Every Time I Feel the Spirit

“Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT

Complain. Criticize. Worry. These are typical ways people react to problems. Often wishing the problems simply would go away. Dreaming of perfect solutions, but often disillusioned when they fail to materialize.

Few had more to complain about than the slaves in nineteenth-century America. For many, their situations appeared hopeless, trapped in what seemed like a lifetime of servitude. Some experienced cruelty. But many slaves reacted by turning to God, leaving a legacy of spirituals filled with messages that resonate with our hearts.

One (or more) of these unknown slaves described how he reacted in a spiritual we know as “Every Time I Feel the Spirit.” He described learning to be sensitive to the Spirit, even when going through tough times. Through the power of the Spirit, he would turn to prayer. As he wrote, “Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart I will pray.”

Picturing the Jordan River, he described it as “chilly and cold,” a metaphor for hopelessness and despair. He realized that these waters might “chill the body but not the soul.” No matter what he went through, he could turn to God for comfort, strength, and help. He described prayer as like a train that “runs to heaven and then right back.”

He knew problems were inevitable: “Oh, I have sorrow and I have woe, I have heartaches here below.” But God was always by his side, providing everything he needed: “While God leads me I’ll never fear for I know that He is near.”

This spiritual still reminds us of life-changing truths. Principles that are so simple, yet so often forgotten. To remember to be sensitive to the Spirit, and through His presence remember that God is with us, to help us. That He cares for us. That we can turn to Him in prayer, no matter what we face.

Prayer: Father, I commit these situations to You: ________. Thank You that Your Spirit is with me. Thank You for Your peace, and the answers I need. I trust You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.