Heartbeat of Intercession

By Velma Goostree

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 7, 2009
• ISBN: 9781465324429

Velma Goostree

Velma Iola (Bodie) Goostree, born January 22, 1953 in Brandenburg Kentucky, where I spent most of my life until marrying Roger Dale Goostree from Mitchelville Tennessee. I have always loved to write and have finally tried to achieve becoming a published author.

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Copyright © 2009 by Velma Goostree.

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Contents

Chapter 1

Acquiring the Fire

Chapter 2

Strange Stirrings

Chapter 3

Heart Transformation

Chapter 4

Path To Separation

Chapter 5

Reproach For Choices Made

Chapter 6

Triumph In Tragedy

Chapter 7

Priceless Possession

Chapter 8

Restful Assurance

Chapter 9

New Beginnings

Chapter 10

Effectual, Fervent, And Focused

Chapter 11

Reflecting His Goodness

Dedication

I owe much thanks to my husband Roger who always encouraged me to put thoughts on paper. Finally I listened. Also thanks to my Mom who told me I could do anything if I wanted too bad enough. Thanks to my family who thought I was crazy to think I could write a book but allowed me the time and space needed to complete the task. Most of all thanks to my sweet Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who helped me realize I could do this. With his help and encouragement and in his obedience I have put pen to paper. The outcome? Heartbeat of Intercession!

Chapter 1

Acquiring the Fire

Zoe never really understood how one such as she was chosen to follow the dictates of the Father of glory. She never really felt she was special in any way. She wasn’t overly intelligent in any way, not really considered beautiful and didn’t really have a charismatic personality. In fact she had hidden away through most of her youth, too shy to join in with her peers and make herself welcome in any of their extra activities. Oh they tolerated her well enough and didn’t mind her presence, yet they didn’t seek her out and invitations didn’t pour in requesting her attendance at any of their parties and such. Although the spirit of intimidation she had felt smother her dreams and visions in the early years had long been broken; at times it rose and tried to destroy her intimacy with others and Jesus as well.

She had often applied the thoughts and feelings of her youth to her relationship with Jesus, even while knowing he was not anything like the image her damaged understanding had formed in her mind. He was so much more than could ever be imagined or understood with frail human limitations. She knew this very well but still at times her humanity invaded her spiritual life and caused quite a conflict. She knew the Bible said the weapons of her warfare were not carnal or fleshly or human but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Boy! Did she ever have strongholds that needed pulling down. She had never been in such a struggle and warfare before. It was most overwhelming at times. It seemed most days and nights of the week there was a constant battle against demonic forces trying to intimidate and break her will in order to cause her to sin against the very spirit of the living God who had given her his life. In fact there were times of late she had to request of the father God to just allow her a respite from the battle to give her body a rest and the attention it needed in order to receive strength she would need for the next conflict.

Thank God there were several others who had joined the prayer team and could be relied upon to undergird and hold up the hands of the weak until they could become strong again. If children of God only understood how very much each one needed and depended upon others in the army of God for encouragement and strength. No wonder Jesus in his word spoke so often of unity and love between believers. The small core group of believers had been brought through many trials, temptations and battles to bring them to this point of surrender and submission to the will and heart of almighty God. The trials weren’t pleasurable at the time but looking back each test had brought another deeper revelation of Jesus and added another piece to the puzzle in the prophetic scope and active warfare they were engaged in. Each believer brought their vision and revelation before the prayer team and piece was added to piece until the whole complete picture formed and it could then be decided what action, if any, other than prayer, the Lord would have them activate.

It was good the way the Lord Jesus worked this strategy. No one individual could claim glory for what the group as a whole accomplished. Each knew that anything done was only through the inner working of the Holy Ghost and so honor was given where honor was due. At times the enemy tried to disrupt their unity, someone would yield to the wrong spirit or way of thinking but they had reached a point in relationship where each could speak openly to bring about the repentance and cleansing needed to restore the right unity and fellowship. They had read in the Bible that if you came to the altar to seek the Lord and had something against someone you needed to leave the altar, make things right and then come back to the altar to seek the Lord. She was thankful of the times she had been the one the brothers and sisters had to speak to about wrong attitudes or way of thinking and they had stirred her to repent and turn to him to actively seek a right relationship with others and develop further in her walk with the Lord.

One thing was sure the Lord did not exalt or uplift humanity. He strove to uplift those who were so surrendered to him and his ways that when mighty works were done, he and he alone, was exalted and praised. It was so easy to become self absorbed and complacent if a person did not diligently seek the Lord daily. Daily relationship with him prevented one from being sidetracked and falling into error. Communication with him wasn’t just a privilege—it was necessary. The heart could only be cleansed and kept pure and undefiled as one allowed themselves freedom to be filled with the Holy Spirit. If a heart overflowed with all Jesus is then the life itself overflows with his goodness. The Lord had given her a vision of each prayer warrior as they were molded and fitted to his plan, fashioned into his image. He revealed it wasn’t an easy process or a journey without pain. She could see huge waves crashing against a rock cliff. As the water pounded against the rocks a cleft was carved in the rocks. She could see as the cleft filled with water, spilled over and created other clefts around. As she watched the first cleft was filled with a blue glow; which remained ever present during the whole process of change. The Lord showed her the water was the anointing of the Holy Ghost that worked in each individual to form a place in the heart where the Lord Jesus Christ could dwell. As the individual allowed the Spirit to gain access to the heart and surrendered to the ministrations of the Spirit as he pressed them for change, more and more of their lives were opened for his infilling. At times during the process one would feel as though they had been abandoned but the blue flame of his presence and glory revealed he had never left them alone but had watched over every moment of the process of change. Only when he was allowed free access to every part of life could one really be used to affect the lives of others around them. Once this understanding was shared with the group it became easier to bend to the working of his will in their lives. Knowing the purpose given to everything they went through made the going through much more tolerant.

