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Welcome to Holy Spirit Untethered, hosted by Amber Beels. This podcast is an exploration of the Holy Spirit's role and His transformative influence in our everyday lives. Each episode, Amber, alongside a variety of guests, shares personal experiences, insights, and lessons about deepening our relationship with the Holy Spirit. We're just ordinary individuals, living our faith and learning what it means to walk hand in hand with the Holy Spirit. This podcast is a welcoming space for men and women who are hungry for a deeper relationship with the Lord. No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, this podcast invites you to join us as we explore, learn, and grow together. Let’s untether the boundless wisdom and love of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
You can find Messenger X HERE: https://messengerx.com/
The Holy Spirit: An Introduction Course HERE: https://link.messengerx.com/HnHLLBBGKrkbSRJX9
Welcome to the holy spirit untethered my name's amber bills and it is my job and my mission to allow the holy spirit to speak through me to help demystify who he is what his role is, and to deeply encourage you to seek a relationship with him. Alright. Let's get started. Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Holy Spirit Untethered podcast.
Amber:My name is Amber. And today, I have a special treat. I have Niquan Staten. Niquan, you wanna say hi?
Naquan Staton:Yeah. How's everybody doing? Awesome.
Amber:And you know what's funny is that Niquan was in town. He used to go to our church, and he and his family had to move because of work. And I just saw him. I saw you
Naquan Staton:Yeah.
Amber:At church on Sunday, and you were on my mind the day before, which is funny because it was just kinda just random. And then I saw you at church, and I was like, I have to have you on my podcasting. So I was really, really happy to see you on Sunday.
Naquan Staton:No. It's it's great. It's always encouraging to see you as well.
Amber:Yeah. Awesome. Thank you. Okay. So today, our topic is going to be on fear, which is an interesting topic when it comes to the Holy Spirit and how we navigate fear and really partner with Him to make sure that we're in alignment with His values and make sure that we're living in obedience to Him.
Amber:And I think a lot of that comes with fear.
Naquan Staton:Yeah.
Amber:Because it's the unknown. Right? So before we get started, we're gonna go ahead and pray. So if you can and it's safe to do so, go ahead and bow your heads and close your eyes, and we're gonna go ahead and pray together. Alright.
Amber:Dear heavenly father, I just thank you so much for this opportunity. I just thank you that we get to be here and we get to talk about your living spirit and how you just help us navigate life itself and how we are trying to be more like Jesus and how your holy spirit helps us get there. I just pray, holy spirit, you would be in this conversation. I pray that we would be the vessels for your voice to speak. I pray, Lord, that you would prepare all of our hearts to receive this message, Lord.
Amber:Mhmm. And I just pray you a blessing over everyone listening to this podcast right now. In Jesus' name.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Amen. Amen.
Amber:Awesome. Alright. So we're talking about fear and how we navigate our lives. Because, I mean, life comes with fear. Right?
Naquan Staton:It does.
Amber:All the time. All the time. Yeah. And especially nowadays, I feel like anxiety and all of the things, like people, that's a big problem nowadays. Mhmm.
Amber:And so I kinda wanna get your insight on it, Naquan. Like, how does, how do you navigate that? Being a father, you know, moving a lot and, you know, being the head of your household, like, how do you navigate doing that?
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Man, how did you mention the first thing about being a father?
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:So I have 3 kids.
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:4 year old, a 2 year old, and a 1 year old. And my 1 year old probably teaches me the most when it comes to resiliency.
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:And how fear looks when it's doing what it's supposed to do, and, how it looks when it's dominating your thoughts. And it's interesting how as a child, you're kind of on top of the world. I'm watching him this morning actually. He's like scaling a rock. This big huge rock that's in.
Naquan Staton:We know the Ochoa's, Adam and Chris Ochoa, a friend of the podcast I'd say for me and you.
Amber:Yeah. Adam was on here a couple of years ago. Oh, yes. Yes.
Naquan Staton:We're at their house, the backyard has tons of these huge rocks and so he's scaling the rock and he's falling multiple times to the point that he's bleeding, but he would not stop even as a 1 year old. He would not stop trying to climb this thing.
Amber:Oh my goodness.
Naquan Staton:And it's almost at his own peril, but I have a hard time understanding as a grown man like what is it about the importance of climbing this rock for him that makes it so that he's not afraid to fall Mhmm. And not afraid to feel pain. And how as we get older, just little things can cause us to feel the same type of fear, but that same fear will kinda paralyze us. It seems like over time that we we kinda get indoctrinated with the mis education when it comes to what fear is supposed to do in our lives. So much so that it causes us not to do the things the Lord wants us to do.
Naquan Staton:And I think this is kinda like us getting into what we're gonna really be talking about today. But it is. It's a starting point. Me looking at my son. I'm like, man, how much of my life am I missing?
Naquan Staton:How many rocks am I not climbing? Because I think that I have a fear of getting hurt. And he's really teaching me about how far I could go. And it it's a very simple metaphor, I guess, I should say. Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:But I thought this would be a really good that'd be a really good primer for what we're gonna talk about today. Yeah. So, man, I just start I'll start with I don't even think you know my salvation story from the very beginning.
Amber:No. I don't think I do.
Naquan Staton:So do you know of Regent University?
Amber:I've heard of it. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:It's a private school in Virginia Beach. And that's where they they shoot the CBN network.
Amber:Okay.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. So it's like right on campus there. I went to a thing called Throne Zone when I was 16, and it was an event that Regent University hosted.
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:And my mom took me. It was 4 of us. I got I got 3 other siblings, but she only took me. And she said she felt the Holy Spirit would tell her to just take me for that occasion. Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:So we drive to Virginia Beach, and I'll be honest, like, at 16, I'm not concentrating on the Lord. Sure. Concentrating, yeah, on a bunch of other things. You're 16. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:And and and even when I go there, my focus is not on the preaching.
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:It's focused on other things.
Amber:Sure.
Naquan Staton:But lo and behold, that was the moment the lord chose for me to get to know him. And I wasn't even expecting that. So what happened is there's a female this is why I always say females can absolutely preach. Mhmm. Other leadership roles, whatever people wanna argue, it's their business.
Naquan Staton:But I will always say a woman can preach the gospel. Anybody can preach the gospel, because that's how I receive the Holy Spirit. Yeah. Anyway, so she's preaching, she she kinda goes into a level of detail about what the gospel means in a way that really connected with me at the time. And so she said, hey, if anyone is here when you have the burning in your heart, come to the front, you will receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Naquan Staton:She prophetically said that. Wow. I'm like, I just feel like I have to go. So I go out, you know, I start walking, yada yada yada. I go through the aisle, and without any kind of, like, physical mind control kind of movement, I just start raising my hands.
Naquan Staton:I have no control over it. And as I'm raising my hands, the Holy Spirit just falls. And I start speaking in tongues. Wow. And, the tongues was like a different kind of tongues from, I think a lot of tongues that I hear.
