this has to be a trick!

by Amy Muia

Last Sunday as I was preparing to visit the women in the jail, I asked Jesus what Scripture he wanted to bring. The story of Jacob's dream clearly came to mind.

It makes sense; Jacob was on the run after committing the crime of theft. I was sure the women could relate--many of them were brought in on warrants for their arrest. They are used to evading the law.

"Jacob is the last person you would expect to get a visit from God," I told them. "Here he is, lying on the ground with a rock for a pillow . . . "

"Kind of like our jail cots," one woman says. The others laugh.

We continue to read the story. Suddenly the Lord shows up and blesses Jacob with an open heaven experience, and a promise of blessing not only for himself, but his children. We talked about how we sometimes feel like we don’t deserve a visit from God, but how God is eager to bless us, and not just us, but our kids. We talked about how Jacob felt the only way he could get what he needed was to steal it, but here was the Lord, eager to give everything to him and more.

The women shared testimonies of times when they felt that God was very near to them . . . some amazing stories. Then we prayed together. Several of the women had pain, so we asked God for an open heaven in the jail, and had the women lay their own hands on themselves. They prayed a simple prayer, “God, I thank you that you’re my healer. I receive my healing now in Jesus’ name.” Then I commanded all pain to go, in Jesus’ name.

Suddenly one of the women, who had been smirking a little bit through the lesson, began shaking her head and saying, “No way, no way. This is some kind of trick! No way. Huh-uh.” She was shaking her finger at the other women, as if they were all in on some kind of joke.

I said, “Your pain is all gone, isn’t it?”

She said, “This isn’t true.” But then she stuck her face inside her uniform shirt--the only place one could find privacy in the jail--and began sobbing. All her pain had gone. The other women were crying too, because they knew she had been in so much pain that she couldn’t sit up straight. It was definitely an open heaven moment!

Of all the women in the room, she was the "least likely" to receive a touch from God. She came without faith, without focus, interest, or expectation. And yet it was God's pleasure to open the heavens above her and meet her need.

May God bless you with an open heaven today!

Luke 21:28 Straighten up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing nigh!