Very often, when I pray or praise, I cry.
And my children—especially my two youngest sons—will sometimes ask me, “Mom, why do you cry when you’re not sad?”
So I try to explain to them that the joy of the Lord overwhelms me. The spirit of God produces a physical reaction. My love and passion for Him overcomes me and I weep, not because Mommy is hurting, but because I’m happy.
At 12 years old, my daughter Kyla now knows what it feels like to be held by God; to be caressed by Him; to be supernaturally touched by His power; and to be moved to tears as a result of the encounter.
I learned of her experience last night after fulfilling my ministry role during the first of a 3-night revival.
After the service was over, some individuals who God had showered with His rich anointing were sharing what an awesome encounter they'd had with the Lord. And as I was standing near the front of the sanctuary, one of my sisters—Shavette—came rushing toward me. Though God had ministered to her personally, that’s not all she was excited about.
Shavette had something to tell me about Kyla, who turns 13 Saturday.
Anyone who knows my eldest girl knows she is quiet, reserved, and pensive. She also doesn't wear her emotions on her sleeve, though she is very sweet and highly sensitive.
“Dianna, while you were up ministering and praying for people, Kyla was sitting there with her hands lifted and her eyes closed,” my older sister shared with an intense look on her face. “Then, I looked over there again and the tears were just streaming down Kyla’s face. She was worshiping God!"
My heart leaped when Shavette, who encouraged Kyla to continue to allow God to move in her, told me that.
It is among my greatest desires for my children to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8), fall in love with Him, and commit their lives to His service.
Once we returned home, Kyla and I had the opportunity to discuss her experience with the Lord. Her face beamed as she smiled broadly while clutching her pink Bible. “I understand now,” she told me while grinning from ear-to-ear.
“I cried,” she said and shared that "it felt good" but was "hard to explain."
The serenity and joy found in the presence of God is inexplicably wonderful, so I knew exactly what my pre-teen meant. I'm so thankful to God that she can enter her teenage years having experienced the richness of a God-encounter.
Whether you cry or not from God’s touch, what's most important is that you feel Him. Many of you in my Daily Cup family perfectly understand what it's like to be held by God and can testify that it's so wonderful, isn't it?
You know what it’s like for the Lord to love on you and elevate you from the pit of despair. You know how it feels for the Master to infiltrate your situation and leave the circumstances as they are, but transform you by His mighty power.
You know firsthand what it means for the joy of the Lord to be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
No matter what you’re going through, you know that if you can just get in the presence of the Lord, you’ll be alright.
To confirm this for you, I’m adding Psalm 16:11 KJV into your cup of inspiration today. It says, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
When you drink down the contents of your cup, you will be reminded that all the joy you’ll ever need is in the presence of the Lord, which leads to a path of life. You’ll look beyond the situations, problems, or personal turmoil that you may be facing right now. And you’ll get lost in the arms of a loving Father who knows just how to comfort you, soothe you, and ease your pain.
Get in His presence where joy is waiting for you.
Now let’s pray together.
Father, I thank You right now for the privilege of knowing what it’s like to be in Your presence. There is no definition of joy, peace, or beauty that my human mind can conceive to describe the awesome wonder of Your greatness. So today, I simply bow before You and ask for another opportunity to commune with Your sweet spirit, and worship at Your feet. I know that all I’ll ever need is found in You--my refuge, strong tower, strength, my all. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
