The Right Prayer Partner

[Farine]

In sleeping on the thoughts of a response, the hope was that in the morning the reply would be prepared. Maybe the quietness in my soul is the best reply. Peace. It's certainly not the absence of challenges. I had a dispute with my sister hours ago. The requirement to fix everything and manage and put my hand to all these matters is off of me.

What I really enjoyed about your reply aside from the adept wordsmithing skills you employ, is the pulsing beat of love through the prose. The sacred experience of your baptism echoes through your demanding career years and even now sounds in the concerns that your life was well spent.

There are some memories that are so precious they are not said. In this case, I want to gift you with one. I've thought about the implications of others reading it and have decided that's okay too.

There was one period of my life when God came near in visions and other revelations. Then there was a long period when God felt distant and silent. I asked God to please come near again. The vision was while I was awake.

It started with the sound of applause from a large group of people. The visual scene was of saints and angels in heaven clapping for me. As I began to look at the faces of those around me, I realized that I knew some of them. They were family who had already gone to Heaven. My Grandfather on my Dad's side approached me. The rest of the crowd thinned until it was just him and me.

"Tell your father, my son, that when it's his time to go, I'll be there." And then the vision was over. Normal earthly awareness returned. I felt the pressure to call my father and tell him that message.

My Dad started to weep. "I'm not afraid now." He said. Then he related how he and his brother kept vigil when his own Dad was dying. Close to the end, my father said "When it's my time to die, I want you to be there to guide me through." With breaths happening so infrequently, my father wasn't sure this request had been heard. I have to be honest, that I wanted the contact with God for my own benefit. God's purposes reach past ourselves to bless others. That's something I hadn't realized.

What I loved about the eulogy for Dolly was how loving and giving reached past her to all these people. It doesn't surprise me that the Holy Spirit was there in a powerful way. My Dad didn't know he had been heard. You aren't sure some of your ministry efforts bore fruit. It's God who takes these poor offerings, these feeble efforts to bless and multiply them. Our life. His work. To God be the Glory for the things He has done.

 

[Deadworm]

Farine, thank you for sharing your vision. You might be interested in my thread "NDEs and ADCs: Awesome Verifications" (in the "Christian Apologetics" section) which recounts similar testimonies. See especially post #2, 6-8 on p. 1; #34 on p.2; #48 on p. 3; #65-70 on p. 4.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost famously features speaking in tongues. But visions like yours are also part of the Joel prophecy fulfilled that day (see Acts 2:17).

ARE YOU A BLESSING MACHINE?

My friend Lloyd helps supervise several youth centers. One day, the subject of Kathryn Kuhlman came up and Lloyd shared his friend's testimony. The friend was a hardened atheist, with no interest in spiritual things. One day, he went shopping in a crowded mall. He accidentally bumped into a lady, who braced him, smiling. Without giving the collision a 2nd thought, he bought his goods and went home. Only, he suddenly became obsessed with the question of whether he needed a relationship with God for his life to be truly meaningful. Soon, he was gloriously converted and is now a committed Christian.

Years later, he saw a video of Kathryn Kuhlman and it suddenly dawned on him that she was the woman in his collision years earlier. In her healing ministry, Kathryn loves to bless people through the laying on of hands. In my year at Fuller Seminary, I twice went to see her at the LA Shrine Auditorium, the former site of the Academy Awards. My Aussie friend, Sam, and I had to be there an hour early to get 1 of the 9,000 seats. But Sam suddenly said, "Let's sit on the platform with the ministers!" I was hesitant because we were just first-year seminarians, but I agreed.

During the meeting, KK suddenly wheeled around, laughed, and exclaimed: "Look at all these DEAD ministers! I think they need to be blessed, don't you?" The audience roared their approval, but I cringed. KK began to gently touch the 65 ministers on the forehead. It was like her touch electricuted them, and they all fell off their chairs, face-down on the platform! Soon she approached Sam and I, who were sitting at the end of the long row. I braced myself, when suddenly, without looking in our direction, she listened to the Spirit and stopped! How could she sense my apprehension?

