Power of Prayer.

March 13, 2011

I LOVE to write. For real. Even now (I’m taking a momentary break from my community engagement essay), I am having a BLAST writing something I don’t even have legitimate interest it. For the love of the language, and syntax, and word choice… AH. I’ll admit it. I’m a grammar geek.

I had QUITE the day.

I was feeling crappy yesterday and went to bed super late… smart, I KNOW. So I was contemplating the pros and cons of going to church. I asked God to wake me up if I was supposed to go.

BAM! 6:45 AM! That gave me plenty of time to shower, do a dance, pick up a bit… I GET IT, GOD, I’LL GO!

So indeed I did.

As my crutches and I stomped into church (I am LOUD with those suckers! And the floor in there echoes. It could have been epic if it was a movie.), I passed one of the head pastors. “Whaht heppened to yo lig?” (<- South African accent, duh) “I fell off a waterfall.” That one always gets a good reaction. “Oh, so it’s a miracle, eh?” They ALWAYS say “eh” at the end of every question. I am bringing that “eh” home, eh? “Yep! It certainly is.” And I hobbled past into a row with my fellow Americans.

The service begins with powerful worship. After, the pastor I walked past gets up and says, “Before the service began, I was talking to a girl who had fallen off of a waterfall, as young people do, and hurt her leg. Where are you, my girl?” I raise my hand. “I just feel like the Lord wants to heal you. Would you mind coming up here? You can bring your crutches. I want people to lay hands on you and pray.”

So up I go. At this point, I am totally nervous. Last week, I was healed for like a second. I didn’t think I could take another tease of a heal. I believed the Lord could do it, of course. Heck, I believe my God can move MOUNTAINS! But I didn’t think He would.

People began praying for me. Some in tongues. I am crying. Why do these people care about me? What have I done for them? I don’t even know them!

After they had been praying for about two minutes, the pastor asks me if I feel any better. Not yet. They pray again. He tells me that he had a vision of Peter stepping out onto the water to walk with Jesus. THAT was the vision I had the week before when my foot began to hurt after it was momentarily healed. WHAT IS THIS?!

He asks me again if it’s better. “No,” I answer honestly and dejectedly. How I WISH it was! And I limp back to my seat. SO depressed.

At this point, I was confused. WHY WASN’T I HEALED?! Did I not have enough faith?! WHAT WAS THE DEAL?!

And I was already feeling icky. Stuffy nose. Runny nose (MY PET PEEVE!!!). My foot was hurting. And THEN, I COULDN’T BREATHE!!!! I WAS SO MAD!!! “Lord! WHY have you forsaken me?! Have I not been faithful to you? Why will you not heal my BREATHING, if not my foot?! Have I done something to displease you Father?! What is going ON?!”

It’s at this point I really can’t breathe. Panic sets in. I want to LEAVE but I CAN’T because of my STUPID CRUTCHES and the BOOM BOOM BOOM of the floor! Shayna gets me water (thanks, love.) I am crying and angry and just… not doing well. The sermon goes on FOREVER. I thought I was going to die in the process.

FINALLY the sermon is over. All I want to do is get out of there. BUT a myriad of concerned church goers come up to me. The man who was sitting next to me got me Tylenol because he thought I was freaking out over pain. So sweet. Then the man who was sitting in front of me comes to tell me he thought God was going to restore my foot over a long period of time, and that I should get X rays. He was in the army and fell on his ankle. By the time he found out how intensely injured it was, it was too late. The damage was irreversible. THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT. I liked my next visitors better.

It was the pastor and the magical woman about a month who got me water when I couldn’t breathe! Remember her? She came up to me and sat down. She said, as I was watching people pray for you, I felt like God was telling me He DID want to heal you. But not physically. He wanted to heal you spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Now, is there anything else that you think you need healing for? I think I know, but I want you to tell me.”

Um. “I can’t breathe a lot of the time?”

“No,” she says. “Do you have a problem with self-esteem?”

Cue tears. “YEP.”

“Alright. I got oil. I want to anoint you. Today is the day the Lord is going to heal you and set you free. He doesn’t give revelations like this without wanting to heal.”

So she begins to pray for me.

She prayed for healing.

She prayed against the spirit of fear.

