We are taught by Jesus to pray …
Your kingdom come … Your will be done … On Earth as it is in heaven
The “Lord’s Prayer”, as it is commonly known, is the only scripted prayer that Jesus left us with … it is the only “precedent prayer”, or “formula prayer” that we can stand firm on and believe for … it is the perfect prayer … it is the prayer that Jesus left us having said:
When you pray … pray this …
So, the issue was never “if” you pray, but “when” you pray … therefore, when we pray we can ask … does this exist in Heaven? Does this issue, circumstance, sickness, disease, terror, lack, fear exist in Heaven? If the answer is “no” then we, with absolute surety, can tell the thing, the condition, the problem, the sickness to leave, knowing that if it is not in Heaven then it is not God’s will for it to be here on Earth, and as son’s and daughters of the Kingdom of Heaven it is our job, our mandate, our privilege, to tell that thing to go and to release through prayer and decree Heaven on Earth in all situations and circumstances …
I was out shopping with my five-year-old.
I was over the experience; however, I had promised him that we would look at the Christmas decorations in Myers in the hope of finding his piano and ballet teachers a gift …
I had decided to head home, but as I did, he reminded me, steadfast in his focus, that we had still to visit the Christmas decoration section … his favourite section at Christmas time.
I knew I had to see the promise through … not just as a matter of integrity, but because I sensed, through his reminder that there may just be something in it … I sensed that his reminder was prophetic in nature (through the lips of babes :-)) … perhaps God had something there for me, for him, for us … for someone else? Perhaps we would find that elusive gift, I hoped so … but regardless I just knew we had to go … and so I took a deep breath and made my way up the escalators … that cup of tea at home would wait.
We wandered around looking for a musical decoration, to suit his piano teacher, or a ballerina decoration, for his ballet teacher … and as I scanned the items I found some gold keys with imitation amethyst stones in the handles (there were two types of keys, both the same, but with different locks) … I looked and knew I had to buy them as a set … I sensed they were for a friend, but they were so pretty I decided I wanted some too. I checked internally with God and felt His assent at the purchase and so with two sets of keys in hand, one set for me and one set for my friend, I made my way to the cash register, knowing I had found the treasure God had wanted me to find here …
As I paid I noticed that the woman behind the counter had a brace on her elbow. I silently asked God if I was to offer to pray for her … I didn’t want to – I just knew she would say “no” … she looked like a “no” … and I really did not feel like copping another “no” …
I stood, knowing what God wanted me to do, and so I assented to His will, to His desire, and gently asked this woman if she had tennis elbow and asked if she would like me to pray, explaining that I was a Christian and that the injury was not God’s will for her … especially not at Christmas time.
She looked at me, immediately lit up and said “oh yes please, would you, that would be lovely, oh, but you are so busy, do you have time?”
Surprised and relieved I explained that yes, I was busy, but I would wait for her to serve the other person standing at the counter, with me, that God wanted her healed, and that she was worth the wait, in His eyes and in mine … and, as I said this a large number of people started to queue where before there had been just been one …
My son and I silently waited to the side, for her to finish serving the people … her looking over to me, apologising, and me saying it was ok … I would wait …
As she finished, she hurried over to me, asking where she should stand, how she should stand, how long would it take etc …
I said just stand here, it will only take a minute and I asked her name as I told her mine …
I placed my hand on her arm, invited the Holy Spirit to come and commanded the elbow to be healed, telling all pain to leave. I then released healing and the oil of the Holy Spirit. “On earth as it is in Heaven” I prayed …
The anointing came quickly and powerfully, I felt it sweep and swirl all around me, powerful with intent … and then it left, as quickly and as it came …
I felt like I should pray longer … thoughts raced through my head … surely I had to pray more, but I corrected myself, knowing that I should not be religious and pray past the purposes of God … so in faith I stopped and asked her to check it out …
She gently twisted her arm, moved it up and down, and opened and shut her hand … and she said there was no pain …
I said are you sure? Check it out some more …
She tried it out more aggressively … saying with eyes wide open … “the pain is completely gone!”
I smiled and said … “well God loves you and does not want you in pain anymore … there are no tennis elbows in Heaven, so it does not belong in you here on Earth … Jesus taught us to pray “on Earth as it is in Heaven” and he wants you healed, especially at Christmas time …
Overwhelmed with a love and affection for her I asked if I could give her a kiss. She assented and I gave her a hug and kiss, wished her a Merry Christmas and with relief that I was now going home to a cup of tea and with the excitement that I had seen an instant healing after such a long time of gradual healings, or emotional healings (which are just as valuable but are not seen) … I left, full of joy, gratitude and hope knowing that she would have a lovely Christmas … having been touched by a loving God that gave His only Son …
Yes, I happily left, full of that wonderful feeling of being used by a Good God. I walked out with an afterglow of anointing still discernible, mixed with a sense of His thanks and pleasure …
Both she and I had encountered God’s goodness in an experiential manner and both of us knew beyond any intellectual doubt that …
God is Good!
Post Script: ironically, all four keys were for the friend … He does have a sense of humour, but that is another story.
Seasons Greetings to a very beautiful one both inside and out! Thanks for taking the time to write this up :).
Thankyou. It has been a while, and the encouragement is deeply appreciated!
Blessings straight back at you!
Your posts have been missed. So happy to see you are still following the Spirit’s lead no matter if it is inconvenient. The woman is forever changed because of your obedience and she knows God is Good and loves her. 😀
I thank you for your encouragement! Both types!
I am hoping that the rush quietens … and that I will post again more regularly.
I am also hoping to have more time to quietly visit and read some of my favourite blogs … Including Pure Glory 🙂 which always inspires and calls one up into one’s destiny!
Merry Christmas and many Blessings!
Happy New Year!
And a very Happy New Year to you too!
Great story once again. The key to this story is to slow down and pay attention. This is something that is hard to do. Thanks for sharing.
It is hard to slow down … Especially at Christmas when life seems to speed up … Which is why the time now between Christmas and New Year is so crucial for reassessing priorities and decluttering life … in all ways.
Merry Christmas to you and your family Derek.
I am usually amazed at how rushed people are around Christmas. They then go to church and sing ‘Silent Night’ when in their hearts there is just noise. The pace is not healthy for us physically and spiritually. — But, that’s a sermon for another day. 🙂
Agreed!