We were a bunch of leaders, praying together over the summer. We were seeking God for ourselves, recognising that God’s word to the church about a fresh touch from Him, started with us coming before Him ourselves. I was listening to others, hearing their heart cry and admiring their vulnerability. I was pondering what a fresh touch from the King meant for me…
I was open yet didn’t feel anything specific. ‘What do you want to do in me Lord?’ I enquired.
A few days passed and I was quick to react to a couple of things at home.
Phil (my husband) and I went to see some friends and they asked ‘what do you think God is showing you, that you could do differently?’ They faithfully pressed the question and we left talking and praying together as we walked up the road. I knew that I was a fast processor, but that there was both a strength and a weakness in that. Able to respond quickly, change direction if necessary, but also that I could sometimes react quickly and wrongly, unintentionally hurting others along the way. It seemed that God was gently putting His finger on this, with a lingering invitation to turn to Him and allow Him to change me.
The process hasn’t been quick, and I’m still in it. But it has been definite. I’ve felt a heightened sense of discomfort if I’ve reacted wrongly and been able to put it right. More recently I’ve felt as if I’ve had more space to consider, along with a sense of restraint before making a response, and this has changed the way I’ve spoken, making it gentler.
There’s also been some surprising things: feeling far less pressured when leading for example – able to relax, leave space and wait for God to do His thing, instead of feeling anxious. Or in the workplace being able to see where others are coming from more clearly and seek God for His word to navigate through.
A fresh touch from the King can sometimes be an instant, joyous feeling. Sometimes it looks like laughter or tears. But this time, for me, it looks like surrendering a habitual way of reacting to situations and working through the process of change with Him. I’m still in that process, but I can confidently say ‘just one touch from the King changes everything’.
