God knew she needed healing – prayer in Coles Saturday 19th February 2011

We were at the check out in Coles this and I felt God prompt me to ask the check out girl if she needed prayer …

She looked at me and said that her parents were Buddhists, but she wasn’t.

I said I was a Christian and I told her that I felt that God wanted me to ask her if she wanted prayer for anything … I asked if there was anything she needed, wanted, or needed healing for … she said “no”.

So, I asked if I could just bless her figuring I must have got it wrong … and it was then as I took her hand that she looked at me and said that she may have breast cancer, that she had found lumps and that she was going to the specialist ...

I looked at her and said that was what He must have wanted me to pray about.

She asked if I could “see” it on her.  I said “no” just that I had felt that God wanted me to ask her if there was something she needed prayer for …

So I held her hand and prayed for healing.  I told any cancer to leave her body, for all lumps that had been found to dissolve and leave her body in the name of Jesus, I prayed for all cancer to go, I also told the fear to go away in Jesus name and I released hope, health and peace in the name of Jesus …

As I prayed the next customer came.

I felt the anointing come.

I do not know if she felt anything – I hope she did … I also hope that the specialist finds no lumps …

I know God wants her healed. 

I told her that she had courage to tell me …

I trust (and hope) I will see her again and I will ask her how she is … something good will have come from the prayer.  It may be that I have to pray more than once … it may be that I have to stand and fight for her, it may even be that I need to gather some people together to fight for her … and it will be worth it because I know that regardless of the outcome I see that …

God is Good!

God cares about the little things – a 7 year old’s story of God’s favour Wednesday 16th & Friday 18th February 2011

I suspect God delights in us taking delight in the little things that happen, the little things that have the evidence of His finger prints all over them.  I suspect He loves it when we celebrate the little things as a child does, with sheer joy and delight at His kindness and the knowledge that He cares about the little things in life …

My 7 year old very happily reported from the back of the car on the way home from school yesterday that she had seen a lot of God’s goodness in her life in the last few days.

She told me it started when she bought a Paddle Pop on Wednesday from the school canteen.  She does not often buy food from the canteen, but I had given her some money that morning to buy an ice-cream if she wanted one since it was a hot day.  She bought the Paddle Pop and prayed, hoping she would get a “get one free” voucher in it … and as she opened her paddle pop there was the free Paddle Pop ticket! 

She thanked God for the gift, knowing it was Him and happily ate her ice cream.

She then told me that she had also prayed and been blessed by God on Friday afternoon.  Her grade 2 class has a raffle system where the children get given a ticket for good behaviour.  The tickets go into a raffle at the end of the week one or two tickets are pulled out and a prize is given.  Yesterday afternoon she prayed before the tickets were drawn, but her ticket did not get pulled out of the box … she told me she was disappointed when that happened, but that God had other ideas … the teacher then decided to count up who had received the most number of tickets for the week … my 7 year old was one of the three and so she too received a reward (which I was happier about since it was recognition for effort).  She saw God all over this as well, knowing full well that He had answered her prayers.

On the way home she happily celebrated God’s goodness, telling me how He had blessed her so much this week.  She knew full well that He had answered her prayers.  Her prayers were not about peace on Earth, feeding the poor, healing the sick … they were prayers of a 7 year old who trusts that He loves her enough to just allow her to have the desires of her heart … they were prayers made in faith from a 7 year old that knows that …

God is Good!

She needed some peace – and the God of Peace came to her aid Tuesday 15th February 2011

We were in a children’s clothing store and the girl serving was quite curt, cold and did not seem to want to serve … or even sell anything to us – I know we have all been there!  She was not normally this way.  She did not recognise me, but she had served me before and she was usually a lot kinder.

I kept choosing to not feel offended … and it was getting difficult … until the final straw was the curt treatment I received when I asked if I could purchase my items after waiting at the counter for some time while she tidied shelves.  There had been very little politeness given … regardless of how I tried to jolly her along and be kind …

As she rang up my items I looked at her and said – “had a tough morning?” 

She looked and said “yes”. 

I said I could tell – that she was usually a lot more chatty and happy when we came in … she started to apologise and instead I looked at her and said give “me your hand I’m going to pray for you, what’s your name?”

She looked a bit surprised and replied “Tracey” as she gave me her hand.

I invited the Holy Spirit to come and released peace in the name of Jesus.  She visibly relaxed … she quietly said she had a lot of work to get through.  I again asked for the peace of God to come and I “released peace”.  I asked her “can you feel that?” 

