Life in the Spirit Seminars to be staged in Nenagh
‘Come to me all you who are weary and are heavily burdened and I will give you rest’ - Matthew 11:28
Eilish, a member of the Nenagh Holy Spirit Prayer Group, writes: Dear reader, Who is the Holy Spirit? I had my first real encounter with the Holy Spirit at 36-years-old when He healed me from a heart condition.
I didn’t know the Holy Spirit then or that it was Jesus through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who healed me!
Eight years previously, I started experiencing stomach problems, then ongoing fatigue. I grew increasingly unwell, which eventually resulted in a heart condition by 35.
After an unsuccessful procedure at the Blackrock Clinic and medication that made me sicker, there were no more answers. I felt trapped and doomed to be unwell for the rest of my life with no hope.
Every day was a struggle. I grew very insecure and fearful when on my own. I must admit, that during this time I was growing increasing bored in Mass, became totally distracted, irritated and failed to understand how some prophet called Ezekiel or Isaiah from thousands of years ago would have anything to do with life in the 21st century - to be honest, I felt like a hypocrite.
A friend of the family, knowing my medical situation, gave me a 10-word phrase from the bible to declare with ‘authority and no doubt’ during the episodes where I felt unwell.
I was shocked after a few weeks when it started to work and over another few weeks the cardiac episodes ceased. I had stopped a heart condition from affecting my health, but the truth was, I knew it was nothing to do with me. I wasn’t special, and it wasn’t mind over matter. It had everything to do with ‘the words’ that I had declared over my health.
For many years, I struggled to understand how that was possible. What was it about those words that caused my condition to cease.
I eventually googled the words and swallowed a lot of humble pie when I discovered it was a quote from the prophet Isaiah!
After more reading, I would also discover how I received a portion of God’s own Spirit (the Holy Spirit) on the day of my baptism to help us through the trials and tribulations of life.
WORDS OF FAITH
I came to understand that when I decided to ‘declare’ the words in faith (no doubt) over my health, the power to heal, came from the Holy Spirit within me. The authority came from Him! Since my Confirmation, the Holy Spirit was not someone I knew, understood or thought about. Without knowing it, I had used the authority of the Holy Spirit hidden within me, to heal myself -how mad is that!
This profound revelation and healing experience set me on a course to discover why we were not told this growing up.
Are you aware of the higher gifts of the spirit (healing, miracles etc.), that are available to you from the time of your baptism which might be lying dormant? Eighteen years later I have never been healthier and living life to the full just as God had originally destined for me.
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, I write this letter of encouragement and invite you to come and discover for yourself that in addition to Sunday services, the Christian Faith has so much more joy, hope and power to offer us for everyday living.
Pope Leo is actively encouraging us to have a personal tangible relationship with Jesus, to let him come into your life and to use the gifts and authority he has given each of us.
Jesus loves each one of us and calls each of us by name. Jesus is inviting you to come on a journey to get to know Him; to let him touch your heart and lift your burdens. The Lord is the greatest healer and encourager, and he wants to wipe away your tears. Open your heart to him and let him move in your life.
NENAGH SEMINAR
The Life in the Spirit Seminars commence Tuesday, September 16, for seven consecutive weeks at 7.30pm, in St John the Baptist Church, Tyone, Nenagh (E45 CX37). The seminars are interdenominational in nature and this year we are delighted to have friends and new speakers from the Church of Ireland and Methodist communities join us. Registration on the first night, at 7pm.