coherent heart sine.
I have set the Lord continually before me … Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices. Psalm 16:8-9
Let me suggest that the evil one is NOT able to prey upon the positive energy produced by a heart at peace. What does this have to do with the painful belief that the time you have left on earth is too little and too late? Let me answer that question.
Such thoughts about the meaning and purpose of your life being over are not God’s thoughts. They are a ruse by the devil to produce in you the distressing emotions that result in negative energy.
This prophecy came forth in Little Church a few meetings back. The one prophesying saw an old car on the side of the road and buried in weeds. From the look of things, this car was never going to be useful again, but then the motor roared to life (after a few cranks of the key) and a tow truck with a huge hook arrived and pulled that old car back onto the road. Here is the gist of the words prophesized:
You thought it was over. That you have been sidelined because you are old and useless, but that is not true. This car may be an Old-s-mobile, that was abandoned on the side of the road, but now it is a priceless antique, a showpiece, restored and ready to go.Don’t be fooled by that roaring lion. God knew from the beginning the course of your life. If you have a day left on this earth, rejoice and follow the Lord. If you have 60 years left, rejoice and follow the Lord. Don’t let time sit on the throne of your life.
Let’s pray: Father, God, Creator of heaven and earth and time. Forgive me for listening to the lies of the devil. He tricked me into focusing on time instead of You. Whatever time on earth I have left Lord, doesn’t matter. Help me follow You. In the beautiful and majestic name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray.
So, here is the question. Can I love God and be really mad at Him too? Is it even safe to voice that question out loud where other Christians can hear me? Since it probably isn’t safe to voice that question, let me qualify it by explaining the kind of rage I am talking about. I am NOT talking about the rage of an infant left squalling in a crib for too long. If you are an infant, you should feel rage when your needs are not met in a loving and appropriate way. Screaming your lungs out because your needs are being ignored is age-appropriate behavior when you are little.
It is not age-appropriate behavior when you are 40. At some point in your adult life, God expects you to get out of the crib and use that free will of yours to make some maturity choices. It is good for you. Immature anger misdirected toward God is not good for you and is not what I am writing about.
I am writing about believers who find themselves in a desperate situation. Those of us with a sick child; those who are desperately lonely; those who can’t conceive or carry a pregnancy to term; those with a crazy spouse or chronic illness. I am writing about believers who have worked hard to mature; who have stood in faith; who are willing to do whatever God asks them to do, because they LOVE Him.
Feeling like you have gotten a raw deal—one that God could resolve easily if He would just do so—isn’t a comfortable place to be. If you are like me, connecting and reflecting upon those strong emotions feels very unsafe. Especially if you have distanced yourself from the ugly, angry you. Especially if you believe that the ugly, angry you isn’t acceptable to God; that the ugly, angry you is the reason God isn’t answering your prayers and, thus, must go far, far away.
I had a weird dream recently. I’m pretty good at interpreting other people’s dreams but terrible at understanding my own. And the icing on that cake is this: none of my friends and family are able to interpret my dreams either. If I get an interpretation, it is from God or I get nothing. Not sure I want to examine the why on that, but there it is.
So, I had one of my let’s-baffle-everyone dreams. Let me give you some context. Sam and I used to own a children’s entertainment business. As part of that business, we offered high-quality princess and super-hero characters for parties and events. I was completely obsessed with providing the most amazing characters and experience possible.
Here’s the dream. Sam was in the background putting tremendous pressure on me to costume myself as Beauty from Beauty and the Beast in order to entertain at a children’s party. Setting aside the fact that I am in my 60s, even on my best days I do not look anything like a Disney princess. But I felt compelled to comply with his demands, even though I knew I would be a disappointment no matter how I tried to convince myself that I could fool the kids. But I HAD to perform. On top of that, I was late and the arts and crafts were not ready.
Typing that out makes me realize that a dream could not be more obvious; nonetheless, it was days before the Lord explained the dream. Hidden within my heart was the belief that He required me to be the perfect princess in every way before He would heal my son. Since I believed that, I had sent away the “not princess” part of me, the angry and frustrated me, the mad-at-God me that I thought had to go because “she” didn’t have faith.
Let me be clear that nothing I do will ever make me into princess material. (Here is where everyone reading this agrees with me lol). All my efforts to hide my anger and frustration from God; all my efforts to become the perfect believer did not trick God into answering my desperate prayer. As a matter of fact, my crazy just got in His way.
