This Dude is on Fire!

From the next room I heard the ding of a text message as I was getting ready for church.  I made my way over thinking my daughter was  messaging me and instead received a message that blessed and encouraged me, brought tears and then did the same for my husband when I shared it with him.

It was a video of my brother at church, praying over the tithes and offering.  My brother, who just a few short years ago was running from God; my shy brother who would never have gotten up in front of a crowd..ever!!  That brother, my favorite one, who had distanced himself from me…time, distance and circumstances driving a wedge in our relationship.  That brother whom I had prayed for was now boldly praying in a public setting.

Really, God??!!  You are amazing.

As I watched and listened to my brother, I did so in awe at how much God had gotten a hold of him and transformed him; how much God loved him.  It encouraged me to continue praying for my other brothers and my nephews and nieces in the same way I had prayed for my on fire for the Lord brother.

Let me encourage those of you who are standing in the gap for your loved ones.  Do not grow weary when they reject you, misunderstand you, distance themselves from you.  Do not stop praying…do not stop believing.

God is faithful to His word!

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2Peter 3:9

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“Those words…those beautiful words…”

The word of God is living and powerful…it is able to reach into the darkest of places and bring light.  God showed this truth to me during a hospital visit and it served a dual purpose.  I received word from a friend’s sister that my friend had been hospitalized.  She was heavily sedated and would not even know I was there, but Marie thought it was important for me to know where my friend was, just in case.  With my bible in hand, I walked into her dark room and was met by her nurse who said I was welcome to visit, although my friend would be asleep throughout our time together.  Once we were alone, I approached my friend and I prayed for her and then decided to sit for a while with her.  She never moved as I pulled the chair across the floor to get closer to her.  I opened up my little book of healing scriptures and I began to declare the word of healing over her, personalizing each one.  It went something like this…

Ann, Jesus bore your sins in His body on the tree; therefore you are dead to sin and alive with God and by His stripes you are healed and made whole.  Ann, Jesus bore your sickness and carried your pain.  Therefore, you will give no place to such sickness or pain.  For God sent His Word and healed you.

I continued in this vain until I heard “Ann’s” voice.  It was groggy and soft, but I clearly heard her say…”Those words…those beautiful words…thank you.”  I approached her, encouraged her and then sat back down and read the rest of the book to her until she fell asleep again.

Recently, Ann and I were having some time in the word on the subject of prayer and I asked her if she recalled the above incident.  She said it sounded familiar, but she wasn’t sure.  On my way home from our time together I thought of the time my brother was on life support.  My sisters and I prayed together for his healing.  After we hung up, as I was washing the dishes I closed my eyes and saw my brother in a casket and I was shown who his pallbearers would be.  I immediately called my sister and told her we should change the direction of our prayer from healing to assurance of salvation.  I wanted to get that message to my other sister who was on her way to the hospital.  I wasn’t able to reach her but the Lord heard and later my sister told me that she had a strong unction to get in my brother’s ear and talk to him about Jesus.  His vitals had been on the decline, but while she was talking my brother was reacting, even though he wasn’t able to do so outwardly.  He passed away early the next morning and the Lord has shown us in many different ways that my brother heard and received.  This may be doctrinally challenging for some, but it has brought peace to our family.  When we met at my brother’s apartment to clean and pack his belongings, next to his favorite chair was a letter from me sharing my testimony and desire for him to come to Christ.  I know I will see my brother again.  Those words…those beautiful words!!!

The word is living and powerful…it is able to reach into the darkest of places and bring light.