A bit of a Gideon’s Army event for us on Saturday! Just four of us (Corinne, Penny, Ara plus myself) and a four hour session with a crowd of believers who became more and more confident about coming for prayer as the afternoon wore on. But, as for Gideon, us and the Spirit of the Living God made enough!!!! There were so many and we had such a good time (no rain except a light shower at the end) that I thought I should provide a report for you all to read.
(1). A security guard at the Festival, Phil using the English version of a Ukraine name, was the first to come to see us. He had multiple problems: liver disease; diabetes; a lot of joint pains; and severe lower back pain. A long list always says ‘spirit of infirmity’ to me, though I simply address it as ‘infirmity’ not ‘spirit of infirmity’ when we are out in a public space. The thing knows who I am speaking to. I told it to round up all of the problems it had brought and then to leave, with all of them. Phil said he could not tell whether the liver problem or the diabetes had changed, the general aches and pains were always at their worst in the morning and became easier as he became more mobile through a day so he was feeling better anyway, he said. Since specifically the lower back pain was no better, I called a friend to help.
Ara asked if we could check the length of Phil’s legs. We saw one of his legs was shorter by a reasonable amount and it grew out. In fact, went past t’other which then caught up once more. He didn’t feel any movement and couldn’t tell whether or not there had been improvement as it’s only first thing in the morning that he feels back pain, he said again. Sadly, he didn’t appear to want to believe that anything would happen but our God is mightier than us doubting/sceptical humans!
I saw him again at the end of the afternoon, still not aware of any changes but took a leaflet and agreed to write to us when things do change.
(2). Martin, a musician working at the Festival and at various other outreach events undertaken by the Festival team came to ask more for counsel than for healing. “I want more faith” he said, and to know whether he was pursuing the right things, and doing so hard enough. The first question Jesus had been asked a few times and the scriptures do not record Him giving a very short answer to the point, we just see Him getting on with the job: teaching and demonstrating through works of power the authority by which He taught, and that is as much as his own interlocutors would have seen.
As to what was right and working hard enough, Penny had just been reading Watchman Nee’s The Normal Christian Life, in which he teaches: don’t strive at anything, Jesus has already paid the price for everything you need. “We cannot work at anything to get deeper into God, we just are branches of The Vine.” Later in the afternoon Martin had decided he would get the book from Amazon and came back to check the details with Penny.
We also talked about Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed that starts small but grows to become the biggest plant in the garden; faith that starts small but grows to become able to move mountains – like Gregory The Wonderworker of northern Anatolia, who did just that. What happens between being “the smallest of seeds” moving mountains?? It must grow! Hebrews 5:14 solid food is for adults—that is, for those who through constant practice have their spiritual faculties carefully trained to distinguish good from evil. “Constant practice,” says the writer of Hebrews, “is the way our spiritual faculties grow!”
“Whatsoever your hands find to do, do it..” Samuel advised Saul on the day he anointed him as King of Israel, and Solomon was still giving his hearers the same advice when Ecclesiastes was composed.
As you know, I enjoy teaching anybody from the Scriptures!
(3). Ara writes: A lady (Catherine) sat down for prayers after I had invited her (she was very happy to come for prayers). She had so many issues starting from being born ‘dead/blue baby’ as she put it and having Cerebral Palsy from that time with the result that her frame had not grown in a balanced way. She wore a leg brace and a built up shoe and used a walking stick. I prayed and her left leg (with the shoe built up about ½ inch) grew out around 2 inches and she felt the movement. I shared God’s picture He had given me (hoola-hoop going up and down her body without falling on the ground; endless energy to come). She also had ME I recall but the rest I have forgotten.
Dorian adds: Catherine goes to St John’s RC church. She wore a Hindu god Ganesh elephant pendant which I gently advised her to put away but her late partner had been very keen on elephants and Father D had blessed the pendant so we left it.
(4). We asked an agèd man with dark glasses who had limited vision but he just responded that he had had many prayers and turned down our offer.
(5). Corrine writes: a lady, A, wanted to know The Lord’s will (i.e., what and where she should be serving other than in the church). Corinne received a word “The bells will ring”. Not sure whether this applies to her now or in the future.
(6). Catherine came with a very bad tooth. Her dentist had advised that it should be pulled out and when Catherine asked for a second opinion on the possibility of other treatments the dentist refused to treat her any further! Dorian & Corrine prayed for her with our hands on each of her shoulders in our normal way. After a few minutes in which she was clearly touched by the Holy Spirit she said “your hand is really hot!” I agreed (it felt very hot to me too)! I asked if there was anything wrong with her shoulder. “Yes. Frozen shoulder. Both sides but it had just about gone!” We prayed some more. She was very clearly touched by the Lord but she could not measure any changes. Catherine wanted to be filled with the Holy Spirit, so we prayed for that too. She felt too shy to launch out in tongues so we gave her some advice about praying and practicing on her own.