She prayed that I would see myself the way Christ sees me. Now, I had a vision of myself. Yes, preparing for battle. I was CONFIDENT and STRONG and ready to FIGHT. This is how the Lord sees me. Not as a dainty, insecure little girl. But as a prayer warrior.

She prayed against the spirits of rejection and abandonment. She prayed I would be filled with JOY. Of course. She prayed I would be able to see TRUTH and that the next time I felt fearful I would be able to distinguish the enemy’s LIES. She prayed against nightmares (for those of you who don’t know… nightmares are a HUGE issue with me.) She prayed for my body and for my skin to heal of scars and acne (ok, I’ll take it!) She prayed for my self-esteem. She prophesied that I will show my father more about love when I get home.

She then anointed my lips. “You shall speak the Lord’s words of truth and love. You will prophesy truth into other people’s lives. Nothing you have gone through has been in vain. You will use your experiences to bless other people because you have been there.”

She prayed that I would ONLY listen to God’s opinion and that I would run to HIM, not others, in times of trial and fear.

“Greater is He who is in YOU than he who is in the WORLD. Perfect love casts out all fear.”

She prayed for boldness. She prayed for a righteous anger against the schemes of satan.

She prayed for a vision of the Lord holding me, stroking my hair, and taking care of me.

She said that I don’t have to run from fear any longer. I can REST IN THE LORD and He will fight for me.

She prayed I would be able to accept the unconditional love of Christ.

She prayed against anxiety. She prayed for patience and peace.

She prophesied that the Lord was creating a new HEART in me and that He had given me a spirit of LOVE.

She prophesied that I would be a great leader and that people would always follow me. “That’s just the way it will be.”

She said I will be involved in ministry and that my testimony, what the Father has done for me, will bring many to the Lord.

She prophesied good health. She said my bones and ligaments are being healed currently.

She also prophesied that I will have a Godly husband. She told me not to settle, but to wait for the right man. She told me not to be ashamed of previous, “un-Godly” relationships.

Then this woman brought her friend Kathy over. Kathy does not have an arm, or legs. She has a permanent crutch. She started praying for me. All of a sudden, she goes, “Do you have a desire to sing?”

“YES.” I am SHOCKED.

“I feel that in the past you have felt you weren’t good enough. But God is going to use your voice. You are going to sing healing over people. Your voice will usher so many into the throne room of Christ. Yes, you will usher many into the throne room of Christ with your voice.”

“I see you dancing in front of the Lord.”

“You have great creative abilities. Because you have been afraid in the past, you have not reached the height of your ability. But now, because fear is gone from you, God is going to use your creativity to its full extent now. He has great plans for your creativity.

“You have a desire to travel. You have a longing to be intimate with the Lord and see His true power across the WORLD. You will go and He will use you.”

When they were done changing my life, the magical woman said to me, “You are a very special girl, indeed! The Lord has a huge call on your life. Or else, you wouldn’t be tormented so. Run to the Lord. Use the Word like a weapon. Let Him be everything that you need. You are very special. When I look at you, it’s like looking at a younger version of myself.”

So, just like her, I hope to be able to help others who are like me because of what the Lord has done in my life.

I feel SUCH JOY!!!

I will dance,

I will SING,

To be mad

For my King

Nothing, LORD

Is hindering

This PASSION IN MY SOUL!!

And I will become

Even more undignified than this!

Some may say it’s foolishness

But I will become

Even more undignified than this

Leave my pride by my side

And I will become

Even more undignified than this

Because that’s apart of being fearless. Recklessly abandoning my dignity to praise the LORD.

I’ve found this world to be

Not enough for me

God, I’ll LIVE FOR YOU!!!

Around dinner time, another lightning and thunderstorm!! It was crazy! As I was hobbling up to dinner, I was met with screams of HURRY!!! APPARENTLY metal crutches are NOT positive in an electrical storm! It was obviously slow going with crutches in the RAIN, so big brother Tyler ran down, scooped me up and dumped me in safety. Thanks!

Had a great talk with Lindsay, Heather, and Zach.

Super positive day.

Oh yeah.

Who’s afraid today?

For the first time,

Not me.

PS:

Here is a pic of the lightning we experienced! Photo cred: Tyler.