Tag: Praise report

She keeps on seeing that God is Good! (Praise report and more)

Categories As you go, God is good, praise report, prayer, Stopping for the one4 Comments on She keeps on seeing that God is Good! (Praise report and more)

This afternoon we had 5 children who needed to get outside. Even though the Spring warmth had turned cold and windy,  we decided to head down to a beach cafe.  After a bit of a play, we stopped for a cuppa. We have been visiting this place for nearly 20 years. A number of years ago a young Russian girl had started work there. She was young, single, a beautiful girl with an amazing loyal work ethic. Naturally she is now is older, still beautiful and still works hard.  Time and again we have showed up and when we have seen her, we have seen that God has had her set in His sights.

To give some history, the first time I prayed for her, she was wanting a visa, we prayed for her, sensing at the time that God wanted us to stop and pray for her.  We offered, she said “yes” and we prayed.  Her visa came.

A while later, we visited again, and I sensed that she would dearly love to meet someone who she could share a life with, someone to marry and start a family.  As yet, at the time, she had not met anyone, and she was lonely.  I can remember sensing again this time to offer to pray, she said yes and confirmed that my feeling was right, she did want to meet someone special, and so I prayed, feeling God’s heart on it, and she agreed with tears.  Not long after, she met a man, whom she married and has been the love of her life.

A few years passed before we saw her again.  I don’t know why, but our paths did not cross.  I can remember seeing her and thinking she would not recognise me, but she did as I enquired about her life and whether she had met anyone.  She had, and was married!  Naturally I was delighted, and again as she spoke I felt a gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit.   I was sensing that she wanted a child, but I had to go cautiously on this one.  I asked her gently, explaining that I knew it was none of my business, if she wanted children.  Her demeanour dropped as she explained, she desperately wanted children but had not yet become pregnant.  I explained my sense, and she agreed to prayer, tears coming down her cheeks.  I gently prayed and she received in faith, and …. 😉

The next time I saw her was a few months later, she was clearly pregnant (GO God!).  She was beaming and so very happy.  She was still working hard at the cafe but she was happy, content and looking forward to the birth of her child … I was delighted …

A period of time passed again, and we did not see her for some time, but eventually, I’m not sure the time frame, we saw her and she said life was good.  She had her baby, she had her husband, she had her job … I looked at her and as we spoke I “saw” a house with a little white picket fence and I offered to pray, asking her about whether she wanted a home of her own – she did, so I told her what I “saw” and we prayed …

Well, I saw her again today.  I can’t remember if I knew that she had bought land or not, but today I said hello, she remembered us with a smile as she cleared the table, and I asked her if she had her home.  She replied that they had their land but they were waiting for the permits for the builder to build and it had been a year of trying to get the paperwork.  So yes, I offered to pray again, reminding her of the visa, the husband, the child (who she said was now four years old) and said let’s pray, and so I took her hand and called in the paperwork to completion, I called that home in for her in the name of Jesus, and she stood and received and smiled and agreed saying “yes please Jesus”, because she knows beyond a doubt that …

God is Good!

And he was seen – Praise report God is Good!

Categories As you go, opening destinies, praise report, prophetic declaration8 Comments on And he was seen – Praise report God is Good!

My last story, “And he was seen – God is Good” was about a young man who was at the end of his dance training in an elite training facility.  He had felt that he had never been seen, that somehow he was hidden, but one night God had other plans.  A few months ago I felt God asked me to step out and stop to pray for him.  I was to declare that it was his time to be seen, to shine, and for the doors of his destiny to open … I was to declare those doors open in the name of Jesus Christ.

Well God has been busy in this young mans life.  I saw him yesterday, and he gave me permission to write a further story outlining what else had happened so far.

