God is good! Thank you for your faithful prayers. The Mid-west Prayer Conference was beyond my expectations. I’m ecstatic to tell you that God did a mighty work and gave me a boat load of blessings!
On Thursday morning, in my time alone with God, I read O. Chambers:
Submitting to God’s Purpose – October 25
- Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God. … Paul’s whole heart, mind, and soul were consumed with the great purpose of what Jesus Christ came to do, and he never lost sight of that one thing…
- God is at work bending, breaking, molding, and doing exactly as He chooses. We have to be in God’s hand so that He can place others on the Rock, Jesus Christ, just as He has placed us …
- Once God has placed His call upon you, woe be to you if you "turn aside . . . to the right or the left . . ." (Deuteronomy 28:14). He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way.
That afternoon, as I drove from Cincinnati across the state of Indiana to attend the conference I continually prayed the song, "Have Thine Own Way Lord, Have Thine Own Way! You are the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after your will, while I am waiting, yielded and still."
That evening, Dr. Blackaby challenged us to know what’s on the heart and mind of God. He asked us if we were burdened for the things that burden God. During the altar call I left my seat, got on my knees in the aisle and again prayed, "Have thine own way Lord, have thine own way" … I asked God to lay his heart over mine and give me a burden for the things that burden him.
Friday morning, Dr. Blackaby taught from Matthew 26 and told us that this is the kind of praying God lays over our hearts. The Son read the heart of the Father. "My soul is sorrowful even unto death."
He challenged us, "Would you be willing to allow God to take you to a different kind of praying?" I wrote in my notebook, "Yes, Lord! Take me there!"
Then he called us to join God in the battle at the altar. God has called us to go with people into battle. Blackaby said, "If God has moved in your heart, you need to move from your seat." I knew that God had moved in my heart, so I got on my feet and moved. I went to the altar, looking for an inconspicuous space in the distance. I knelt down before my Lord and thanked Him for equipping me for the battle. He laid a very heavy burden on my heart for a Prayer Pal reader’s family. And, as I prayed, I began to weep. And, I wept. And, I wept. And, I began trembling and weeping. I suppose this is the closest I’ve ever been to a Gethsemane experience. Before I knew it there was a woman on her knees beside me, with her hands on me, holding me as I wept and prayed for this family. She began praying for restoration for me. She didn’t know what was on my heart. This went on for what seemed like 5 or 10 minutes, maybe longer. I was finally able to tell her it wasn’t my restoration we needed to pray for but the restoration of this family. She prayed over me, with me for the burden on my heart.
I knew that I had a radical encounter with our Most High God. And, I know beyond a shadow of doubt that I am equipped to do battle for Him on behalf of this family.
When the service ended I went to the lobby thinking, "I’ve got to go back to my motel room and wash my face and fix my make up." But, God had other plans.
Life Action Ministries, an organization that does revival crusades, was at the conference. I was part of one of their crusades two years ago to that very day. As a result of their crusade at Manor Church I began writing Prayer Pal. I was compelled to thank them for their ministry and tell them how God used it in my life. As I told them about Prayer Pal, I began crying again. I shared with them how God is using Prayer Pal to minister to extremely broken hearted people. They were awestruck and immediately prayed over my ministry and me. Their hearts were deeply touched.
When the evening session was over, I was compelled to walk up to Dr. Blackaby. I shook his hand and said, "I have to tell you, I’m another life radically changed by Experiencing God. You taught me how to read, reflect and respond to His Word, and today I write a daily devotion called Prayer Pal that God has sent world wide and into the prison. His response was filled with immense warmth and courtesy toward me.
Now, wait ‘til you hear this, dear ones, Dr. Blackaby asked if he could pray for me. Right then and there, he laid his great big hands on me and prayed over my ministry and me! Before I knew it there were hands all over me and I was completely covered by prayers of strangers. And, again I wept and trembled before our Lord. When he was finished, he said, "Beth, you will never be the same again." He knew that I had a direct encounter with the Living God.
During his session on Saturday morning, he reflected on two of the stories that were shared with him the previous night. Mine was one of them. He encouraged us to take time to process our experience with God. The teaching was from Mark 6. The disciples had just witnessed the miraculous feeding of the 5000 when Jesus told them to get in a boat. A storm came up and Jesus walked to them on water. Jesus was about to pass them by (47) because the disciples hadn't taken the time to process the miraculous feeding (52).
Blackaby advised us to take time before Sunday morning to process our experience with God. If we don't understand this encounter, then we won't understand the next one.
He took us back to Gesthemane ... after the agonizing prayer, there was great suffering. He told us to expect to suffer for the commitments we made. So, again, I went forward and thanked God for His mighty presence and committed to obey Him no matter the cost. I was thankful to have a quiet night alone in my hotel room to process all that God had done to me at the conference.
I’ve received more than the boat load of blessings! Thank you for watching and praying with me! May the love in my heart pour out onto your heart. I love you with the love of Jesus!
All glory to God from whom all blessings flow!
Beth
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