I’m currently enrolled in the Encounter School of Ministry that my good friends at Encounter Ministries started to help equip the faithful. Some of you reading this either attend the school, or have a loved one who does. For those who don’t I encourage you to check out their website to learn more about them. God is doing big things through Encounter and really anointed their ministry. The classes have been awesome, the lessons good, but more importantly the activations and ministry opportunities have been profound.
Last night, instead of the typical 2 lectures we had 1 with an extended time to pray over folks for impartation, encouragement, consolation and up-building. We’ll call it prophetic prayer. I LOVE praying over others, and pursue opportunities to do so. I always feel a deep sense of receiving in allowing myself to be conduit of God’s goodness over others. Even if I’m helping catch folks for someone else who’s leading prayer, like I was last night, I’m still quietly praying over the person receiving.
I was teamed up with a good brother-in-Christ, who I connect really well with in prayer ministry, and it was a really powerful witnessing the power of God wash over those he prayed with. People’s hearts were moved in powerful ways last night. Especially my own.
When The Prayer Service Ends…
After prayer services end there’s usually an awkward 30sec period when you stand around wondering what you should do next. God has spent hours showing up in power and now you’re wondering what to do with yourself. Processing what He’s done, looking for deeper applications in our lives, and sometimes He decides it’s not over. He has more He wants to pour out over us. Share with us. Say to us.
My good brother, whom I was praying with, rallied the whole room to come together and pray over me. Outside blessings, or in confession with a certain priest friend, I haven’t received prayer and felt the kind of presence like I did last night. I’m neither an altruist nor a martyr, but my heart first and foremost deeply desires that other’s receive. That they have an encounter with God and feel His presence wash over them. I’ve had really powerful moments with all 3 persons of the Trinity that deeply, profoundly, changed my life. I want others to come to know God. To experience whatever He wants to give them.
So, at 35 this was my first experience being prayed over like that. With maybe 30 people laying hands on me, all over my body, just surging with pure, radiant, Joy. Through all 30-some people, God ROCKED me last night with Joy, warmth and power. God also shared some powerful words of affirmation with me, and spoke right to a source of terror in my life that I’ve been secretly holding on to.
A Confession
A few years ago, just before my 33rd birthday, I unexpectedly lost my father. His heart just stopped, and he fell dead in the home I grew up in. Nothing prepares you for the loss of your father, especially at such a young age. In many ways, I needed my dad the most in my 30s. I settled down, married my best friend and now have 3 young children. 2 of which will never personally know their grandfather.
I had to work through a lot in the wake of his passing, and I ended up worrying that I inherited whatever heart condition he had, that my kids would end up having to bury me at a young age. As a father should, I want my kids to have the best life I can help provide them. I want them to have an earthly father to help guide them, console them and at times correct them when life is challenging.
Realization
The most profound gift I received last night was a prophetic word from my good friend that God was saying to him I had a “gifting of time”. That I’d have the time I need. To him, it probably meant nothing, but to me it meant everything. It meant I’d be here for my kids, at least for as long as God knows they need me, and that I still have a father- someone looking out for me, guiding me, consoling me and correcting me when life is challenging. His name is Abba, YHWH, El Shaddai and El-Elohim.
He is rightly called “Father”.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:10 | ESV (C) Crossway
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