I'm not much of a prayerer...if that's even a word (and the red line underneath it is notifying me that it is, in fact, not a real word, but I don't care). I'm not a prayerer, if I can be so bold as to say that. And my experience at IHOP-KC let me know that my belief in what God can do/how He works is pretty weak, to say the least. But tonight, something else was going on. Let me back up...
This past Sunday there was a sign-up sheet going around the church for prayer time slots for this weekend. There is a Kairos prison ministry event going on right now, and the people involved want the weekend covered in prayer, so people were signing up for 30min time slots for every hour the event is going on. When it got to me, I looked over it for the longest time and ended up signing up for 2 slots, which happened to be Thurs. April 22 11:00-11:30pm & 11:30-12:00am. This is very unusual for me to sign up to pray, much less sign up for 2 slots. But, it was only an hour, right? The Storehouse has taught me that I can easily pray for an hour.
Then I forgot that I was supposed to pray. Typical. Luckily, I was going through my bag around 5pm when a business card, which had my prayer time slot written on it, fell out. When 11pm rolled around, I was still on facebook, but I said my goodbyes on chat and signed off then turned on an IHOP prayer room set from the archives (Tim Reimherr was leading worship, for those interested). I began whispering prayers for the prisoners as I was tidying up my room, putting away clean clothes. I soon forgot about my room and just started pacing the floor while the music played. I prayed.
"Lord, let them say, 'Though I am in prison, my heart is free.'"
"Break their hearts for their sin. Consume them with Your love. Tears of godly sorrow followed by tears of joy. Fill them with Your hope."
"Fall down like a mist, seep into the crevices of their heart and soak them with Your Spirit."
"Reign in the prison tonight, Father." Etc.
I began chanting these prayers, repeating them over and over. I realized then that it was not me doing all of this. I remembered that my idea of interceding for them, just minutes earlier, was just sitting quietly on my bed listening to IHOP and occasionally lifting up a prayer. I acknowledged that pacing the floor with fervor was not MY doing, but CHRIST IN ME. And I thanked God for using me. I asked Him to give me the words to pray. THEN something amazing happened...
Names of prisoners started flashing in my mind. I called out those names. Reggie, Terry, John, Eugene (I laughed at this one...), Smith, and others I no longer recall. I went back to each name and started praying for that person individually. As I called out their name, specifics came to my mind. I prayed for one with a drug problem, I prayed for one who was worried about his wife outside of prison, I prayed for one to be filled with peace for his restless heart. I prayed for redemption, for salvation, for God to raise up leaders within the prison to preach the Gospel to the other prisoners. I prayed for God to raise up pastors, who when they are released from prison will go on to pastor churches. I found myself facedown on the floor. I found myself face-up with arms stretched high.
Now I don't know for sure that this wasn't just the working of an active imagination. However, if it wasn't, and it was the work of the Holy Spirit interceding through me, then there was some real work accomplished for the Kingdom!!
This is my testimony of what Christ did through me on this average Thursday night. May He continue to work in me. May this not be a one-time thing, but a regular occurrence. May I be open to the Spirit to hear His voice and to respond whenever He moves. Amen.
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