Naquan Staton:It was a it was a very distinct language Uh-huh. That I don't know to this day. I have no idea what I said. Yeah. But it was, I knew in my mind, I could hear myself saying the praises of the Lord.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm. And this went off like maybe 5 minutes. And I say all that to say this. So after that happens, I'm really shaken up. I have no idea what happened at the time.
Naquan Staton:I didn't know about Pentecost. I didn't know about how this is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Any of that stuff.
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:And when But
Amber:that was scary.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Yeah. It was. It it was but it it was the whole thing felt encouraging.
Amber:Got it.
Naquan Staton:I felt like God was with me. Even I didn't know what was happening. Sure. I knew that. Well, that's good.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Yeah. So afterward, a lady comes up to me, and she has a note written down. And she said, the Lord told me to write this down for you before you leave. I just wanna give this to you.
Amber:Okay.
Naquan Staton:And on it, it was a whole bunch of scriptures about boldness and having faith in the face of adversity. And I can't tell you which ones because I kept it in the bible, and I lost the bible. No. Oh, no. I lost the bible, but I never forget how there were so many references there about being a lion, about being courageous.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm. You know?
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:And how this is what it was gonna take for my life to see the manifestation of, like, what the Lord wants me to do. Mhmm. It's gonna take acting out on faith and speaking when I feel like I have nothing in me to say. And so just taking that with me, I start my journey in the marine corps. And the marine corps, even though I love, you know, fighting for my nation, and I love serving the nation with there's a lot of things that happen in the marine corps as far as bad habits of drinking and cursing and Sure.
Naquan Staton:And dip yeah. Yeah. Kinda all these things is part of the culture. Kinda drew me off the path a little bit, but but one thing that I always thought about in the whole process is how if there ever comes a time that I need to step out in faith, I cannot be afraid to do it. No matter how much the culture is going against me.
Naquan Staton:And I would take those opportunities. In fact, there was when I was in Afghanistan one time, there is there's a young man who just got off of patrol, and he was telling me about how 2 of his buddies died, coming off that patrol. And he was very discouraged, and so I'm like, man, I I really feel for you. And the Holy Spirit's like, like kinda messed with me, and but I don't really know what he's saying. I turn around to my other buddies, and the Lord's talking to me, but I'm kinda pretending like I'm talking to other people at the same time.
Naquan Staton:You know how it goes. Sure. And the chaplain comes over and starts talking to the young man. I'm like, oh, chaplains got it. I ain't gotta talk to him.
Naquan Staton:The lord's doing it the lord's doing it his own kind of way. And but it wasn't enough. The holy spirit's like, hey. You really need to talk to this young man. I'm like, okay.
Naquan Staton:So before I leave the tent, I go and I talk to him and ask him if he said I received the lord. He he's like, man, I've, like, really wanted to, but I never knew how. I'm like, how do you
Amber:How do you not know how?
Naquan Staton:How do you not know? But these are people are like this in the world that are just so hungry, and they wanna get to god, but he's just like, I don't know what to do. I'm just like, well, we could just lead in this prayer right now. I'm like, what did the chaplain talk to you about? He's like, oh, he just asked me if I was okay, and I said okay.
Amber:Oh, wow.
Naquan Staton:So you didn't tell the chaplain that you might wanna receive the he's like, no. Like, do you wanna receive like, yeah. That was a we literally led him to Christ that he started he was crying. Wow. You know, and just felt so happy and encouraged after that moment.
Naquan Staton:So what did that teach me? That taught me that when I'm looking at circumstances, if I'm afraid, I can't even use what material things would be happening around me as a cop out Yeah. For not doing what the Lord wants me to do.
Amber:That's powerful.
Naquan Staton:It's it's yeah. So it is kinda deviating from the whole
Amber:Well, no. I mean, it's still fear. I mean, you thought that the chaplain got it. Like, oh, okay. Good.
Amber:I'm out. Like, I don't I'm off the hook. I don't have to do anything. Because it's still uncomfortable, even as Christians, and it as Christians, and it shouldn't be, but I feel like sometimes it can be uncomfortable for us to go up to somebody and talk about Christ, even though after all the things Christ has done for us, it's still, like, uncomfortable, you know, to talk to somebody, and so, like, the fact that you did that, that's boldness. Right?
Amber:That's, like, kind of the opposite of fear is being bold and saying, like, alright, I'll go talk to him. Even though the chaplain probably had it already, like, he didn't, because so we don't know what we don't know. So if, like, the Holy Spirit tells you to do something even after you see somebody else and you're like, no, they got it, like, we still should be doing it just to make sure. Just even if it's just like a double check, like, you know, type thing. Like
Naquan Staton:It is. That double check always kinda will manifest as something that the little one had to go deeper in in that moment. Yeah. But I even have another story. So on a plane here Okay.
Naquan Staton:On a plane here, there's a woman sitting next to me, and the holy spirit starts kinda triggering my heart. And he's he's talking to me, you know, clearly. He's like, hey. Hey. This woman just lost the love of her life.
Naquan Staton:And I'm just I'm not I'm not doing this. I'm not this this is this is like a 6 hour long plane ride. I'm dealing with these kids. Right. And if you ever travel with kids, it is it is a lot.
Amber:I've I've witnessed it. I can't say I have the experience. Not yet anyway. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:And I'm like, little, like, can we just do this another time? You know, that and it's not a easy sometimes, a little to say easy things, and I'm like, oh, okay. You know, I could talk to a person about that. But this seems like a deep depressing topic. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:That I think will kinda go in directions that I'm just not prepared for at the time. And I was very I was very fearful at this time. I'm like, whatever I'm completely wrong about this. But the Lord's like, you're not wrong. You're not wrong.
Naquan Staton:And so I asked him, like, you know, I feel like the Lord's telling me that you lost the love of your life. And she just starts crying.
Amber:Wow.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. She she's like, man, I just came from a funeral. And she's like, it was my sister. I'm thinking, like, you know, my my husband.
Amber:Like, husband.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Sure. But she's like, no. She's like, my older sister, you know, we're only, like, 14 months apart. Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:And, you know, the she's probably, like, 60 years old. She's like, we lived our whole life, you know, so close together. She's like, she was. She was the one that I loved the most. I could honestly say that.
Naquan Staton:She's like, I just don't know what to do, and I'm just really asking the Lord why. And I'm like, woah, do you wanna pray about it? She's like, I really could use prayer right now. Wow. And so, yeah, we just pray we just pray about it.
Naquan Staton:She's crying. Everybody cries. Everyone's crying.
Amber:Well, I
Naquan Staton:mean, it's a
Amber:sensitive thing to, like, have a stranger come up to you and tell you something that's true in your life that there's no way they could have known unless they had some kind of connection to the
Naquan Staton:Holy Spirit. Right? Yeah. Yeah. And then but and then I see the Lord does what he wants to do, and I and I feel like I'm being selfish.
Naquan Staton:But not only selfish, I'm being discouraged for things that really shouldn't shouldn't discourage me. Like like the fear of being wrong. So what sometimes. Yeah. Because I mean, what's the price?
