Sweet Fragrance of Jesus

Thursday the 26th of March, Wayne (one of the staff at EXCEL), felt God tell him that he should play piano and sing over us as a team, that as he sang God would speak to us through him. The fancy Christian word for this is "prophesy". Wayne started playing and I could feel the Holy Spirit come flooding into the room. My heart was open and expectant. God talked to us about being a fire in this country, igniting a flame in people. Then Wayne had songs for specific people. It was so cool hearing what God was saying, speaking truth and encouragement over my friend's lives. The last person God had a song for was me... What He said was this ...

"You are a flower with a sweet smelling fragrance. You will turn heads as people smell the sweetness of Jesus on you. People will turn their heads when you walk past and want what you've got. There's something different about you. I made you this way for a reason. You will have words of life for people and it's going to make a difference, it's going to change lives..."

As Wayne heard these words from God and sang them out I started crying. I so long to show Jesus to others. I want people to see that living for themselves will only leave them empty, but choosing to live for God brings you a life of joy, fulfilment, and peace. To know and believe that my life will impact others to look to God and want Jesus makes me so excited, determined, and confident. The other thing I've been really wanting and asking God for is to have specific words of encouragement for people. To be able to offer them something that will challenge their thinking or stir their heart. To have really meaningful conversations and not just throw Christian cliches at people but to look at their life circumstances and offer real, living hope. Later in the day we had Devotions and towards the end I was standing next to one of my sisters from the tour team. I randomly asked God if there was anything He wanted to say to her through me and I heard a word. I shared it with her and the moment I did she broke down crying because she said it was exactly what she needed to hear and that she wanted so bad to hear from God. In that exchange both of our prayers were answered!

Last Sunday I got into the car to head to Church with my family and my sister said, "Mmmm you're wearing that perfume again aren't you. You always smell so pretty when you wear that." Although she was talking about a literal smell, it just reminded me and reinforced that word about carrying a sweet-smelling fragrance of Jesus. I want people to notice the Jesus in me. Not so that I can be told I'm a good Christian or an amazing person... But simply so that through me others might draw closer to having their own relationship with God deepened, or even to spark curiosity to seeking God for the first time...

In just two weeks time, EXCEL Tour 2015 will begin. Please pray for protection for our team, that we'll be guarded from the Enemy's attacks. And that we'll continue to hear God's voice clearly and keep making choices that honour and glorify Him.

Oh and Happy Easter! Christ is risen - He is risen indeed!