She replied “yes” and she seemed to quieten a bit more. 

I then released peace again, together with joy and loving kindness and told her she would get through the day and through the work and it would be a peaceful joyful day …

I left with her no doubt looking at us as we left …

I thought – that was far better than being offended and getting irritated (which would have just necessitated me going back and saying sorry for my bad attitude anyhow …).

Rather, I took the offensive and released the Kingdom of God, the peace of God, the joy of God and I have no doubt she will have a great day because …

God is Good!

The tennis coach wanted to keep his frogs for one more week - Monday 14th February 2011

Well before Christ was born, Egypt was crawling with frogs.  They were everywhere.  Moses offered to pray and rid the land of the frogs, but Pharaoh said he would get Moses to pray the following day … and in doing so effectively said he would live (as would all of Egypt) with the frogs for one more day.  Moses was ready to do it there and then!  (see Exodus 8:1-15)

Pharaoh waiting for one more day has never made sense to me … but people are not always logical … and so I tell the story of R’s tennis coach who wants to keep his “frogs” a little longer …

I was dropping R off to tennis on this Monday afternoon.  While chatting to her coach he mentioned he had hurt his back.  I asked how and where and then offered to pray, telling him about the girl that had two broken legs healed prior to Christmas …

He looked at me a bit surprised and said to me “thanks, if it’s still bad next week I may get you to pray for me then” or something along those lines …

So, I’ll offer again next week.

I tell this to encourage people to know that you get your “nos” and your “not yets” or your “not nows”.  You’d think people would give it a go – they have nothing to lose … but sometimes, just like Pharaoh, they want to keep their frogs for just a little longer …

Either way …

God is Good!

My God is a healing God because God is Good Monday 14th February 2011

I saw a woman limping very badly as she walked in a rocking motion up the street with her friend.  I offered to pray explaining that I was a Christian.  She said she was a Christian and that I could pray for her.

I said I noticed her walk - she said that her walk reminded her of God … I hesitated thinking what madness that she would think this was from God to remind her of Him.  I said nothing to dispute her view, but asked if her hip was the problem.  She replied that she had suffered a stroke …

I told her my name and asked if I could place my hand on her to pray for healing and as I did I gently placed my hand on her shoulder … she seemed to be pull away and as she did ever so slightly she said “if it is God’s will”.  I said it was God will she be healed …

I asked the Holy Spirit to come, and thanked God that His word said that we would lay hands on the sick and they would be healed … she looked concerned.  I released healing in the name of Jesus and she seemed to rock a bit.  She then backed away saying quickly as she went … “if it is God’s will” … I replied, as she walked away, “it is God’s will” …

I knew to say nothing more - there was no point in arguing the case on the street. 

I left the encounter sad. 

This woman was a Christian, yet she believed that God had given her a limp to remember Him by … I later thought how I would feel if one of my children said I had hurt them on purpose, or let them be hurt and stay disabled, as a reminder for them of me …

Somehow, she had got it muddled. 

It was sad that she viewed God in such a way … as Jesus says:

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matt 7:11)

God did not give her that limp – and He did not want her to keep it!

I wish I could say she was healed there on the street.  I know God wanted her healed; otherwise He would not have had me stop to pray for her. 

She ran away and so I couldn’t ask … yet as I write I Have a sense of hope because perhaps she was healed … perhaps she will be healed … I know He would love to do it anyway, because …

God is Good!

A blessed wedding for Sammi Thursday 10th February 2011

If its been stolen ... Claim it back and give it away ... Simple story ... but I hope you enjoy:

 We had headed up to the shops to collect a repair in our local shopping centre.

We were served by a lovely girl called Sammi who was getting married soon.

I felt to pray for her and so I offered, asking if she would like favour - I repeated the testimony about my daughter’s Grade 1 teacher who had received upgrades everywhere she went (see story called A double portion of praise reports dated Friday 4^th February 2011).  Sammi advised that she did not need upgrades for her hotels since a friend who worked at the travel agency had done that for her.  I said I would pray favour for favour for her wedding anyway, and she readily agreed.

