Discerning Your Own Spirit

While I was in some heated intercession recently, the Holy Spirit startled me with this gentle rebuke: “Esther, discern your own spirit.”

I had been watching and listening to some really horrific news and got all worked up about it. I should have known better but, honestly, I didn’t realize until He interrupted me that I had been petitioning God using a string of my own opinions about all the abominable things happening on Planet Earth AND, what I thought He should do about it.

(Knowing I’m not the only guilty one here – going all the way back to some of David’s Psalms – and even some of your prayers, too, if recorded – makes it a bit easier to address the issue.)

Plainly speaking, my carnal, worked-up warfare interfered with Spirit-controlled warfare. Still not “discerning my own spirit,” I made excuses for myself that I was “praying with righteous indignation.”  I even reminded Him of the teaching HE GAVE ME on “Information + Intercession = Divine Intervention.”   Of course, doing it with the right spirit, He reminded me, was its given premise, leaving the “vengeance” up to God.

Lesson: Never argue with the Holy Spirit!

It’s not easy to maintain a Holy Spirit anointing at times when the natural man wants to fight back! Yes, we do that when we must speak out but, when in intercession and spiritual warfare, it’s on His terms…

…for such (an emotionally turbulent) time as this,

Esther