Reading Luke 1 today. I am amazed by the power of agreeing with what God says. And the power of disagreeing with it.
Zechariah doubted what the angel said to him about the son God was going to give him. So God shut his mouth for the next nine months and didn't let him speak. And he didn't speak when the child was born either, not until 8 days later when he officially agreed with God and named him John. And then he immediately prophesied and praised God for his own son and Christ who was coming.
Elizabeth agreed with God and praised him for answering her prayers and giving her a son. Then when Mary came into the room (carrying Jesus who couldn't have been more than a few days past conception at that point) and the baby lept in Elizabeth's womb... she agreed with God! She was filled also with the Holy Spirit and immediately gave a glad cry and exclamation and praise and prophesied about Jesus.
Mary agreed with the impossible sounding word of God for her life. And Elisabeth told her what's true for all of us, if we will agree with what God says about us, Luke 1:45:
"YOU ARE BLESSED BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED THAT THE LORD WOULD DO WHAT HE SAID."
The other thing I learned this time reading is from 1:41-46 and 67
1:41 "At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit."
This is the traditional and expected response :) When the Holy Spirit recognizes Jesus nearby, he often causes various outbursts of joy, leaping, praising and prophecy, and its often contagious to anyone nearby willing to agree with him and join in the praise.
So my prayer today is: "Abba Pai, when I feel that little leaping inside. Help me to agree with you in joy. I want to pay attention and lean into what your Spirit is saying in my heart. I want to recognize you when you come in the room in a new way and praise you for it. And I want to feel your heart more and prophecy over my circumstances and proclaim whatever you are saying.... So yes to the leaping! Haha. Thank you for declaring words of life and destiny and identity over me from every heartbeat in the womb. From every swoosh of circulation in the placenta, you have been my source. Tune my spirit in to the swoosh. To your declarations over my life. I want to agree with you more and more."
