Sometimes you don’t realize you’ve been imprisoning God in your life, until He decides to bust out. Day 3 of Training Camp Jesus made a break for it.
The first few days of camp were flooded with teaching. One message in particular was on healing. For as many times as I’ve prayed for healing, it’s a topic I struggle with. Over time I’ve built up prison walls of doubt, disbelief, and unanswered prayers. Listening to the talk made me uncomfortable—because I’ve been experiencing a new found intimacy—and intimacy and walls don’t get along.
Towards the end of the talk we were asked if someone would like to come forward for healing prayer. Hands shot up and a young woman walked forward. Meanwhile my soul wrestled hopeful faith with potential disappointment and unbelief. We watched as a team prayed blessing and healing over the her scoliosis. We prayed too, and we watched as she sat up, straighter than ever before, pain free! Talk about stoked. Walls were starting to crumble. Freedom was pouring out over a pavilion full of young men and women eager to serve the Kingdom. The speaker told us to break into groups and pray over one another. We circled up and my friend Myles asked if we would pray for his knee. Myles had twisted it days before on the man hike and was currently trying to fend off the pain with a brace. Stacking hands on his knee, four high, we prayed blessing over him with eyes wide open. We waited for God to speak to us—and out of nowhere I started to cry. I don’t typically cry, but there’s something indescribably wonderful about the glimpse of the Father’s heart I felt. It was overcoming.
Here’s the thing: I had read Myles’ blog—I’d read his testimony of how God had rescued him from years of serious drug and alcohol abuse. I’d walked with him as he threw up in the first mile of the man hike. Through the tears, I relayed what I God put on my heart:
“God wants you to surrender up the doubt that He will not heal your body. He doesn’t just want to heal you spiritually. He wants to restore you emotionally AND physically.”
Myles had only just caught the tail end of the healing message, because he’d been (unknown to us) in a 1 on 1 staff interview to discern if he was healthy enough to go on the Race. The conversation stirred up anxiety and doubt. We had no idea, but Jesus did.
Jesus is fully aware of our brokenness, and fully prepared to meet us there. As Myles arose I quickly realized God had healed (at least) 2 hearts and 1 knee. He is real and He is good!
Jesus didn’t do His ministry out of His divinity but rather out of Spirit filled humanity. It’s the very same Spirit filled humanity He is inviting us into; the very same intimacy which heals hearts by tearing down walls. As long as we imprison Christ in our lives, we imprison ourselves from the joy of experiencing His heart.
Love, break down our walls.
