My mom and dad preached and traveled a lot, but they also found time to go different places and hear other ministers. They would take dad’s vacation time he accumulated at the coal mines, and we would go everywhere to hear other preachers. A lot of the time in the summer, it would be under a gospel tent. But, if certain preachers happened to be in the area at anytime during the year, well, we were there.

Most of the preachers I loved to hear, others not so much. Some of them had quirks that I found amusing. Some of them were not as transparent as they should have been. Yet, others, I would get excited when I knew we would be in church with them.

Here is a story that you may find weird or inappropriate for a good little Christian girl, but ya know, sometimes you have to save yourself!!

There was a preacher, I will call Phil (not his real. name). Phil was a dynamic, charismatic, captivating minister. I could always follow his passion and where he would take us through the pages of God’s Word. But, I always dreaded prayer time with him!!!

Why you may ask? I will tell you why!

Phil was a powerful preacher, and I do believe he had gifts of healing and the power of the Holy Spirit to discern a room. He was careful with his words. So, why did I hate prayer time?

Phil would ask people to come forward if they wanted prayer. He would usually have them line up in front of an altar and start at one end and just go down the line and pray for everyone. But the thing about Phil was, his passion for prayer was a little harsh on the recipient!

Most preachers would lay their hand on your forehead and say a prayer of healing or deliverance. Not Phil! He would take the heel of his hand and hit you right square in the middle of your forehead – hard! There were times that he would ask to pray for me, and I would love the fact of prayer, but hated his delivery! I have been hit so hard by him that there was a burning sensation up my neck. I know now that could have been “prayer whiplash!” I also have had more than one “Holy Ghost headache” after he prayed for me. Sometimes, the force would be so hard, and if he caught you off guard, you would get knocked off your feet!

I was not alone. If you looked around after church, you could “see” who he had prayed for. Either they had a red welp on their forehead, they were getting up off of the floor, or they were rubbing their neck! For some reason I always found this hilarious!

SO MY CHURCH (BRAT) STORY begins:

One night we went to a neighboring county to hear Phil preach. My best friend’s dad pastored the church where Phil would be preaching. I loved going to be able to sit with my best friend in church. We would giggle at little things no one else would find the least bit humorous, but we sure did.

After Phil finished preaching on that particular night, he called for prayer for something. I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention because it was at the end of the service. My friend and I were talking and laughing about something, so it caught me by surprise when I heard, “Wendy, come up here and let me pray for you.” I thought, “Oh no!” I grabbed my friend’s hand and said, “You are going with me.” I dragged her up to the front with me. I had her by the hand and wouldn’t let go. I am like, if I am going down, so are you, sister.

There was a line of people across the front waiting for prayer. Now, I am unsure if they were called up or went voluntarily for prayer, but either way, I was on the far end to be last. I had to come up with a plan before he got to me. As I held on to her hand, my friend tried to wiggle away from my grasp, but I would not let go. I was bracing myself as I watched him, one by one, pray for people. They were either hitting the floor, rubbing their forehead, or their neck. He was on a roll for sure. I kept an eye on him as he moved down the line…closer and closer to me. My heart was racing because I knew what it would be when he got to me. I squeezed my friend’s hand, and she looked at me funny. I smiled! I had a plan. A plan that only a church brat could put together that fast!

He got closer and closer. He got to the person beside me. My mind was racing! Should I enact my plan or not? He got closer and I decided, “I shall!”

Right as he was moving toward me, I just “flopped out on the floor!” I had my friend’s hand, so down she went with me! If you have been in a Pentecostal service, you have to know what happened next! A few “church ladies” had gathered around with sounds of “Bless her Lord,” “Move, Jesus!” “Hallelujah, thank you for young people.”

Do I even have to tell you what I did? I went into a fit of laughter. My friend started laughing uncontrollably. The more we heard them “praying over us,” the funnier it got. But, the icing on the cake was, “Lord, I see a Holy Spirit of Laughter on these girls! Bless them! Let them have a burst of royal Holy laughter for the rest of their lives!”

Guess what? That prayer was answered. At inconvenient times, I laugh, and I blame it on the church lady that prayed it on me!

WHAT’S ON MY MIND?  GLAD YOU ASKED!

How many times have you had to have God knock some sense into you over certain situations or with certain people? How many times have you been knocked off of your feet and felt sore (angry) as you dusted yourself off getting up? How many times have you felt it burn when you say you are sorry and the other person throws it back in your face, or they should be the one apologizing and won’t. Do you ever have that dread of something good happening to you because you feel that something terrible is lurking around the corner?

All of these things are tools of the devil to get you sidetracked from the good things of God. Good things He wants for His kids. When you quit paying attention and you are distracted, things start happening around you. You don’t know when they started or how you are going to get out of it. Often, those things have been going on around you for years, and you just have not noticed. You were distracted, and suddenly it is upon you, and you feel dread, scared, and betrayed. You grab the hand of someone you thought would help you, and they just try to wiggle away, but you will not let go. Then, when they go down, you both do!

Life is harsh. We can have a wonderful life and then start looking at what we do not have and not what we do have, and the life we once knew is gone. What happened? Where did everyone go? Then you look around, and you see the wounded. People as wounded as you are. People are perplexed and limping along in life, just as you are. What do you do?

You pray! You pray for God’s holiness! You pray for the spirit of laughter to bring your spirit back to life.

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 (KJV)

You set your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith. He endured the torture of the cross. The shame of the cross, The horrifying death on the cross for us to have eternal life. He did it willingly and for us, for us to live victorious over the enemy.

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

Think about that. Let this scripture sink in. FOR THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM, HE ENDURED THE CROSS! The joy of the cross???? Jesus’ joy wasn’t the cross itself but the reason for the cross. That reason was us! All of us!

When we are so busy looking at others, and what they are going to do, we get in a panic and fall! We will take people down with us in the process. We have to look at Jesus – only Jesus.

My pastor, Jay Morgan, says all the time, “Close your eyes and see Jesus! Look into His face. Gaze into His eyes. Look at Jesus!”

I am calling for us all to look at Jesus. Close your eyes to anything happening around you and find Jesus. Look at Him! Gaze into His eyes! Think about the reason for His joy on the cross – it was YOU, it was ME, it was humanity!

As you get ourself postured to pray, and as you worship, settle yourself alone so He can speak to you. Listen to Him because He will speak to you!

PRAY THIS WITH ME TODAY

Pray this song as a prayer. If you don’t sing that is ok, make a joyful noise to the Lord! It is ok to sing your prayers.

You do understand that the Psalms are prayers written and David sang them to the Lord!

Thank you for the cross Lord
Thank you for the price You paid
Bearing all my sin and shame
In love You came
And gave amazing grace

Thank you for this love Lord
Thank you for the nail pierced hands
Washed me in Your cleansing flow
Now all I know
Your forgiveness and embrace

Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne
Crown You now with many crowns
You reign victorious
High and lifted up
Jesus Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb