TESTIMONIES
Revelation 12:11: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony...
Testimones are so powerful. Everyone loves to hear stories... especially ones of hope and triumph. I've shared a few testimonies about our monthly worship nights on here and really just want to share a few more. It sounds wierd to say, but it's easy to forget the things God does sometimes. That's part of the reason I'm trying to write stuff down, so that God's goodness can be remembered. Also, for me personally, it's really helpful to have an expectanct attitude. It helps keep my eyes on God and what He IS doing rather than what He ISN"T, or maybe a better way to say it is what I can see Him doing verses what I cannot see. So remembering what He has done keeps me expectant for what He will do... and He does the most amazing things!
Something important to take notice of is the challenge of following up with many of the people that receive prayer because they are homeless and don't have cell phones or addresses to visit. We hope and pray that all of the healing and restoration they receive at these events is permanent and life changing. We beleive that no matter the condition or circumstance, God can change it in an instant, and the fact that they are touched and experience legitimate change is a miralce!
One story from one of the first nights we had is of a lady who had eaten with us at our weekly meal. She walked over from next door to our worship night, and because she used a cane, some of the ministry team went to her and asked what was wrong. She said that three weeks ago she went in to see a doctor who told her she had a blood clot in her leg. She said she was in a lot of pain. The ministry team prayed over her three times, and after the third time she said she felt "three fingers pushing against her leg" in the spot of the blood clot (no one on the ministry team was touching her near that spot where she felt fingers)! She told them that she felt better but not 100%. About five minutes later she leaned over to one of the girls who had prayed and said, "I don't feel any more pain!"
Another amazing thing we got to be a part of was with Noah... I had been worshipping and praying with people when a friend of mine came up to me and asked if I could help him with something. We walked out of the room and he told me that a friend of his was really struggling and wondered if I could go talk and pray with him. I said sure and assumed my friend would come with me... We started walking outside and he pointed across the parking lot and said "he's over there, thanks Forrest," and then turned around and went back inside. I had no idea what to expect or who this person was. I saw two guys sitting on the sidewalk and walked over to them and said hello.They told me their names were Chauncey and Noah. I sat down and asked what was goin on... Noah started telling me how he'd been struggling with addiction and didn't see a way out, and even then he was drunk. I am very familiar with that cycle myself and understood the struggle. I got to speak identity over him and call him higher out of his circumstances into the freedom that God promises to those that trust him. Chauncey and I started to pray over him and he started to weep, and he let go of all that was holding him down. We asked God to speak directly to him, and after we sat there in silence for a bit, I asked him what he heard. He said "We aren't alone... Jesus is here! He's holding my hands!" That's all that he kept saying, "He's holding my hands!" Jesus showed up and met Noah exactly where he was at, and gently brought him back to the truth of who he was! Noah said that after we prayed he felt sobered up, too! The three of us walked back inside grinning ear to ear and full of joy, and went to the front so that Noah could share how God had just changed his heart. I have followed up with Noah and the last I heard he is running strong!
A third and last story for this post is about another healing. I asked my friend Bo to write out what happened, so this is his account:
On our way to attend worship that evening, Lindsey and I noticed a lady that was struggling to step up onto the parking lot of Love & Care from the street. We both walked over to her to see how she was and if she could use any help. She expressed that she had a seriously debilitating back condition, which was evident by the speed at which she walked and the way she was hunched over. We walked with her and let her know that there was music and fellowship inside that she was welcome to come partake of. Although she opted to go see if any food was available, she came back after realizing that the kitchen was closed. I then walked her into the foyer of the worship service and offered to pray for her back. We prayed, and with no apparent healing, proceeded to go into the worship center, where she went off on her own to sit down.
Maybe an hour later, both Lindsey and I, with our eyes meeting and watching, noticed this lady with a group of other ladies in the midst of the seating area. It seems that they had been praying for her healing. With her hands on each hip, she was slowly swaying her hips from left to right, as if to test out how her back felt or to stretch out. The next thing we hear is her voice over the microphone sharing a testimony of how she had come in practically crippled, had received prayer, and now she not only felt better and had regained mobility and strength in her back (with no pain), but she joyfully exclaimed right before she handed the mic back off, "Now look what I can do", and started dancing with her arms in the air as she left the front!
PRAISE GOD for all the ways that he loves us and shows us His goodness. I hope this encourages you to be expectant for God to move in your life and all around you! The word says that we (too) can overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. So sharing our stories is partnering with Jesus in helping others overcome! This is why we share and will continue to share all that God does! He is GOOD!