Naquan Staton:What's what's the real expense? Okay. You're wrong, and then what? What do you lose? I don't know.
Naquan Staton:A little bit of embarrassment here and there. But I can tell you that there have been times I was wrong, but he's right 90% of the time.
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:The holy spirit's right, and he's on the money. And but but it's weird how growing up, just the fear, the anxiety of for what of what people think will make you believe that you're never gonna be right about it. Yeah. You know, taking your cues from the people that have no idea how the Holy Spirit operates, like, who knows the mind of Christ? You know, except the Holy Spirit who knows the heart of God.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm. And so, I'm not I'm listening to the wrong person over and over and over again. But when you do listen to the Lord, it it normally turns out that his he's magnified, he's glorified, and everyone can rejoice at the same time. But, yeah, it it I think that as time goes on, that the more that I study why I am afraid of everything, the more, the more I come to understand that the enemy is so I I don't know. I I was talking to you about this earlier before the podcast, but the tools that the enemy uses to try to get us off track are just tools that really relate to self preservation Yeah.
Naquan Staton:Which is not a bad thing inherently.
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:Like, fear could be a healthy thing to keep you from pain.
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. But really supposed to be pain that's really gonna, like, harm you in a way that's not beneficial. But Yeah.
Amber:It's like a lion is coming after you.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Yeah.
Amber:That kind of pain. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:When we talk about the Lord and things like sacrificing for the Lord like that, that is a in a weird, odd, twisted way to say beneficial pain
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:And pain that's worth it. So long suffering Mhmm. That that and one way or another translate to seeing the glory of God. Mhmm. Like, all who desire to live godly must suffer in some capacity.
Naquan Staton:But as time goes on, I'm really reevaluating how I see fear and how I need to put it in the right place in my mind so that it's effective, but but not hindering me when it comes to the Lord.
Amber:Yeah. Yeah. No. It's so good. It's the fear of man versus the fear of God.
Amber:What's greater?
Naquan Staton:Right.
Amber:Right?
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And then, not only what's greater, but dying to your flesh every day. Like, he he calls us to do that. Like, Christ died, we are to die to our flesh and then rise again as a new person just like he rose again. And that's intentional. That's an everyday intentional decision to do that.
Amber:Yeah. And just doing that, that's uncomfortable and painful too.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:Because, like, we we fall into, like, habits or whatever, like an everyday thing, like, it's hard to say no to those things because we're afraid of being uncomfortable. Like, we like comfort. Right?
Naquan Staton:Yeah.
Amber:Yeah. So, like, it's it's an everyday battle for sure.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Can I tell you a story? Yeah. So so my brother is a chaplain. Okay.
Naquan Staton:He well, we we like to have talks about theology. Mainly his theology and me kinda answering his theology or what you know, learning from him because he's he's he's definitely leaning leading the charge on that. But he talked about a guy named Howard Thurman, who was an icon for a lot of, like, black theologians at the time, like the civil rights movement, who didn't act actually participate in the movement, but a lot of what his ideas were carried it through. Mhmm. And he talked about there was like a sermon he he he preached on, which I keep playing over EP, and it's to love or perish.
Naquan Staton:And he talked about fear in that sermon. But essentially, because it's that point of the sermon isn't really fear, but the example it's in is, I think, really helps this conversation. Yeah. So there's a time when, I don't know if it's the first or second situated church, in his sermon he's talking about the first and second century of the church. During the time of this, like, Roman persecution and maybe other persecution that may be going on at the time.
Naquan Staton:That when new individuals wanted to become part of the body of Christ and follow Jesus, that they would go from the top level, where they were celebrating, and giving praise and worship to the Lord, to the bottom level, like that they were in that service, and then those who actually wanted to receive Jesus, will go to the bottom level, where there was almost always a casket, that was there. Yeah. Underneath, like, where they will have their service, and they will have to receive the lord where a martyr was just placed in the casket over a dead body.
Amber:Wow.
Naquan Staton:To understand that the commitment that you're making
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:This is what could happen to you if you chose to if you choose to come this way. Yeah. And so you're, like, really counting the cost, lit quite literally looking at what what could be. Yeah. And, I mean, that kind of proclamation of faith, that that has to really be firm and true if you do it in that kind of atmosphere.
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:Now I don't think that will fare well today. But No.
Amber:I think we're we're built a little different today.
Naquan Staton:But but it does make you wonder, you know, should we be faced with that kind of that kind not not kind of fear, but that kind of risk in the beginning? Would it help our fear later on? Because I knew in the beginning this is what I would get, so I can't be afraid.
Amber:Right. That's true.
Naquan Staton:Rather than kind of I received the lord in my bathtub, in my safety of my own home kind of thing. You know? Yeah. And then every day as I kinda take the next step, I'm learning that I gotta risk more, and it's uncomfortable every single day. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:But, you know, the faith walk is a faith walk. I don't think there's any recipe for it, but it does make me wonder, like, what kind of Christians could be billed if in the beginning, you knew you were gonna be engaged to battle?
Amber:Yeah. Yeah. No. That's definitely food for thought, for sure. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:It's a lot.
Amber:It is a lot. But it it's a good reminder for people back then of, like, what you're really getting into. Yeah. And it really solidifies their faith, right, of, like, this is I know what might happen, and I don't care.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Yeah. Bring it on.
Amber:Yeah. Wow. No. That's really good. I I think today, like, I mean, people are still dying for the Christian faith, I believe, in other countries.
Amber:I mean, not so much here in America, at least. We don't get to see that type of persecution.
Naquan Staton:Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Amber:Yeah. We don't we don't see that here. And I've heard from other people that that's our downfall in America is that we don't have the persecution that a lot of other countries have. It's because we're so comfortable and don't have to risk much for it, and because of that, we're not as appreciative of what the Lord has given us because we don't face those kind that kind of persecution that other countries face. And I was like somebody said that to me, and I was like, that's crazy.
Amber:Yeah. Like, that makes sense. Yeah. Like, we're not being persecuted for our faith, at least not yet. The Lord's blessed us because of that, but it's also, I think, crippled our faith a little bit because we we don't.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Yeah. I absolutely agree. It seems like there has to be a great cause to see great things from the Lord.
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:And I I I believe that's reflected in I'm so far off in the mic. I believe that's reflected in the bible many times with the people that really saw an abundant glory of the lord, but they had to give up a lot. Yeah. And so I think if we sacrifice it, it would probably see little in areas of the world where they're sacrificing a lot more. They'd probably see more.
Amber:They're probably more reliant on the holy spirit because they have to be, because their lives are on the line. Right? And so that's interesting. I'm just kind of processing it right now. I'm thinking it through.
