God connects the hearts of believers together to display Christ, the Anointed One, on the earth. These hearts are woven into a beautiful tapestry of Christ’s love for the world to see and touch. As God joins believers together, they can grow and show forth the nature of Christ. In this study, you will discover the beauty and power of heart to heart connections.
Introducing Heart to Heart Connections
People can form connections or relationships that involve their five senses of liking the way a person looks or acts. All of that is in the natural realm. God ordains particular connections for his purpose and draws the people together supernaturally with unconditional love. Heart to heart connections are made in the supernatural realm and carry the power of agreement. When people are connected at the heart level, they can move mountains. There is much power in that realm.
God connects people together as he desires, not necessarily what the people want in the natural. “God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired” (1 Corinthians 12:18). Those whom he joins together have the same way of thinking and purpose (1 Corinthians 1:10). They are fitted together as each piece of a puzzle fills its proper place to form a complete picture. That complete picture is Christ: “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
Benefits of Heart to Heart Connections
The effects of heart to heart connections are life changing, supernaturally transforming believers so they can discover and fulfill God’s purpose. These connections affect every area of a believer’s life. In this section, four major benefits of heart to heart connections are discussed.
1. Discover the Mystery of Christ
The mystery of Christ is revealed to the hearts of those who are divinely connected in love. “Their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself” (Colossians 2:2). There are some truths which people can discover without divine connections, but there are other truths that are revealed only through divine connections. The Holy Spirit reveals mysteries to you for the sake of those who are connected to you.
My spiritual eyes were enlightened after I became connected to a spiritual family. Only then was I able to receive the truth in the Apostle Paul’s prayer “that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of his calling” (Ephesians 1:18). Previously, I had a religious mindset because that was the way I had been taught. Now, I have been transformed by the renewing of my mind through anointed teaching, sharing the word of life through divine connections, and embracing the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
2. Be Strengthened by Grace
In God’s kingdom, people are supernaturally joined together through ordained relationships by grace. The Apostle Paul wrote to his partners in Philippi that they were in his heart and partakes of God’s grace with him (Philippians 1:7). These ordained relationships are built and sustained by God’s grace. The body of Christ is joined together through the support and contributions of every joint (Ephesians 4:16). The body grows as the joints supply grace to one another. These joints are believers whom God supernaturally connects.
3. Grow in Love
When each joint works properly, the body of Christ grows in love. God-ordained connections are important in the kingdom because growth only occurs at these joints: Christ uses joints and ligaments to hold his body together, as God causes it to grow (Colossians 2:19). God’s growth is only on joints, so any growth plan which does not focus on joints or ordained relationships is ineffective.
The relationship between Jonathan and David is one of the best known and most powerful personal relationships described in the word of God. Jonathan was the crown prince and next in line to be king of Israel, but the Lord anointed David to be king. It appeared Jonathan and David would be on different sides in a power struggle, but God joined their hearts together after Jonathan heard David speak about his faith and trust in God (1 Samuel 18:1-3). Jonathan stripped himself of his robe and armor and gave them to David (1 Samuel 18:4). This gesture showed Jonathan greatly honored and respected David, and now we understand it symbolized his right to ascend to the throne was being transferred to David. This heart to heart connection manifested Christ for their actions made it possible for Christ to sit eternally on David’s throne.
4. Be Empowered through Agreement
Some power comes out of natural agreement. As long as the people who were building the Tower of Babel to reach heaven stayed in agreement, nothing was impossible to them (Genesis 11:1-9). When these people became confused and unable to communicate with one another, the work on the tower stopped. A greater power of agreement is found in the Holy Spirit. Pentecost came out of this spiritual agreement. One hundred twenty disciples of Jesus were all joined together in one mind and one purpose in constant prayer, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14-2:4). From this small beginning, the gospel of the kingdom is being spread throughout the world.
Jesus taught about the enormous power that exists when believers come into agreement with each other. He said, “If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 18:19). Paul elaborated on this powerful agreement by explaining that it comes from the heart. “Make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose” (Philippians 2:2 NLT).
Heart to heart agreement is so powerful because it involves two or more believers coming together as an expression of Christ (Philippians 2:1-11). This agreement comes from hearts being united and involves the same love as Christ and the same mind as Christ. It fulfills divine purpose just like Christ did. God exalted Christ, and he exalts those whose agreement is an expression of Christ.
Personal Story about Heart to Heart Connections
God put a hunger in Sherry and me to connect with apostles and prophets. From Ephesians 4, we understood that connections with apostles and prophets were needed for us to be equipped for God’s purpose. Although we knew what to look for, we did not know where to look. We kept looking in local religious institutions for some equipping gifts of Christ but could not find them there. The Spirit guided our steps to find an apostle who worked with various people and groups. Although he lived almost a thousand miles away, we asked him to help us, and he became our spiritual father. He traveled to visit us, and we traveled to his meetings and conferences. He also sent various ministers to help us. We became connected to a spiritual family who functioned in God’s kingdom to lay foundation in the lives of believers and equip them for the work of the ministry. Then God used us to raise up a spiritual family that started in Georgia, but now it reaches across this country and into other countries.
Conclusions
God-ordained connections are critical for every believer. Full understanding of the mystery of Christ comes only through these connections. Believers grow in love through these connections. They are strengthened and equipped through these connections. Also, these connections enable believers to call on tremendous power in agreement. As believers understand the importance of God-ordained connections, they will be encouraged to seek their own connections and develop these relationships. Destiny is your reward for pursuing heart to heart connections.