What this young man told me after the first encounter was that he had been contacted by the director of a great British dance company, and he had been offered a job – just after we had prayed and released God’s will on earth through prayer and declaration.  The start date of this job offer was a little early (this year), and would not have allowed the young man to complete his training and qualifications, and so we prayed for favour as he wrote to the director to negotiate a later start date.  In response to his email, the director did offer a later start date, but it was a little too late (late next year), and so we prayed again that the job would be brought forward, and that the contracts would be coming forthwith, and yes, he was offered an earlier start date, which allowed him travel time, time to settle and a great start time … and the contracts came …

Unbeknown to him, I started to ask God that he would be seen by a major Australian company, that he would be seen and given opportunities to shine …

A couple of weeks ago, I saw him in his workplace, looking tired but happy and he said that the director of the Australian company had given him opportunities to dance with the touring company.  The roles he had been offered were unexpected, but very welcomed by him.  He explained that the director had recognised particular gifts in him for a few roles, and so gave him the roles in their touring arm of the company … it was his chance to shine … and so he did 🙂

I was delighted as he told me his story, and I fessed up that I had been praying for him.  I then encouraged him to rest, since he looked very tired, and he allowed me to pray for a deep refreshing rest as he came into this current season of exams and finalisation of his education.

Unexpectedly, I saw this young man again yesterday morning.  I greeted him and asked how things were going for him, and to my absolute delight he happily told me that a great interstate dance company had offered him a contract, as had a major New Zealand company,  but, he said he was still planning to pursue the British offer – he said it felt right in his heart. I was so pleased for him and said so, telling him that when God opened those doors He really opened those doors … he laughed agreeing with me.

With the year-end coming I asked when his exams were, and I said I would pray for him.  I mentioned that it would be lovely if he would let me know by email how he gets on occasionally.  He said he would.  I said that he was on a wonderful journey, and I hoped he knows that he is loved by a good God.  For him at this stage, he has said to me that he isn’t too sure what that grid looks like, what it’s all about.  I explained that it was ok for him not to be too sure – it was a journey of discovery, that God was pursuing him – all he need to do was to pray and ask for God’s guidance, about anything, and God would respond.   I explained that there would be a quiet assurance that he would feel about the right decisions and choices, that one of the ways to know is that he is at peace with the decision, that it would sit right in his heart …

Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always].  (Colossians 3:15)  See link here

I said to him that as a Christian I believe I know what happened for him, and who it was that had asked me to pray for him, but I explained that he was on his own journey.  I said I was happy to answer any questions he had to the best of my ability, but it was his journey, and that no-one could or should force the issue on him.  I then briefly told him about a friend who was deeply afraid of the Christian faith and who had, over a 3-4 year journey, discovered the Christian God for herself.  I explained that she was now a worship leader in her local church.  I added, with emphasis, that it was her journey with God … and so too it would be his journey with God.

As many of you will know, a journey with God is not a single encounter, but a life journey, a continuous coming deeper into a relationship with a loving God.  So, I am trusting that this young mans’ encounter with a loving God will continue.  I hope he will reach out to God for himself as he steps into this next phase of his life.  I hope he is able to establish a grid for what has happened for him to date, as he comes to know that God thoroughly and absolutely adores him for him, just as he is.  I am trusting and hoping that he will continue to discover that, without any doubt …

God is Good!

And he was seen – God is Good!

Categories As you go, dance, God is good, opening destinies, praise report, Prophecy13 Comments on And he was seen – God is Good!

I have been meaning to write this story up for a few weeks now … and with what came next  I knew it was high time I got my skates on!

Two or three weeks ago, I was purchasing a few items in a little local organic shop near where my children attend a regular activity.  This particular shop is just across from an elite training facility in dance, and over the last few years that I have shopped there, it has hired a number of the older students, who are often in their final year of training. On this particular night I looked at the young man serving me, and felt a promoting to pray for him.  It turned out he was in his final year of training at the facility across the road.  I mentioned my unction, and asked him if I could pray for him … he readily agreed, and I took his hand in mine and, although I felt the familiar nerves, I proceeded to pray .

