During the fast, the ministry I serve with, Hearts of Beauty (HOB), asked me to speak on the topic of spiritual warfare at the Georgia event. My most recent experience with the topic is our fast and the battle of faith it represents, so I told the leader that I would talk about the fast and the lessons learned during it. The retreat was this past weekend, just one week after the completion of the fast.

I want to share with you both a portion of the testimony I shared at the event and the results of the fast, so far. This weekend in Georgia, Jesus amazed us in so many ways as so many of His daughters were healed physically, emotionally, spiritually and many experienced great freedom.

He surprised me too as He tossed out most of what I had prepared to say and gave me other words and even had me sing on stage in front of 120 or so women! That is not something I ever thought I would do!

So here is part of my testimony. This follows me reading the Facebook post that was the basis for the blog post called, Katy’s Healing.

Presentation:

…When I awoke from that dream, I felt like it was a dream from the Lord and that it was intended to stir up the sense of justice in me. This is NOT right and it is NOT OK.

I honestly did not intend to write about a 40 day fast as I started to write that post.

40 days! That really was not my idea. We had never done a fast for that long before. But friends from all over immediately started jumping in and agreeing to pray with us and many to fast with us a few days or a part of the time and even some, for the whole time!

I felt such momentum on what I had written and I had to keep going back to re-read it because much of what had flowed out was inspiration of the Holy Spirit and not an idea from my own mind so I couldn’t remember quite what I’d written.

I felt so sure that this was of the Lord, that He had put those words into my fingers and I felt a certain understanding of the bigger picture that He was drawing through this fast.

The first weekend of our fast happened to be our church’s women’s retreat. We went up to Asheville, NC and had a great weekend, but it was not the greatest time to be fasting. I took a lot of juices with me, but surprisingly, it was really easy! I thanked the Lord for making it so easy. I told him, “I guess I kind of wanted to suffer for my girl in this fast.” He said, “No, I already did!” I could feel his sweet smile at that.

During the ^3rd week of our fast, a wonderful new friend asked if she could come over and pray with us. After several hours of prayer we did see the beautiful change in Katy’s back. Up until that day, the ribs on her right side were raised into a hump because of scoliosis. As we prayed, suddenly they were flat! It was amazing. We didn’t see it happen. They were just suddenly flat! It was Awesome!

Wow! Thank you Papa! What else will you do if your have already done this?

In my Facebook post I shared my heart to see the gospel fulfilled. I believe what Jesus said is true, no matter what I see with my natural eyes or my experience;

I am believing that His word will come to fruition. He said, “These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” (Mark 16:17-18 NLT)

To me, this is pretty straightforward.   I believe…so this applies to me. My husband believes…so this applies to him. We have experienced laying hands on people and seeing them healed of many different things.

Something you probably don’t know about me, is that for the last 20 years or so, I normally get up early, 4:30 or 5 am, so that I have time to worship and read my bible in the morning before the day begins.

On the 30^th day of our fast, I was setting my alarm for 4:30 and told the Holy Spirit that I was doing that, but if He wanted to get me up earlier, He could. (I was thinking 4, since that is a favorite time of His.) Well the next morning, my eyes popped open at 3:00!   3:00?

I really think Holy Spirit was snickering over that one. Like, “Well you said I could get you up earlier!”

And I was wide-awake! AND, at that hour, I had just gotten a text from an awesome, prayer warrior friend, Angie, who regularly wages war in prayer while most of us are sleeping. I thought, who is texting me at 3 am?

Without knowing about our 40 day fast for Katy, at 3 o’clock in the morning, Angie had sent me a simple text, saying she thought of me and the Lord gave her this verse, Mark 9:29.

Mark 9:29 just happens to be when the disciples were not able to cast out the demon from the boy and Jesus did cast it out. They privately asked Jesus why they were not able to cast it out and Jesus answered, “This kind goes out through prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:29

 This verse has been in the back of my mind during the fast. I felt as though the Lord was giving me encouragement. Like, yes! You are on the right track with this fast!

Then, on the 31st day of our fast, I was inspired by a daily devotional that cited Galatians 3:13 to read the book of Galatians again.   Wow! I was mind blown and felt confirmation of the thoughts that have been stirred up in my thinking.

Over the years of praying for healing, many well-intentioned believers have suggested that perhaps there is some unforgiveness or a generational curse issue standing in the way.

Realizing that we may not have perfect understanding of the gospels, we explored these areas. As a result, I have forgiven everyone I could possibly forgive, and cancelled every possible generational curse. But it never really sat right with my understanding of the simple Gospel. So, in that early morning study, the revelation I received changed the way I think about healing and I believe cemented the outcome of our fast and the future of our personal/family ministry.

In the letter to the Galatians, Paul is restating the Gospel by which the Galatians had been saved. He is reminding them of the simple Gospel that set them free from the bondage of religion and the impossible burden of the law.

If you check out Deuteronomy 28, you will see that all the generational curses come from not keeping the law. Jesus fulfilled all the law. He alone has kept all the law and then Christ rescue us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Galatians 3:13

I saw that, in Galatians 2:18-21, Paul says: My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That means that all the generational curses that belonged to my old self are dead too. They died when I died. They have not been resurrected.

