Encouragement
I first saw her finishing the set-up of her temporary booth across from ours. It was the Azeala festival in Jasper, Texas. My “brother” and I were in the final preparations of our booth for receiving people, to have God convict them of sin and tell of the remedy and the assurance of salvation. All through the day I watched the lady across run her booth. The Spirit was tugging on me to go talk to her about her faith. There was something about her.
She was meticulous, proper, everything had to be just so, in the proper place. It wasn’t just for selling candles, but for the customer to have a pleasant experience. By the end of the day, the festival was winding down. We had talked with many people, and were joyous as at least nine people came to Christ, and at least twenty-one had an experience with God. Not counting the others who ran, or the Christians who encouraged us all throughout the day.
I approached her booth, asking how she had done. “Today was a pretty good day, but I have a question. What is the answer to your banner?” What is the only man made thing Heaven? I pointed to my palms...The nail prints in Jesus, the spear print in His side. As we talked about faith, this lady, told me of her struggles in life and her battles with bi-polar, depression, and two attempts at suicide.
At the age of twenty she was told by psychologists she would never hold a job, never have a family, to apply for mental disability and basically, just exist. For two years she had believed this, and fortunately was guided into a faith based psychologists who worked with her. She now has a husband and an eight year old daughter, makes candles to fight the mind’s idleness and bi-polar disorder, and has intentions of soon opening a store.
All day I had seen this lady, thought she was solid, the Spirit impressed on me that she was Christian. Mind, I cannot see the heart, but our spirit contends with other’s spirit. I was blown away with her story, I had no idea of her struggles, and her conquering of a terrible disorder. What could I do?
I offered that at the conclusion of the festival, we could pray for her and help her break down her booth. I was reminded of the Hebrew word for prayer, Palal (Pei, Lamed, Lamed), and the primitive, pictorial that Moses may have used. The letter P was written or drawn with an open mouth, the letter L with a shepherd staff, combined to mean, “speaking to authority.” The origin of the word expresses what the heart of prayer is, speaking to the Authority, God.
At the end, she came by for prayer. Praying with or for someone is an amazing experience, as I had done throughout the day. What an honor and a privilege to go to the throne of God in prayer, speaking to authority. Not to tell someone, I will pray for you, or I will keep you in my prayers, but to stop right then and say I can pray for you now. There is something about the interaction. I feel I am blessing the person, but not me, the Holy Spirit through me.
That weekend was a building block in my Christian faith, as I took a small part in the Great Commission with an evangelist. I learned that I cannot judge people, over and over I learned this throughout the day. I may think someone has it all together, is proper and prim, has everything under control, only to discover they are fighting a war inside, alone. A war we cannot see, yet through prayer, we become an ally in their spiritual war.
Next time someone is sharing their problems with you, offer to pray for them right there are on the spot. It will be a blessing to them and you. The first few times may feel awkward, but that will disappear, especially when you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.
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