Today we delve into the theme of commitment in the Prayer Covenant.
A Testimony from a Follower of Jesus
This is the personal testimony of a dear friend, co-laborer, full committed and sold-out follower of Jesus who happens to also be our Prayer Covenant leader for the State of Washington. Her love for God is contagious; and her story illustrates that often, a relationship with Jesus is not easy or fast. It took ten years of trying to run and hide when Jesus found Katie, bringing her back home, and taking His rightful place as Lord of her life.
Just how did I find myself sitting alone in a rowboat in the center of a huge storm in Prince William Sound, Alaska? All around me, the wind whipped, and the waves began to swell. I was weeping out of sorrow and screaming out of fear into the howling wind from that little boat. The boat was my life, and the storm of the consequences of my sin and the sins of others harassed me. The waves of guilt and shame were about to crush me when I heard a voice. This voice was kind and assertive, and I had never heard it before. How could twenty-nine years pass without knowing this voice? When it spoke, the storm stopped and I heard the beautiful voice saying, “That’s enough Katie, you are mine.” God the Father was speaking to me by His Holy Spirit. In the vision, I saw a hand grab me out of the boat and set my feet onto high ground. While others saw me as a rebel—wild, flakey, ugly and worthless—God, my Father, saw me as His precious, rare, vibrant, loyal and beautiful daughter.
Testimony of Commitment
My uncle who had been praying for me for many years was overjoyed hearing I had an encounter with Jesus. He immediately invited me to enter into a prayer covenant with him, “Would you ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life each day and to change you any way He wants?” The words resonated deep within my soul. I knew that life apart from Jesus was filled with condemnation, emptiness and futility. “Yes,” was my immediate reply. I desperately wanted the presence of Jesus to fill my life with His abundance and beauty. Jerry continued, “When you pray for yourself, Katie, would you be willing to pray for me?” And so began my prayer journey, praying with and for others as we committed to following Jesus together.
Can I just say to those of you who are waiting for those long-awaited prayers for loved ones struggling to be answered, don’t give up! Jesus is with you in the garden of anguish. He hears you and is faithful to respond in His perfect time.
