This morning has been busy in the Spirit. Since yesterday I have been in times of intense travail interceding and birthing until I was so exhausted that I couldn’t move.

It was a day that I spent praying for so many, that called for prayer or text and inbox and I called them to personal pray with them.

God has me on prayer assignment this week, especially for the people. So many are facing opposition and challenges right now that seem overwhelming and they are either feeling discourage or weary in the battles that are hitting their lives unexpectedly.

We are called to bear the infirmities of the weak and to be our brother keeper. Sometimes the people don’t need you to add their name to your prayer list they need you to right then when they ask for prayer to actually take time to pray for them.

Pick up the phone, they need to hear your voice, they need to hear somebody pray in the Spirit for the exact situation they are going through.

They need strength right at that time. Those who work with me sometimes ask why I answer my phone so much, it’s because I feel the burden of the people and I hear their cry.

The LORD spoke to me the other day and said, “There is no silent cry. But there are ears that can’t hear the sound of pain, because their love is not wrapped in My Spirit, because a heart filled with My love can hear the sound of a broken heart, a weary, soul, a frustrated spirit without a vocal or visual manifestation of tears.”

He said to me, “When you become too busy, or so important, that you can’t be touched by the people, then you are no longer useful in the Kingdom,” because His Kingdom is about souls.

One thing I noticed about those in ministry who, when they begin to increase, they begin to forget about the people. They are no longer available to the people.

They become too busy to deal with them at all, rather they become invisible to those whom they once considered valuable and important to them.

They become absentee leaders and are now hidden away from the people, or the people are forbidden to have any personal contact with them, because now they are too anointed to be touch or seen by those they are supposed to be leading.

Many times I have to rebuke people who try to push me into pride, saying I don’t need to be so available to the people, or I’m too anointed to sit among the people. God knows when to withdraw me from the crowd.

As I studied the four gospels, I saw were Jesus was known throughout the land, but He had the wisdom and strategy of how to remain available to the people and would often rebuke His disciples for trying to keep the people from Him at times.

I also saw how He had wisdom in how to balance how to deal with the crowd but also how to maintain His personal relationship with the Father by yet getting in His private times of prayer intercession and listening daily plus the seasons of fasting that require Him to be away for days at a time.

God teaches us how to keep our balance and priorities in perspective, so that we won’t get worn out by the demand of the people. He will give us the plans necessary to help maintain our spiritual life at the dimension that is needful for the walk He calls us to.

People often ask me, “How can you preach for weeks at a time and yet maintain energy?” I tell them, because it’s not me doing it in my flesh or own strength, but I allow the Holy Spirit to labor through me and I relax and let him flow.

I don’t say, do, or present anything that is not directed by His Spirit.

Being able to pray for the people and see God move in their lives is one of my greatest passions. I love praying, that’s why I take my time when I have an altar call and labor with the people as I pray with them for their deliverance healing salvation victory.

When I get too big for the people, then I become too big to be used by God.

Maintaining a relationship with those I have been called to is very important to me and The LORD teaches me how to stay focus and how to maintain the boundaries of respect that is necessary, so that the people will be able to continue being fed through me.

It’s nothing more heartbreaking than to have a parent that is not a part of your life and never has never been there!

Leaders, you can’t be an absentee parent and expect to have a relationship with your spiritual children!

 

~ Apostle Barbara R. Thomas

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Apostle Barbara R. Thomas is founder of I Come to Heal Ministries, A Woman’s touch Ministry, The Next Dimension Global Outreach Ministries and Spoken Word School of Ministry and is on a mission, traveling the world, proclaiming the Gospel, for souls to be won to the Kingdom of God. She has life mandate to help bring others to their divine purpose.

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