Glowing bladders and fiery words from God

Thursday, some things went down. 
Unplanned. 
Undesired. 
Completely awesome and I can't wait for it to happen again. 

Jeremiah's band, Simon The Leper, had practice Thursday afternoon at The Yellow House. This means that our friends Winter and Esa (STL's bassist) came over. While the band shook the walls of our basement, Winter and I had a chat. 

By "chat" I mean, a thought provoking and heart felt conversation. We spent some time catching up, it's been a good week or so since our last chat. But for the most part we shared struggles we've been facing and spoke truth into those struggles. 

Some issues I noticed we and our male counterparts shared (which I will describe brief and vague because it's not the enemy I care to focus on in this post): unexplained bouts of anger, random spirals into despair, intense moments of self-doubt, and barrages of the poverty spirit. 

"We are a piece God uses in His plan. God is not a
piece we use in our plan." - Winter Rain

Winter has also been dealing with a bladder infection since April. It is now, I'd like to point out, September. She and Esa are battling some demonic strongholds in and around their house, which are leaving physical marks like cuts and bruises. Jeremiah and I have established Gates at our house, with the purpose of allowing the spirits of God and Man to pass, but blocking anything else. Interestingly, Winter had to fight with herself to come over; couldn't convince herself to get out of her car and cross our street until Jeremiah walked up and said hello. 

We talked for probably a long time, but it was one of those God-filled conversation that don't exist in time, so I completely lost track of the clock's existence. By the end of the conversation, Esa had joined and we'd determined the issues at hand were to be conquered. Jesus has conquered them already, that we knew. But it was time we step into our place of victory next to Him and conquer them too. 

We decided to pray. We discussed specific areas we wanted to pray into. Depression was a big one for all of us, so we wanted to be sure and speak Joy. We also wanted to get Winter healed. We've laid hands on her a three or four times, and though we feel pretty good afterward, the infection has persisted. As of the past week, after her third round of antibiotics, it was intensifying drastically. Gates needed established at their house, as well. Why we hadn't done that yet? Frack if we know. 

Jeremiah walked into the living room just as we were about to launch in. Our initial response was to lay out the game plan for him, but I hesitated. "What if we don't tell you and you pray according to how your led?" I asked. My tone was humorous, in the way we try to cover up honesty with joke in an attempt to avoid looking foolish (or is that just me?). "Are you down to pray prophetically?" 

"Sure," Jeremiah said with confidence. He didn't think I was foolish at all, what a relief. The four of us glanced around awkwardly for a moment, waiting for someone to start us off. We pray together with some regularity, and have for close to two years now. But this is how we always begin. "Should I start?" Jeremiah asked, as though the thought was just absurd enough to be necessary. 

And he did. Very nice prayer. An excellent start. A bit vague, not directly addressing any part of the specific game plan, but certainly speaking to our hearts. And he got the ball rolling. Winter jumped in afterward without hesitation. 

"It feels like my bladder is glowing." - Winter
(Photo by: Josiah McLain)

Mid-way through Winter's words, Jeremiah abruptly stood and marched back up the stairs to the bathroom. "What the?" I thought to myself. "Did he not just get out of there?" As if I was asking Him, Papa reminded me to focus on the task at hand, not to allow this unoffensive act to offend and distract me. 

I re-focused with little effort, which is rare for me, and started speaking after Winter. "Hand me your arm," I told her. It took me a few deep breaths and a pause - I was still intently focused on what she'd been saying - to begin. I don't recall what I said, but I remember imagining that I put my hands directly on a bruise on her arm and that it disappeared. I wanted to pray against the demonic in their house, and I figured if that bruise was demonically inflicted, it would be a good gate for me to speak Holy Spirit into. 

I also wanted to speak healing into Winter's bladder. Once and for all God bless it. I said something about bladder infection, and Jeremiah stopped me. "Is that what we're praying about?" He asked. "Seriously? That's what it was." We looked at him with confused expressions until he relented and continued. "My penis was on fire" he said earnestly. "That's why I had to run to the bathroom just now." 

"Prophetic word! Wooo hooo!" I laughed. As we continued praying, I couldn't get the laugh out of my chest. I was smiling like an idiot, uncontrolled laughter threatening to jump from my lips with every word. 

"I feel so good right now," Winter said after we amen'd it. "Seriously. I don't even know how to describe it. I'll be right back." She disappeared to the bathroom for a minute, and came back looking like someone who's had their first pee after holding it for five months. 

She and Esa came over yesterday for another band practice, so I asked her how she was feeling. I hate to admit doubt, but we've been trying to get this woman healed for months. I wanted to make sure the deed was finished, or by golly we're laying hands again. 

"It feels like my bladder is glowing," she said. I don't think a bladder can be any healthier than glowing, my friends. 

After a moment of silent pause, she then blurted out, "We're a piece God uses in His plan. God is not a piece we use in our plan." I'm going to suggest that Jeremiah's experience with prophetic "words" can attest to that. I hope everyone I see healed by God gets to go around blurting random bits of intense wisdom afterward.