Missed encounters with the supernatural
Matt Snyder wrote the following. I like the way he shows his humanity. We’re all struggling to hear God and give him control in different ways. It’s helpful to know how someone else works out his salvation with fear and trembling.intimacy with God seeps into all areas of my life, that the overflow be
worship, that the overflow be an opportunity for others to experience
God’s magnificent love! I yearn for supernatural encounters to happen through my life. I’m thankful that God declares that I’m beyond worthy enough for it! I’m blessed and in utter amazement that He has chosen us to be ‘plan A’ to bring expressed reconciliation to this world!
So what does that look like? It looks like me being intentional. It looks like me asking God for opportunities for His love to be expressed. It looks like me being willing and obedient when He gives me those opportunities. The truth is, I’ve asked for them… and the other unfortunate truth is that although He gives them to me, I rarely act.
I’d love for God to use me to pray healing into other people’s lives. I don’t want to get into a theological argument on this, but I believe that God still heals people today and in some crazy supernatural ways, ways that can’t be explained. Why? Not only does Scripture support it, but I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count. It’s a simple, tangible, and transformational way for God’s love to be expressed. Bill Johnson says, “miracles are demonstrations of God’s love for us.” How true! It’s the overflow…
Each day, I ask God for chances to be used in this way. Every day. I’m not kidding. And the cool part? God continuously gives me these opportunities to step into. Just last week I was at Verizon getting my phone switched (so that my phone bill wasn’t as expensive). There was a gentleman in there on crutches. I thought to myself, “I should pray for him.” No joke, every time I see someone with a cane or in a wheelchair or on crutches, in a cast, in a sling… I always think to myself, “I should pray for them.” It’s like their a giant target that screams: this is your chance to show me the power of God’s love!!
Call me crazy.
So this guy is standing at the counter in Verizon talking with the Customer Service Rep. and the guy says, “so what’d you do to your leg?” The man on the crutches looks over at me, smiles, and then says loudly, “I tore my meniscus and there’s some cartilage floating around in my knee. It’s pretty painful.” I mean, this guy spoke it loudly. It only stirred my Spirit and was almost like God was yelling in my ear, “PRAY FOR THE GUY!!!”
And so I smiled, the CSR even looked at me, smirked, and I walked out.
Why did I leave? I was processing it with Allison and told her, “I was so convinced that if I was going to pray for this guy that he would’ve been healed, that the other people in the store would’ve looked at me like I was nuts and then I would’ve been overwhelmed with all of the people in there wanting prayer. I’ve never been that convinced and overwhelmed at the same time. I got terrified at the possibility and left.”
Missed opportunity.
I mean, have you ever been afraid of success? Because I have. This isn’t the first time. There’s a guy that comes to the gym once in a while who’s paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Every time I see him, I think to myself: you should pray for his legs. There was a girl at church yesterday morning who had her arm in a sling. I asked her what the problem was. She dislocated her shoulder and had torn a muscle. I thought again: you should pray for her. I didn’t. Same thing with another guy in a motorized wheelchair at church. Every time I see him I want to pull him to his feet. I don’t know why he’s in the wheelchair. But every single time I see him, I want to pray for him.
Have you every been afraid of success? Have you ever had this boldness to pray for people that’s immediately crushed by fear? I don’t know what the deal is. But I’m tired of seeing missed opportunities. I’m tired of talk. I’m tired of the supernatural coming to a stopping point in my gut. I’m ready for the overflow to whack others in the face… and leave changed lives.
At least, I want to…
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I remember a time in Mex.when the Lord led me away from our group and had me pray for 2 men on a corner. I grabbed an interpreter, and started to talk with them.I learned they were drunks.Then testified about my years as a drunk/addict and the pain and misery.I then told them of what the LORD had done for me.Several days later the interpreter was back in that area and one of the men told him of what transpired later that night.He was awoken in the middle of the night cried out to the LORD and felt something leave him enter a chicken and the chicken started banging its head off of the ground.Then last year we had a guy at church OD on heroin and died I knew I was supposed to go pray over his dead body but I didnt (FEAR).We all miss it sometimes.That doesnt make it right.I like the feeling of being obedient and being used of the LORD much better. Testimonies are given to raise up faith in others. lets keep our minds on what GOD can has and wants to do through us.
Wow.God has been slamming me with this same thing lately. I thought I wrote this accidently! Every week, the same guy comes into my restaurant. He deaf and mute. I keep hearing God say Pray over his ears and mouth.” I curl in fear. I needed these words from you. These are words of knowledge. I receive them. Thanks Matt. Thanks Seth.
The test for me is to keep on praying after praying so many times and NOT seeing healing. All I can think of is Heidi Baker who didn’t stop, even when nothing appeared to happen. It’s good for us to encourage one another and believe to move in what Jesus promised.
Keep listening to his voice. I pray strength and surrender for you, and I can’t wait to hear what happens when you (the vessel) allow the holy spirit full power!
I can SO relate to this! This fear, this timidity, this hesitation to step out and audaciously pray for someone’s healing.
I wonder if Jesus sent them out two by two because he understood we would struggle on our own?
Case in point, a couple weeks ago Heidi and I went to a hospital to pray for a child who’s already cheated death several times. We went to pray for his full and immediate healing. Once we arrived, we were both distracted (and maybe a little intimidated) by the nurses, aides, and others who kept coming in and out of the room. We offered a short, weak, abbreviated, little teeny-weeny-tiny prayer before leaving.
On the way home we were like, “What the heck happened?!?” We decided we would make the drive again the following night and try again. The next night we were much more bold…so much so, that Heidi even got several of her friends on speakerphone as a conference call as we all prayed for the little guy.
It was fun and redemptive to turn what felt like a failure into a step of faith. I find I’m much better when I’m sent two by two.
“Let’s start becoming infectious with health and life.”
I love that line.