I felt prompted to call in his destiny … and as I did I sensed that he had not felt seen for the years that he had trained at this facility (and it had been years!).  I felt that he had not only felt this way, but in fact he had been overlooked … not seen … and so I called him into the light, I declared that he would be seen, and that the doors of his destiny would open in the name of Jesus …

I stopped and looked at him and explained what I felt and what I had prayed.  He said to me that it was exactly how he had felt.  That he had never been seen, that he was constantly overlooked, or so he felt …

He asked me my name and I gave him my first name, and he then asked for my surname … it seemed important for him to know who I was … and so I told him … and he thanked me, he looked like he had felt something, but I didn’t ask …

I went to leave, but as I did I felt a boldness come over me, and I knew it was time for him to be seen, just as I had prayed.  I saw a picture of him which I described for him … and as I described it I acted it out in that little store, a little embarrassed, but really want him to know he was not to strive …

I said that he was a king, like royalty, a prince and that he was to imagine that he was, much like the roles he danced, and as I said this I stood as tall as I could and I started to step forward, and motioned with my arms that as royalty walked through doors, that there was no effort on their behalf to open such doors, that doors were opened for them … and I acted this out for him … and then I turned and looked at him and said …

… “this is how it will be for you … you will walk and the doors will open, no effort from you, you will not need to push, you just need to walk it out … like a king, the double doors will open” and he nodded with understanding, seemingly encouraged … and I said “I call it in Jesus name” … and I smiled saying to him “no effort, no striving, it will just happen … and I look forward to hearing about it!”

Well …

I was in this little shop with a friend on Monday night.  This young man was working again and I smiled at him and said hello and he smiled back. I chatted briefly to my friend while she had her tea, and as we got up to leave  he stopped me and said smiling:

“… you remember a few weeks ago you prayed for me, well …”

I looked and felt such joy rise up inside me … “you’ve been offered a contract!?” I said

“I have” he said … I wanted to hug him  with the sheer pleasure of hearing such news … and I told him so and he invited me to hug him … so I did!

“God IS Good!” I said, and he said back “he is.”

He told me that just after I had prayed for him he had been offered a contract with a company overseas.  The company had wanted him to start with them this year, but he had decided to finish his course, and they were happy to wait for him, so he would go early next year … I jumped with sheer delight … and I hugged him again …

I raced out to collect my boy … googling the company … and then after collecting my son I popped back and he told me that he had auditioned for a role in this company in a visiting show here in town.  The strange thing was, he had not got any part in the local staging of the show … but he had been later contacted by the people that he had auditioned before,  and they asked if they could pass on his contact details to the company’s director, who had expressed a desire to speak with him directly.  He agreed, and the director, on contacting him, had offered him a contract of employment overseas, in a terrific company … he was absolutely delighted … and I was too!

I smiled and repeated “God IS Good!” and I told him that all I had done was prophesy, to hear God’s heart for him and his life and to release it in prayer … he nodded in agreement, and seemed to understand … we both knew it was answered prayer, and he said to me maybe one day you will come and see me dance … and I said what a pure pleasure that would be … and oh what an encouragement to me this little story has been, I smiled all the way home for the sheer joy of seeing God love on another human being, to be a part, even a tiny part, of another human being’s journey, to let them see that, even if others had not seen him, God had seen him,  and God had not forgotten him … such answers to prayers, such answers to prophetic decrees makes stopping for the one, even with nerves at times, still so very worth it because …

God is Good!

 

And he played footy that Saturday

Categories God is good, healing, healing of knee, miracle healing, Obedience5 Comments on And he played footy that Saturday

This is an older story – an early one in my journey of “stopping for the one”.  It was the start of a journey that this man went on over the next year or two, where he started to question his atheistic belief system, and wonder whether he could also be loved by God.  It was also the start of a journey for me where God dealt with me quite firmly about my issues and my embarrassment in stopping in a known environment amongst peers … it is a story in which He essentially says … “get over yourself, stop being a prude, kneel down and pray …”

It was mid Winter and I was driving to school to collect my daughter.  It was smack in the middle of the Aussie Rules football season and in typical Melbourne style it was raining a drizzly type rain.

As I drove I saw a stay at home Dad that I had got to know called M.  He was walking to school in the rain.  M is a rough gem who wears shorts and thongs or runners all year round (winter and summer), and who had got many of the women’s tongues wagging up at the school for his lack of  “charm” … in other words he called “a spade a spade”.  I liked him.

