118 GOOD MORNING, HOLY SPIRIT
adoration. It should be a time of absolute beauty and
worship. Loving Him. Adoring Him. It may begin with the
words, "Jesus, I love you." Suddenly you feel the presence
of the Holy Spirit, and two hours later you look at your
watch and say, "I can't believe the time has gone so fast."
It's so real, so alive.
Fourth, there is a time of intimacy. It is almost too
loving, too sacred, too beautiful to describe. There have
been times when, deep in prayer, I felt as if someone was
standing there, rubbing my forehead. It was as if the Lord
were saying to me, "Thank you. I'm so glad to be with
you."
Remember, the Holy Spirit will never force Himself on
you. He doesn't place demands and stipulations on your
prayer life. But if you say, "Help me pray," He is ready to
respond.
At times in my life my prayer at this level has continued
for hours. But intimacy is not a place you can begin. Nor is
it possible to rush through the early steps to arrive at this
point.
The fifth level of prayer is intercession. Jesus said the
Spirit would reveal things to us, and that is what happened
to me. When you invite the Spirit to help you pray, He does
not focus on your selfish needs and wants. No! The focus is
outward. He has placed the names and faces of people
before me that I had not thought of in years. And I
interceded in prayer for them.
But don't believe that it is a period of joy and worship.
Just the opposite. The first time I moved into intercession I
wasn't sure I wanted it. The communion left. The closeness
left. During these times I have felt pain and agony that is
difficult to put into words. I have literally pounded the floor
with every ounce of my strength as I prayed for my family,