“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor…to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind…to set the oppressed free…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18,19).

Something happened at the gym last week that didn’t have anything to do with a feat of strength or show of endurance. While cleaning up equipment after class I overheard a friend sharing about a recent hardship in his life. We’re a close knit community, so the conversation itself wasn’t out of place. What caught my attention was the discouragement I heard in my friend’s voice and the hurt radiating from him. Almost immediately I felt a nudge…you could pray for him.

Believe me when I say the last thing I ever want to do is make things weird, but before I could deliberate too much my feet were moving in my friend’s direction. I asked if I could pray for him, and he agreed. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but he texted me later that day to thank me for reaching out and to say he’d felt a calmness in that moment he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

The above has nothing to do with me or my feelings or anything magical on my part–the only thing required of me was obedience. In fact, on this particular day I had been preoccupied with my own thoughts, and then my own reservations about creating an awkward situation…and I almost missed an opportunity to encourage a friend because of it.

Some might think Living Supernaturally means miracles on repeat, living a life sans suffering, or one’s prayers always being answered swiftly and exactly. You know what? Miracles do happen! We go through seasons where the waters of life are calm and bountiful and our prayers are answered in the affirmative, but living a Spirit-filled life doesn’t always look that way. Instead, it means having eyes to see how the Spirit is already at work in situations all around us, with the people we’re in contact with every day. There was no miraculous healing as I prayed for my friend that day, though I certainly hoped for that. My prayer was, and still is, that he would know God and His peace.

Who around us is the least, the lost, the discouraged, the easily dismissed? God’s work is ongoing, and He invites us into it, if we’re willing to see and accept the invitation. God, help us to see where You’re already at work today, and help us to not be afraid to “make it weird.” Amen!