I prayed favour, I prayed upgrades (you never know) and I prayed a great day … as I prayed I felt that I needed to pray peace and forgiveness, loving kindness and that all bickering would cease.  I stopped praying and asked her if there had bickering around the wedding.  She said there had and started to tell me some of what had been happening – she was sad and said really she just wanted to be married, she wanted to focus on their future rather than the wedding event …

I agreed with her, and said that she would see a change.  I said I looked forward to hearing what happens since it had been God that had shown me that there was a need for peace, and I said I believed she would see amazing things happen, and as they did to thank God for them … I pointed out there was no other way that I could have known about her situation other than a loving God that wanted to deal with the situation

We will see her again soon, and she will let me know …

I later I thought how my own wedding had been a bit the same – not to that degree, but that there had been bickering, and it had made it a tough day … and I thought “yes - God’s vindication – its pay back time for what was stolen!”

Don’t you love God?  Whatever has been stolen from us, even if it is as simple as “joy” on a special day, we can ask for it back … 7 fold over and over and over … for ourselves and for others …

I do not plan to have another wedding.  I am planning to stay married to the one I got thank you very much!  But I do plan on blessing as many weddings and marriages as I can.  I do plan on giving away and declaring as much of God’s favour and blessing as I can because …

God is Good!

Praise report – God is Good, so very, very Good… Part 2 of 2 Wednesday 22nd December 2010 and 19th January 2011

I kept in contact with A over Christmas.  She went along to our Boxing Day service.  I could not be there but knew that the people at Church would make her feel welcome …

We stayed in contact and she got back to Church again … on another weekend that I was away with my husband … even so we stayed in touch … and eventually managed to arrange a coffee on Wednesday 19^th January 2011.

A was coming to my home and I was looking forward to seeing her to hear how she had got on.

The bell rang and I answered the door and there standing with A was her daughter (also A, so who I will call “Little A”).  I stood looking at Little A and they both laughed … little A was walking, without leg braces, without a wheel chair and without a walking stick …

After my initial shock they came into my home and I heard the story …

Little A had stood for the first time unaided the day after I had prayed for her on Saturday 18^th December 2010.  The injury that she had suffered was two broken legs … one from a wall falling on her … the other was broken by surgeons when they discovered that her growth plate in her broken leg had been damaged and so they had to remove the growth plate in her other leg so that they would grow at the same rate as one another … so she had two broken legs in leg braces and was in a wheel chair when I met her.

AND … Here she was in my home walking!

She had been told on 6^th January 2011 by her physiotherapist that she would need the wheelchair, leg braces and a crutch for another 6 weeks … and here she was walking completely unaided on 18^th January 2011 … 12 days later!

In fact she and her Mother told me she had been walking not long after being prayed for, a few days after seeing her physiotherapist.  They had had gone on holidays after Christmas at a caravan park in Philip Island and they had taken the wheel chair but had not used it at all, and she had been walking unaided since !!!

 

So – here she was, walking well, on Wednesday 18^th January 2011, having had two broken legs and having been told she would need a wheelchair, leg braces and a walking stick for at least another 6 weeks on 6^th January 2011 …!

YAY GOD!

Little A explained that she still needed more strength in her legs.  I laid hands on her legs and called strength into her thigh muscles and as I did her Mother, my daughter and I noticed her knee caps moving up and down, without her knowledge … as if her thigh muscles were being contracted and released … she did not feel it. 

She stood and tried them out and I prayed again, and it happened again …

Her Mother and I concluded that her thigh muscles must have been being strengthened supernaturally … I must say it was the oddest thing to watch – her knee caps bobbing up and down in a rapid movement!  

YAY GOD!

We finished praying and we went off for a walk.

During our catch up I heard how A’s family had been transformed.  She told me how she was walking in abundant favour, disputes had been supernaturally settled without any effort on her part and she shared how she had been telling a friend who was also in a place of despair how she too could be free, like A had been set free ... she was out ready to give it away to others … YAY GOD!

A said the entire journey thus far had been remarkable, the turn around was marvellous …

I just listened in awe, knowing that it all was a miracle and remembering that I very nearly did not stop for them because I wanted to get to the movies on time …

I wondered how many others I had walked past …

How many others may have had a life transformed … had I stopped for the one …

There is no condemnation in Christ – of this I am certain … but how His heart yearns for us to recognise and to step into who we truly are … just as all creation groans, and “waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed” (Rom 8:19).

Will we be bold enough to step into our inheritance, and bring others with us …?

Do we dare to lay claim to the “treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places” (Is45:3) and set them free?

Do we dare take people by the hand and say “come”?

God is breath taking in His beauty, in His kindness, in His Glory!

Do we dare?

I know I must for …

God IS Good!