I pulled over and offered him a ride.  He responded by saying that that normally he would say no, but that on this day he would say yes because he had hurt his knee.

He jumped into the car and we rode the short distance to school, chatting as we went.  I asked about the knee and he said that it was an old injury that required a knee reconstruction.  By the time we were in the playground waiting for the kids to come out I knew I had to offer to pray, but did not know how to do it with him – in front of all the other mums at school pick up.

God had given me a picture, and I had just learnt that God will sometimes give us a picture of how He wants us to pray to release a healing.  The picture I had received was that I was to kneel down in front of him and place my hand on his bare knee and pray as I knelt.

I offered to pray.  M said did not believe in any of that stuff but that I could give it a go if I wanted.  He then went on to say that if it worked it would be great to be able to play football that Saturday … but he doubted it would work.

I did not want to kneel – it was wet on the ground, he was a man wearing shorts and I felt it was inappropriate to kneel in front of him in the wet with my hand on his bare knee … and, what was worse, it was in front of all the other mums, milling around waiting for their kids to come out of school!

So, in my “wisdom” I placed my hand discreetly on his shoulder and started to pray.  As I prayed I felt/heard a strong rebuke from God who said “Get on your knees” – essentially saying “I showed you how to pray, now do it”.

I took a deep breath, focusing on the fact that M could be healed, and told him that I needed to place my hand on his knee.  And so I knelt in the wet, with the cold and wet coming through my jeans, in front of the car park mums and prayed.  The mums looked at me and I felt very embarrassed, but went on regardless.

While on my knees, feeling very vulnerable, I looked up at him and asked if he felt anything – he said he felt heat and so I kept praying and then asked him to move the knee around … he did and he felt some relief so I prayed again, still on my knees and I then stood and asked him to try it out …

He bent it back and forth and said all the pain was gone.  I asked him to jump on it, jumping up and down next to him as I did.  He jumped up and down on it and looked amazed and said there was no more pain and that he would not have believed it … but that he had felt the heat and that it was amazing, that maybe he was wrong about all this stuff …

Delighted (and that is an understatement!), I got on with collecting my daughter and left it at that …

I saw him the following week and asked how he had got on.  He said, like a little kid, with absolute joy, that he had played his game of footy that Saturday!

And I left knowing without a doubt that …

God is Good!

Praise report…Wrist healed…It’s time to invite…

Categories healing, Kingdom of Heaven, Matthew 19:14, salvation, Stopping for the one, wrists5 Comments on Praise report…Wrist healed…It’s time to invite…

In my last post I told the story of stopping for a cashier at a local supermarket.  I prayed for her wrist, which was in a brace, and she was healed on the spot … pain gone … brace removed … smiles all around … God is Good!

Last Friday morning, I had the pleasure of being guided to walk down the entire length of our shopping strip to buy some chocolate for my son’s birthday party.  I lined up to pay in the shortest queue at my local supermarket and realised that the same girl I had prayed for was serving on this particular cashier and, to my delight, she was minus the wrist support!

I smiled as I stepped forward and said “hello” and I promptly asked her how her wrist was, mentioning that she did not have her support on this morning …

She smiled and said “no”, and then went on to say that it was much, much better.

I asked if it had been completely clear of pain, and she responded that it was nearly completely clear of pain, and that it hurt a just a little, now and then …

I offered to pray again for her and, smiling broadly, she quickly and eagerly agreed, holding her arm towards me for the prayer …

I took her wrist, which now displayed a large faced watch, with a large white wrist band, and I prayed that it was time for the fullness of healing.  I rebuked anything that would come against the fullness of healing, and I released the oil of the Holy Spirit.  As I did this I felt the Holy Spirit say quietly to me “ask her if she wants Me in her heart” …

So, I simply asked her what I heard.  I asked her if she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart.

She said “I’m a Buddhist …”

So I said “ok, but would you like to ask Jesus into your heart?” I had got the impression that she needed to “fill the house” with Jesus, and all the while, the anointing of the Holy Spirit was constantly tangible around us.

