Five people, Two locations, 12 Encounters, Great Stories!

Wow.

Six of us sat in my family room and waited on the Lord for clues we'd subsequently follow in the market place. We wrote clues on paper, we shared our lists with one another before going out.

Five of us left for the market place after discussing the clues. We headed to the first of two locations highlighted by Holy Spirit, incidentally revealed through three people's clues.

We entered the first store, and boom, four clues pointed to the first individual who accepted prayer. We explained we were on a treasure hunt and she was our first "treasure". We showed her the clues written down on paper which she matched, this impressed her. Put yourself in her shoes. We proved to her that God destined for her to receive prayer from us. Radical! The clues? Ralph's grocery store, knee issue, electric scooter, sandwich shop (deli in Ralph's). We prayed, tears came to her eyes, she was so blessed. I am believing for her recovery from inoperable knee issues, and stroke.

The second person we prayed for fit a clue perfectly. Red shirt over black shorts. Father and son passed us, son wore a red shirt and black shorts. Incidentally, all the employees in this grocery store were wearing those colors, but only the boy was wearing black shorts instead of pants. We approached father and son. Though initially apprehensive, he agreed to let us pray for his son when we asked permission to pray for his son. As we prayed, tears came to his eyes. He told us that so many things we prayed were so right on, he was impressed. We told him we were just listening to the Holy Spirit who was leading the prayer. He said it was going to be hard to relay the incident to his wife without falling apart, he was so touched.

We continued to walk, specifically looking for the clues on our list. We found H. in a furniture store, he fit three clues, we demonstrated that fact by showing the lists with clues. He accepted prayer, he was blessed, I am believing for revival to happen in his heart towards God!

We walked to another store, looking for a clue, "Easter Basket", we found D. the clerk who led us to the clearance section. We tried to minister to him, he deferred to J. a fellow worker who received prayer, including couple words of knowledge, prophetic ministry. Kingdom break-in into J's life. woo hoo.

We continued looking in this store for more folk fitting our clues. We found a gal who was wearing a white T-shirt with a scarf, which fit one of our clues. One of our team members approached her, told her what we were doing, told her she fit a clue received from the Lord before leaving home, asked if she needed prayer? She replied "Yes, I could use prayer for a home deal we are trying to finalize". The team member asked the woman's name prior to praying only to discover that her name fit another one of the clues received earlier as well! WAY COOL! Turns out A. is searching religions, tending towards Buddhism. We told her that Jesus who we prayed to, gave us specific clues that would lead us to her. It was pointed out that since God saw she was searching, He sent us as His personal messengers in order to demonstrate He is indeed real. I believe that got her attention. She indicated that she might visit our church, we gave her a card with the address. Come on, this is sweet.

Later we found another "treasure" a pair matching another clue; a shy child next to a parent. Turns out this family are people of faith in Jesus, suffering like many, having to sell their home due to financial problems. The wife approached, we told her what we were out doing. They accepted prayer. The Lord began to touch the wife, I asked her if she felt God's peace resting on her. She said yes, which I expected her to say, she'd begun to sway gently as the Spirit poured out on her. We were just about to say goodbye, when I got a word of knowledge about allergies, I pointed to one of the three daughters, they replied that indeed one had allergies, but it was the one closer to me. They allowed me to pray for her healing. They were so encouraged by the encounter, appreciative, Yeah God!

While two of us ministered to the family of the shy girl, three others were ministering to a few folk in the parking lot which fit clues they'd received. One person with an ice cream cone, the other I have yet to hear about.

We got into the car and drove to a second location, in the first store at the mall, one team member was hoping to find a fellow by the name of Frank, one of the clues we'd received back at my house. The team member asked a clerk if Frank was in, the clerk led us to another register, well, Frank had left for the day. I had never thought to pursue a name clue in this way before, hey why not?

I was intent to find one of my last clues: someone looking at their watch. I exited the mall store just in time to see a young man look at his watch. Bingo, there's my treasure! I asked one of the other men on the team to accompany me, we approached H. and explained what we were doing, turns out, he is a Turkish Muslim. He allowed five of us talk and pray for him. Three of us were given permission to place our hand on his knee or shoulder while praying. I nearly fell over as I felt the power of God come upon H., I had to brace myself so I wouldn't loose my balance. It was clear to me that God was pouring out His Spirit upon this young Muslim. We further explained that Jesus had led us to him through clues we received in prayer, we showed him the two papers, he was surprised. We talked and prayed with him for maybe 10 minutes, then his friends interrupted our discussion, they said it was time to go. I am confident that the Kingdom was indeed demonstrated, and believe one day this young man will know Jesus personally.

While walking the crowded mall, I mistook a fellow sitting on a bench for a fellow we prayed for earlier at another location. I walked up to him, they looked so similar to me, and began talking as though we talked earlier. This guy totally jumped into the discussion, then I realized he was not the same guy! Apparently someone else had just approached him and talked with him which he says happens a lot. No wonder he was so responsive to my talking with him out of the blue. Thinking back, I still am astonished at how similar the two people looked, or did the Holy Spirit let me believe that in order for the ensuing discussion to occur? Hmm, something to ponder.

Though I eventually realized the error, talking with him turned out to be a fun God encounter! We explained how we had just shared Jesus with a Muslim, who fit two clues we got before leaving home. Turns out this young man is an intern at a huge conservative church in South County who some day hopes to share the gospel in foreign countries. Jesus introduced D. to one more way to share the gospel, through power/prophetic evangelism!

In the mall, one of our team members approached a fellow who fit clues received earlier, green shirt with the Nike logo, he stopped to talk with him, unfortunately the young man wearing the green shirt did not speak English well. The team members shared what they could, I am trusting a seed was planted. Sometimes this happens, we get clues that take us only so far, or so we think. You just never know what God is doing in the background since He is the one who released the clue in the first place. Maybe we did all we were supposed to do! Isn't that a freeing thought?!

Finally we stopped to talk and pray with a couple. Initially, when I saw them walking towards me I decided not to approach them even though I felt a little tug to do so. They walked passed me, but came round again and sat not far from where I was sitting in the patio furniture section of Sears. I realized the Lord was giving me another chance.

They were glad to receive prayer, which initially focused on their personal needs but quickly turned into a prayer session for the Vineyard movement as a whole. God dropped into our midst, right there in Sears.

Ha, prayer, intercession can break out anywhere! Four Vineyards were represented by those in the prayer circle, it was powerful. Apparently the couple had earlier listened to a recording by Bill Johnson who said the very same things some of us were led to pray without the benefit of hearing his teaching. Hmm, a suddenly, confirmation. Woo hoo.

All in all, five of us were able to find most of the clues we'd received earlier, twelve different encounters reached more than 20 people in approximately four hours in two seperate locations. Woo hoo, Yeah God!