I had the privilege of going away for a couple of nights with 30 other women to enjoy time with Jesus. Below is my attempt at an account of our time together:
The Word was given to fill the cups. There were empty cups, dingy cups, bitter and salty water in some. Some flowing freely. Some carefully guarded. She listened and obeyed: “The whole weekend was like a practicum in ministering out of an overflow of His presence. I felt so full in my spirit throughout the weekend because I was doing exactly what the Lord asked me to do.”
31 cups came.
American.
English.
Iranian.
Scottish.
Egyptian.
Dutch.
Iraqi.
Brazilian.
You could see them coming from a bird’s eye view of the map. Beautiful colors. All the colors converging on one spot. You could trace their journeys to this point: through valleys and up rugged mountains, across turbulent rivers, through thick, dark jungles, cutting through thorny brambles and bushes, winding through twisting roads, across dry and dusty roads, up steep hills lush with growth and all converging at the base of one mountain. In one home. They each came carrying different burdens. There was a unity and purity among them. Each held their “Issac”…their source of joy.
There was an altar there, big and built up and ready…
The women came together the first night and poured out their cups before the Lord in worship and praise. They shared together in small groups of 2 or 3 about their Issacs. Some have already been born and some are still only a whispered promise on the wind. Others painfully told of their Ishmaels. The ones brought about in their own strength. There was a loosening of the beautiful treasures brought forth that night. "I felt like the Lord was breaking me before I got there and then just cleansing my heart and building me back up during our time." The fellowship flowed sweetly. Dreams came true in one evening when one woman who prayed for the Sisters long ago got to meet them for the first time… “And then - there they were sitting beside me. Joy upon joy, I met them face-to-face for the first time. A foretaste of heaven. I am still smiling and thanking God at the privilege of finally meeting these unstoppable saints who have risked everything for him.”
In the morning, Jesus came in power. Each woman found a spot next to him. “The most impact part of
the weekend was simply the hours I spent in solitude with the Lord. Whether it was praying, listening to worship music, journaling, sitting there looking out at His creation-the snow covered mountains, or just
telling Him that I loved Him & hearing Him tell me He loved me back, there was nothing better than being in His presence. I was overwhelmed to tears by His powerful Spirit...it was awesome!” Some were able to sit quietly, some were singing, some were walking outside, some were chasing after little ones. But he was there. One testified: “The first morning, He brought His fullness to mind... "For of His fullness we have all received" (John 1:16) And I kept singing this one line from a Shane&Shane song, "Your fullness is mine". His fullness is ours. Then we really experienced that fullness during our times of worship and prayer upstairs.” The women came to the altar that morning. Each face was uplifted, shining and resolute. Worship brought forth open hearts and hands, faces upturned and expectant. Each woman gently and quietly put their Issac on the altar.
Each city was prayed over. The woman in Duhok were seen as “Holy to the LORD.” They were consecrated and set apart for his service. They laid down on the altar next to their Issacs.
The women of Hawler kneeled together, greater in number and diversity. Each with a heart for their city; each wanting to see Jesus come. Each climbed up on the altar next to their Issacs. “I was renewed, uplifted, encouraged, and strengthened by the Spirit, yes, but also by those women around me who share my same heart for the people of Kurdistan.”
The women carrying Koya and Shaklawa on their hearts joined hands to bring their hopes and desires together. They joined the group on the altar.
Soran’s faithful women were eager to join in. They brought their hands of service, their hearts of love and their whispered prayers to add to the beautiful offering on the altar. They were like precious jewels and sharpened spears.
It was life on life, hands on heads and shoulders. Each woman pouring out her heart to Jesus and other women touching and interceding for each other.
Then the women WAITED for the fire.
