Many years ago when God saved me and filled me with His Holy Spirit, I wasn’t sure what my calling or gift Jesus would operate through me.
1 Corinthian 12:4-11: Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these works that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.
When given the chance, I testify of His power and mercy, yet I knew I wasn’t called to be a preacher. Even now, after authoring more than thirty titles, I somet
imes wonder whether this is my calling. One thing for sure, the stories and the messages belong to God.
I’m certain of this, God called me to pray, not the bedside prayers or bless “my food” prayers, but to rebuke demons, call out conditions, situations, names, and add fasting to remove strongholds. I had to take this commission as seriously as any preacher who accepts his or her calling.
Grabbing a piece of paper, I began a list of friends and loved ones I identified who needed prayers, then God started moving, stirring my spirit to add people to my prayer list that I didn’t even know.
1 Timothy 2:1: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.
When I’m at a signing, and someone asks me to pray, I stop at that moment and petition God on their behalf. I don’t want to say, “I will,” then forget. Recently, I attended a convention as a book vendor, and met three ladies. As I was telling one of them about my book, tears formed in her eyes. Her soul was grieved about her recent divorce and the wound hadn’t healed. I happened to have my Bible with my prayer list inside. I pulled it out and wrote down her name. When her two friends realized I was adding her to my prayer list, they signed it too as if it was my newsletter signup sheet. Well, alrighty now. My responsibility keeps getting clearer and clearer.
My prayer list has become worn. More names have been added, but recently, a couple have been taken off, not because God blessed X with a house, or Z with a new car, but because they passed away.
Lynne was one of them. Just this morning I prayed for her, not knowing if she had taken her last breath or was in the process of her transition. She was a supporter to every author of Black Romance. I will truly miss her, but as I scratched her name off, I added another one, so my list goes on.
God’s work never ends until “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.
Amen. God is giving me comfort.
Pat Simmons has celebrated ten years as a published author with more than thirty titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth who is passionate about researching her ancestors and then casting them in starring roles in her novels.
She is a three-time recipient of the Romance Slam Jam Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as an amazing, unforgettable, life-altering experience.
Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She has worked in various media positions for more than twenty years. Currently, she oversees the media publicity for the annual RT Booklovers Conventions.
She has been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across the country and converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatic husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided chauffeur.
Readers may learn more about Pat and her books by connecting with her on social media, www.patsimmons.net, or by contacting her at authorpatsimmons@gmail.
Her newest release is LATE SUMMER LOVE, sequel to LOVE BY DELIVERY
