He Gives Us the Authority

Hi friends 🙂

I never understood, until this week, what people meant when they said, “God gives us the authority here on earth.” 

A woman, who funnily enough was also named Caroline, came to speak to us for our morning session on Tuesday. At first I was quite confused as to what she was even speaking about; was it just God stories today or was she sharing her testimony? However, the entire lesson she talked about God’s healing in all circumstances of her life; how he healed her son of hip dysplasia and a girl whose knee was injured in Africa. 

And at the end of this lesson she says “Okay, put your things away. We are going to be healing each other in Jesus’ name.” 

And yall, I was so hyped; “Yes! This is going to be great.” However, that is when the doubt set in; “Wait will it actually work? Will God show up? How can *we* heal each other?” 

“I need anyone who has a physical illness or injury to raise your hand.” 

“Alright so this is seriously going to happen.” I raise my hand because I really just was not feeling well. My throat hurt so badly when I swallowed, and little did I know it was the beginning of a rough week.

“Now squads rally around these people, ask if you can put your hands on them, and then start praying, asking God to work. Expect God to work.”

My friends then stood around me and, specifically Marissa, my team leader, put her hands around my throat. And then they start praying. At first I was not feeling anything different, but then I swallowed. I am pretty sure I audibly said “woah no way!” and then the tears started; the overwhelming feeling of the holy spirit, and the shock wrecked me. 

We all opened our eyes and the tears are now just spilling down my face as I look at my teammates in utter disbelief; “It’s gone, the pain was an 8 and it is now completely gone.” Their faces! They were all wide eyed, staring at me staring at them, and you just hear other people around us saying, “Thank you Jesus for your healing power, for giving us the authority.”

For giving us the authority… us, merely incapable, weak humans, given authority in His name. Authority to heal, to cast out demons, to perform miracles, to share the gospel of Jesus. Wow!

My squadmate Colin and I were talking this morning and we came to the conclusion that sure healing is great, but it is great *because* it comes from Jesus. It’s nothing we have done, and so we have to be careful when given this authority to not be boastful in our miracles, but in the understanding that they are God’s. We need to be taking the glory and making it about Him and His doing, being thankful for His healing and the fact that we can call upon Him and expect and know that He will heal this person, maybe now, maybe later, but all in God’s perfect plan and timing.

It has been three days since I was prayed over and healed. Praise Jesus that my throat is still not scratchy and the intense pain is still completely gone. 

All the love,

     Caroline