She answered simply “yes” …

I said something along the lines of “then, just ask him into your heart … say, Jesus come into my heart” aware that we were at her place of work and people were approaching the desk to be served …

She responded again “yes” …

I thought … “oh gosh … what do I do here?” and noted two blokes nearly at her cash register.

I then felt her focus shift and I asked the Holy Spirit for guidance … and I ever so gently felt the release, to “let it go” so I again quietly released the oil of the Holy Spirit into her wrist … and with the Holy Spirit’s encouragement I stepped aside, took my items, wished her a wonderful weekend and mentioned that I may see her again soon …

She smiled broadly saying “thank you …”

It was time …

It is time …

It was time for her to be healed the week or two before …

It was now time for her to be invited into the family of God … however brief the invitation may have been …

It is time for us, as God’s children, to be aware of the time … and to do the inviting, no matter how awkward, no matter how clumsily, and no matter how simply we do it … if we do … lives will be changed …

Who was I to argue with the Holy Spirit about place and time … it was a pure, timely and simple invitation … His words … His timing … straight from Heaven to her heart …

Who am I to say whether it was “effective” …

My son invited friends to his party recently …

My son (read with excited, Aussie accent): “Do you wanna come to my party?” …

Friend’s response: ”yes!”

Deal done!

Maybe that’s all it took for her … or maybe it will require another invitation … I don’t know …

All I know is to be who I am called to be … to do as the Father shows me … and to invite as the Holy Spirit instructs me to invite … the rest is His responsibility … He’ll get them to the party, the same way my son’s friend’s parents got them to my son’s party on Saturday … they all made it … they all got there … because their parent knew where, how, when to go …

It may take another invitation … it may not …

Regardless I think that it really is that simple … the stepping over into the Kingdom of God isn’t complicated for, as Jesus said:

… the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these … (Matthew 19:14 NIV 2011)

and the “such as these” are the children … It is the “grown ups” that complicate things … the invitation has to be “just right”, sent at the “right time”, given in the right envelope, the right package … with clear instructions, directions, and strict guidelines on dress, behaviour, timing, etc etc etc … but if I take my son’s lead it really is simple …

“Wanna come to my party?” …

I hear the Holy Spirit say …

“Wanna come to My party?

Just say “yes” and I will get you there …

You leave the rest to Me …”

It’s not complicated …

I know she doesn’t need to know scripture and verse … it’s a matter of her spirit saying “yes” and coming alive to Jesus Christ … it’s a spiritual matter … one that the intellect and soul can catch up on later …

Whether she has new life … I do not know …

Whether she is still on the scale of “pre-Christian” … or “Christian” … I do not know …

What I do know is that I heard and I obeyed and I stepped out and a life was changed.

She was healed the first time.

She got a top up the second time … and was invited into the family …

And ultimately all will be well simply because …

God is Good!

There are no tennis elbows in Heaven …

Categories As you go, elbow, God is good, healing, praise report, Prophetic gift10 Comments on There are no tennis elbows in Heaven …

We are taught by Jesus to pray …

Your kingdom come … Your will be done … On Earth as it is in heaven

(Matthew 6:10) 

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.

Epilepsy healed…God is Good Praise Report

Categories Christian, epilepsy, healing, praise report4 Comments on Epilepsy healed…God is Good Praise Report

In my last post I wrote about a little 2-and-a-half year-old girl called J who had fitted  and was rushed to hospital. After some tests she was diagnosed with epilepsy. An MRI was scheduled by medical experts to determine the extent of the problem.

The scan was conducted Thursday 6th September and results were waited for …

My friend who had sought prayer for her daughter and had subsequently asked Jesus into her heart on the foot path outside the kindy, had felt great peace throughout the testing and waiting process … a peace very uncharacteristic of her she said …

At kindy drop off last Wednesday she said she had to speak with me.

We sat down in the foyer and she proceeded to tell me that the results had been received by post the day before. She had opened the report and it said that there was nothing to be found … Her daughter J was completely normal …

Praise God!

