ELEVATE: Day 44

I walked into Elevate last night thinking it was going to be business as usual. I could not have been more wrong. There was a definite 'buzz' in the room, and a few people were visibly giddy when they talked about who was going to be speaking that night. It was Chris Gore, the co-director of the healing ministry at Bethel church in California. I still didn't understand what the big deal was until he introduced a man on his team and follwed it with, 'This man has been raised from the dead, and has since raised three other people from the dead.' I wasn't sure whether to laugh, clap, or just sit there and stare the former corpse sitting 3 rows behind me. I probably did all the above.

10 minutes into Chris's teaching, I had chucked my notebook and pen. There was no way to take notes and keep up with this man. In addition to his glorious New Zealand accent, Chris had the ability to make me double over with laughter and then start weeping all within 60 seconds. He was a treat to listen to and to watch. His passion was contagious. Although Chris did share amazing testimonies of people being healed, his main objective was to remind us that Jesus has commissioned all believers to experience the supernatural. Jesus wasn't tortured and nailed to a cross so we could 'do church'. And He didn't die so we could say 'Oh, I love you. Thank you for dieing for me!' He died because he loves me, not so I could love Him. I need to walk out in victory and love, not strive for those things. Chris has seen thousands of miracles, but he made it a point not to turn it into the Chris Gore show. He constantly said, 'It's not me doing any of this. I can't heal people. I hang out with someone who can: the Holy Spirit.'

As Chris neared the end of his teaching, my heart defiantly started beating faster. I knew what was going to happen. It was time for impartation. Before Chris prayed for us, he said: 'Some of you are going to feel things. You might fall down, start laughing or shaking. Some of you will not feel a thing. It doesn't matter what happens here, it's what you do with it when you leave that I care about. Some of you who fall down and roll around laughing will walk out of here and never pray for someone else, and that's a waste of my time. Some of you who feel nothing will turn around and out of faith pray for the sick and realize there's power in your hands.'

 As Chris got closer to me, I became conscious of my prayer. I didn't want to ask for shaking or laughing. I didn't want to ask to fall down. Those are just physical manifestations. While they are probably a great thing to experience, I wanted something more. I asked for a deeper revelation of His love for me. Chris approached me, prayed, and then moved on. I hadn't felt anything. I wasn't on the floor. None of my appendages were shaking uncontrollably. Disappointing? At first, yes. Then other people from Chris's team started approaching me to pray, and every single one of them prayed for me to experience more of Gods love. One lady even said, 'God wants you to know He would do it all again just for you. He would've sent His son just for you.'  I remembered the first week of Elevate, when Shoan had prayed for me and said the same words: He would do it all again just for me. She hugged me and I stayed there for what seemed like hours. I never opened me eyes, and I had no idea who this lady was. But as I laid my head on her chest and wept, it didn't matter. I had asked for a deeper revelation of His love, and He was doing it. 

While my classmates rattled and rolled around me, I rested in my Fathers arms. I laid my head on His chest and He whispered, 'You're my favorite. You're Daddy's little girl.'