A guy asked me for a cigarette and I told him I don't smoke. I then began a conversation with him. He told me he was an Iraq war vet, in the marines. He's homeless and apart of the Occupy Oakland movement. We talked for a 20 minutes and then he told me that he had a torn rotator cuff that needs surgery. I asked him if I could pray for it to make it well. He said, "No, no.. I'm a Satanist bro". He proceeded to tell me all of his beliefs about God and the world. I just listened to him. I then said, "I'm not like other Christians you've met. I love people and I see value in you. There's love in you. There's a big heart that has been covered and people don't see it, but I see it."
He then told me that he has two daughters living in Oakland and that last week he celebrated his 12 year old daughter's birthday. He gave her a birthday cake which was "hash brownies" (Marijuana laced brownies). She got so excited and was jumping up and down saying that you're the best dad in the whole world, and he said he started crying when she said that.. I actually started crying myself just because the situation was so messed up, but in that, his daughter showed him a form of love and it moved him so much. Up to this point, I just wanted to hold this big guy because he was starving for love.
He told me that he nearly beat a man to death for rapping his daughter's friend. He served 5 years for it. He was pouring out his life to me. I then asked him again if I could pray for his shoulder and at this point, he felt more comfortable with me and he said, "Sure". So I laid my hands on his shoulder right under the light signal on the corner and started to command the infirmity to leave. I prophesied as well. I told him to check it out.. When he moved it, it started leaving. I prayed again and it was completely gone. He was swinging it and couldn't get it to hurt. He was shocked because he also had been a shaman in his past and would heal people, but could never be healed himself.
From this point, I just laid into him the good news of Jesus in a way he had never heard it. He was no longer objecting to it. He started crying when I told him that God has a plan for his life because his mom used to tell him that when he was once a pastor! His mom told him recently that all the seeds he sowed into people's lives, 10 or 15 of them, had gotten off drugs and were walking with God now. He cried telling me all that and said, "Now look at me. I'm homeless and an alcoholic?"
I told Him that the Lord is still saying yes to you and then asked if I could pray the Holy Spirit on him.. He said "yes". I told him "That when I touch you, you're gonna feel something that cannot be compared to any other drug you've had. I put my hands on him and prayed for fire and love. His eyes were closed and tears were coming down his face. After I was done, he opened his eyes and said, "That was intense!". We talked more and I just kept pouring the love of God into him. After I was done, God told me to tell him that tonight Jesus was going to visit him in a dream. He said, "Okay!".. He told me that 16 years ago was when he last felt God. I told him "16 years from that day God came and touched you again because He loves you".
On the corner where rebellion against the establishment was birthed in the 60's, God showed up in love and in power to tell a prodigal son to come home..