Amber:But, I know that, you know, the Holy Spirit isn't talked a whole lot about right now, especially, like, it took me forever to learn, you know, about the Holy Spirit, and you were part of one of my classes with the John Brevere class, learning about who the Holy Spirit is and what His role is and all the things, and I was, like, blown away because I didn't learn that stuff until I was, like, you know, in my twenties
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And I had grown up in the church, so I'm like, why am I just now learning about this? Like, this should have been I feel like day 1 you should have learned about this,
Naquan Staton:you know? Absolutely.
Amber:Because I didn't really grow in my faith until I understood who He was. Like, all I knew was like, oh, I have the Holy Spirit. He lives inside me. That was like the only thing I knew. I knew nothing else, and so I'm like, no, no, no, no.
Amber:There's like a whole, like, you're supposed to do life with the Holy Spirit. Like, He's the reason why you have the fruit of the Spirit. He's the reason why you're transforming to be more like Jesus. Like, He's the one speaking to you. He's the one praying for you, interceding for you.
Amber:Like, He's doing all these things. Like, we just don't recognize that. And so, I think it's just one of those things that's needed for sure is to understand who He is and the fact that He can help us through fear, and He leads us into fear. Like, I did an episode on the Holy Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness. He led Him into the wilderness, into pain, into fasting, into being tempted because He needed to prepare Him for His ministry.
Amber:He needed to test Him and purify, like, you know, how the scriptures say, like, the Lord puts us through the fire to get rid of the impurities. It's kind of like that. Jesus didn't have any impurities, but He still had to grow, and He still needed to be ministered to in the wilderness period and be tested because he's referred to as the 2nd Adam, and the first Adam or, you know, Adam and Eve failed that temptation, and the second Adam had to pass it. You know? Yeah.
Amber:So, yeah, I mean, Jesus had to go through fear like that and just the fear of going to the cross too. Yeah. Like, he had to make that decision. Like, he even asked the Lord. He's like, can you take this cup from me?
Amber:Like, if if it's possible, can you take it away from me? And, of course, there wasn't any other way, but he still had to make that conscious decision of, okay, I choose to do this because this is your will, not mine.
Naquan Staton:Yeah.
Amber:Which is crazy. Like, Jesus feared things. Like, he feared Yeah. Like, he's God, but he still, like, feared going through all that pain and suffering. Right?
Naquan Staton:He carried it well.
Amber:He he did. He did.
Naquan Staton:You know, we get to see how vulnerable he was in scripture, but I think if I was a religious leader at the time, I wouldn't think this guy was afraid of anything. Yeah. The way he would stand up and just speak with authority on it. It's wow. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:But I don't know. I guess I guess that also, should we show, should we show that we are afraid in these types of testing? Is it, is it healthy
Amber:to have, you know that's a really good question.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Amber:That's a really good question
Naquan Staton:because Faith should have, should be confident.
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:You know, it's
Amber:I've also been told that, like, you know, if you're being tempted by, like, the enemy or whatever, that you're supposed to, like, pretend that you're not afraid
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And kinda just be like, nope, or ignore it. Like, just stand in confidence and be like, nope. I'm not gonna accept this and not show fear and not show that it's working or you know? Because the enemy can't read your thoughts. They can place thoughts.
Amber:They can't read your thoughts, and so, like, trying to, like, outwardly express that you're not afraid so that maybe it's like pretending until it's true. Yeah. Yeah. Right? You know?
Amber:Yeah. That's a good question. I I think we're supposed to kinda, like, you know, stand in authority until we finally believe it. It's like you were saying before we started recording, like, you know, taking that step in the dark, just believing that Yeah. That the Holy Spirit's gonna have the stuff there.
Amber:Right? Yeah. Do you wanna kinda go into that a little bit, like, that that quote you were talking about?
Naquan Staton:It was, in the one of the memoirs of Martin Luther King, he talked about how it it like, behind closed doors. His vulnerable state, when it came to going across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and the leading others behind him to champion a lot of the civil rights movement, the he there were a lot of times he wasn't sure, and he had to fake the confidence. Mhmm. But he would talk about how even certain times he was again a world from the Lord and He would just come as he went along, And it was like taking a step in the dark. Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:And every time he would place a step, he would, you know, go higher, but he can't see where the next one is. But somehow, he's getting lifted.
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:That's how he compared it.
Amber:I think that requires a lot of trust too in the Lord. Mhmm. Not just faith, but trust of, like, okay. Well, I believe you said this, so I'm gonna act like it's done. Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:You
Amber:know? And that takes a lot of trust and just confidence that you know the Lord's gonna be there, like and I think a lot of the times that helps of remembering what he's already done, like, what he's done in your life or in others, and then being like, no, he He did it before. Why wouldn't He do it again? Like, why wouldn't He be there for me now? You know, type thing.
Amber:And that's one of the roles of the Holy Spirit, actually, is to keep reminding us. Yeah. Because we forget.
Naquan Staton:That's a good point.
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:It really is. Yeah. He brings these things back to our remembrance.
Amber:Mhmm. Yeah. Because I I don't I forget things all the time. Like, unless I write them down
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And then, like, I go back and I read, and I'll be like, oh, yeah. That I struggled with that, or that was a prayer request of mine and the Lord took care of it. Like, how did I forget that? That was such a big thing at the time. Yeah.
Amber:But we are just so focused on the everyday tasks of, like, well, you as a father, you you got a lot of kids to take care of and, like, you know, sometimes it can be easy to forget because you're just so in the moment of things. Right?
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Yeah. So I guess it's part of keep your mind continually on him.
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:It's we should be well programmed. I feel like I should by now to understand that God will always have my back.
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:But it's I don't know why it's just so easy to forget the not forget, but to not think about it.
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:And you have to, yeah, you have to really tell yourself that he did it before, and he would do it again. Mhmm. But I you know what it is? I think the things that we do already, find victory in, we don't really get faced with those things over and over and over again. Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:So then that would be your will of repetition is the lord helped me here in this certain specific thing. Therefore, he will help me at this certain specific thing
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:Again. Yeah. But it doesn't work that way. It works with it's something probably a bigger monster Different. With a different capability.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And so and so now you become uneasy because you're like, God was that big back then, but is he big enough
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. For this now?
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:Which I guess could be understandable. I gotta give myself a little bit more credit.
Amber:Sure. Give ourselves a little bit of grace, but but it's part of that growth journey. Right? It's part of growing and learning that the Lord is gonna be there no matter what, that no matter what monster, he's always bigger. He created everything.
Amber:Right? He's he's bigger than everything. So it's like, okay. It's okay. What I'm going through, this too shall pass.
Amber:Like, what is it, Lord, that you want me to learn from this from this experience? Because I don't wanna go through this again. I wanna go through this one time, please, you know, type thing. So, yeah, I think if we have that mindset of, like, what am I gonna take away from this? Like, how am I growing, or what impurities are you taking away in this so that I can make sure it sticks and I don't fall back?
Amber:Because there's certain things in our lives that we all struggle with that are a bit bigger or more of a stronghold than other things. Like, I know there's certain things in my life that I'm like, I just keep coming back to it, and the Lord's like, it's okay. You know, before you wouldn't even talk to me about it. Now at least when you do it, you come straight to me. Like, at least there's growth there.
