From the Home Place

August 25, 2025

For the past forty years, my early Sunday morning routine has been consistently the same, yesterday was no exception. I got up at 3:30 a.m. and sat before the Lord. All last week I had worked on the message I was to preach, so I just needed to read the passage again, pray on it and ask the Holy Spirit for His direction.

First lesson – don’t ever ask the Holy Spirit to do something that you are not willing to follow through on with Him. As I prayed, I knew the Holy Spirit was challenging me to change the entire message. Usually on Sunday morning He directs me to change some element of the message: an illustration or a point of emphasis, but the entire message? Yes, that has happened a few times over the years, and today was going to add to that list.

So I quickly changed my entire thought pattern about what I was to preach on. New passage, new topic, new illustrations, new direction. Why do all of that on such a short notice, because I had asked the Holy Spirit for His direction, that’s why.

Once again, I was reminded that if you ask of God, get ready for His answer. It seems that too often we can get into the habit of asking God to do whatever He wants in our lives, but all of the time I have already decided what His answer will be – that which I want to do.

We have many biblical examples of people “inquiring of the Lord.” I immediately think of Joshua asking the Lord if he should fight this enemy or that enemy, or should he just keep his army in the camp. For Joshua had learned a painful lesson early in his service to the King, always ask God first! (Read Joshua 7)

The same should be true of us. Too often we make our plans for the day and head out the door at a high run to get our list completed, but did we first inquire of the Lord? You see, if we consider ourselves to be servants of the King, doesn’t it make sense that we should ask what He wants us to do each day?

We usually ask Him for his blessing upon our day’s activities. We ask Him to protect us during our busy schedule. We ask Him to clear the path so we can accomplish our plans. But how often do we start our day with the simple question, “Lord, what do you want us to do today?”

Well, yesterday I asked that question. The Holy Spirit answered. I obeyed. And yesterday, before it was time for me to preach the “new” message, I knew why the Holy Spirit had changed everything. A prayer request was tearfully shared about that exac.t topic!

Today, ask the King what He wants to accomplish within or through you. Ask for His guidance and strength as you faithfully obey His direction. But don’t ask unless you want His answer. Yes, you can go ahead and do what you have planned, in the way you have it planned, but don’t be shocked when things don’t go according to your plan.

However, if you ask for His direction, change could be a coming!

Following His lead with you, Neal