To bless means to confer divine favor. Some Christians divide their neighborhood into sections and regularly walk down their streets, blessing the homes they pass. Jesus said: "Bless those who curse you; pray for those who abuse you (Luke 6:28)." Paul echoes Jesus' teaching: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them (Romans 12:14)." So I ask you, are you a blessing machine like Kathryn?

 

[musicalpilgrim]

To bless means to confer divine favor. Some Christians divide their neighborhood into sections and regularly walk down their streets, blessing the homes they pass.

Thank you for this...I regularly walk round my neighborhood for exercise, in future I shall bless the homes as I pass. One family stood out this evening as I passed and I felt a distinct prompting to pray for the lady standing in her doorway...

 

[Farine]

You are certainly full of wonderful stories. It's been a privilege to sit and listen.

Here's the issue I have with your question "Are you a Blessing Machine?" There's a timing question to it. I see it in my spirit. The preparation has been intense and geared in that direction. If I were to answer from the Heavenly perspective which is not related to time, I would say "Yes." On the earthly, time-bound side, I'm still a student. "No? Not yet?" /shrug

There's something about your openness that pulls on me. And life itself demands. I just had a terribly difficult conversation with my husband about finances. I don't know how people cope who aren't able to discuss these issues with God. This double vision can be very frustrating. I see the every-day life struggles with the same clarity that everyone else does. I also see there are real world things in my spirit that God is developing. There are books in my spirit. A radio ministry. A lot of traveling. Speaking to groups. And I really do believe this: There's a revival in my spirit.

And here's the humorous part. At present, nobody sees me that way. All the encounters that I've had with God are quite pointed. He's convinced. Apparently that's the only permission I need. Finding people who would believe me so I could share the blessing that was deposited in my life, now that's the thing. I could tell tales that would curl your toes. Maybe that's not what God wants. /tilts head. You seem to have some familiarity with this topic. If you have light to shed on this, by all means, please.

 

[Deadworm]

Farine, perhaps you might reflect on (1) Jesus' horrid 40 day period of testing (after His vision of the Holy Spirit as a descending dove) before He could begin His ministry and (2) Paul's early discouragement from persecution that made him quit the ministry and return to Tarsus (until Barnabas hunted him down, encouraged him, and brought him to Antioch--and the rest is history). I have noticed and experienced spiritual attack and discord immediately after a period of incredible blessing and miracles! Before we formed our current prayer group, one couple had been involved in a spiritual warfare prayer group. Every member of that group was viciously attacked by Satan. The group leader left the church due to a false sexual accusation; and the controversy forced the pastor to leave! When we develop our gifts and our spiritual maturity, we make ourselves more dangerous to the forces of evil; so we get attacked; and we need to learn to view ourselves as spiritual warriors.

Musicalpilgrim owns the movie "The War Room" and has subsequently created her own "war room!" LOL! I need to clear out the junk in my closet and create my own war room. Have you seen that movie yet, Farine?

 

[Deadworm]

While I was a Princeton seminary student, my parents and brother went to hear a soft-spoken preacher named Rev. Hart. None of the larger churches would host him; so he preached at a smelly rescue mission, but drew a good crowd. I've noticed that often the most gifted ministers have no respect from the church establishment!

Anyway, after preaching, Rev. Hart started exercising "the word of knowledge" to heal. He had never met my family, but he picked my Mom out of the crowd and said, "Dear, you're experiencing pain from calcium deposits in your shoulder. [True!] Well, the Lord has just taken care of that!" Mom was instantly healed! Then he pointed to my brother, who was attending med school, and said: "You have pain due to kidney problems." My brother was about to deny that, when Rev. Hart continued, "The symptom is a constant stabbing pain in the small of your back." [True!] "Well, the Lord has healed you." [also true!]