Naquan Staton:He's
Amber:like, at least you're chipping away at this wall. It's not all, like, you know, yeah, it's big and it's still a problem, but you're growing.
Naquan Staton:Yeah.
Amber:And so that at least is encouraging in in some aspects of life. Other things, you're like, okay. Well, you learn it once, and you're good. But other things, they're just so deeply rooted for one reason or another. Mhmm.
Amber:Or those fears are so deeply rooted for one reason or another.
Naquan Staton:You know, I don't think the Lord asks for much when it comes to our conduct. I I think I think we expect a lot of ourselves Sure. In doing the right thing, but he really just wants you to be transparent. Yeah. For some that's that's so much that goes on such a long way for the Lord is to just understand that, hey.
Naquan Staton:Like, I am a sinner. Yeah. Therefore, I do need you. And that person what what was the scripture? Like, there was, like, one person that said, oh, I'm glad I'm not like this son, or then the sinner actually said, god, please, I'm a sinner.
Naquan Staton:Have mercy on me.
Amber:I don't remember. Yeah. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:It was like it's like a parable like that that Jesus told.
Amber:Uh-huh.
Naquan Staton:But he was like, which one would the Lord justify? The person that actually just confesses their sin or the person that seemingly doesn't even sin, but has no compassion?
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:And so I yeah. I think that the lord really for the for the sake of relationship, like, because I know you're so well connected to the holy spirit.
Amber:Oh, wow. Because I mean, I'm trying.
Naquan Staton:Right? The way that you speak, you guys are, like, best pals. You know? The the fact that you can have that kind of dialogue consistently shows that the friendship that it just always comes out to a relationship that, you know, he really just wants to know us. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:And that to me, I think, is what the Lord is really after. The sin part is settled. It's true. And we and we do focus on that quite a bit, and I I think it does separate us from the Lord a little bit, but not entirely.
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:So I think it's yes. It's it's our heart state.
Amber:No. It's it's so true. I just did an episode on that, like, a couple a couple episodes ago about heart posture. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Heart posture. That's good.
Amber:The Lord just wants your heart posture. He just wants your heart, and I think it was about I was talking about conviction. That was my topic, and conviction is important because, like, our behavior should be more and more like Christ as we grow, but it doesn't have to be perfect. It's more about our heart posture Yeah. And that, like, we're desiring to be more like Christ, and when we fall short, we run back to him
Naquan Staton:Absolutely.
Amber:And we don't let shame make us turn away from him because we're like, well, I keep going back. Like, I'm sorry. Like, I'm I'm unworthy or, you know, whatever. Like you said, it's settled. It's already paid for.
Amber:He just, at this point, wants your heart, which is a relief because, like, you know, we're not perfect. But to make sure you have the right heart posture, it takes intentionality to do that. It takes it takes a desire to do that, not just sometimes it can be behavior can be a little easier just because you're like, okay, I just need to check off some boxes, and I'm good. Right? Like, heart posture is, no, I want to know you.
Amber:No, I choose to do these things and seek you with all my heart and learn what that means and make sure that you're the first person in my life and consistently always the first person in my life, not just, you know, every Monday through Friday, like or sometimes on Sunday. Like, it has to be every day.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And if we fall short, that's okay, just as long as our desire is still there.
Naquan Staton:Yeah.
Amber:And I I've talked about that, like, about reading scripture, like, being consistent in reading scripture and, like, how to do that practically. And, again, in that episode, I say it's all about your heart. Like, if you don't do it every day, that's okay. Life happens. But, like, it should be a desire of your heart to be in it.
Amber:Yeah. So, like, it should be you should be in scripture more often than not. Mhmm. But if you, like, skip a couple of days, like, it it's okay, because you'll go right back to it once you have a rhythm again, you know. Mhmm.
Amber:And so You're right.
Naquan Staton:You're right.
Amber:Yeah. I
Naquan Staton:remember this is just my private, like, you know, kind of prayer life, and I was, so I mess up, and I'm like, great, Lord. Like, now I gotta start all over again. He's like, no. It's nothing like that. I'm like, what do you mean?
Naquan Staton:He's like, the holy spirit is talking to me. He's like, it's not starting over again. Because of my mind, I kinda think of my relationship with the lord. And I still I'm still guilty of this to this day. Like, I I have to tell myself it's not like this.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm. That it's like a video game in which you're getting to a very high level. And then when you say all of a sudden, you're back to level 1. Yeah. He's like, no.
Naquan Staton:It's literally a path. And it always keeps telling me this, either you're going this way, or you're going this way. Are you running towards me, or you're going the opposite direction?
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:And if you're going the opposite direction, is it because you're ashamed? It's because you're availing going against me, you know? But Yeah. Of whatever reason it is, he's like, that's the way I see it. I just see it as you're my son, and you still have a desire to be with me or you don't.
Naquan Staton:Right. It's it's not levels.
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:You know, it's but I think in life, we I don't know if it's a western thing. Everything's about a level.
Amber:It is. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:Everything's career progression. It it is. And then you think and you materialize your relationship with the Lord and you make it seem that way, like there's levels in Christ. Mhmm. Now this is like glory to glory as Paul says, but, like, a specific level, like, I'm a level 5 bishop.
Naquan Staton:You know, it's it's it's not a thing. Either you just if you're with the Lord and you're seeking him like you said, and you're close, you wanna know his heart, or you don't.
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:And I think it's where he said that. But that's what the Lord shared with me. And I and I kinda subscribe to that. I kinda think that that's more of what it's like.
Amber:Yeah. You know? Mhmm. No. I think that's accurate.
Amber:I think it's not a level thing. You're not, you know, a type, you know, pastor level or whatever. Like, you know, there is no and the same is true for sin too. Like, we think that there's different levels of sin, but the Lord sees sin as all
Naquan Staton:equal. Right? Yeah. That's a good point.
Amber:Yeah. So it's like, why wouldn't he see all us equal then? You know? So even a Christian who has been following him since he was 5 years old and is, like, you know, seventy something, like, he still views that person or that son or daughter the same as somebody who's been a Christian for 5 minutes.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Amen. That's good. Oh, that's good.
Amber:That's good. Yeah. I guess the difference is, like, when you are following Christ longer
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:Then you get that benefit of knowing him a little better, hopefully, at that point. You
Naquan Staton:know? For sure.
Amber:You've been pursuing that relationship and knowing him better and being able to give the wisdom the Lord has given you to that person who's been a Christian for 5 minutes. Right?
Naquan Staton:Yeah.
Amber:Bestowing that that wisdom and what you've learned onto that person. But the thing about the new person is that because they're new, they still have that joy of, like, I just accepted the Lord, that sometimes I feel like veteran Christians, quote unquote, they lose that sometimes. Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:You
Amber:know? They have to remember the 1st day that they gave themselves to the Lord and how amazing that felt, you know? Mhmm. So I think we both can teach each other something. Yeah.
