Karate Chopping The Devil!
Payback. That’s what I think of every time I get to partner with God for healing. I’m paying back the devil for what he did to Bert. I have always loved participating in showing God’s love for people through healing but it has developed into more than an expression of love. It has become a double edged sword in my hand against what the devil is doing to people and, frankly, I like to think of it as exposing and disarming a bully.
Please Pick Me
Yesterday, several of our local churches came together to pray for our community and region. As part of the service, there was an invitation to receive healing prayer. The pastors formed a prayer line in front of the stage. You know, right where the speakers are so you have to yell your prayers. I always have a moment of panic when we’re called to line up with the other pastors. Visions of being picked last for sports as a kid always flash through my mind and being a woman in a line of men almost always means that I will be avoided until there is no other choice. It’s a process that has forced me to deal with insecurities and small offenses and receive my own healing throughout my years of ministry.
As we waited for people to respond to the invitation for healing, I could feel excitement stirring in my spirit. I knew God was going to allow me to participate in this miracle of restoration and love and His spirit was present for healing.
On A Scale of 1 to 10
I was happy to see an acquaintance come forward for healing. We’ve got a little history and he didn’t hesitate to approach me. I asked what he needed prayer for and he responded that he had an incurable condition in his blood. He couldn’t remember what the doctor called it. Hmmm. Not much to work with. No measurable indications of healing, no directly addressing the disease. After taking a moment to listen to God, I prayed as He directed me to and then asked Pete if he had experienced anything. There is no way to field test a blood disease. No pain scale of 1 to 10 – no new mobility. Again, I asked Pete if he’d felt anything during our prayer.
“Yes,” he said. “My heart started beating really fast and I felt warmth throughout my body.”
“I believe that was your body responding to the Holy Spirit healing you,” I responded. “Let’s thank him and invite more to come.” We prayed again, hugged and he returned to the field.
Next in line was a lovely young woman waiting for prayer. Again, I started the interview asking what she needed prayer for and she responded that her mind was under attack. By now the band was really feeling inspired and it was difficult to pray with sensitivity as you had to shout to be heard. I immediately sensed there were issues of unforgiveness to be dealt with but I had no time to teach on the dynamics of choosing forgiveness. This was no time for an inner healing session so I checked with the Lord what to do. In spite of my misgivings, He gave me directions for an abbreviated session and so I leaned in to her personal space in order to be heard. Let me just interject how important it is to carry breath mints. I never remember to and inevitably regret it. I began praying that my breath would not slay her in the spirit.
I told her we would ask Jesus to help us. I had her repeat after me as I asked Father God questions to direct us to freedom from the oppression she was experiencing.
“Father God, what is the source of this attack on her mind?”
She responded that it was a certain time in her life. I had her ask if there were people from that time she needed to release to him for judgement. She was hearing easily and clearly. “Yes,” she said. There were two specific people. So I led her through a simple prayer of releasing them to God for justice. Having dealt with the open door of unforgiveness, I released peace over her thoughts and sealed that peace with the blood of Jesus. She was smiling, her eyes glistening with tears ready to spill out. “How do you feel?” I asked. “Any difference?”
“I feel peace,” she said.
I gave her some simple instructions on how to fight back if the devil tried to tempt her back into opening that door again. Returning to the field, she looked lighter.
My final prayer opportunity was for a friend who had hurt her ankle. Finally, something I could measure tangible progress with! However, I’m still not sure how effective my prayer was because she kept saying, “I’m sure it’s fine.” Which sounds more like faith than fact. Oh well.
Faith Upgrade
As I was processing with the Lord this morning, I expressed my disappointment at not getting to press in for the drama of someone’s sight being restored or broken bone healed. Please hear my heart in this before you judge me. Our church has had a vision for healing in our community for almost 20 years. We have been bold to go after healing at almost every opportunity. We know what’s possible and long for it to be received in our region. So my disappointment was more than just a personal desire to showboat. (Although, I do have a little of that in me. Not really a showboat but maybe a tugboat.) His response has arrested my thoughts and I keep returning to His words to me.
“Nancy,” He said. “Your colleagues have faith for seeing healing. The people I directed to you needed someone who had faith for the invisible and immeasurable.”
I kind of feel like I just got promoted.
Prayer Matters
Today I’m praying the creative people in the business sector. I’m praying they will receive revelation in such a way that they will release solutions that don’t just fix problems but build on and improve the original condition. I’m praying for believers to be placed in place of influence in the business field. To release the truth of God’s love to the people they have influence with so that genius would serve a greater purpose than just creating wealth.
Thanks for reading my article today. What are you praying for today? Please recommend and share my blog on your social media. There are share buttons at the beginning of each article. You can also subscribe for email notifications of new articles. Leave a comment so I can partner with you in prayer or just let me know what you think of this article.