(7). Joe, a photographer working for the Festival, is getting married in January and his fiancée, Helen, has received dreams from the Lord about having a baby girl and to name her Sarah Rose. J was a bit apprehensive as to whether this is truly from The Lord as he is 50 and Helen is early 40s. Dorian prayed for clarity, for freedom from fear and for freedom from the effects of discouraging counsel. Corinne said to “go for it” and Dorian mentioned the very first commandment at the beginning of Genesis: “to be fruitful and multiply” with examples of Abraham and Sarai having children late in life.
(8). Kate, a member of the outreach team at E5 Elim Pentecostal church in Bristol asked for healing from fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism and arthritis, for all of which the doctors are not sure the cause of her symptoms. After talking about the spiritual angle on these things and asking permission to address a spirit of infirmity. Dorian commanded the spirit of infirmity and all that it had brought to leave and called on the Holy Spirit to flood her with His healing power. Corinne had a word for her from Proverbs 3:5-6 (Trust in the Lord… etc). C confirmed that she too received this word for herself and her friend. She had a good soak in the spring of life!!!
Dorian had a very clear sense of the word compassion. Matthew 5:7 normally given as blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown mercy. Dr Weymouth translates: “Blessed are the compassionate, for they shall receive compassion.” (similar to the way Jesus often told people “your faith has made you whole”). I felt very strongly to say to Kate “you have shown compassion towards drug users and the homeless, in the same way the Lord shows His compassion towards you.”
(9). A few minutes later Kate was back with three more young ladies from E5 plus a young girl (so five girls from E5!!). Would we pray for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Of course!! They were ex drug addicts and got saved recently. One of them, D, laughed and cried when prayed for but said that she felt a blockage as she couldn’t open her mouth to speak in tongues. Corinne discerned that it was fear and shame and prayed against it and she felt better. Encouraged her to continue to ask for the gift of tongues even though she didn’t manifest it today.
(10). Prayed for the third young lady, E, for this gift and she began to speak in tongues within a few minutes.
(11). The fourth young lady had emphysema and other lung issues so Dorian & Penny prayed with her separately. She was clearly touched and tears flowed. We then prayed for her to be filled with the Holy Spirit and left her with some advice as to how to pray on her own at home later.
(12). Corrine writes: Crystal came for prayer as she felt her heart felt uneasy or unsettled and often tearful. She attends the Abbey but does not get enough fellowship. Penny and I prayed for peace, etc., and found out she received The Lord less than a year ago. She is an Australian and a classical solo choral singer who travels all over the UK. We encouraged her to read the Bible and to attend a Church fellowship. She sings in Bath Abbey but not sure whether has any Christian fellowship. Invited her to come for further prayers on one of our HOTS weekday sessions outside the Abbey.
(13). A lady, F, asked for prayer as she lost the silver bangles she bought for her daughter’s birthday. We prayed that The Lord will show her where she has misplaced it.
(14). Penny writes: prayed for a friend of ours, Alex, for whom we have prayed several times over the years for healing for her type 1 diabetes, and commanded it to go completely.
(15). Lydia had changed her name from Andrea because she found it too masculine. Penny shared her testimony about her own name. Lydia also wanted prayer for hormone imbalance; gut problems; and thyroid problems. A believer, she was so encouraged that Penny asked her to pray for herself!! Both ladies in their 60s!
(16). A Spanish lady had been in Ara’s Sat 7 tent and came to talk to Penny for some time. She wanted Jesus to reveal that He is really real. Penny encouraged her to pray that He would reveal His love and presence to her, which she said she would do.
(17). Ara writes: at the end of the afternoon a young lady, Kay, sat down for prayers for anxiety, stress, etc., involving issues at work with bosses and at home between herself and her mother and with her own child; together with similar difficulties whenever she tried to join a “formal” church. She really felt the Holy Spirit’s presence for 10-15 minutes and would have remained on the chair for even longer if time hadn’t dictated otherwise. Ara gave her a picture from the Lord of her waving a huge banner/flag with mother and daughter joining in.
Kay did not want to say where she lives or works, just “a village outside Bath”, Dorian felt (word of knowledge) that it was Box. It was, so we explained how ‘informal’ the house Church at Bronwyn and Steve’s is and, via contact with Ara, we hope that she will join us in September.
There were of course many other conversations so that from half time we were all busy continuously until the end!