Prayer Power...

Somewhere around 11:15 last night I received a call from one of our church staff. Now let me start off by saying I'm an optimistic realist, (IE I always focus on the positive, but I'm not ignorant to the fact that there is a negative), Now almost everyone stored on my cellphone has their own ringtone, (a rash and fiscally irresponsible decision but it's too late now, and it has been useful) so as soon as I heard it I knew something was amiss, I know this person would have waited until the morning for good news so I dove for the phone. He was on the way to MCV in Richmond their baby was having seizures and he asked me to pray and get the word out.

This first thing I did was a very quick prayer, the second was to call my parents, then I got notice that they were being re-routed to Fairfax.

At that point I was mass texting my entire team to ask them to pray.

I got an amazing response back (proving that I'm not the only night-owl on my team) and we got down to business. (And intercession is major business in my opinion)*

Around 11:30 one of the staff came back with this message, "This is spiritual Warfare, use your sword!" I felt rather sheepish for not even considering that, but I grabbed my Bible and flipped to the Psalms. I read, I prayed I meditated, I worshiped, I sang, and I know that there were at least seven other people doing the same (well maybe not the singing). Finally around 12:45, and I have no other way to describe this, but I just felt a peace fall around me and I got up off the floor, closed my bible, and grabbed my ipod to listen to some worship music. Seven minutes later a text arrives letting me know that the seizures have stopped and the little one is resting calmly.

God we thank you for your mercy and grace. I thank you for being my comfort through this, and my strength. We ask for your continued involvement in the protections of this family and this child. Father I cry out for your mercy and ask that you continue to protect our staff at Lifepoint. Thank you for the cross, thank you for the stripes you endured, by which we are healed. In Jesus name.

I ask that anyone who reads this would pray for our staff and their families, for their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual protection. For the work that has begun here, that we would have the courage, the strength and the compassion to do what God has called us to do. That we would live lives obedient to his purpose.

Thank you and God bless.
~Matthew Furukawa
04/29/08

*Sidenote: post to follow.