Amber:You know? The new Christian versus the the older Christian. It's funny how this conversation went from fear to, like, levels of Christians, and I love to see how conversations go. But, yeah, I mean, if we wanna steer it back to the fear thing, how do you like, when you face something that's scary Mhmm. How do you cast your fear to the Lord?
Amber:Like, for me, I went through something recently where it was scary and it was awful and I had to grieve through it.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And then I was back in a position where that thing could happen again.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And I knew that, like, the Lord promised me good out of this situation, but I didn't know if it would be this situation or a different situation, like, if that thing would happen again.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And, subconsciously, I was afraid. Mhmm. Like, I had a prophetic dream about it, and that was the Lord telling me, like, you're afraid, and I need you to not be afraid about this thing anymore.
Naquan Staton:Uh-huh.
Amber:And I was like, okay. Wow.
Naquan Staton:To the Holy Spirit. Just got the truth.
Amber:Yeah, and I was like, okay, but what, I always ask the question, but what does that look like? How do I give you my fear that is, like, so subconscious that I'm not even, like, I know it's there, but I'm not like, I'm trying not to think about it. Like, to me, putting away my fear is stuffing it and trying not to think about it, and the Lord's like, yeah, then, no, that's not gonna work, but which is why He gave me that dream, and I'm like, okay, well, so what do you do in that kind of situation of, like, being afraid of something and giving it to the Lord? Like, practically, what does that look like?
Naquan Staton:I think if I'm lucky enough to have, like, a prophetic dream or or a word from the Lord to tell me how this the outcome's gonna be, that's, like, the most tangible thing you can hold on to, to combat any kind of fear, doubt, discouragement. Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes you don't get that. Sometimes you don't get that, and you're just kinda wrestling with, man, here's this thing, and like you said, the past, the Lord was good, and here's some of generic scripture that could apply.
Naquan Staton:But when you have something concrete, the Lord speaking into your life like that, saying this is the promise of the Lord, it'll be okay, that's like a golden ticket. I I don't know.
Amber:Well, yes. You know, it's Yeah.
Naquan Staton:Uh-huh. Well,
Amber:the thing is so I'll just I'll tell you what it is. The the reason why I wasn't, like, describing it was because it's some news that I haven't shared with everybody yet, but that's okay. I'm ready to share it. So, basically, 3 months ago at this point, I had a miscarriage.
Naquan Staton:Okay.
Amber:And it was awful, like, going through that. It was an early miscarriage. I was, like, 5 weeks into it, so I wasn't, like, super early on. But the Lord had told me before I got pregnant the first time was that, you know, you're gonna be an amazing mom. I've seen it.
Amber:Wow. And so I was like, okay. But then I had the miscarriage. Right? And so I was like, okay.
Amber:What do I you know, I want it. Now I want it more than anything. Now that I've been pregnant, like, I really wanna be a mom. Before, I never had the desire. Like, I had a desire, but not like other women.
Amber:I don't know. I just never had the mom, like, bug bite or whatever. But ever since I was pregnant, I was like, no. This is this is what I want. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:It's a possibility. You
Amber:know? Yeah.
Naquan Staton:The idea.
Amber:So I became pregnant again. And, you know, that fear of, like, what if it happens again?
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And,
Naquan Staton:you
Amber:know, I passed the point the point where I had my miscarriage last time. And so I'm like, okay. I'm still okay. Like, I'm still okay. And, like, the Lord was like, you know, you're gonna be mom.
Amber:I've seen it.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:But I don't know if it's gonna be this one or another one, you know? Yeah. So there's that fear of, like, okay, I know it will happen, but is it gonna be this time, Or is it going to be another time? You know? So, like, there's that seed of fear, and the dream that I had was crazy.
Amber:It was I had a dream of a black snake. A little, small. Small black snake. And, it kept biting in between my fingers. Mhmm.
Amber:In between. And, I kept ripping it off, because I wasn't I knew it wasn't poisonous in my dream. I just kept ripping it off and throwing it away. Like, throwing it. And it kept running back and biting me.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And I kept trying to put it in, like, a cage, but it was so small, it kept going through the bars of the cage. Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:And
Amber:so I was like, like, what am I gonna do with this stupid snake? Like and I didn't wanna kill it because it belonged to somebody else. And I was like, I don't wanna get in trouble of killing this person's snake, but it keeps biting me.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And so, like, I finally put it in this, like, mesh bag that it couldn't get out of. And there were other snakes in there, so I put it in there. And then that was it. Mhmm. And I told Eric because I feel like Eric has a gift with dreams, like interpreting dreams.
Amber:So sometimes if I, like, think this dream might have something more to it, I'll tell it to him and be like, do you think this had something to it, or is it just a crazy, like, pregnancy dream? And he's like, no. That felt like something.
Naquan Staton:What did he say?
Amber:Well, he wasn't able to interpret it, but he was like, I think you need to look into it. I think it's definitely something from the Lord. And so I looked it up. There's this website called dreambible.com or something, and you can look up things, and it'll just tell you what those things typically represent in Scripture. And so, black snake represents fear.
Amber:Fear of failure. And being bitten by 1 is that you're gonna fail.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And so I was like, okay. That makes sense. Like, I confirmed it with the Lord of, like, yeah. You're afraid that your body is gonna fail you again. And he's like, you need to take care of that because it's only gonna get bigger.
Amber:That snake will get bigger. And so I was like, okay. And so I'm like, but, Lord, how do I do that? Like, how do I do that? Because I I trust you, but I also know that it might not be this time.
Amber:There's that possibility that it might not be this time. And so, like, how do I navigate that of, like, casting my fear to you and being okay with the results no matter what? You know? Mhmm. And so that was what I was struggling with.
Amber:And the Lord the way that I dealt with it was the Lord's like, you have to pray. And that seems like such a like an easy, almost cop out answer of, like, praying. And I'm like, okay. Yeah, I need to pray. But, like, how do I how do I give that to you?
Amber:And so, he reminded me of how you pray for someone that you have unforgiveness for. So there's this thing in freedom of Christ. I don't know if you've been through it, freedom in Christ. But there's, like, a a whole chapter on how to truly forgive somebody because I've dealt with that several times of, like, I thought I forgave somebody, but the Lord's like, no. You, like, you you said the words.
Amber:You didn't mean it.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And so, like, having to actually go through these steps of, like, this is how this person made me feel. Lord, I wanna feel it one more time. And, like, you just feel the emotions one more time. You give it to the Lord. And then you just say, I forgive this person, and I choose to feel this way towards this person and love them the way that you love them.
Amber:And that's how you kind of get through the unforgiveness or how to truly forgive somebody. And he's like, it's similar to how you cast your fear. Feel the fear one last time and then give it to me. Yeah. And just just live your life without thinking about it.
Amber:Like, just if it pops up again, just give it to me right then and there.
Naquan Staton:If it
Amber:pops up again, you just give it to me again until it's no longer a big thing.
Naquan Staton:Mhmm.