Are you twisting yourself into a perfect YOU in order to get your prayers answered? Might as well stop, dear one. It doesn’t work and isn’t required by God. Here is why it doesn’t work as I understand it.
You and I will never become perfect enough to deserve God’s blessings. We will never be a good-enough Christian. It just isn’t possible and that is OK, because our savior Jesus is perfect and we are in Him (Colossians 3:3). AND (take a deep breath) God’s blessings are not earned.
Look at these scriptures:
Freely you received, freely give. Matthew 10:8
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:32
we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God … 1 Corinthians 2:12
Don’t be like me! God’s blessings are free! Stop trying to earn them by putting aside your honestly confused and frustrated self. Instead, I want you to embrace that part of you. If anyone needs love and acceptance, it’s the ugly you.
Oh! One more scene from the dream. I kept looking into the mirror, thinking I don’t look like a princess, but at the same time I looked better than I expected. Maybe the ugly me is really the hurt and scared me? Maybe I just need a hug.
So, don’t bother twisting yourself into a prince or princess. It DOESN’T work and actually gets in the way of God’s blessings. Why? Because bribing God with good behavior is actually manipulation. I think the Lord wants to answer our prayers, especially our most desperate ones, but if He responds to our manipulation (no matter how unconscious), we will come away believing that our manipulation got our prayers answered. We would probably teach other people how to manipulate God into answering their prayers.
(I am NOT saying be bad! I’m saying be real, be honest and let that grow into an intimate relationship with God. Godly behavior will flow from that).
So, let me answer my question: Yes. I think you can love God and be really mad at Him. I think it is OK, because the truth sets you free. So hug tight the ugly you that is angry and have an honest talk with God. I have done it and it makes things better.
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. John 8:32
Hugs and blessings, Susan 205.556.4555 (Leave a message. I will call you back. We don’t answer unscheduled calls because of spammers). Send me your emails thepool@thepoolministries.org I love getting them. If this ministry has blessed you, please consider visiting the website to donate. http://www.thepoolministries.org
Two dear friends of mine recently underwent surgery: one had a knee replaced and the other a shoulder. Before their procedures, I called them, and by phone, engaged with their human spirits for the purpose of securing the best possible outcome for their surgeries. I am happy to report that from pre-op to post-op and through recovery everything has gone splendidly, so much so that the shoulder replacement doc cried when my friend reported on how well she was doing. (Which is kinda weird, but I guess he doesn’t get much positive feedback at that point in the recovery process).
Last night another friend asked me to give this information to you because she has also used it with good results. So here it goes. I learned this powerful strategy for improving surgical outcomes from Arthur Burk. I have modified what he teaches to suit my style. You can find his teaching at https://theslg.com/content/your-spirit-surgery-video.
Instructions taken from Arthur Burk and modified by me. If you are the one facing surgery have someone else instruct your spirit for you. If that is not an option, do it yourself. Don’t let any perceived shortfalls hold you back from moving into your dominion and authority as a child of God. Ideally, start instructing the spirit three days before the surgery. I wasn’t able to do that for my friend whose knee was replaced, so I combined step one and two.He did fine anyway. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Here we go =)
Day 1: Secure a Clean, Safe Place. (Name of person), I call your spirit forward to engage with me. Spirit, I bless you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of the one true God. He has packed you full of everything you need for life and godliness. The Lord knew before you were placed in the womb that you would face the challenge of this surgery, and He put within you everything you need to bring about His will and His healing in this situation. So, I release you to do just that. (Psalm 139:13; Genesis 1:26-27; Zechariah 12:1; 2 Peter 1:3; Jeremiah 1:5).
Spirit, you are a joint-heir with Christ. This means that you have authority in every area of the hospital that you go. I want you to command any evil spirits and any other hostile or interfering spirits to wait outside of the hospital. Tell them that they are not allowed to be in any place you occupy during pre-op, surgery and post-op. Command them to do no harm while they wait. Only humans and those the Lord has appointed to help you are allowed to function. As a joint-heir with Christ, you also have authority over the angels. So, command them to actively guard you. (Romans 8:17; Hebrews 1:13-14; Luke 9:1; Mark 16:17-18).
Day 2: The Spirit Has Oversight. (Name of person), I call your spirit forward to engage with me. Spirit, you are not subject to anesthesia. The soul and the body will go offline, because the soul is dependent upon the body to function, but the spirit exists with or without the body and will remain online. You have dominion and authority and the ability to monitor everything. You will do so, and you will intervene in the event there are any issues with the procedure, the surgeons and any caregivers. You will direct things so that your person receives the best of care. You will not settle for anything less.
