Breaking Through the Transition Barrier

God’s need for my presence became paramount in my daily schedule. My priorities for prayer time shifted from asking to praising, from requesting to worshiping the God who loves us. However, these noble priorities were about to be thoroughly tested. Apparently, God wanted to see how determined I was to rebuild my schedule according to his needs, his desires, his expectations, and his joy.

From 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. seemed to be the best time of my day for a private session with the Lord. Our guest bedroom became my place for meeting with God. But here’s what happened.

On the first day of my new venture I entered my prayer room, closed the door, and knelt down beside the bed. I began quietly worshiping, praising, and speaking of God’s greatness. However, it felt like the Lord moved to the other side of the universe. There was no awareness of God’s presence, no thrilling emotional sensation—nothing. My lips spoke words, but my mind wanted to wander toward everything else except the Lord. My first one-hour session with the Lord proved quite disappointing. Nevertheless, I persisted for sixty minutes. I hoped the next day’s session with the Lord would end up better than the first.

Nevertheless, dryness filled the second day’s prayer period. God’s presence didn’t pervade the room in which I knelt and certainly didn’t lift me into a higher spiritual realm. In spite of this, I refused to give up on my quest to be with God in order to let him enjoy his child.

These hour-long boring and dissatisfying times with the Lord continued several days. About a week after scheduling appointments with the Lord, I once again entered our guest bedroom, closed the door behind me and knelt. As I looked up at the ceiling, an unpremeditated declaration welled up in my heart and sprang from my lips: “God, you have me for an hour whether or not you want me.”  Instantaneously I felt God’s presence enfold me. It’s like the God who had moved to the other side of the universe suddenly wrapped me in an absolutely phenomenal sense of his presence, of his nearness! He met me that afternoon. His Spirit communed with my human spirit in a way more intense and intimate than I had ever known. Our spirits became intertwined as Heavenly Father enjoyed me and I enjoyed him. Ever since that day, the Lord has consistently met with me during the times I set aside just for being with him. I had broken through the transition barrier!

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Be greatly encouraged,

Pastor James Fields

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