Prayer – OLD THINGS NEW

The Write 31 Days Challenge – 31 Days,Every Day,One Topic

Day 18

(day 1 starts here)

I was ready now to get down to some real work and God had some surprises ahead with the many people and ways He would use to minister His healing in my life.

Note: I feel led to insert something very important here. I know there are those who teach that once you become a Christ follower you are immediately transformed and there is no need to “dig up the past.” In God’s eyes YES. Through Christ we are positionally free.

That said, my own life (and the lives of many others I know) proves that even after salvation there may be past wounds that need to be addressed, especially if there is unforgiveness involved. I honestly think that kind of teaching does a disservice to people and can put a lot of pressure on us to pretend that all is well, while we wonder why it isn’t.

One of my avenues of healing came through a study our church embarked on from Cleansing Stream Ministries. This consisted of several weeks of teaching, doing homework, and discussing what we’d learned in small groups. At the end of the training came a weekend retreat where several area churches came together in one large gathering that lasted Friday night and all day Saturday. Each session began with praise and worship, followed by a teaching, and finally, an opportunity to go forward to be prayed for by trained prayer ministers.

We drove down to Portland, Oregon on a Friday afternoon, stopping along the way to have lunch and shop at Powell’s Books. I mention this bookstore by name because it is giNORmous and well worth a visit if you are ever in Portland 🙂

The enemy was hot on my tail that weekend and preceded each session with some crazy attempt to derail me. Share on X

While in the bookstore I became suddenly sick to my stomach. After an extended time in the bathroom at Powell’s we headed to our hotel where I continued feeling sick to my stomach. I honestly didn’t think I’d make it to Friday night’s session but my stomach finally settled down and I was able to go to our first session, which turned out to be pretty amazing.

The next morning, as we drove into the church parking lot I saw a whole group of the “beautiful people” from our church entering the front door together. I became angry just looking at them and told my husband I didn’t want anything to do with “those people” and I was going to sit by myself.

And I did just that. In the back of the church. As I sat by myself stewing a prayer counselor approached and asked if she could pray for me. Could I say, NO? Of course not. So she prayed, the inner turmoil eased, and I stayed through the session. Amazing again!

Finally, right before the final session on Saturday afternoon I received a call from my daughter, telling me that she’d just crashed her motorcycle. She was bruised up a bit but she was okay. My emotions though? OYE!!!

But God prevailed over every attack of the enemy! Share on X

The entire retreat was great but the following is the most powerful thing that happened to me that weekend:

I don’t recall what the particular teaching was that session but afterwards I went forward for prayer. I also can’t remember who it was that prayed for me. A man, a woman, or maybe an angel. What I do remember is that this person said to me, “You have a spirit of death hanging over you. What is that?”

Without thinking it through the word came rushing out of my mouth - Abortion. Share on X

It was as if a light came on as I realized what had been causing my obsession with death. I’d taken a life by having an abortion.

The enemy of our souls loves for us to keep our secrets hidden inside. When we confess our sins to God we receive His forgiveness (I John 1:9), but it was in confessing my secret sin to another person that a weight was lifted off my heavy shoulders.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16

More healing came later, back at home, when I shared this story with my small group, and even later as I’ve continued to share my story with the hope that others will also come to a place of healing.

If interested, you can read my full Abortion Story HERE.

Tomorrow, Day 19, I’ll be back to share a story of a girl. Her Name was Abortion.

Blessings loves,