Amber:And that's that just happened last week. Like, that was or, yeah, last week. It was so recent, and it's still, like, something that I'm combating with, but it's not as big of an issue, I think, now as it was last week when I had that dream. But yeah.
Naquan Staton:You know what's comforting? Is that I mean, near the end of that dream, you open up the bag, and you put so, like, you actually execute. Yeah. You're successful in the end.
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:And so I don't know. I think that's that's incredibly encouraging.
Amber:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:But I thought it was very interesting how you said, I didn't get rid of this snake because it belonged to somebody else. Yeah. As if, like, the doubt or the fear was kinda imparted
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:By some other circumstance that you may have gone through, but it didn't belong to you.
Amber:Mhmm. That's true. I've never even thought about that aspect of, like, I can't kill it because it's not mine. Yeah. That's true.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. But it's not yours. Yeah. So why do you have I don't know. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:I don't know. I just thought that was cool.
Amber:Yeah. I
Naquan Staton:don't know.
Amber:No. That is good. I haven't I didn't even think of that aspect of that dream. I just put it in the bag with the other snakes. And Eric was like, well, just make sure that doesn't mean that you're stuffing it again, like, with your other fears.
Amber:And I'm like Yeah.
Naquan Staton:That's good too. Yeah.
Amber:I'm like, well, maybe one of
Naquan Staton:the other peers eats that
Amber:from that one. I don't know. But it's good that the Holy Spirit speaks to me in that way. I mean, normally, like, dreams, that doesn't happen very often, I think. But every once in a while, I'll get a dream that I'll be like, Eric, does this sound like something else?
Amber:Like, this isn't just a crazy dream, right? And he's like, I think there might be something, or, no, that just sounds crazy, and I'm like, okay. It's nice that the Holy Spirit brings those things up before they become big things, you know, Before they become strongholds or, you know, something that will become a bigger issue later. Right?
Naquan Staton:I think it's wonderful to hear how the Holy Spirit communicates with different people.
Amber:Yeah. Actually How does he how does he communicate with you?
Naquan Staton:I've probably only had one prophetic dream Okay. My whole life. And that was really the kids. Like, I I had the 2. Uh-huh.
Naquan Staton:And I remember having a dream with Amory, the oldest, and then Abel the second, and the third one was a spirit that hadn't been born. And it was like, you will have 3. And I was like, oh, okay. And then, like, maybe, like, a month later, Mel was pregnant, you know, and Wow.
Amber:That's so cool.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. It's cool. But that was it. I mean, that's the only that's the only time I ever dreamed something that actually came to be. Yeah.
Amber:Yeah. Well, what is how does he normally speak to you? Is it in thoughts, or through worship, or how does how does he normally
Naquan Staton:This is gonna sound a little funny, but, do you remember well, remember. Have you heard of, like, the Quakers? Yeah. Do you know how they got their name?
Amber:I I can't remember off the top of my head.
Naquan Staton:I'm hoping that this is historically accurate. I was told this by a pastor.
Amber:Okay. So
Naquan Staton:but I never fact checked.
Amber:Okay. That's alright.
Naquan Staton:But, I, when it there were times when they would feel the holy spirit, and it would tremble.
Amber:Oh.
Naquan Staton:And it was like a shaking sensation that would come Yeah. When the lord's presence was available. I get that all the time.
Amber:Wow.
Naquan Staton:I've gotten that since I was baptized in the holy spirit. Yeah. Is that, like, if a word comes, it'll, like, cause me to choke and it it it feels like a download.
Amber:Wow.
Naquan Staton:Like an instant download. Yeah. You know? Even as you were giving your story Uh-huh. The holy spirit said that snake is stout.
Naquan Staton:I was gonna say I was gonna I was gonna be like, hey, is it that but you already, like, expressed that that's exactly what it was,
Amber:you know?
Naquan Staton:But it's it's incredible because I don't even ask for it. It just happens. And there were times I wish that it was a request, you know?
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:But but, yeah, that's the way how he communicates to me, and sometimes it'll be like a download of a picture
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:That I see. Yeah. But I see it in my spirit. I don't see it in my eyes. Sure.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Amber:That's happened to me a couple of times. Not very often. Normally, it's in thoughts at, like, 2 or 3 in the morning. Yeah. It's normally, like, in thoughts and but every once in a while, I'll get a picture.
Amber:Not very often, but and then the dream, even less than that. But I feel like depending on how the urgency of the thing, maybe sometimes he'll he'll do it in different ways
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Yeah. Mhmm.
Amber:You know, of how he'll communicate. I know some people, they they communicate to him through worship. Like Wow. They get words while worshiping, and I don't think I've ever got I think maybe one time that happened, and then Derek, he interrupted me, and then I was very mad. I was like, Derek, I was in the middle of getting something.
Naquan Staton:He's like, how's it sound?
Amber:Yeah. He's like, yeah. Exactly. I'm like, thanks, Derek. Thank you.
Amber:Yeah. I think the Lord try he speaks to all his kids differently. Right? Yeah. And so which is you know, he's gonna speak to you how you receive the best way that you can receive something Yeah.
Amber:Which is comforting to know that, like, okay. Well, maybe I can't do visions. Like, I've asked for visions before, and I haven't gotten them. And I'm like, you know what? Maybe I'm just a little too spiritually, like, sensitive for that.
Amber:Like, I might just freak out. So I think maybe that's why he hasn't given those to me. But Yeah. But, yeah, it's it's just really interesting to see how how he interacts with each of us and how he gives us a word and and intercedes for us.
Naquan Staton:I think it's the intimacy thing too.
Amber:Yeah. That's true.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. How he does it. I think that's going back to the fear thing. Yeah. When when he speaks to you in a language that you understand, I think it's probably the best way to always get over fear.
Amber:Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:I mean, sometimes he speaks in a way that you're like, I'm not familiar with the Lord talking to me this way. Yeah. A lot of times in that those scenarios, I like second guess it. But if it's the way that I normally receive information from the Lord, I'm like, oh, this is from God. I gotta
Amber:Yeah. Yeah. For sure.
Naquan Staton:Yeah.
Amber:Yeah. Mhmm. I know that, like, that trembling thing that you were talking about, like, I've gotten that a couple of times when I've intentionally sought the the the almighty presence of the Lord Mhmm. Because I feel like that's different than, like, the everyday presence of the Lord. There's this book, and I've mentioned it on this podcast before, but it's called The Awe of God Mhmm.
Amber:By John Brevere. He's the one that taught the the class, the Holy Spirit in an introduction. It's the newest book, his latest book that he's come out with. It's really good. I highly recommend it, but he basically talks about the mighty presence of the Lord versus, like, the normal presence of the Lord because the Lord is with us all the time.
Amber:Right? He's omnipresent. He's there. But, like, for Him to reveal Himself in a mighty way, because He is almighty God. Right?
Amber:Yeah. And so, like, a lot of the times we think of the Lord, oh, He's my Father. Oh, I talk to Him like a friend. Oh, you know, whatever, which is great to have that intimacy, but there is also that reverence that we're supposed to have of, like, He's the God that created all creation. Yeah.
