It was Fall of 2006, the setting a small candlelit room somewhere in Indiana. I was at a weekend retreat and was prayerfully contemplating taking communion. Communion is a way to remember Christ’s death for us. What God spoke to me during that prayer time was quiet, but not subtle. I knew that I could not take communion faithfully unless I obeyed His instruction. It didn’t make sense to me, what He was telling me. “Go ask Carly to prophesy over you.” Herein lies the problem- I didn’t know Carly. She was just someone in one of my college classes. Furthermore, I had very little knowledge or understanding of prophecy. But it became SO clear that this was something I needed to do.
I approached her cautiously and dropped the big question. She stammered. “I’ve never done that before and I don’t know much about prophecy, but I’ll give it a try. Let me have some time to pray first.” We had a time of corporate worship and then she finally approached me.
“The word that keeps coming to me is ‘Father.’ Does that mean anything to you?”
My breath caught in my throat and tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t even speak, so I just nodded. My earthly Father had passed away only a few weeks earlier and the pain was still fresh and raw. She had no idea, but she continued. “I think God wants you to know that you are not Fatherless.”
There was more that she said, but this is where I’ll stop, because it has been one of the most significant phrases of my life.
“God wants you to know that you are not Fatherless.”
So, that’s my encouragement to you today too…. whether your earthly Dad is deceased or absent or has caused you pain in this life, you have a Heavenly Father who sees you and knows you and loves you fiercely, and He longs for you to know how high and wide and deep His love for you runs.
You, my friend, are not an orphan. You, my friend, are not Fatherless.
ashleyboulais.com 