She subsequently sent me a confirming email which read:

A little note to let you know that J got her results back from her MRI and there was nothing to be found….all normal 🙂

Had I not listened to God on a cold blustery day and stopped, risking ridicule and rejection, and prayed for a cold to leave my friend, she would not have encountered a living God who knew she would need Him to heal her daughter of epilepsy and give her life to a month or so later … a seemingly insignificant encounter led to a life and destiny changing one …

This is told not to “blow my own horn.” This story is told, as all my stories are to say … if me … then why not you?

I am so very ordinary … I am an ordinary mum loved by an extraordinary God … who “so loves the world that He gave His one and only son … That whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life …” (John 3:16)

Jesus said … “anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works …” (John 14:12)

I am a “whoever” and if you have asked Him into your life … so are you …

So, the question remains … do you believe who Jesus says you are?

Do you believe?

If you do … will you offer the “same works and greater” to the world around you?

As we all take a hold of who and whose we are … and offer Him regardless of possible ridicule and rejection … we will do “greater things in His name” and as we do we will see the name of Jesus glorified … We will do the same things that Jesus did … and greater just because …

God is Good!

A “suddenly” of God … salvation at the hairdressers … God is Good!

Categories God is good, Matthew 12:43-45, praise report, Pregnancy, salvation4 Comments on A “suddenly” of God … salvation at the hairdressers … God is Good!

God loves it when we visit the hairdresser … or, that’s what I figure, because He keeps showing up whenever I go …

I was at the hairdressers a couple of days ago, and my now pregnant hairdresser (click here for praise story: Chicken Soup for the Soul) came and sat down to speak with me about all that had been going on for her since we last saw each other. 

She said she had been hospitalised due to pelvic instability.  She knew I would instantly understand because she had seen me deal with the same issue.  Pelvic instability in pregnancy is due to an abundance of the relaxin hormone in the body and can cause the pelvis to relax so much that the pelvis and hips suffer extreme pain which can cause an inability to walk … I had required crutches and a wheelchair … but I had never been hospitalised …

As soon as she said what was happening I could feel the swirling presence of the Holy Spirit come around us … I knew vindication was coming … a 7-fold pay back on all that had been stolen from me was due 🙂

I listened and asked her if I could pray, briefly explaining that I wanted to see God’s vindication for all that had been stolen from my pregnancies, that I wanted to see her healed; that is, for her hormones to come into balance … I laid my hands on either side of her pelvis/hips and called forth balance in the hormones and told her body to behave perfectly throughout the pregnancy and for the pelvis to remain strong.  I then asked if I could place my hands on her tummy, she agreed and so I blessed the baby and spoke fullness of destiny and health, I declared to her baby that s/he was loved and would sleep well, feed well and thrive …

She then sat down and started to tell me that she was doing pilates and was seeing a physiotherapist whom, she added, had performed reiki on her.  I looked and said quite boldly “don’t let her do that again …”

I surprised even myself, because I had always tried to be gentle with her.

I then briefly explained that reiki practitioners, as far as I knew, had hands laid on them and some sort of impartation was performed … I said to her they may function in a gift of healing, but the source of healing may not be God … and to be really careful, especially with the baby … that she was potentially opening herself and the baby up to stuff that was not too good …

I was surprised at how direct I was but I felt she trusted me.  We have 8 years of history together – her seeing me do life, hearing my stories.  Me listening to her challenges, answering her questions and then, when she decided she wanted a baby, praying for her pregnancy … for about a year.  I was pretty certain that she knew I had her best interests at heart.  All these thoughts flew through my mind as I spoke and so I went on …

She said she had not felt comfortable at the time.  The girl treating her had laid hands on her without permission and she had asked the girl to stop.  She felt that I was just confirming her gut feeling that it was not ok … I relaxed, relieved that I had not offended her.

As we talked about this I felt Holy Spirit say “pray for her” and I knew I needed to tell anything that may have been released over her or the baby to leave … and so I took her hand and prayed and as I did the scripture which warns of the emptying a house and not filling it came to mind (see Matthew 12:43-45) and I felt Holy Spirit say “ask her if she wants Me, ask her if she wants to ask Jesus into her heart…”.

