Yesterday God used my seemingly insignificant and simple words to speak to the hearts of men in a drug and alcohol rehab center. Eliazar, our local contact in Mexico, asked who would be interested in going and speaking at the rehab center and immediately I knew I was supposed to go. I asked Josh and we decided we would go, but I assumed Josh would be the one preaching and I would just pray over the people for healing and restoration. So, that morning I kept praying and reading the word asking God to reveal a message for Josh to preach as he read and prayed beside me in the tent.
Then, Eliazar came to get us with neither of us confident of what the Lord wanted to speak. As soon as we arrived and sat down, the Lord began to speak to me, revealing His heart for His children. He wanted me to remind them that He is their Heavenly Father and that He is not a reflection of their view of their earthly Father. So, when we were asked to give the message we both went to the front. I was very hesitant and Josh began sharing his testimony. I was relieved thinking I was off the hook. But, no. Eliazar handed me the mic and I just began talking. It was not eloquent and the words were simple, but they just kept flowing.
I began by saying, “some of you had absent fathers and your view of God is that of a distant God who does not want a personal relationship with you, but this is not true about your heavenly Father. Some of you had angry fathers and therefore you think God is a God of wrath and justice, but this is not true about your heavenly Father. Some of you had earthly fathers that spoke horrible things over you, but those are just lies. Your Father in heaven is a Father who loves you and eagerly and passionately wants a relationship with you. He is a father who is not angry with you when you mess up, but comes and in your hurting picks you up and loves you unconditionally and with grace. He is a Father who speaks life over you and has an incredible purpose for your life” Then we sat down and as soon as I started thinking about the words that I spoke I felt the lies creep in, “oh that was not good, oh you could of said this and that, etc…”
Then, after some more time of preaching from the pastor Josh and I got the opportunity to pray for these men. Almost every single man there came forward for prayer. Josh handed me the mic and I began to pray for restoration and healing, that the lies that have been spoken over them would be bound, that the roots of addiction would be completely cut out of them and for freedom and joy, etc… I continued to speak the words the Lord gave me over them. It was a powerful time as the Holy Spirit poured out of me.
After the time of prayer God began to speak to me about one boy in particular, Jose Angel, which I will write about later. On our drive home Eliazar shared with me that what I spoke about was so unbelievable. I thought, “What did I even say that was so great?” And, he proceeded to tell me that the message that he spoke about in Spanish that morning before I got up to speak was on the EXACT SAME THING. That everything I said just confirmed and added to where he has just left off. WHAT THE HECK?!!!! I smiled in unbelief and thanks that God would use me in such a way even when I doubted and felt that my words were insignificant. And, you know it has to be God when someone is speaking in a different language and God gives both people the same message. WOW. God is incredible!