After the service, Mom raced after Rev. Hart as he was walking to his car. She was worried about me. She thought Princeton was making me too liberal! Now keep in mind that I only heard this story after I returned home to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada for Christmas vacation. So as Mom related her experience, I was nervous about God denouncing me through Rev. Hart and my Mom using this as a weapon.
But before Mom could say anything, Rev. Hart wheeled around and said: "You're worried about your son back in the States, aren't you?" My heart was pounding as Mom dramatically told this story! Rev. Hart then paused, listening for a word from the Holy Spirit. Finally, he smiled and said: "Well, he's all right; so don't worry." Needless to say, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Later on that Christmas visit, over nothing significant, Mom said out of the blue, "See, I told you that you were getting liberal!" I replied, "Mom, you just heard a word from God that I was OK and wasn't getting too liberal!" She smiled sweetly and replied: "Oh, what does he know?" That witty reply is my all-time favorite cute comment from my Mom. She died from a stroke last year, and I shared this story at the memorial service. Clearly, Rev. Hart was the right prayer partner for my family.

An interesting addendum: At the service, Rev. Hart announced that he was retiring from the ministry because it took so many hours of daily prayer to keep his gift active and he felt that that he was getting too old to endure the strain of these prayer vigils!

 

[Farine]

Farine, perhaps you might reflect on (1) Jesus' horrid 40 day period of testing (after His vision of the Holy Spirit as a descending dove) before He could begin His ministry and (2) Paul's early discouragement from persecution that made him quit the ministry and return to Tarsus (until Barnabas hunted him down, encouraged him, and brought him to Antioch--and the rest is history). .... Have you seen that movie yet, Farine?

No, I have not yet seen the movie. It's possible to obtain from the library. My finances are .. interesting... The checking out of the library is free ... it's on hold at the moment. I acknowledge that I am meant to watch it.

A few things of note from your response [TRUE!] by the way. Yes, I have noticed disruptions of various kinds. Because I write, having finger joint pain is problematic. I prayed over them and they are not painful now. I did sprain my pinky finger on the left hand awhile back. It hurts to use it on the keyboard.. so i've been taking a lot of breaks and moving to writing on ledger paper with my dominant (right) hand to give it a break and only typing when I have to.

I've had some flings with discouragement. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't. You mentioned that gifted ministers "have no respect from the church establishment". [TRUE!] Back in 2009, I had a prompting to make a Presentation called 'The Next Best Thing to Money". Here's the funny thing. It was based on the wisdom of Solomon. (Eccles 4:9 - Two are Better than One). I DID end up presenting it three times before I moved to another city. Each city has its own vibe. Turns out Los Angeles really isn't into bonding too much. You're scenery, don't you know. Now ignore me and I'll ignore you and we'll get along fine. Chicago was open to it. I'd tell you the story about the process getting bogged down in committees, but you've already heard it before on some other project you knew was worthy. Here this is, just an extension of the wisdom of Solomon, but ya know, these church folk knew better. /shrug

God is faithful. I'm still here. In sharing with a good friend that I'm struggling to get the money together to buy school shoes, she dropped by unannounced with a $40 department store gift card. I had helped her out earlier this week. Now she's helping me. God bless her! She says I blessed her. That's how it's supposed to be. Praise to the God of Mercy!

Tomorrow we have a family visiting us that we've known for twenty years plus. We were pregnant with our daughters within 2 weeks twice (then we made a pact not to do it again lol). The husband of this other couple is an atheist. We love him so much. It's on my heart that prayers will touch him into having faith unto salvation. We used to share a four bedroom house together before we were pregnant. For a year and a half, we were in that arrangement. I waited for the prompting to share the gospel. It didn't happen while I was living with them. In sad frustration, I put that before the Lord. A week later, he invited me and another mutual friend who was Christian and set aside 3 hours to present the gospel. He said he picked me because I'm the only woman he knew that was living it not just talking about it. Both me and our friend did a solid presentation. He almost committed that night. We are still in faith that this friend who lives by a very high moral code will give his life to the One who maintains the Moral Universe we all live in.

This should be an exciting day tomorrow. I pray your day is blessed too.

 

[Deadworm]

Our small Monday prayer group has continued our weekly prayer meetings. I've already reported Dave's miraculous healing in Maverick's Restaurant (across the street from my apartment) of a painful blood clot running from his groin area to his foot, a healing that happened instantly when an unknown young missionary couple approached Dave and his wife Patty to ask for confirmation of their discernment that Dave needed healing prayer. Later, Patty's Mom (Florence) was healed of a macular degeneration condition that made her blind in one eye. An ophthalmologist's confirmation of this miracle caused his nurse to go berserk with rejoicing right in the office! Recently, Patty herself was healed of macular degeneration!