I listened to the prompting, told anything to that had been released over/around her and the baby to leave and then gently asked if she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart … it felt like a culmination of 8 years of gentle discussions … I was nervous and excited at the same time …

She looked at me, in her delightful, uncomplicated and honest manner and said “yes … why not … I do” and so she did …

I then said that the power force behind her being kept protected and safe was the Holy Spirit … did she want to ask Him to fill her up …?

Again she said “yes” and so she repeated after me … “Fill me up Holy Spirit” … I prayed for a complete filling to overflow of her and the baby …

The anointing was powerful … not because of anything I did … but because He loved her … her kairos time, her God appointed time of salvation had come … and I was delighted!

I looked and said “do you feel that?”

She did …

I then explained that this was just the first step, that we would need to explore what this would mean for her; however, for that moment, I knew her “house” was full of Him (Praise God) and that she, and her baby, were covered, protected and alive to Christ.  With Him I knew she, and the baby would be safe because …

God is Good!

I am only human … thank Goodness God is God and God is Good – Praise report

Categories As you go, Christian, God is good, healing, praise report, prayer13 Comments on I am only human … thank Goodness God is God and God is Good – Praise report

We we are back in the land of Oz and although the temptation is to get out my little red shoes click my heals and say “there’s no place like … anywhere but home …” I must say I am glad to be home.

We had a wonderful time in the States and although there were many challenges, I thank God for the many wonderful moments with family and the God appointments He set me up for … all opportunities to pour out into another country … His love, His favour, His blessing … and the amazing opportunity to be at my sister’s wedding, to visit Disneyland …to reconnect with special people who hold a special place on our hearts …

So, back now home in Oz … back to the Melbourne Aussie winter …

First week back we had nearly a week of glorious sunshine and the promise of spring was on the winds; however, the morning that I write (Friday 27th July)… the heavens opened and I knew that drop off would be a duck and weave through the local traffic to do the school and kindy (American translation: pre-school) drop off.

I successfully deposited my daughter at school and was standing back while my 5-year-old son hung his kindy bag on his kindy hook and as I stood I saw a mum I had prayed for on Tuesday.

I had seen this mum on Tuesday morning at the gate and when I greeted her I noted that she had no voice  … she was clearly struggling. I had offered to pray, she agreed, and so I had placed my hand on her throat/upper chest and commanded the illness to leave, for her voice to return and for health to flood her body in Jesus name and as I did I recounted the earlier kindy mum healing to her.

The strangest thing was I had the strongest desire to announce, to declare, that her voice would return “tomorrow” (which was Wednesday), but I bit my tongue in fear I was being too bold … that it would seem arrogant, even assuming, not an attitude tolerated in Australia at all …

I went on my way and proceeded to have two of the grouchiest days I have had for a very long time. I struggled for joy, for peace, for my identity … I found out that we had missed my son’s kindy photo day due to our delay in returning home from the States and for me that was the clincher … I was irritated and angry at the delay, the missed memories that would have been hung on our walls, the beautiful shots of the innocent joy that a kindy child seems to radiate with, they are the pictures that I treasure of myself at that age … that I treasure of my daughter and of my son from last year, but now we had missed his last year of kindy photos before school  began…

Regardless of my disappointment, my mounting bad attitude … I was given a God appointment that morning …

The following day, Wednesday, I saw her – voice intact!

She was delighted and said so … Saying “if you could now just fix my sinuses …” to which I said I would pray …

I saw her Friday morning … after the run through the cold wet rain …

I was in a better place after a good night’s sleep … and I asked her about her sinuses. She said they were a little better … so I asked of I could pray for her by placing my hands on them and as I did I recounted a story of a healing of sinuses a few years ago in Sydney, saying that the woman’s sinuses had cleared instantly as I had prayed, as I had laid hands on her …

She agreed to the prayer … and told me how she had been amazed at what had happened to her with the healing of her voice, and that she had told her husband who could only say “…really? … really! … you’re kidding! …”