 And, I saw that, in our new nature, we have been adopted as God’s own children. Therefore, the generational inheritance we have, now comes from our Father, who IS God!

“And since you are his child, God has made you His heir.” (!!!) Galatians 4:7

 “You are co-heirs with Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:17) Christ kept all the law, he fulfilled all the law and so instead of curses, his inheritance is the blessings of Deuteronomy 28. As co-heirs, those same blessings belong to you and yours.

As I understood this, I felt SO encouraged about her healing!

 What does all of this have to do with Spiritual Warfare?

Well, last Sunday, less than a week ago, we completed of our 40-day fast. To be honest, I had big expectations that my daughter would be completely healed AND restored. I knew part of the way through what I would be talking about here and was SURE that I was going to come here with my newly healed and restored daughter and tell you about victory in prayer.

My husband and I and many friends have been praying for us to be able to handle the enormous change it will mean for us to suddenly be parenting a completely able teenager. I mean, look at all the encouragement I received from the beginning through the end.

 ***However…What I hoped for, believed for, felt encouraged in, did not happen in the time I had expected. ***

So far, her spine and ribs and a bit more talking are the only visible evidence of healing.

So, what am I to believe?

Well the enemy was trying to tell me that I am now disqualified from coming here to talk to you because I didn’t have anything good to report.

To be completely honest, I was feeling pretty devastated and over the next 2 days, went through alternating phases of really sad and really MAD!

You know how Janis talked about having the showdown with God in the mirror? Well I was having it out facedown on the floor in my house, driving down the road, at the gym, anywhere else I might be over the next two days.

It was like I was two people. One having a hissy, and the other, sitting back rationally, knowing that God was not surprised, God had not let me down, God had not promised me a date and all that I know of God had not changed.

I was part spoiled brat who had not gotten my way and part mature daughter realizing that I had made some assumptions that had led to my expectations not being met.

Thankfully the mature daughter took over pretty quickly. She knows that worship is one of the most effective forms of spiritual warfare.

But, have you ever seen Westside Story? Do you remember the ‘fight’ scene. They’re fighting and dancing and singing.

I had to sing-it-out! Praise Him and Yell out those lyrics as much to myself as to Him while ministering to my own soul and my own spirit in that time of worship.

Part of it looked like this:

Take Courage by Bethel Music (parenthesis added by me)
Take courage, my heart
Stay steadfast, my soul
He’s in the waiting
He’s in the waiting
Hold on to your hope
As your triumph unfolds (Angry Yell: Lord you said you are my Triumph!)
He’s never-failing
He’s never-failing

Sing praise, my soul
Find strength in joy
Let his words lead you on
Do not forget his great faithfulness (Yell: Lord! You have always been faithful, I know that’s not gonna change now!)
He’ll finish all he’s begun (I know you will, I know you will!)

And you who hold the stars
Who call them each by name
Will surely keep your promise to me (Lord you promised, Lord, your are the covenant maker and You are the covenant Keeper!  It is your name at stake here, not mine.  Lord, I know YOU will fight this battle on our behalf!)
That I will rise in your victory!

By Wednesday, having done this ugly, tearful, snot dripping kind of worship several times…..there was a shift. The warfare had largely concluded and the enemy was again defeated.

I have been reading my Bible almost daily for 20+ years and it has taught me who God is, and maybe more importantly, How God IS. It has allowed me to hear his voice. I’ve never worked at memorizing the addresses, but I have his word deeply in my heart.

• I am a friend of God. He calls me friend. And I call Him friend too.
• He has literally, tangibly held my hand when I thought I was at my end.
• Spiritual Warfare comes through intimacy. Our Intimacy with God scares the enemy more than anything!

If you don’t remember anything else I say today, please remember this:  The scariest thing about you as an adversary of the enemy is your intimacy with the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!

He is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and He is on YOUR side. You should get to know Him.

Just as you have had quiet time here at HOB, It is critical that you make time for that at home too.

If you don’t have a secret place, you NEED to get one! Because everything that you are about to hear from Elaine about spiritual warfare comes from this relationship you have developed and are developing with Him today and tomorrow and the next day, in the Secret Place.

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has become my best friend. My hand-holding comforter who knows me better than I know myself. Who reveals the beautiful thoughts he has about me to me.

There have been days when He spoke those beautiful thoughts to me when I didn’t know that day was going to be rough, but He headed it off for me with the truth He spoke in the early hours.

So, why did Jesus heal Katy’s back, but only partially, and not yet heal her of Rett Syndrome overall? I have no idea!

But what I can know is what I read in Philippians 1:6. “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

So I believe that He will finish it. I know that my girl will be completely healed and completely restored to the wholeness that God always intended for her.

So, though I have not YET seen what I wanted to see, or what I expected to see, I refuse to give my power to the enemy by agreeing with him.

I will continue to believe God’s word and God’s promises to me until I see the result that is promised. I know WHO I am believing, so I have power to stand and fight when it doesn’t appear to be going my way.

I believe one of these days at a HOB Georgia, I will bring my daughter with me and she will tell you her own healing testimony.

Thanks for listening.