SPONTANEOUS MINISTRY AND JOY IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING

So blessed that my sister and brother-in-love were able to come and help Dad and me again today. Needed to go back to the Veterans Administration medical center at Bay Pines St. Petersburg in order to get a Cortizone shot for my knee.   While waiting for the doctor to call me I sat with several friends who are full veterans or family members.  I don't mean that they were people I knew already, they became friends as we sat and talked. One of them was a Vietnam vet. One had taken part in the operations in Iraq. And woman about my age was there to pick up prescriptions for her 93-year-old father who had served World War II.

The young man who had been on active duty for 10 years and served in the Operation Iraqi Freedom  The doctor had given him a hard time about getting more pain meds and he was back for the second time in a week to try to get some. There are definitely people who come to be seen who are trying to get more pain meds and sometimes people are really scarmmimg the system. I don't believe that he was. He was called to see the physician over a little bit before I went back there. When he left I asked him his name and told him that I would be praying for him.a

So if you feel good please pray for Chris. It's so hard to see people in pain, and people who struggle with their injuries and disabilities. Sometimes you just wish you could take the pain away, from things that are visible and invisible.

A Vietnam era veterans named Tom, and the woman who was waiting to pick up her 93-year-old father's prescriptions expressed that they were faithful Christians, as well. 

As we all talked about God's love and faithfulness, I mentioned that I had been involved in praying for healing for a long time. Then Tom said he had a pain in his neck, and asked me to pray for him. Of course I said "Sure," and asked if he also wanted to be anointed with oil, which is a physical sign of the operations of the Holy Spirit when we pray for healing. He said, "Yes, absolutely", 

I asked the woman who was waiting for her father's prescriptions if she would lay hands on him and praying also. In the healing prayer ministry it's important when teams of prayer ministers pray. So right there in the waiting room of the walk-in clinic next to the pharmacy, we prayed and felt the presence of the  Holy Spirit in a powerful way. Then, when the woman who was waiting for her father's prescriptions saw his name come up on the board, she stood up to go get them saying that she left that I should use the anointing oil on my knee as well.The Lord works wonders through faithful prayer and went to a more organic in his name and he said he would be his present in a special way.

 A woman sitting nearby who had been watching what had been happening said, "Not just one to three or gathered together. He is with us all the time." Of course that is true, but there is also an added element of connection to the Holy Spirit when two or three are gathered in Jesus' name. It has to do with connecting to Jesus authority and to that idea and practice and ability to open channel to God's grace and peace when you pray in Jesus' Holy Name. This is because of the promise that Jesus made that if we ask in His name and believe, that He will give us what we ask for. God works wonders in answer to prayers of believers. Faith is a gift. When we receive it and use it we are able to receive God's blessing and provision, and we know who to thank.

God is so good and so faithful. Sometimes we don't have something that we want from the Lord because we haven't really asked for it. He always knows what we need but in order to receive his love and healing touch, we need to ask so that we can open up a channel to receive whatever kind of blessing He has for us.

This is what Jesus was talking about when He said, "Ask and it will be  given to you, seek and you will find, Knock, and the door will be open for you," (Matthew 7:7)

Continue to bless and keep you and yours.

In Jesus' Holy Name I pray.

Alleluia! Amen.