I am discovering firsthand that prayer is one of the most powerful tools God has given us.
Most of my life, I have prayed safe prayers. I have prayed with an attitude that tells God “take it or leave it.” I have prayed without expecting God to move. I have never fought while in prayer.
This month God has stripped me of my old way of praying.
Here’s what’s happened since…
My lifetime of stomach pains have yet to return.
God healed a man’s blind eye through the hands of my teammate and I.
Demons have been cast out of rooms and of people.
My team decided to do a three-day fast. Having never skipped a meal in my life because of my stomach problems, I was extremely anxious to participate. Even though God had delivered me from my stomach pains, doubt kept creeping into my mind. In addition to my stomach pains, my body has always gotten weak when I don’t eat meals on time. My hands begin shaking profusely, my legs go weak, and if I wait long enough, dizziness begins to fill my head.
The day before the fast, I experienced the dizziness, the shaking, and the weakness. And all of these symptoms took place in my body when I was eating three meals a day at regular hours. The only thing that went through my mind was, “I’m feeling this way with food! How will I ever manage with nothing in my body to give me energy?“
But God told me over and over, “I want you to rely on Me. I will sustain you.” So the only thing I put in my body for three days was water and juice.
Those three days were devoted to God in prayer. And not once did I experience dizziness, shakiness, or weakness. Not once did I experience stomach pains. Not once did I experience hunger pains.
My team was preparing to visit Garrissa, a small Islamic community. We discovered they were experiencing a drought, so we prayed for rain. The day we arrived, it rained.
My team worked at a medical camp held in the Kibera slum. While some of my teammates sorted through medicine, I was told to pray for healing for the people waiting in line to receive medicine. My ministry contact told me that we needed to pray for healing so people wouldn’t have to receive medicine and could go home! As he told me this, I thought to myself, “Oh wow, this is going to take boldness and faith and faith and more faith.“
My teammate Ashley and I were led to a group of five teenage boys. Moses had bronchitis, Simon had stomach pains, Nicholas had difficulty seeing out of one eye, Stormy had a twisted neck and stomach pains, and Michael had a disease that caused white spots on his head.
First we prayed for them altogether and then prayed for each one individually. After we prayed for Moses several times, his bronchitis disappeared. The more we prayed for Simon, the less stomach pain he felt. After our third or fourth prayer for him, his stomach pain disappeared. 
After we prayed for Nicholas several times, he said he still couldn’t see out of his bad eye. Ashley and I didn’t stop praying until he was able to tell us how many fingers we were holding up when his good eye was covered. Stormy was able to move his neck a little further than before, and though we didn’t see the healing results of Michael’s disease, I believe God will heal him soon.
Prayer has birthed passion in me. Prayer has brought me intimacy with my Father. Prayer has helped me walk in boldness. Prayer has made me realize that nothing is too big of a task for God. Prayer has given me faith.
Prayer is one of the most POWERFUL tools God has given us!