As the women gathered, the room was warm and FULL. The silence was reverent as everyone hung on every word that the Sisters shared. They shared about how they have been to this altar many times before. In their sweet and quiet way they spoke of his power and presence. They brought encouragement to WAIT patiently for the fire to come. Their words were from the Father, they spoke of his promise, that his REVIVAL FIRE is coming. “I was touched by the stories from several of us and the songs about how GOD is Faithful. It made me see that my part is not so heavy and big, just little
and exciting...living my life for the God of heaven and earth...We are there for Him and with Him and with each other! I am also touched by the fact that His love for our friends is so overwhelming that He will not let them go....it's His Plan to Save them and we are going to see it: now and in the future! I felt we got a glimpse of that while praying together.”
That night, during worship, the fire started coming. Spontaneous testimonies of his faithfulness were sung out with joy and thanksgiving. His spirit was released in power. “I saw the old fence was broken down and I saw wild and beautiful horses racing out into the wild and green meadow. Free at last to live as they were meant to. For me to live as I was meant to: WILD and FREE.” Old chains were broken off and fear was cast out. “It was like being held over a vast and beautiful canyon. The scenery was breath-taking, but there was nothing holding me up. I should have been afraid, my old self would have been, but Fear was completely gone. It was such a thrill.” The Holy Spirit fell softly on this little band of Warrior-Women. Scars and struggles were mentioned, being laid up for a month, having your child attacked, but the same conclusion: NEVER ONCE has he left. He is FAITHFUL!
The next morning his fire burned over words of repentance and openness. Spontaneous confessions from the heart poured forth. A new tint of color to the flames. “I don't think any of us wanted to leave the prayer room that last morning/afternoon! I just wanted to linger all afternoon... and evening... and into the week! I actually felt really sad to leave--it was truly delightful being in His presence with all of you.” Others shared their burdens and allowed the gentle, calloused hands of other women touch their bruised hearts to pray for healing. “The absolute, undeniable Spirit was among us there in Soran. It was moving and powerful and glorious. I was so overcome with the sad truth that my dear Kurdish friends are living in darkness, praying with emptiness, believing and trusting and hoping in nothingness. I cried out for His light, His truth to pierce that darkness--that I could be somehow used as a tool to shine for Him into the lives of those I see everyday who are lost without Truth.” A song was sung out over the woman to carry with them. Sung in the pure strains of heaven:
My soul longs for you;
My flesh yearns for you;
In a dry and weary land
Where there is no water.
It’s the anthem of the woman sung in one voice, believing the desires of their hearts would be fulfilled. “It was a joyous privilege to get to spend time in prayer and worship with others who are like-minded in their love for J and for the K people. I experienced the HS working in new ways in my heart and giving me a deeper hunger and thirst for more of Him. I came away from the retreat with a desire to spend more time in prayer and a desire to know Him more deeply.”
Jesus stood over the Warrior-Women and proclaimed what he first spoke over creation:
“I was filled day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.” He delighted over his Warrior-Women!
His fire had come, but it was time for each warrior woman to pick up her bow and arrows and head back to her home.
All 31 cups were turned upright, cleaned and filled with the fresh and living water. “I realized, it is when we are doing the ministry the Lord has for us, He gives us the strength. But I feel worn out and empty when I start doing things I think I should do, but maybe the Lord isn’t directing me in that area. The result is me working out of my own strength, which quickly runs out! I have to follow Jesus’ example and do only what the Father is saying to do, not be driven by the needs around. Got to keep going away daily with Him to a quiet place to know what He wants me to do!!” Each cup was held out with eager and thirsty hands and was filled to overflowing with the sweetness of his Presence. Each is carrying the promise that Jesus is coming to their city soon. “I was reassured that He has called me here for His purposes and He will prepare me and guide me in each step! All praise and glory be to Him!” Each has the joy of having her sacrifice burned before the LORD. “I know the Lord met with us in a special way and there was a taste of something like what I have read about in revival accounts in history. I think we experienced a first taste of that and if we keep seeking Him and keep "laying our Isaac's on the altar" (as the sisters said) we will get to experience a greater outpouring of His Spirit upon us.” Each is carrying the secret feeling of having met with Jesus together in purity and unity.