I laid my finger tips on her cheeks, over her sinuses and as I prayed she closed her eyes and I could see her gently receiving the Presence of the Holy Spirit … she sank or melted gently into Him, her youngest child still in her arms, mums making their way past us with children hanging their bags on hooks, greeting one another as lunch boxes and drink bottles were pulled from bags …

As I felt God say “that’s enough” I finished up “in the name of Jesus” and I said I looked forward to hearing how she got on. I bade my boy goodbye to enjoy another day at kindy …

I am so very human … and I have my tougher days …

Regardless of me, God cares …

God cares, not just for me … but also for the one before me …

Thank God, regardless of me He heals … regardless of me He loves … regardless of me He reaches out … regardless of me He is Good!

And for this I am truly grateful for I do not have to have it all together for Him to reach out to those around me …

… I am only human …

Thank goodness He is not …

Thank Goodness God is God and …

Thank goodness that, regardless of me, …

God is always Good!

Raising the dead…a God is Good praise report!

Categories Christian, God's love, James 5:16, Matthew 9:37-38, praise report, prayer, Pregnancy6 Comments on Raising the dead…a God is Good praise report!

Last November I posted a story about my daughter’s new teacher.  My daughter had just changed schools and I had hoped to fly under the radar for a while, in order to at least get settled before stepping out … God had other plans.

This current story is a praise report that follows on from the earlier story.  Please read the earlier post … you will see that I nearly missed what God wanted me to do, and in fact at one stage I thought that I had got it all wrong … but God’s timing and goodness really is amazing … His loving kindness does take my breath away … he knew better!

The first week back in the Australian school year is in early February and it is hot, hot, hot! It was the first day back and I was waiting to collect my daughter in searing heat when her teacher from last year came rushing out to see me … insisting I speak with her.

Knowing I was a Christian she had shared a serious family challenge with me late last year, on the final day of school, after her first God encounter, and she had asked me to pray into it … She knew to ask because, as she put it, she knew I “believed and would pray” … how will they know to ask you to pray if they do not know you are a Christian that prays?

She came out this particular day beaming, ready to report on the issue from last year that I, and some others, had been praying for her about.  She looked somewhat rounder than the year before and she was shining!

She smiled and confirmed that she was pregnant.  She then went on to explain that the days that I had prayed for her last year had been days that she had started to cramp with extreme abdominal pain … they days she had started to miscarry her child …

Throughout our chat she looked and said “I do not know how you knew, but thank you” and her eyes misted up as she said … “I just hate to think of what would have happened if you had not come and been there to pray …” and as she did she gently rubbed her tummy …

I said, “well, God had it in hand … we were destined to come, the timing was His, He loves you so much He would send us just for you and your baby …” and it truly was a miracle, the timing that is … there were so many God connections around our daughter going to this particular school as and when she did …

She went on to confirm that all pain had ceased the Friday afternoon after I had started to pray, and after she had got the roses and the email from me …  she knows that the prayer was all God’s idea and that God had saved her baby …

Powerful and effective are the prayers of a righteous person (James 5:16) …

I stood and listened and celebrated with her while thinking on the inside … “my goodness what if I had missed it …!” knowing full well that I had struggled with the thought of looking like an idiot at the time …

So I ask:

Who in your world is waiting for you to bother … to perhaps risk looking like a dill …?

It may be the difference between a little person coming into the world or not … 

It may be the difference between someone receiving that job offer or not …

It may be the difference between someone receiving their salvation or not …

Who is waiting for you to bother? 

Then [Jesus] said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

We all need to go out … and stop for the one as we go … some will come and receive Jesus immediately; others will just taste and see, maturing for their harvesting at a later time …

She wants to know more for she has tasted of a miracle more than once now … and we continue to offer and invite until she says “enough” …

We all have people who God has intentionally placed around us, that He is ready to touch and show them His goodness …

Will you dare to bother …?

Will you dare to cross over and be the church … be the Body … be Christ’s representation, or re-presentation, on Earth?

If you are willing to step up into God, and out into the world, He will co-labour with you so that you, and those around you will see without doubt that …

God is indeed Good!