There aren’t a lot of things I am very sure of in life. There aren’t a lot of things I would say I believe with 100% certainty. Life is tricky and things changes. The only constant I know to be true in my life is God is who he says he is. In the process of applying for the race and waiting for launch I only had one real expectation of my purpose: intercession. The race is full of uncertainties. My role as a squad mate is often times unclear. How God wants to use me and what ministry is supposed to look like is something that isn’t set before me, its discovered, day by day.
I had a moment on a previous trip where I was able to see God heal a little girl right in front of me and all I could think the entire time while praying is “this is all I want to do”. I love praying and I love seeing God do miracles. I have witnessed two miraculous physical healings in my own life and I am a living testament to God’s healing power. It does something in me so deeply to be able to lay hands on the sick or the hurting and call things into existence.
Throughout the first month in the Ivory Coast I battled with feeling like we didn’t do enough. But I had to be reminded that it is GOD who does the work on my behalf. Even if I were to be locked in a prison I know that it would be God that works on my behalf and my prayers are powerful. Because of my testimony I was lead to empower my team to believe in God’s healing power. I have also been encouraged by my squad mates to pray specific prayers and ask for more of God.
Just a few testaments to answered prayers:
—I decided to instigate praying over my teammate Princess Jenna every night for her nightmares and sleepwalking. She has slept soundly every night since. She told our squad “I can’t remember the last time I had a span this consistent of no sleepwalking”
—My other friend Emily also had night terrors that have plagued her most of her life. Every night I would find myself to lay hands on her and declare healing over her mind and a restoration to her sleep. There were only 2 nights in the month that I didn’t pray for her and those were the only two nights she had nightmares. Now I have seen her grow as she prays powerful over herself declaring her healing.
—-A friend of a squadmate was in a motorcycle accident and was said he wasn’t gonna make it. 90 minutes later they responded saying despite crashing going 120 MPH, miraculously, he was stable with NO BROKEN BONES.
— We also prayed for a squadmate’s Aunt who had a tumor the size of a melon on her lung and was told there was no chance of change. Before we even ate lunch we were told she found out she is doing well and the tumor is shrinking.
—After sharing the testimonies of Emily and Jenna with the squad and how I feel commissioned to pray, God woke me up at 4 a.m. for a divine appointment.* I woke up and heard a whole team praying in their room. When I knocked and entered they told me they were about to come and wake me up to pray. We prayed against evil spirits and various illnesses. We did prophetic worship and God’s spirit filled the room as we prayed until morning.
*(come to find out later God also woke up 2 of my teammates, all of us within 15 minute intervals, and they were unknowingly interceding at the same time from their rooms)
—While praying for spiritual gifts for my friend Kelli, God gave me a word for her. I was able to pray for God to release pressures in her life from back home and remove burdens she wasn’t meant to carry. She experienced a literal weight lifted from her shoulders and I believe that it will allow her to lift her hands to the heavens to receive more of God.
—My squad leader Jami and I went on a walk so I could share all the ways God was moving. She had it on her heart to be able to say goodbye to one of the men we worked with named Christian.* She had been praying about being able to hear his testimony and have an opportunity to say goodbye. We turned the corner and almost ran right into him! We were able to sit with him while he preached an entire sermon to us! We were able to hear his heart and we prayed with him and heard his testimony. He prophesied great things over our squad and prayed many blessings over us
*At the same time we were walking our friend Joni, who worked with him the most, prayed that if she couldn’t say goodbye to him that God would send someone his way and encourage him.
^^ALL OF THAT WAS JUST THE FIRST MONTH!
I have been so encouraged to realize that I am stepping into exactly what God has called me to do. I am constantly flabbergasted at how perfect God’s timing is. He orchestrates all things and He is working behind the scenes at every moment. He hears our prayers and He shows up. I have had many seasons where I don’t understand why things don’t turn out the way I had hoped but I know that my God hears me. I know he cares for me. Not every person I lay hands on gets healed. I don’t know why things happen the way they do. I don’t know what I am doing everyday yet I know what God has called me to do. He has answered my prayers and proved He is sovereign. It’s not up to me to know where I am going, I am only here to do His will. And let me tell you…there is nothing like being exactly where God wants you to be.
