Two weeks ago we began a short series on Preparing for the Supernatural. I know that I am not the only one who longs to see God break through the natural and bring His miraculous power to set captives free and heal the broken in body and spirit. There is so much need and so many promises but how do we prepare ourselves so that Jesus is able to use us to a greater degree to bring healing, restoration hope and his love to those who so desperately need Him?

We began talking about using our creative words to displace old beliefs and break up the ground allowing for new truth to transform our minds. We talked about speaking life and God’s solutions rather than just talking about the problem. Our mouths change our hearts. When our hearts are changed faith comes! When faith arrives so does God’s power.

This week lets take a closer look at aligning our hearts with His so that God is able to work miraculously through us.

Jesus walked continually in the realm of the miraculous and we see so often it was out of a heart of compassion.

Mark 6:34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Matthew 14:14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Mark 1:40-41 [40] A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” [41] Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”

Matthew 15:32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

Luke 7:12-14 [12] As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out — the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. [13] When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” [14] Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”

Jesus taught, fed, healed, forgave and raised the dead all out of a heart of compassion for those in need.

When I look at the works of Jesus His compassion is obvious. So is His fearlessness. He moved, he spoke he acted. He did not just empathize. When I watched the film I mentioned “Christ in You” on Netflix I was especially moved by not only the hearts of love and compassion demonstrated by men and women of faith, I was incredibly challenged by the fact that they just dove in and prayed for people. I know early prayer, leading and obedience were all factors but I also sensed that there was a marked sense of courage and a lack of fear over what others might think or being overly concerned as to weather or not God would move. I loved that Bill Johnson stated that regardless of the results of prayer at the very least people felt loved! After I watched the film I went to bed and remembered a woman I had seen in Winco the day before. She was in her eighties and not in good health. She had stopped me and asked where something was. Winco was new to me, its huge but shopping for Jessica’s family I had become rather proficient in finding things. I took her to the right isle and went on my way. After seeing the film I told the Lord I was sorry I had missed an opportunity and so wished I could have another chance to pray for her (remote at best…) . Of course you know where this is going….The next day I ran into Winco for just a few things, a 5 minute trip. Just before leaving I decided to get a special drink Jessica likes and headed to the back of the store. There was my unexpected answer to prayer coming around the corner! It was a God set up! I stopped her and asked if she remembered me. Then I asked how she was and asked if I could pray for her, right then and there. She said yes and as people went around us I laid hands on her and prayed for healing. I will probably never know what God did in her body but I know she felt loved because I told her how much the Father loved her and I took time with someone easily overlooked. Honestly I had to fight fear and just plunge ahead. I did feel compassion but I could have easily bee stopped by fear. You know something, perfect love, His love, really does cast out all fear.

This last week in one of the devotions by Steve Backlund in our negativity fast he said this: “ They (leaders) understand that going to higher levels requires swimming upstream against the flow of fear, self-doubt, past failures, peoples’ opinions and many inner lies. They overcome merely reflecting the status quo and believe they are anointed to bring positive change no matter how they feel.” He goes on to say that the enemy of our souls hopes to limit our ministry to times when we feel anointed and that our faith must be in the fact of our anointing not the feeling of it. I loved that. That particular day I was not only tired I had a horrible cold. I heard the enemy whisper “ you have got to be kidding, you’re going to pray for healing for her when you are sick yourself?” Yes! This was not about me it was all about Him and the one in front of me that He loved so much.

I realize this was not a miracle that would make headlines. However, it was a clear demonstration of the love of God, His heart for someone and an opportunity outside the natural for breakthrough. I assure you it was as much for me as for her. If we ask for His heart and then the opportunity to be used we will be setting the stage for the Supernatural. Lets ask this week for just that. His heart, His fearlessness and an opportunity for the Presence of God to manifest~