Jesus had also revealed to her the strategic and difficult season of spiritual warfare his body was entering into. A great cloud of deception had been released from hell and enveloped the praying saints of God. Only by knowing him with no shadow of doubt could he guide them through and the elect could be sure of remaining stable and constant in this unstable hour. It was a time when every person with whom believers came into contact had to be examined by his every word. Precarious indeed was the hour, yet he knew the way and could guide those submitted to his authority and keep them from falling prey to the enemy’s attack on their souls. She knew the Bible spoke of the satan roaring as a lion seeking those he could devour but also lead those who believed in such a way they could not be devoured because of his influence in their lives. They were constantly surrounded by the presence of the eternal Lord of Glory. It would become more and more crucial for believers to stay in intimate communion and fellowship with him for satan sought to deceive even the very elect. If it were possible he would destroy their lives. In Jesus’ word he wrote the verse that believers should assemble together even more as they saw the day approaching. Why did saints find it so hard to draw together in fellowship and communion in his lovely presence? The devil himself worked through each unsurrendered believer and their fleshly nature to destroy that very intimacy and communion with Jesus. He knows that such a divine relationship ensures the strength needed to win the battle against all his attacks. In a full life with Jesus the power and anointing of his spirit keeps faith strong even in the most desperate circumstances.

It is necessary for each newborn child of God to mature and learn to differentiate between workings of the spirit of God and the workings of their own flesh. Paul in biblical scripture declared that he himself had to die to his flesh daily in order to live the abundant life freely offered to every Christian. What did he mean, die daily? It meant he made a conscious decision to live that day totally surrendered to the Holy Spirit’s leading and to obey the Lord’s every desire. In order to be fully surrendered to the Lord’s desire he had to be completely dead to his own. His agendas and plans had to change to encompass the Lord’s. To learn submission and obedience in total surrender was the ultimate warfare. The flesh constantly struggles to gain control and engages warfare against the Spirit of the Lord. Many times it is not satan that destroys and interrupts the life of the believer. The problem lies in the depth of their surrender to the Lord. If there is no depth the seed of God in the life cannot take root and grow to maturity. Therefore because it does not properly grow it cannot produce and the flesh gains power and rules. If brokenness of heart and spirit has been allowed, the fallow ground of the heart becomes yielded to the plowman of the spirit and he plants the seed of God which overcomes the fleshly desires and God rules.

Looking back over the last few years of her spiritual journey of her life, Zoe understood the wooing and moving of the spirit of God drawing her nearer and closer in relationship to him. At the times she had been most overwhelmed and desperate in her desire to know him he had been right there and in fact had orchestrated the whole thing. There were times she felt he was nowhere around because she gauged his presence by her own feelings or emotions. Emotions were good in their place but she couldn’t depend on emotions alone as the gauge of his presence in her life. She now sat with pen in hand to put on paper a journal of her walk with the Lord and unveil the mystery of intercession in her heart and the journey she had taken in acquiring the fire of God. It had in no way been an easy journey and there had been many times of frustration and trial, but, through it all she had gained insight into the very heart of God. The journey had been eventful and rewarding. If she had the choice to redo anything she wouldn’t for if she had learned one thing it was that God was indeed God and knew best how to develop his workings in the inner man. At times life was hard but each test brought its’ own reward. There were also times she had failed in obedience but God had always been gracious and merciful to receive her cries for repentance and change. Yes, truly it took dedication and perseverance to achieve and acquire the burning of the Lord’s heart. Following is the account of one intercessor’s journey into that burning heart of the Lord Jesus.

Chapter 2

Strange Stirrings

Young Zoe Tallit stands on a pinnacle overlooking the small sleepy town of Westmoreland as she has stood several times in the weeks past. Today, as always she is overwhelmed by the strange sensations pulsating through her burdened heart. As yet she does not know or understand the reason for her restless disquieted spirit and her confusion is plainly revealed in her drawn features and troubled soul. Thinking within herself that she must get a grip on her emotions she raises her eyes once more to the sky and speaks into the great expanse of the magnificent yet undisclosed heavens.

I don’t know what I’m doing here or what is expected of me. Please help me understand what to do. I’ve never felt this way before. This is all new to me and I feel like I’m losing control of my emotions. No one I know has ever felt or acted this way. All I know is that since I met Jesus and asked him into my heart to stay forever I am not the same person I was nor do I ever want to be again.

Even as she spoke she heard a voice behind her so clearly she was filled with sudden fear. Quickly she turned to see who it was that interrupted her secret place and saw no one. Again the voice spoke, Go home! Give up this nonsense and go home. You will die in this place!

Even to her newly awakened spiritual being the realization came that this voice she had heard speaking was an enemy to her soul and she must at all cost avoid any contact or communication with it. The fear that had gripped her previously began to subside as that knowledge deep within rose to fill her trembling soul. She realized with a definite unshakable knowing the new friendship she had developed with Jesus would be her protection.

What had she heard pastor say on Sunday? God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. She could trust the word of God. That she knew quite well. Her parents had raised her in the church and she was quite knowledgeable of the Bible’s contents. Strange that it had never seemed so real as it did of late since she had been filled with the Holy Spirit. All her life since she could remember she had known she would be different from others and not everyone would understand the difference.

Once more she turned her attention to the scene which lay below her and raised