In our prayer group, Dave, Patty, myself, and sometimes 2 others, have been praying for a friend Mike's congestive heart failure. Mike has not seen noticeable improvement. But God often responds to the need behind the request, and Mike has been very distraught about his son Dan's condition.

For 6+ months Dan has suffered excruciating pain from 2 bulging disks in his back. He was forced to quit work and take both long-term and short-term pain medication. Dan had been scheduled for surgery last week. Then after receiving prayer, he was healed, is now free of pain, has cancelled his scheduled surgery, and has joyfully returned to his job. Praise God!

 

[Farine]

I want to praise God with y'all!

Oh LORD! I just glanced and saw this record of YOUR MIghty and Saving POWER! Thank YOU For working in our day! Glory to YOU oh LORD GOD AMIGHTY! Thank You for refreshing my spirit through this report. May others who read it renew their faith. You truly are a wonder-working GOD! AMEN and AMEN!

 

[Deadworm]

3 weeks ago, I met Mike, a retired Christian army doctor visiting here from Florida. He shared this testimony with me. When he was just 6, he and his family were crossing a busy street. But they were far apart, and when little Mike got to the crossing point, he didn't check for traffic. A car sped through the intersection just as Mike stepped from the curb. He would have been killed, but for an unseen force that knocked him down! His older brother witnessed him falling for no apparent reason.

When Mike was 16, he ran away from his Florida home to New Orleans. Homeless, he walked up to a door to ask if he could rent a small room. An Indian lady answered and promptly gave this disheveled young man a room. She would later say she has seen Mike in a dream the night before and God told her to rent him the room because He had plans to use this young man. But as yet Mike was not a Christian.

In fact, he got heavily involved with hard drugs and eventually fell in with a gang of thieves. The fateful day came when his gang had planned to hold up a liquor store at gunpoint. Meanwhile, his Christian older brother had been praying for Mike and felt compelled to drive nonstop all night from Texas to New Orleans to get to Mike the next day. He arrived just 45 minutes before Mike was scheduled to be picked up to take part in the robbery! His brother convinced Mike to go with him to Texas and live with him there.

This was the brother who had witnessed Mike's apparent rescue by a guardian angel monitoring the traffic when Mike was 6. Obviously, this brother's divine timing made him the right prayer partner for Mike. Mike rejected his brother's efforts to witness to him during the drive to Texas, but in a better spiritual atmosphere, Mike was eventually gloriously converted and is now a radiant Christian.

 

[Humble me Lord]

An awesome and inspiring list of testimonies, praise God
God bless you brother

 

[Deadworm]

I just heard Bruce Van Natta's astoundingly miraculous testimony. As a truck mechanic in Wisconsin, he had jacked up a huge big rig to work on it. He was lying under it, when the jack slipped, and the giant truck fell on his waist, crushing him until his left side was only an inch thick. Several arteries were ruptured, his organs were damaged, and his intestines were destroyed. After much medical research, doctors would later claim that no one in recorded medical history has survived such catastrophic injuries! He should have bled out, but miraculously he didn't. This miracle is due to angelic involvement. His excruciating pain induced an out-of-body experience during which he saw 2 large angels holding his body. It was a miracle that he survived until he arrived to the emergency ward, but doctors told him that he would starve to death because of the near-total destruction of his intestines which he needed to absorb nutrients.

Then Bruce Carlson, an older Christian in New York, felt God's call to travel to Wisconsin and pray for Bruce Van Natta, even though they had met only once before. When Carlson prayed, Van Natta said he had the odd sensation of a large snake uncoiling in his stomach area. It was later discovered that a creative miracle had been performed in which 8 feet of new intestines had suddenly grown inside, enough for him to absorb the nutrients well enough to live a healthy life. Bruce Carlson was clearly the right prayer partner to meet Van Natta's great need.

For more miraculous aspects of Bruce's healing and subsequent life, watch some of the videos under the media section of his website:

Bruce Van Natta — Sweet Bread Ministries