Soul Patrol

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Leviticus 25, 26, 27

Leviticus 26:11-13 (NIV)

11 I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. 12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. 13 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.

Luke 1:68 (NIV)

68 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed His people.

Romans 8:25-27 (NIV)

25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Good morning!

I’ll never forget the day I sold my 1988 Mercury Cougar. It had 238,000 miles logged when I drove it onto the car lot. That V-8 engine had a hum that I’ve never heard in other cars. It was a powerful machine and it was fun to drive! I had replaced almost every major part in this car and probably could have repurchased it twice over with the money I spent to keep it running. I’ll never forget the look of sheer satisfaction on the face of the dealer after he took a little test drive. Hopping out of the vehicle, he exclaimed, “Mrs. Spaulding, that car still has pick up!” Oh, yes Lord! I’m a sentimental fool and I’m not ashamed to say that I get attached to my automobiles. For four years, I drove my baby back and forth between Saint Louis and Salem, Missouri. I averaged about 32,000 miles per year and this car became my worship center. I prayed and sang praises to the Lord in this car. I devoured Bible teaching tapes while driving to and from the city. I traveled in all kinds of weather, and there were times when I believed the autopilot of my car could have taken me back and forth without any assistance from me. I truly believe there were angels sitting next to me, on the hood of the car, and at the corner of each bumper. Of course, selling my Cougar was a painful experience. My husband says I’m the only woman who weeps on a dealership parking lot not because of the new car I’m going to buy, but because of the old car I’m giving up.

I spend a lot of time on the road, and it is time well spent. While flying down the highway in my lean, mean prayer machine, I offer intercession for my brothers and sisters on the road – especially the ones that use special hand gestures as they pass me by. I’ve witnessed plenty of road rage out there. My car could have taken their car any day, but somehow, there are a lot of people on the roadway who really have no appreciation with drivers who try to drive at the posted speed limit. Could we really be in that big of a hurry? Prayer time is an integral part of my weekly commute. I pray for the people in the towns I drive by. I pray for my family at home and at church. I pray for mercy in inclement weather, and I pray for help when I’m in imminent danger. I pray for the deer not to run out in front of my vehicle. The Lord teaches me the value of fly-by prayer. Some people like to prayer walk. I do my own thing prayer driving.

Is your car a worship center? Do you meet the Lord in your automobile every morning when you leave for work or school? I’m finding that my God lives in the most unusual spaces. His Spirit is ever present and with me as I drive down the highway of life. Driving a prayermobile is an empowering experience. I love placing myself in the Lord’s hand and giving Him full reign to do whatever He wants. My fellow commuters have no idea what is happening as they pass me by on the road. I’m praying for their souls. I’m asking the Lord of life to grab them right where they are, sitting in their vehicles, armed and dangerous with their Starbucks cup in one hand and cell phone in the other. They don’t have chance if I’m in the next lane. They’re going to have an encounter with Jesus, because I’m praying it and He is doing it. There is no way I can possibly know my neighbor’s specific need, but I know that Jesus knows and that is more than enough information for me to act on in prayer. When the Lord spoke to Moses and gave Him the law for the Israelites, the Great I Am promised He would dwell with His people – they would be His and He would be theirs. He redeemed His children at a heavy cost and loves them with a passion. It is a privilege to pray for souls. Through Jesus Christ, we have His power to bring people to Him. The next time someone flips you off on the highway of life, open your mouth and ask the Lord to touch them, heal them, love them, and bless them. We can be the soul patrol right where we live! Enjoy the ride, my friends. Why don’t you let the Lord drive for awhile?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: Jesus Christ to invade the space of your fellow commuters and the cities you pass through in your daily commute. We may not know specifically what to pray for, but if the Lord wills to be in relationship with His precious children, we can ask for it in Jesus name. And in the name of Jesus, all things are possible!

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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

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