February 2009 Monthly Letter

"If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries…" I Cor. 13:2.

At the Family Session in Chesapeake, VA, I was teaching family members to pray the Scriptures by paraphrasing various passages. The 9 Beatitudes were visible on the screen as I walked among the participants, praying for some to demonstrate how to do this.

A silent prayer for the Holy Spirit to lead me to 9 people of His choosing is my regular practice. Each person wears a name tag, so I am able to personally pray one of the following Beatitudes for each:

Lord, bless_____with humility, for then he/she will know what Your Kingdom is like.

Lord, bless_____with an ability to understand other's sorrow, for then he/she will know what Your comfort means.

Lord, bless_____with a hunger and thirst for Your right-way-of-life, for then he/she will be satisfied.

Lord, bless_____with mercy for others when they fail then he/she will receive mercy when he/she fails.

Lord, bless_____with purity of heart, for then he/she shall see You as You are.

Lord, bless_____to be a peacemaker, for then he/she will be called Your son/daughter.

Lord, bless_____with courage to stand up for what is right, especially when with his/her peers and tempted to do otherwise for then he/she will truly know what Your Kingdom is like.

Lord, bless_____with the ability to withstand the pressures of being made fun of and called all kinds of names for Your sake. In those times, give him/her a deep sense of joy and gladness.

The last 2 are especially reserved for teenagers as they aptly apply to their life situations!

As I pray, all eyes are opened and focused on the screen and the person chosen for each Beatitude. The pastor and his wife noticed that the first 3 beatitudes individually fit perfectly for the 3 persons picked. "Amazing", they commented to one another. "How long will it continue?" they wondered.

It did so for the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, seventh, eighth, and yes, the ninth! They could hardly wait to come up to me at the close of the session and relay what they had mysteriously observed!

I suggested we join hands and thank the Lord for what He had done and allowed them to see. As we did, the pastor named each of the 9 persons and expressed his amazement for this mystery! As I joined in, I thanked the Lord for a "Pricilla" who had excitedly come up to me just before they had and stated, "I can't tell you how much the Seasoned Saints and Family Sessions have meant to me, I wasn't going to come to either, let alone stay for the Family Session, but I did. God has blessed me in many ways!"

When the prayer ended, the pastor said, "Praise the Lord for another of His mysterious workings! Pricilla has been a 'thorn in my flesh' for the 8 years I have pastured this church!" We don't need to 'understand' all mysteries. We need only to acknowledge them and glorify Him!