The Phenomenon of Prophetic Prayer

Introduction “Don’t talk to strangers,” they would say. And in fact, and theory, this man was a stranger. Even as a child while knowing that strangers were dangerous, this Man provided safety and refuge to my world, which was filled with pain, dysfunction, and confusion. He was different from other strangers. I would cry out by writing letters to Him, asking why: Why do my mother and father get a divorce? What is going on? Why doesn’t my mother like me? What do I do? All these were questions of a girl who was in pain. Hurt, scared, afraid, and at the age of eight, I sought relief. Little did I know this pain would be the platform for my ministry. And this Man, who started out as a stranger, would soon become so much more. But wait; the pain wasn’t done. It progressed through the early stages of my marriage. I was extremely devoted to my idea of marriage. Like many young ladies, I dreamt about my future with my Prince Charming—like a Cinderella fairy tale. Growing up in a dysfunctional home causes a person to view marriage as a simple convenience and not a sacred vow. I didn’t allow that to skew my view of it. Marriage was sacred. But when I entered marriage and was met by more pain, I experienced those same feelings, which had encumbered my life when I was eight years old, and they gave me a shock. It was a shock as radioactive as thunder striking the ground. This shock wasn’t destructive; instead, it changed my life and led me to the greatest surrender. This marriage and sacred dream that I had imagined since I was a little girl brought me to my knees as I cried out to God, who was no longer that Stranger. I said, Lord, I’ve tried everything to make this marriage work. Help! I need you. As I surrendered my life to the Lord, I was supernaturally filled with the Holy Spirit’s power, and that is where God began to work on me. Even as a young Christian, my prayer life was extremely valuable to me like precious rubies. I cherished that place of prayer. I didn’t know much about prayer, and I hadn’t grown up hearing teachings on intercession. The Holy Spirit became my teacher, and I was the student. Fully submitted, the Holy Spirit began to teach me how to relieve the pain that I carried from childhood into my marriage. I found reassurance and comfort in prayer. Many times, when I cried out to God, all I could do was cry. Deep groaning and utterances sprang out of me like living water. These were languages of relief. Lying in this place of prayer and subdued in His presence, I learned where to put this pain. Rising off the floor, I felt as though the heavy load, which I had once carried, didn’t feel as heavy anymore. Even though English was my native language, I preferred to pray in the Spirit because I didn’t know what to pray. Prayer was the key. It was the key that unlocked the door to where this long-lasting pain resided. Prayer was the place where I was able to express myself and get the relief that I so desperately longed for. Imagine a cold winter evening. You put a pot roast in the pressure cooker to bring warmth and comfort to the cold wintery night. To properly open the lid, you must slowly release the buildup of pressure first. Then you can lift the lid to look at the pot roast. This is just like life. There must be a release from the buildup of pressure and pain to lift you up. That was what prayer began to do for me; it released the pressure, pain, and agony from my childhood and new marriage. He is no longer a Stranger. He is my Healer, Deliverer, Way Maker, Shelter, and Teacher. From that point of release on, I began to go to God, consistently seeking Him through prayer and experiencing relief. In God’s sovereign wisdom and loving plans, He allowed that place of pain to ignite a hunger in me. I sought knowledge from His Word. I learned who I was in Christ, and that amplification brought me to a deeper revelation of who God was. This process was one of beauty. Like a butterfly grows in its cocoon, I grew in this place of prayer. My focus was no longer on the pain; He became the focus. I got to know Him and His many names. He was no longer a stranger or just my place of relief. This was a phenomenon and a journey, where I learned my superpower: prophetic prayer.