Equipping God's People

She has been through some very hard things in some years. I sometimes think of Joseph in Egypt. He held on to the things God had told him many years earlier, or he could have despaired. I think of Abraham and Sarah too. Their prophetic word from God sometimes seemed unreal, due to the passing of time and the coming of difficult things, but it all came true.

When I was at the National Religious Broadcasters’ convention, in 1984 in Washington DC, I had a truly startling experience. I have many great memories from that trip, such as seeing and hearing President Reagan give a wonderful speech in which he affirmed the great importance of radio and television carrying the teaching of the Bible and Christian music. I also met and talked with Stephen Strang, founder and publisher of Charisma and Ministries magazines. I met and shook hands with Larry Norman and we talked a little. I attended a music workshop taught by Ralph Carmichael. It was an amazing time, but my strongest memory is this…

I was looking for a certain room and walked into a different room by accident. I had on a nice suit. I was well groomed and should have looked successful to any stranger. There was a woman in that room, sitting in a nice chair with ice water and a few books near her. This was Dr. Petite Wagner. She was resting a little and preparing to speak at the convention. Years earlier she had been dead for about a half hour, pronounced dead in the hospital. During that half hour the Lord had shown her part of Heaven, but then told her that he was sending her back to Earth and calling her to a new prophetic ministry to the nations. She was there at NRB sharing her amazing story.

Dr Wagner a woman of about 80 years of age, glanced up at me for just a second. Then she looked startled and stared at empty space above my left shoulder. She opened her mouth and gave a command. “You spirit of poverty; I command you to get off from this man in Jesus’ name!” I was stunned. I didn’t know what to do with this or what to make of it. I would know now. I do know now. I missed a sterling opportunity that night because of my ignorance.

Now, in such a situation, I would invite a prophet like her to minister to me for at least a couple more minutes. I would ask her to pray for my home too. Such callings as her’s carry great power to break bondages of many kinds.

A few years later, in 1990, Nancy and I were at the New England regional of the National Leadership Conference. We were resting on a bench in the Hotel when a couple approached us. We had never seen them before. They knew nothing about us. Suddenly the husband spoke a prophetic word to us about a serious and long term concern. His word contained a promise from God that the day would come when this problem would be gone from our lives. Then the man and his wife walked away. Nancy and I looked at each other in a sure knowledge that a God moment had just happened!

Back in 1975, a prophetic brother who was a stranger confirmed to Dallas Henry that he was doing the right thing in leaving the traveling ministry he a part of, in order to live at home full time. Dallas hadn’t said a word at that meeting in Rumford Maine, about his personal situation. This word was prophecy in action.