It’s getting a little harder to find free pictures to go a long with these so maybe I’ll just post random pictures of my family that have nothing to do with what I’m talking about. Anyway,
I think there are many things that can distract us when we minister to others. Formulas, for one, often get entrenched in our minds after a successful (whatever that means) ministry experience. We figure it worked one time so why not another. And since many of us experience great comfort in habit, the voice of God leading us to be flexible becomes harder and harder to hear.
But there is something else I would like to discuss. It has to do with feelings. Whether that be an emotional response or physical sensation, feelings many times become our sole evidence of God moving or not.
It can occur in the prophetic as the minister watches the response of the receiver and allows himself or herself to ride the waves of the reactions, but I think maybe it mostly happens when we pray for healing.
I think when the person we are praying for feels something it gives us the confidence that God is moving. It gives us the confidence that what we are doing is successful; that we did it right. But then what happens when there is no feeling at all? Did we do something wrong? Did God move?
I was on the East coast of Florida presenting a seminar on hearing God speak with my good friend Richard Mull. At the end of the 2nd day a time for ministry opened up and people stood waiting for prayer.
One lady approached me and said she would like prayer for healing in her shoulder. I said sure and proceeded to listen to the Lord for direction. The only thing I heard was, just speak healing to her shoulder. At least that’s what I thought I heard. I was really having trouble hearing anything at all but I was pretty sure I got that right.
So I placed my hand on her shoulder and waited a minute to see if the Lord was going to show me anything else. There was nothing. In fact, I didn’t feel any stirring of the Spirit at all. I felt like the least Holy person around. I questioned if I was even supposed to pray at all. But I was pretty sure I heard the Lord tell me to speak healing so I just shook my head and spoke healing to her shoulder with no confidence that anything was going to happen.
And nothing did! There was no heat or tingling. There was no smile or acknowledgement from her that anything special happened at all. Not that I blamed her. I mean, my prayer was pretty lame. That’s how it felt anyway. I felt absolutely no power behind it at all.
She opened her eyes and looked at me. For some reason I decided to ask her to move her arm to see if anything was different. Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment or something. So she took her arm and raised it up. That’s when her eyes went wide and a smile played over her face.
She told me the pain was gone. She looked shocked. I didn’t blame her. I was too.
I once stood by a woman who was praying passionately for another’s healing. She took breaks only to ask if there was any improvement and to let us know how hot her hands were and how they only get hot when God heals. When she finally gave up the person she was praying for remained unhealed.
I’ve prayed for some who have felt things in the affected area and been healed. I’ve also prayed for some who have felt things and not been healed right away. I’ve prophesied an intense word of love and identity over some who continue to stare at me blankly, seemingly unaffected by anything I was saying. There have been others who have received a similar word and have become emotionally undone. I’m sure many of you have similar stories including many who have been healed days or weeks after being prayed for and feeling nothing.
Please don’t misunderstand me. In no way do I consider feelings and emotional responses to be evil or unnecessary. I’m just saying that they may be an unreliable indicator that the desired response is or isn’t happening.
But while we may not be able to have confidence in feelings or responses while ministering (whatever that looks like) I do think we can have confidence in one important thing: God is doing SOMETHNG. I believe there is a whirl of activity every time we minister to someone in some way. Whether it’s a simple prayer or some act of service, I believe the air around us is alive with spiritual activity we can’t see.
I think the main focus of that activity is to work hard to bless us in whatever way possible. That is a desire I believe flows from the heart of God. That’s where I place my confidence.
Blessings,
Jesse and Kara Birkey
Sid Roth on Life Resurrected
“This next, greatest, and perhaps last move of God’s Spirit before His return will use nobodies to operate in a level of miracles that the world has never seen! This book will supernaturally release your faith to do the same works as Jesus and even greater.” -Sid Roth,
Host, It’s Supernatural!”
http://www.facebook.com/reflectministry
http://www.amazon.com/author/jessebirkey
We are excited to announce a new teaching series called, Life Resurrected, The Normal Christian Life. It’s a 4 CD set. Check it out at http://www.reflectministry.com/store.html
View the Trailer for our new book, Life Resurrected, Extraordinary Miracles through Ordinary People Here!
To find information on an exciting new documentary called DeadRaiser go to www.deadraiser.com
Add new comment