Betty: See, you have that need to almost want to tell God how to do it. Can you say, “Lord, help me back off that.” Can you focus in on how big a disappointment you feel that you and X have this conflict going on between you? On a scale of one to 10, how big is that? I’m seeing the word “Disappointment.” Image that in huge letters and see yourself chiseling off the “D,” and see God putting the “H” in its place. HIS APPOINTMENT!  It takes a lot of faith to believe that God is permitting this for a greater good. It’s like, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” Help me believe that you can work, even in this. If we had our way, we’d be working differently. So, look at that part of you that wants to rearrange the way God is handling this whole thing. Can you say, “Lord, I’m sorry if I’m being pushy. Help me to stop trying to change Your mind. Because I do want You to intervene. And You don’t seem to want to. Help me to accept that your decision is always the right one.” Go into tongues, and listen to the part of you screaming. Because you and God don’t agree. You think God should intervene right now. You need to say you’re sorry for this strong rebellion against what you perceive as God not doing it right. It’s like you want it so badly. 

AM: But isn’t it always best for people to be free from those things that are holding them back?  Why wouldn’t it be good to want it now.  

Betty: There’s a manner, timing, and intensity even in that. I don’t know if it’s something in X, because of his nature, that he has to learn first. But it’s also, God’s profound respect for our human will too. It creates a problem for us. Because we want to use God’s power to move people the way it’s good for them. And when you work with God, you can’t tell Him what to do. 

You can make suggestions, which we do with all our prayers of petition. But ultimately, you cry out, “Lord, hear our prayer.” And He makes the decision when and how He’s going to hear it. Our job is to surrender to what God knows is best in our particular circumstances. It’s very hard for us controlling individuals to let go, and let God choose His own manner and timing. But we have to. Can you say, “Lord, help us to surrender even in those areas where we feel we’re right and feel like You don’t have the whole story. Forgive us for our arrogance there. Because we are really acting as if we know better than You do.  Set our spirits free to want to do Your will above all things, even in something like this that is so important to us. It’s not our will, but Thine be done. That is very painful to have to yield. Come Lord Jesus, set us free from our addiction.” Oh addiction, that’s interesting. It’s our addiction to our own will. I never thought about that before. We are addicted to our own will. And we really want God to get the message of what we think is right. So, there’s where maybe some repentance on your part is needed, so you get out of the way.  

“Lord, if she is holding back the freedom that we’re crying out for for X, by sticking her own will into it, whereby she lets you know what needs to happen, then Lord, help her move into a deep repentance in those areas where her will is causing the problem.” Now, I’m hearing this voice saying, “I’m right; he’s wrong.” This thing is not about righteousness. So, back off of that need to prove who’s right and who’s wrong. What it’s about is obedience.  Because your will can actually become a block to his healing and cause him to set his feet even more strongly against being pressured. “Lord, help X to come to the place where he himself makes the decision that this is not good for him.  Now what I’m seeing is those planes in the sky that are advertising that fly over. And what’s flipping in the wind in this airplane is, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” It’s as though Jesus is advertising, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” Stop pressuring. “Lord, help me to be willing to give up my will where it’s standing in the way of what needs to be done.” Go into tongues, and talk to the Lord. You’re praying to be one with Him in His Divine Will. This particular problem that you and X have is one of the hardest ones for you to give up your will on.  

Are you trying to control others to do something you see needs to change rather than spending that energy praying for them and giving them to the Lord for Him to bring about the healing?