DON'T QUENCH THE HOLY SPIRIT -SPEAKING UP

For the past couple of years or so my main focus of study has been on prayer...I read scriptures on prayer, I read books on prayer, I listen to sermons on prayer, and I pray that I will become more effective at praying.  I do believe that praying is a spiritual gift and I believe that God is calling me deeper and deeper into a life of prayer.  I'm absolutely LOVING this!!!  During the last few weeks, something that I've notice that God is telling me not to quench the Holy Spirit.  One of my favorite scripture verses is:

Hebrews 13:2 (NIV) "2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."

     I find this super exciting, because, come on, who wouldn't want to meet and entertain an angel???  But, this verse can also be terrifying.  What is God going to ask me to do?  I really want to obey you, God, as long as you don't call me out of my "comfort zone".  We all have our "comfort" zone.  I love to encourage people; I do believe it's one of my spiritual gifts.  I'll email you, I'll text you, I'll like and comment on your Facebook  posts and pictures.  However, they're a very few people that I'll actually converse with, and even fewer that I will strike a conversation with.  I do say "hello", "how are you?",  "please" and "thank you",  etc.  I never really know how people (who don't know me) are going to react to my speaking,  plus it seams like as I age my speech is getting harder and harder to understand.

     That being sad, God had asked me twice this week to step out of my "comfort" zone and speak to people.  UGH!  The first was a lady whose husband came to our church to speak about the Gideons.  There was just something about this lady.  She was a little more mature than I am.  An inner beauty and her love for God just flowed from her .  Not only did I toughly enjoy talking with her, I also felt the urge to give her my phone number and email address.  Then on Monday, I felt the urge to approach a young couple with a couple with a new born baby.

     The Great Commission bids us to go to all the ends of the earth and tell about Jesus.  Part of telling others about Jesus, perhaps the first part, is showing His love tor them.

    I know the closer I grow in my relationship with Christ the more He will ask me to do things out of my "comfort" zone and I pray that I will not quench the Holy Spirit.