Not words, but power.

It has been almost a year since I began the journey of understanding this person we call the Holy spirit.
Almost a year since I surrendered fully to him and stopped trying to control things.

How I wish I would have done it sooner.

I think about all the time I spent in China, and while I did see fruit, I feel I could have seen so much more! This person we call the Holy spirit, this presence of God is more than anything I could have hoped for.

I began to step out only recently in what I had been studying for the last year, and began to stop having an agenda when ministering to people, and instead have become a living vessel that understands that I carry the presence of the living God inside of my body.


Three weeks ago I got to take this presence of God into a prison cell for youth girls. I didn't prepare a speech or topic that I wanted to speak on.... I completely relied on the Holy spirit to show up, and I'm so glad that I did.

I asked the girls if they wanted to experience God, and the Holy spirit. We held hands in the circle and waited for my precious father to work. One by one they began to cry and experience the Holy spirit, I got words for them, and for one girl in particular named Jarissa.

Jarissa was the hard one of the group. The hardness of life was written on her face, and God spoke to me about her. I saw her full of Joy and laughter. I told her that and asked her if she wanted to feel God's presence, she said yes and she cried as I prayed for her.

I got to go back again yesterday, and did the same thing... There were about seven new girls, and just like the first time we went, they were uninterested, hard-hearted, and the cruelness of life written all over their faces. But I knew that God was going to work.


I did not complicate it, I'm done with that... I simply began the same way I did two weeks before.


Talked a little bit about God and his love, and then asked who wanted to experience this God. Of course they all did, and we held hands and again God gave me words for them. One by one they were touched by God's love, one by one they cried out pain stuffed deep inside. But, want to know the coolest part?

As I went around the circle praying for these girls, Jarissa went along side of me and prayed for them in spanish. CRYING as she prayed for her fellow inmates.


At the end as we had our time of sharing, each girl expressed how they felt the Holy spirit touch them, and Jarissa spoke last, here is what she said:



"Two weeks ago I had an experience with this person called the Holy spirit. When you prayed for me I could feel him with my body. Before this day, I would go to sleep feeling all alone, and I would often cry. But since then, I can feel the holy spirit is with me and I don't feel lonely. I feel like he is with me and I have so much Joy. I also am so surprised cause I feel like I love all of you girls (her fellow inmates) before, I didn't feel anything toward you. But now, I can go around and pray for you and feel genuine love for you, and cry for you... This is God."



There you have it... Change.



God has all the power, we plant a seed and he waters it and causes it to Grow. He brings the increase, the fruit.... I didn't speak to them with awesome and convincing sermons/teachings... I simply came in the smallness of who I am and pointed to the hugeness of who our God is. THIS is the power of the gospel. THIS is the power that changes.



I will never try another way.