September 2006 Testimonies [archive]
| September 27, 2006: Randall, a studnet, had been experiencing major pain in his mouth for a few days. He received prayer during the Furnace, and the pain left him INSTANTLY! God is good September 27, 2006 Furnace Prayer meeting: Representative groups in attendance: Spirit of Christ Church, House of Prayer Church. Prayer focus 1: Holiness. We prayed for spirit of holiness to pervade the MSU campus. We prayed for students to turn from unrighteousness to righteousness, and a kind of holiness that is real, not derived from "legalism" or keeping a set of religious rules, but by touching the Holy One. This focus was very powerful ans God moved in our hearts, we spent quite a bit of time praying and believing for God to transform us and MSU students to experience the goodness of God which is far better than any earthly pleasures! [I Thessalonians 5:23-24; Psalm36] Prayer focus 2: Prayer for our president, and small group prayer for individual needs. Testimony: George, who has been attending the Furnace, shared how deeply God had been working in his heart, growing a passion for Jesus in him simply by participating in the prayer meetings! He has come from being cold to being on fire in love with God! September 26, 2006: We got a report back about Dearel Jenkins, who was prayed for specifically during the Furnace meeting on September 20th. He had suffered a aortic aneurism and a stroke in the span of a few days. We prayed for his healing. The surgery went well. Unfortunately, he had lost his speech abilities, due to the stroke. However, by the power of God He has now recovered TOTAL speech and is back at home! September 21, 2006: Ron*, a student who attended the Furnace on Sept. 14 with a friend and who was "seeking" made a decision to become a follower of Christ while at the Intervarsity retreat! While doing some evangelism on the campus, we ran into *Eddie, a student whom we had spoken with and prayed with a few weeks ago. The first time we met him, he was a little confused, and we had strongly encouraged him to get involved in a campus fellowship. Today, he informed us that he has been attending a Campus Crusade bible study and he is doing much better! We prayed with him againand it was clear just looking in his eyes that God was already doing great things and working in his life! September 20,2006 Furnace Meeting: Representative groups in attendance: South Church, Spirit of Christ Student Fellowship (& Church), others unaffiliated. Prayer Focus 1: Releasing the Spirit of Truth on the MSU campus. Praying that God would make the Truth clear amidst the "many voices" shouting to be heard, we prayed for everything from classroom lectures and campus fellowships and street preachers to speak God's Truth, and any point where they are "off", that the Holy Spirit would correct them. [Ephesians 3:16-21] Prayer Focus 2: Prayer for God's people to know Him and His love deeply. We prayed for followers of Christ in every church and fellowship to experience the love of God and have their roots go down deep so that they could be strengthened. [John 14:15-18; John 16:13-15; Philippians 3: 14-15] Prayer Focus 3: We prayed for personal healing needs of all those present and for loved ones. This was a powerful time and we expect to receive testimonies of God's power at work! [Psalm 103:2-4; Isaiah 53:4] September 18, 2006: We were informed today that TWO people from MSU who went on the Intervarsity retreat the past weekend made decisions to follow Jesus Christ!! We have been praying for power to come to ALL the fellowships in regards to sharing the Good News of Christ, and leading others to follow Him (this was a specific focus on September 6th). September 15th: Korean Christian Fellowship reports working to have a combined meeting with Chinese Christian Fellowship! Could this be a prayer answer to our prayer for Unity in the Body, at our meeting on September 13th. September 15th: This is an email I received from Matt Rogers, staff member with Intervarsity Christian fellowship. I believe it is a direct answer to our prayers on September 6th, as we prayed especially for first-year students to hear about Jesus and come into contact with Christian Fellowships. Here's what Matt said: Okay so here's one story from first few weeks of school! After we received the names of interested students, it is always challenging to visit them when they are in their room. After a long day of follow-up, it was getting late but we had one more name in the resident hall to check on again, as the last time the person wasn’t there. Chad , the student leader, and I decided we would end with this person and then call it a night. We knocked on the door and waited to see if anyone would answer. We were about to give up when the door opened a sliver and “Grace*” said very suspiciously, “Who are you?! What do you want?!” A little taken aback, I sputtered, “I’m Matt and this is Chad , and we’re from Red Cedar Christian Fellowship, a part of InterVarsity. You had signed up to learn more about campus ministry and we were wondering if you had time to talk.” Grace*, contemplated this through