Thursday afternoon our team went downtown in Sluknov to a church service designed specifically for the men at the Teen Challenge center, and those in the community who have gone/are going through the program. Peter (our contact + head of the center) allotted us time to speak. After a little collaboration, Lucas and I were empowered by our lovely teammates to share about the World Race and our hearts for ministry this month in the Czech. We decided to tag-team our speaking time – and the Lord quickly reminded me that we should always be prepared to share and speak what He wants us too. Sometimes this looks smooth and is a comfortable thing to operate in – and sometimes it means stopping mid-sentence because the Lord highlights something for you to hone in on – or to forget a thought and move to another one. Today I found myself speaking about the commission in Matthew 10 to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and bring the Kingdom in Jesus name…” when the Lord prodded my heart to call people forward for prayer.
My thought out loud went something like, “We believe the Lord can heal and bring restoration. We’ve seen the Lord do this in Haiti, in the Dominican Republic, and in our own lives. We believe He can and wants to brine healing to the Czech Republic, to your lives, and to your community…so if any of you feels like you want prayer for anything – mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally…please come forward and my team and I are going to lay hands on you and believe in Jesus name for your healing.” It was as simple as that, and as I set the microphone down, people were moving toward me and my teammates were whispering thanks for the advanced warning. We prayed for two men and a woman who was pregnant. She asked for prayer for her mind – and the Lord showed us His heart for the baby inside her belly. Though this woman spoke complete Czech – she nodded her head in agreement and kept saying “yes” as we prayed for her baby. It was beautiful and humbling. I couldn’t help but smile and rejoice in the Lord’s direction for this service.
One person in particular who caught my attention was a little boy who came all by himself to the front. He stood and waited as we prayed over the men – and when it was his turn he looked at me with his big brown eyes and said something matter-of-factly in Czech. I turned to see what our translator David had to say about this. He repeated what the boy said, “I am an epileptic”. Squatting down to look his 2.5 feet frame in the eyes, I motioned for his hand and he smiled, placing it in mine. I thanked Jesus for this little boy’s faith and couldn’t help but laugh as I prayed for him. He cracked a smile several times as I prayed and I could see the joy of the Lord welling up inside of him. His boldness and faith to come forward and believe Jesus has the power to heal him blew me away – filling me with a strange sense of joy and overwhelming desire to weep all at once. With my other hand on his tummy, I felt the Lord releasing His peace and strength into this little boy. What great cause to rejoice in our Maker, a God who is our Healer, Provider, and the Almighty King of Kings. I discovered after praying for him that his name is Michal (or Micheal) and I trust the Lord is protecting and strengthening Him day by day. I believe this little boy is healed in Jesus’ name. Michal’s childlike faith inspires me!!
