Why do you allow stones
to stand
in your way
when they can be
so easily moved?

What path on earth
can’t be cleared
by the thundering power
of God?

Don’t fall
for the illusion
of being trapped –

just ask

and allow
the Divine Broom
to sweep away
obstacles
to the freedom
you were born for –

All things truly are
possible —
they are,
you are,
and your path can become
ever more fiercely made clear.

Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Your freedom is important to your Creator.

At my toddler daughter’s favorite park, I found myself waiting, while she sat hesitantly on the top of her favorite slide, which she normally zips down without a care in the world.

“You move dose leaves, mommy.”

“Okay,” I said wanting to see her free spirited playfulness and swept a few of the fall leaves out of her way.

“Get all of them off da slide, mommy.”

After making her say please I did – even though it seemed like an over-the-top request to me. Why couldn’t she just go over them? They couldn’t possibly block the force of her gravity, but whatever! I’m happy to help.

Once they were all clear, she gleefully went down the slide like usual, without a care in the world filled with joy, light and spirit.

This sparked my contemplative heart to ponder: Aren’t we all like toddlers compared to God’s infinite vast wisdom and living, breathing Spirit all around us?

At the playground, my grownup perspective of the leaves being innocuous didn’t matter – my daughter’s childish belief about them did. She didn’t believe she could go down the slide, so she stopped herself.

Similarly in the playground of our life here on earth, Jesus perspective of our obstacles being innocuous doesn’t matter – our childish beliefs about them do. We don’t believe we can, so we stop ourselves from receiving the fullness of joy and life in the Spirit God intends for us.

What seem like legitimate obstacles to us in our humanity are like leaves on a slide to Jesus, easily moved if we only just are willing to be vulnerable and ask. Too often though, we either try to overcome obstacles ourselves and fail because we need God or accept obstacles as realities, which are set in stone and so don’t even bother to ask.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.”

Even if we have some faith in God, we have a parallel tendency to believe in what we see all around us in the physical, discounting the power of the invisible to change things in everyday life. Patterns from birth are particularly hard to confront. There are limits we’ve accepted since early childhood, the way things have always been in. We can’t even imagine that God has the power to change it in the blink of an eye and give us freedom beyond our wildest dreams, opening doors to new and exciting opportunities. But miracles are what God is all about!

Today, I encourage you to open yourself up to miracles and pray for freedom! Ask God to reveal internal or external blockages, which are stopping you from fully living out the joyful life in Spirit He has planned for you. And pray for God’s help! Invite His spirit into those areas of blockage and woundedness, and listen for guidance. Prayer heals. If you struggle to believe first pray for the gift of faith itself. It’s a great start! And go easy on yourself – this stuff is hard and takes time. But freedom is waiting for you on the other side of inner work.

What are the obstacles in your life preventing you from more fully experiencing freedom of spirit? What would happen if you just asked God to remove them? Comment below, and I’ll be delighted to keep you in my prayers or meet with you to pray through an obstacle sometime.

Lord, the deepest concerns of our hearts are like leaves on a slide to you, easily cleared by your strong and mighty hands. You have the power to move mountains and every other obstacle, which would be impossible to us in our humanity. Help us to see life like you do. Reveal to us the obstacles, which You would like to clear for us, so we can ask for your help. Help us to live fully the great plans, which you have for each and every one of us. Help us to experience the joy, life and freedom of Spirit you offer so we can truly “be like the little children” entrusting our hearts to you and enjoying the ride of a beautiful life of faith. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

written by Nicky Gant for http://www.uniteinprayer.org 11/12/2020