If you have to, you will shout at the caregivers until they hear and heed you. (Proverbs 20:27).
Day 3: The Spirit Can Direct Recovery. (Name of person), I call your spirit forward to engage with me. The body is naturally traumatized during the surgical procedure. It will want to recoil from the surgery site. You will not allow this. You will command your body to vigorously accelerate repair of all blood vessels at the surgery site, especially the capillaries. This is so that all waste products may be quickly removed.
Spirit, command your body to rapidly repair the nerves so that there is a minimum of pain. Command all involved tissue to be restored. And cleanse the body of all anesthesia as soon as is safe.
Psalm 139:16 states that every day is ordained by God. So, he knew that this day would come and has packed into you—spirit—everything you need to walk joyously and successfully though this challenge.
Now go ask Holy Spirit to unpack all the information and skills you need to accomplish what I have charged you to accomplish. In the name of our healing Lord Jesus, I bless you and release you into your dominion and authority.
Have fun! And please let me know how things turn out for you after applying this spiritual pre-op approach to surgery.
Hugs and blessings, Susan205.556.4555 (Leave a message. We don’t answer unscheduled calls because of spammers).Send me your emails. I love getting them.Visit the website to donate. http://www.thepoolministries.org
So, I have avoided submitting to the dreaded colonoscopy well beyond the recommended age that the screening is supposed to take place. For my international readers, all Americans are encouraged to be screened for colon cancer when they are 50. My husband went under the gun; I mean invited this home invasion; I mean was screened against his will and at the insistence of his doctor some years back. I am happy to report that he survived the procedure and entertained his caregivers with an overflow of hilariously unrestrained friendliness while recovering from the anesthesia.
On the other hand, I have strenuously resisted all attempts to convince me that such a screen was in my best interest. Have you noticed that telling God no is a surefire way to activate his “Oh yes you will?” Back in the day—waaay back, I am happy to report—I told God that I would never quit smoking pot; that he was wasting his time even going there.
Pot smoking was the first of my heathen bad habits to go away. It went so far away that even the thought of being in the same room with pot gives me the willies. Email me if you want the details.
Yes! God can change a mind. After telling the Lord “no thank you” to a colonoscopy; that I would take my chances with colon cancer, every single commercial on TV was about screening for colon cancer. Every Single One. Friends began sharing colon cancer stories. Colon cancer stories popped up on my FB news feed. One friend, whose mother had just been diagnosed via a colonoscopy, asked why on earth was I not getting a screening? To which I had to respond that I was scared out of my wits! I asked for prayer.
Here is what the Lord showed me. My heart believed beyond a doubt that Everyone Wants to Hurt Me. Are you aware that your heart is designed to believe absolutely without question? Once your heart settles into a belief, it is there for good unless some intervention takes place.
Blessed be the name of our God, I know how to intervene. I broke all vows to Never Forget that Everyone Wants to Hurt Me. I sent all attached evil spirits to the feet of Jesus to be judged there. And I firmly instructed my heart to stop believing what it believed. Instead, I directed it to believe this: All bad things happen because of the fall, not because everyone wants to hurt me. I then directed my heart to believe that No One Wants to Hurt Me (realizing the devil does but so what to him). A few days later, I made a doctor’s appointment and will be scheduling my lovely home invasion screen soon.
I feel no fear AT ALL.
I don’t think all of us have my heart belief, but I think many of us do. So, let’s pray together and break it.
-In Jesus’ name, I break the inner vow I took to Never Forget that Everyone Wants to Hurt Me. I break the assignments of any evil spirit attached to that vow. I send all evil spirits to the feet of Jesus to be judged.
-Heart, from now on you will stop believing that everyone wants to hurt me. Instead you will root and ground me in the grace and love of God.
-Lord, God, please heal all the hurts that have resulted because I believed in my heart that everyone wants to hurt me. Amen.
The above prayer may surface some hurts that need addressing in the presence of the Lord. I pray for you that you will be saturated in his love as you work through painful heart beliefs.
… it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace … Hebrews 13:9
I may—or may not—report on how the colonoscopy goes 🙂
Hugs and blessings, Susan 205.556.4555 (Leave a message. We don’t answer unscheduled calls because of spammers).
