This is Part 2 of my three part blog, Tips to Future World Racers: how to prepare spiritually for the race.
When learning about the World Race, I got HOOKED on racer's blogs. I learned that there were many different things that had to do with Jesus that I did not know about, or never looked into.
My first piece of advice – be open to ANYTHING the Lord has for you.
Prior to the race, I had never been a prayer warrior & always struggled to find devotional time. I knew who God was, how much He loved us, but could never really grasp the concept. For a long time, & even up to applying for the race, I was into the party scene, yearning for attention from guys, & living to be accepted, liked, loved, & respected. If I was doing something for someone else & they noticed it, I felt a sense of worth. However, throughout this whole process I never quite felt complete. At the end of these nights, there was always a hole, something missing in my life that I yearned for. I always planned on "finding God" when I got married, & raising my children in a Christian household. I was going to get my life together after college, & I believed I would turn into an adult overnight.
It really hit me the night before training camp on October 12. I decided I needed to grow up & get close to God quick, because I thought training camp would be a bunch of Bible kids who could spit out Bible verses, pray the right way, & be completely comfortable ministering to people. As I was packing, I took a break & for the first time in my life, I had a date with Jesus. I prayed for 3 hours straight, & it seemed like 10 minutes!! Ha ha it was so cool. As I laid there on my bed, I closed my eyes & asked, "God, what do you think of me?" The second I closed my eyes, I saw this little green dot. Ha a green dot? What in the world. That doesn't mean anything.
Instead of just throwing it out the window, I challenged myself & accepted it. "Ok God, I accept that, what else?" The second I accepted the vision… He gave me more! I started to see more green dots, & begin to understand them as seeds. It wasn't that I heard God's voice telling me, "Sarah, they are seeds," I just knew it. It was like Jesus was telling me He had trust in me that I would be planting these seeds, & that His kingdom would be growing through me, because of me! I knew Jesus spoke in parables in the Bible, so I accepted it as encouragement & us having a two way conversation. Ha ha how awesome! I thought only I could talk to Jesus.
Since that moment, I've had tons & tons of things happen like that — God is so good!! I don't want to freak you out cause some people aren't as open to visions & talking to Jesus as others — everyone on the race is on a different journey & communication with the Lord. So I just encourage you to find the way He communicates with you, then challenge yourself to understand Him more!
(Side Note: training camp was NOT a bunch of Bible kids like I expected. Everyone had the exact same or WORSE struggles that I've had in my life. It was like coming home to my long lost family of best friends. I loved them. Do not be intimidated by training camp — its awesome!!)
Second bit of advice — get in the WORD!
One chapter of the Bible that has stuck to me since training camp is John 14 — but particularly John 14:12-14. I never really studied the Bible before the race, & until this verse, I never understood the power and authority I've (we've) been given as daughters (and sons) in Christ. It says "Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and GREATER works than these He will do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I WILL do it!" So because I was taking steps of faith like the green seed vision — I began to read this verse a little different. It says we will do greater things than Jesus… haha WHAT? You mean the living God we can do greater things than? No way. Jesus healed the blind, the lame, & rose Lazarus from the dead. That makes no sense. But, ok I'll go out on a limb again. Anything we ask in His name will be given to me. Ok then, let's test this out.
A couple weeks before leaving on the World Race, I was housesitting three little boys in my hometown. I had prayed for people at training camp a couple weeks prior — but decided to try out having blind faith & pray for more physical healing. The family I was housesitting for had an older lady who came & ironed their clothes once a week. She usually sat at the kitchen table all day working. One day, I noticed as she got up to get a glass of water that she had a HUGE limp. Something in me screamed, PRAY FOR HER… so I jumped on it. I said, "Excuse me, can I please pray for your knee?" "Sure, sugar, you can pray anytime." "No, ha ha I really want to pray now. Can I put my hand on it?" She shook her head in acceptance, with a confused grin. So I bent down & said, "I believe you are going to be healed (first step in making the enemy leave — speak your belief). Enemy I command you out in Jesus name. You are not welcome here, this is a temple of the Lord, a beautiful daughter of Christ." It felt so weird to me, & I didn't really know if I'd see actual physical healing.
I stood up, asked how her knee felt, a& she said, "GREAT!" Ha ha she started moving it around, & noticed a major change. No more limping! Yes JESUS! Haha. So I talked to her a little bit of how much Jesus loves her, explained John 14:14, & the authority we have as His sons & daughters over the enemy. (John 1:12-13) I noticed as she was leaving that she did not limp at all, & she could walk down the stairs without holding onto anything. I was amazed. I don't know how you feel about that, or if you even believe. It doesn't matter! Like I said, everyone is on their own spiritual journey with the Lord, everyone has different spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12). It's ok wherever you are with Him! All He wants is your love, your faith, your trust. Once He's got that, he will begin to give you more & more & more!!
(Some encouragement– if you ever do pray for someone for physical healing, know that the Lord is ALWAYS working. Whether it be a onlooker who is just seeing you love that person, actual changing of the person's heart you are praying for, or actual physical healing… the Lord is ALWAYS working whenever you pray for someone. I've prayed plenty of times & haven't seen physical healing, but I have seen onlookers come to Christ because I showed love to someone.)
Third bit of advice — SEEK OUT YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS!
One thing I've come to know is what 1 Corinthians 14:1 says: Earnestly DESIRE spiritual gifts. All we have to do is ask like it says in John 14: ask, & you shall receive. So I've been praying & asking for more on a daily basis. If you read what the spiritual gifts are, I've walked into prophecy, gifts of healing, the ability to distinguish spirits, and even tongues. But just be encouraged — I did not understand what ANY of those meant prior to training camp. Some people walk strongly in them at training camp & it may freak you out a bit if you don't know what they are — but I encourage you not to be!! Be open to whatever the Lord has for you.
So there's a little excerpt of my mind ha ha. That barely even touches the surface if you can imagine. JESUS has changed my life. He loves us so much. The more you seek Him too — the more you will walk in His favor. You'll begin to see blessings in your life you haven't seen before — or just never recognizing those blessings as Him. He's so good to us! I hope that answers some things.
Read ahead to next blog, (Part 3: Spiritual Life on the World Race)
