Unlocked: A Lesson from Brazil

Two months ago, if someone asked me if I believed in the power of prayer, I would say "Yes, of course!" but wouldn't really believe it.  I'd agree because that's what Christians do.  However, if there were ever a crisis and someone said, "Let's pray about it," I'd feel frustrated because that wouldn't seem like enough.  I would feel the need to do something about the crisis.  Countless times before when I'd prayed, it appeared that God didn't answer.  And I was sick of it.  Don't get me wrong; God and I were tight!  It's just that over time I developed a slightly pessimistic view of prayer.

But my world turned upside down when I went to Brazil.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was given the opportunity to share my testimony in an evening church service.  I didn't have a very clear idea of what to say so I was very dependent on the Lord to lead me as I spoke.  I was completely humbled by what He did with my story that night.  Twenty blog posts couldn't fully describe what happened.  It was incredibly awesome, and I was so, so blessed.  

The next morning, however, I woke up sick.  Not only that, but I also felt spiritually attacked.  My emotions were frayed and every part of me felt assaulted.  The women on our mission team prayed over me that morning, but nevertheless, the attack escalated throughout the day.  I even felt a wall between me and God.  That night, I went to Jill (my mentor on the trip) and told her what I was going through.  Her response was to gather the women again, lay hands on me, and absolutely go to war.  These women prayed so hard for me.  When they stopped praying, Jill looked me straight in the eye and said, "Tomorrow, this illness will be gone."

I nodded and smiled but didn't really believe her.  I knew that, without treatment, the illness I had would not go away for at least 4 days.  My pessimism seemed justified by the fact that nothing had happened as a result of their prayers that morning. 

But the next day after breakfast, I was stunned.  I was completely well.  And the spiritual attack was gone.  I was humbled almost to the point of humiliation.  I wanted to scream at myself, "Woman, where is your faith?"

The day after I got well, another woman on our team fell very ill, so much so that she couldn't even leave the dorm room.  I was in the dorm room getting ready for the day when the Spirit spoke to my heart, Drop everything.  Go get the women and pray for her.  Do it now.  Do it now.

I literally dropped everything I was holding and ran outside to find Jill and the other women on our team.  I apologized for interrupting their devotions but insisted that I felt led to get the women together and pray for our teammate.  The women responded that they had felt the exact prompting just before I ran over.  

We went to war for our teammate, believing that God could and would answer, and that He could and would heal, if that was His will for her that day (which we believed it could be).  Only a few hours later, our teammate was on her feet and was diving back into ministry with the rest of us.  

Needless to say, it didn't take much for my attitude to change.  Since I got back, prayer has become one of the most exciting aspects of my walk with God.  I'm absolutely delighting in the power of prayer, and I believe He is delighting in my delight.  The Lord is captivated by unabashed faith.  I've been home from Brazil for a month already, and I can't even count the prayers He has answered.  From big things to little things, the Lord has responded when I pray in faith, and pray in step with His will.  

Pastor Jim Johnson from JustAPreacher Ministries (www.justapreacherministries.org) says that God is LOOKING for genuine faith. "I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" -Luke 18:8 (emphasis mine)

Not just the kind of faith that trusts Him for salvation, but faith that is practical and continues every day of your life.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." -James 1:5-6 (emphasis mine)

This is the key to unlocking prayer.  Here was my problem -- I would pray, but didn't really trust God to answer the way I wanted Him to.  My previous experiences with prayer trained me to think that way.  But in reality, it's not that God wasn't answering me.  God sometimes let bad things happen in my life because He saw the bigger picture and knew that He could bring much glory out of those things. 
Also, when I prayed, I always had a Plan B in case God "didn't come through."  That wasn't honoring Him; that was sending a silent message to Him that sounded like, "God, I love You, but I don't think You're big enough to come through for me.  I have this Plan B because, frankly, I don't trust You."

Get rid of those Plan Bs right now.

If you don’t have a Plan B, that means your only option is Plan A – Jesus.  Our society has watered-down Jesus and made Him seem wimpy and weak, tame, tender and – well, effeminate, really.  That’s not the Jesus I read about in the Bible.  That’s not the Jesus that single-handedly cleared out the temple, or walked on the water through a hurricane, or calmed that hurricane by a single word, or valiantly took my place and bled and broke and died for me.  My God is wild and all-powerful.  My God is good. 

 "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." -Hebrews 11:6

I am saddened when I hear people say, “Well?  I guess all we can do now is pray,” as if prayer is the final resort when all human efforts have failed.  That’s backwards.  Now, when I face anything (a happy day, a crisis, whatever), my first response –my first choice!-- is prayer.  God  is completely trustworthy.  He loves us.  He wants us to come to Him.  Will we not trust Him, this wild, passionate, incredible God? 

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1

I choose to unlock my prayers.  I choose You, Lord.  I’m not relying on a Plan B.  I want that radical faith.  In fact, during debrief on our last morning in Brazil, I summarized that experience by identifying what God has been longing to say to me all along.

“Woman, great is your faith!”