the crack in the door and seemed to soften when we said we were a Christian group and even opened the door enough so we could almost see her face. She said her roommates were studying so we suggested talking in the lounge. As we talked we asked about her classes and roommates and how the transition to college was going, she opened up to us. When we asked her about her spiritual background, she shared that she hadn’t gone to church since middle school but was interested in going to something at college. We invited her to Bible Study and Large Group the next day, telling her about some local churches, and ended by praying for her. It seemed to have been a powerful experience and Grace* started coming to Bible study and the Large Group fellowship. Over the last three weeks I have gotten to know Grace* and found out that she is not a Christian but is seeking what it would like to become one. She is meeting once a week with a female student leader to talk specifically about this topic. As she as opened up to us, we found out that she never would have talked to us except one of her friends from home prayed for her over the phone that she would meet some Christians and then we knocked on her door!! At the first large group, we shared the gospel outright and just looking at Grace* you could see the internal struggle she is going through. In the book of Mark she is seeing how Jesus can heal a person fully and she is wrestling with the truth of Jesus. It is joy to watch someone taking the Bible so seriously. This weekend InterVarsity students are going to the Edge Retreat where they will learn about what it looks like to follow Jesus at college. Grace* is coming with us! September 14: A report from Jessie Still, advisor to the Furnace Our worship and prayer last night DID have an impact on MSU campus!! I was out today on campus sharing about Jesus with students, and there was a NOTEABLE difference in the receptivity and attitudes of the students (the harvest is ripe!). I had been out there yesterday doing the same, but today was totally different! And, it wasn't just me feeling this! I had two friends with me who said the same thing... that something seemed to have changed in the spiritual atmosphere! I believe our prayers helped release something! :) Three guys were debating heatedly with my friend Rick, and then my friend Marla came over. They immediately changed their tone (partially I think because she's a woman). She simply shared her testimony and these "hard" guys were like, "Wow. Really? God did that in you? How?" they were SOOOOOO open and curious... and all she did was share her testimony! Sometimes we forget how powerful our God-story is! If you don't know how to share God's love with someone, just share YOUR story! Also, several people approached me to talk and were SOO open. We even talked extensively with 2 muslim guys. Several people went out of their way (got off of bikes, cut through the crowd etc.) just to get the tract that we had made (it was sitting out on the ground next to me as I was singing songs and playing the guitar). It's a joy to spread the Good News! A girl named Holly*, whom we had spoken with a week or so ago (and I gave her the book "the Case for Christ") stopped back by and i got to talk to her about what she thought (she had not read much yet, but was very interested and hoping to read more tonight). God is working on her heart! Please pray for these people, and know that God is moving at MSU, and we get to partner with Him! What fun! September 13th Furnace Meeting: Representative groups in attendance: University Christian Outreach, Intervarsity, Spirit of Christ Student Fellowship, Pennway Church of God Prayer Focus 1: It is “RUSH week” So, we prayed for Fraternities & Sororities, and a Rush of souls to come to Jesus. We prated that those hungry to find love and acceptance would find it in Jesus Christ. [Matthew 9:37-38; Luke 10:2] Prayer Focus 2: Unity in the Body of Christ. We prayed for God to bring His people together with one mind and one heart, to glorify Him; so that the world would see Him clearly! This is a difficult thing, but a necessity. We know that Jesus' prayer WILL be answered! [John 17:20-23] September 6th Furnace Meeting: Representative groups in attendance: Campus Crusade, Spirit of Christ Student Fellowship, Transformation Michigan Prayer Focus I: Beginning of School Year; First Year Students/Christians. We prayed that as first- years are looking for meaning and significance and purpose, they would find Christ. We prayed that Christians would find fellowship and get locked into growing fellowship. [Ephesians 3:14-21] Prayer Focus II: Campus Ministries, prayer for the strengthening of all the fellowships, that they would grow, and that the Gospel would go forth in power. [II Thessalonians 3:1-5,16; Colossians 4:3-4] Prayer Focus III: Campus Ministry Leaders. We prayed that all who lead in any capacity in the Christian fellowships would be refreshed, supernaturally strengthened, and given new fresh vision as they dive into a new school year. [II Thessalonians 2:13-17] |
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