When these women arrive at the church, they drop their children off for their own fun day of care that includes dance lessons, crafts, storytelling, songs, photo booths, and more. The women, after hearing a simple message of why we are providing this day for them and how much we hope they experience the love of Jesus, spend their time getting a massage, having their nails, makeup and hair done, going to the cafe for coffee and treats, making a journal or jewelry, or of course, going to the prayer room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nNestled in one of our church\u2019s \u201ccoves\u201d is a small gathering area with comfy seating within the larger atrium where our team\u2019s sign simply states, \u201cPRAYER.\u201d This year the five of us on the team laughed nervously, unsure whether anyone would choose prayer when there were so many luxurious and sparkly options elsewhere. But it didn\u2019t take long at all for women to start trickling in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were Deana and Joann,* who came initially to get prayer for Joann\u2019s baby. Protectively stroking her barely swollen tummy and beaming with pride, Joann told us, \u201cIt\u2019s my first.\u201d Both ladies had lived at the mission for over a year. We began by praying for the baby, but as we continued, several members of our team began to receive prophetic words for both women. God revealed specific things about Deana\u2019s call to motherhood and mentoring as well as His original call over her family line to be a prophetic voice for God. Deanna audibly confirmed that her children were involved in drugs and sorcery but that she knew they had been called to be prophets. When we finally began winding down, the women looked up incredulously, saying, \u201cYou guys just prayed about everything we were JUST talking about in the cafe. That was crazy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another woman named Jessa walked in and told us she was going through a grieving process over her eight children. She vaguely shared that not all of them were with her due to abuse in the past. As we prayed, a member of our team felt led to ask whether there were unhealthy male relationships in her past. Jessa admitted that she had been sexually abused as a child and had married five times. As a child, she had lived her life on the street, soon learning \u201cthere were ways to get what I wanted.\u201d With Jessa\u2019s permission, we prayed for a severing of any soul ties (unhealthy emotional and spiritual ties to past hurtful relationships), so she could move into a new life of freedom and health. After praying, she shared with us her dream to eventually lead worship and serve in ministry at her church. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of Cherish, the women are treated to a fancy, five-course meal that is served by trusted men and boys in our church. It is often the first time these women have been served by or treated with respect by a man. As the women eat, they listen to a testimony given by a woman who, after meeting Jesus, has come out of a life of homelessness and\/or drug addiction. Afterward, the women are invited to respond in a couple of ways. They can pray and invite Jesus into their healing process, and they can also announce their fresh start by getting baptized. This year 17 women were baptized, many of whom had received prayer from our team earlier in the day (including Deana and Joann!). During the dead space while the baptistry was getting set up, Ann, who was emceeing the event, spontaneously asked, \u201cDoes anyone out there sing?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several people began chanting \u201cJessa! Jessa! Jessa!\u201d After vehemently shaking her head for a minute, Jessa nervously went forward. She later shared that she\u2019d felt lonely and unknown by those at the halfway house where she was living. It had come as a revelation to her that she was not alone when so many not only knew her name, but also her passion for music. As she began to sing shakily, the words pouring from her mouth told the story of every one of us in that room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n that saved a wretch like me<\/em>.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n I once was lost but now I\u2019m found<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n was blind but now I see<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n As Jessa stepped down from the stage, the place erupted with applause. I imagine it was just an echo of the applause happening in heaven for every woman who said \u201cyes\u201d to the love of Jesus that day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n *The names of the clients have been changed to protect their privacy. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Hannah Bemis The woman entered with her shoulders hunched, the weight of the life she\u2019d lived carried in her body and written on her face. Her hands were shaking but her eyes were clear and eager. \u201cI need prayer to stay \u2026 consistent,\u201d she said. After being clean and sober for a couple of years, she […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":12866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[30,190,203,286],"class_list":["post-12855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlight","tag-apr20","tag-ministry-to-women","tag-news-across-the-nation","tag-turning-point"],"yoast_head":"\n