Recently I walked through a season of great intensity. Lots of work, and the work itself was emotionally intense. What I discovered was that the intense season around me had finally gotten inside of me… and I was walking intensity. I observed my impatience with others, my “shortness,” and realized the season was now shaping my heart and soul. I also noticed my prayer times were empty, not passionate and without a sense of presence and filling.
Reflecting on this, I sensed the Lord say to me, “You are intense. You are intense in everything, even prayer. You need to play before you pray!” Really!!!??? Did the God of all creation just tell me to play first?
Elijah, a prophet in the Bible, also walked through an intense season. Parallel to my season, emotions were high and he was physically exhausted. He went to hear the Lord’s voice, but before that revelation, the Lord had him eat and sleep. His human limitations were now blocking his spiritual ears and eyes.
Living life as a created person, a human, means acknowledging our humanness. Playing before praying was God’s move in me to slow down my inner RPMs. The Lord is the one who does not grow weary, I do.
At the same time, one of my teammates showed me a pic of her daughter playing. The look on her face was off the charts amazing! It was in this moment that I sensed the Lord saying to me that when I play and laugh He, like a parent, delights in my joy!
Spiritual formation goes far beyond reading and prayer. It is walking with the Lord and listening to His voice knowing that He will lead us beside still waters! Spiritual formation is having my soul full of joy even when the world around me is intense.
Rest, play and pray. Not always in that order, but those are some of the ingredients to a growing connection with Jesus Christ!
True. We often too spiritual sometimes. We think taking off time to “play” is against God’s will and agenda for our lives.