Acts 1:8 (NIV)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
CONSIDER THIS
ME: THIS IS THE WAY—
YOU: FROM GLORY TO GLORY!
Today’s story is from our friend, Suzan Wolzki. She wrote me this week, asking me to share this encouragement with our team.
Seedbed’s resources and opportunities have been pivotal in my journey to becoming a prayer minister. The Daily Text has led to quite a bit of healing. The Healing Prayer course was a game changer for me, as well. The harvest is great! Keep sowing.
Then she offered this story for the whole community. It’s powerful. Here’s Suzan’s Holy Spirit story, in her own words:
——
The route that landed me at the New Room Conference in 2021 involved hundreds of
divine appointments and a healing journey that had me determined to press forward into
the mystery of God’s goodness.
After college, I attended a few churches that left me entangled in legalism. I understood
God to be a wrathful God, who kept tabs and unleashed his vengeance. To me, God
was a “destroyer of people.” I was actively involved in the praise band and led Bible
studies. But every Sunday, I would sit in church and literally shake because I thought
I’d be “found out.” I had random guilt. Every Sunday, there was a new sermon about
another way I was destined for hell. To the church leaders, having just an ounce of
unholiness always led to the same diagnosis: someone who hadn’t actually turned
their heart over to God, and was therefore, “not saved.” It was all so confusing to me. I
was confused about who God really was. I stayed for seven years in a situation that I now
realize was spiritual abuse. But I eventually left. I was done with God’s people. And at
some point, I was done with God.
My testimony involves a slow fade into complete despair. Although the losses started
when I was a child, a flood of tragedies started about eight years ago. There was a
wave of loss with seemingly no end in sight. I tried hard to live with the Pauline attitude
of “in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” The problem was I couldn’t
actually live that truth because I had completely cut myself out of communication with
God . . . on purpose. I needed God to move, but I moved. And I moved away with such
finality in my posture. I was bitter and I was content living in agony provided I didn’t
have to deal with how angry I was at God.
A couple of years ago, God orchestrated a pretty elaborate plan to reconcile me to
himself and to his people. I stumbled into a physical therapy appointment during a
PTSD episode and in desperate need of prayer. A divine appointment unfolded. My
physical therapist was evidently a United Methodist pastor and prayer minister. I sat through a prayer session with her and God, and it changed the trajectory of my life forever. I became unencumbered. I soon joined my new friend in prayer ministry as an
intercessor.
I continued my healing journey. I saw my own resurrection. I understand experientially
how Christ’s healing ministry continues today. In celebration of all God had done, I
attended New Room 2021 with a few friends. It was a wonderful time of reflection and
worship. Toward the end of the conference, I attended a Seed Team breakfast. My
spirit had been pretty unsettled that morning. I felt like God was trying to tell me
something. During the breakfast, J. D. and the team spoke to us. But I’ll be honest, I
have no clue what any of them said. My mind was chaotic. So I started to pray. I
realized in that moment, that I had never been “rooted and established in love.” I had
never understood God as a loving God. I had never understood God’s people as loving
people.
I was receiving healing for my distorted image of God during breakfast that
morning. Christ was setting me free from legalism and pouring his love over me. I
journaled out my experience and wrote “FINALLY ROOTED AND ESTABLISHED” in big letters.
Just a few hours later, we had the opportunity to anoint each other and pray during the
closing worship service at the conference. I was paired with someone I didn’t know. Her name was Lisa. I prayed for Lisa and commissioned her for healing ministry. It was a sweet moment. Then the wind of the Spirit swept over us. Lisa asked if she could pray a verse of Scripture over me. She began to read very familiar words, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:16–19)
I was in shock. The Holy Spirit worked through Lisa to assure me that I had been
rooted and established in his love. I showed Lisa my journal entry from that morning
where I quoted that exact passage she prayed over me. We both sat in silence for a bit,
tears running down. It was confirmation that God had met me that morning. It was confirmation that Lisa and I had both heard God loudly and clearly. It was confirmation that God IS love. I needed to hear that exact verse at that exact time.
When sharing my testimony, I often say, “You know, in my healing journey, I’ve seen the full Trinity—the Father, Son, and Spirit in a divine dance with me. The Spirit sweeps us up, the Son binds our wounds, and the Father showers us with love.”
—–
Well done Suzan. Well done! Indeed, you are rooted and established in love. Dance on.
This is the way—from glory to glory.
THE PRAYER
Abba Father, this story feels like wholeheartedness. Thank you for Suzan and for the long and often exhausting journey from glory to glory and still to more glory. Thank you for giving us a glimpse of what it looks like to be finally rooted and established in the love of God—swept up by the Spirit, healed by the Son, and showered in the love of the Father. Holy Spirit, encourage our deepest heart today to awaken to this way of “being transformed” from one degree of glory to another. Praying in Jesus’ name, amen.
THE QUESTION
Do you identify with Suzan’s story today? How would you identify the particular part of the journey you are in right now? From glory to glory—what was the last degree of glory? What do you sense the next one is?
For the Awakening,
J.D. Walt
Sower-in-Chief
seedbed.com