Amber:He's the God outside of time. He's the God that's defeated everything. Like, He's king. So, like Exactly.
Naquan Staton:Capital K.
Amber:Yeah, exactly. So, like, we need to have that reverence for him, too. Like, we have to remember who we're in front of, and I think he only, according to this book and from my own experience, he only, like, reveals himself in that way when we are in a state of awe, like, true awe and respect of, like, lord, I request your presence, your almighty presence, and I expect you to come. Wow. And you just wait.
Amber:And then he falls, like that that, he falls on you. Yeah. Mhmm. And like, I experienced that a couple of times. It feels
Naquan Staton:like wait.
Amber:Yes, it's heavy.
Naquan Staton:Yes. Heavy.
Amber:Yes.
Naquan Staton:Yeah, exactly.
Amber:And I've experienced that where with the hands moving, like, whenever I experience him in that way, like, he moves my hands in a way that I'm not, I'm not moving them, he's moving
Naquan Staton:them. Yeah.
Amber:And he always lifts my head up too. Like Oh, wow. I feel like, you know, we always bow our heads, and I don't know if that's something he really wants us to do. I think he wants us to raise our eyes to him, even if our eyes are closed, just to raise our heads to the Lord. Mhmm.
Amber:Because that's the always the posture that he puts me in, is my head raised, and which I always think is interesting. I don't know. I haven't thought too much on that one, but it's just an interesting pose that he
Naquan Staton:he he puts you. A posture to say that you're being uplifted.
Amber:You're o you're open. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Amber:Yeah. Which
Naquan Staton:yeah. I mean, I like that.
Amber:Yeah. So it's it's really interesting. I would suggest that book. It's really good. But it just reminded me of being in that that state of him being almighty, like, and then experiencing him in that way.
Amber:It's very different than, you know, just praying like I normally do in the morning or whatever. It's different than, like, I am choosing to step into this right now, and I expect you to come, and he'll come. He walks your life.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. He does.
Amber:It's crazy. It's a little scary, but it I think it's okay to have that little bit of fear because, like, he is almighty king. So and you get to Do
Naquan Staton:you know who the rapper KB is? Mm-mm. He has a album called, Weight of Glory.
Amber:Okay.
Naquan Staton:And that's that's whenever I feel the holy spirit, it that's the way that I would describe it. Yeah. It's a weight, and it feels like his glory, and it feels like it's almighty, and I just have to have respect for it Yeah. And reverence that.
Amber:Right.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. So the way you described it is exactly how I feel like I would definitely describe it as well. Mhmm. So yeah.
Amber:Yeah. Mhmm. And I know that, like, whenever I pray in the spirit do you pray in the spirit a lot?
Naquan Staton:I don't know if I do.
Amber:You don't know? Okay.
Naquan Staton:I just pray. I couldn't tell you the categories.
Amber:Okay. Well, praying in the spirit is like praying in tongues, but in your heavenly language
Naquan Staton:Okay.
Amber:To to the Lord and in private. It's not for show. It's just between you and the father and you're praying in the spirit. And I've done that. I don't do it as often as I should, but whenever I do it, I have that heaviness around.
Naquan Staton:Yeah.
Amber:And somebody put it I did it with a student, actually, because she wanted to get familiar with that, and so I was like, okay, I just wanna create a safe space for you to kind of like feel comfortable to do that. So, we did it together for, like, 20 minutes, and when we were done, she was like, it feels like I'm waking up from a deep sleep. Like, when
Naquan Staton:we
Amber:came out of it, that heaviness, I was like, that's such a great, beautiful way to put it. Mhmm. Because I always say, like, oh, it's so heavy. And I'm like, like, you know, but it's a good heavy. And she kinda put it in that, like, I'm waking up from a deep sleep, like, you know, type thing.
Amber:And I was like, that's exactly what it feels like.
Naquan Staton:You
Amber:know, that heaviness of your eyes and, like, you're trying to wake up from, like, this I don't wanna say it's a trance, but, like yeah.
Naquan Staton:It is kinda like a trance.
Amber:Yeah. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Because you go into a state that you kinda just meditate.
Amber:Mhmm. And
Naquan Staton:in it, you open yourself up like you described. It feels like you're opening yourself up, but the holy spirit just do whatever he needs to do Yeah. In that moment without interrupting you. Yeah. It is trans like.
Amber:Yeah. Yeah. I I guess that is the correct term for it. Yeah. You know
Naquan Staton:what's you know what's wild is I I went on a trip to Bali, like, as a vacation. Right?
Amber:Uh-huh.
Naquan Staton:And got so much revelation from the lord and a lot of the temple that you go in. And you would see how a lot of the monks would meditate, and it will be transcribed like the paintings on the walls of the temple, which show them literally sitting there and then cutting their heads open. This is gonna sound a little bit, you know
Amber:Alright. Yeah.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. They they would cut their heads open though. Right? And this is the state where they try to reach their whole, you know, Nirvana thing and all knowing and lightening it. And they will open it up so that everything could be received.
Amber:Wow.
Naquan Staton:Yeah. Now for them, it was a lot of spiritual stuff. It wasn't God going in. Yeah. But they would put themselves in a in a state where they were completely still and open to hear what they needed to hear Mhmm.
Naquan Staton:And receive it. Yeah. And how that always stuck with me, because I'm like, man, if Christians do that with God all the time, We'll be totally transformed.
Amber:Yeah. Yeah. Except mine is the cutting of
Naquan Staton:the head. Yeah.
Amber:I'll pass on that.
Naquan Staton:It's crazy. Crazy. Yeah.
Amber:Wow. Well, thank you so much.
Naquan Staton:Oh, yeah. No. Thank you for, like, sharing.
Amber:Yeah. No. Thank you so much for coming on here. I know I just asked you yesterday to come on, and thank you for your yes, for for saying yes and coming on here.
Naquan Staton:You're my friend, Amber.
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:You're my friend, and I want you to know that.
Amber:Thank you.
Naquan Staton:Yeah.
Amber:Thank you. We do miss you. We miss you at our church, so just know that you're missed and and you're loved too. So Guys
Naquan Staton:guys can always come visit me.
Amber:Yeah.
Naquan Staton:The whole group?
Amber:I guess so. We're gonna have to make a, you know, a church field trip. Alright, guys. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this message. I hope this message blesses you.
Amber:If you feel like you wanna share this episode with somebody that it might help, somebody that maybe is struggling with fear or any of the things that we talked about today, you know, share this share this episode with them and and pray over them when you send it and make sure that they they receive it and they receive it well. And if this episode or this podcast has helped you, please give it a rating, you know, share it. It helps with the algorithm and just to be able to reach the people that it needs to reach. Alright, guys, and thank you again, Naquan. It's been awesome to have you on here, so thank you so much.
Amber:It's an honor. Awesome. Alright, guys, we'll see you next week.