Our road trip home from Las Vegas to New York continues, and today just so happened to be the day we drove through Kansas City. For those who don’t know, Kansas City is home to the Royals, the Chiefs…….and a happy little place called IHOP. No, not the pancake place. IHOP is the International House of Prayer and it is basically prayer and worship 24/7. The prayer has been going unceasingly for something like 12 years now. It is an amazing place, and you can find it here:

I happened to mention that IHOP was located in Kansas City, and that I had been once before but didn’t really get to see much of it because I was accompanied by a hardcore atheist (long story). So, my roommate suggested we check it out on a whim. This is hilarious to me because the whole reason we are driving cross-country from Las Vegas is because we just attended the Hooters International Bikini Pageant. My roommate goes every year, and does some photo shoots too. I spent some time with God on it before coming with him, because it isn’t exactly a Christian activity. But Jesus ultimately said to love him and bless him in his day-to-day life, and leave it up to God to shape what that day-to-day life entailed.

For now, day-to-day life includes bikini pageants. And when one goes to a bikini pageant, what else would one do on the way home except go to the 24/7 prayer room? The two go together like peanut butter and jelly. Or something. Not that I’m complaining. I was thrilled.

In we go. I start worshipping, and he is sitting back and taking it all in. And I had this thought: ‘wouldn’t it be awesome if I laid hands on him and in that moment he felt the Presence that I’m feeling?’. The moment I thought that, my roommate reached for my hand. So I take his hand and as soon as I do I just felt the holy spirit shoot through my body – shaking, goose bumps, tingling, not really in control of my limbs, mouth moving incoherently, the whole thing. It was super powerful – like getting slammed with a Jesus cannonball. I ride it out, holding his hand and letting Jesus radiate through me and just giving my mind over to Him. And then it was over. We stayed a few more minutes and then headed back out. We were, after all, just passing through.

But on the way out, sure enough, he started talking about how ‘heady’ it was being in there, and how you could definitely feel like something big was happened. He thought it was the coolest thing. My roommate, fresh from photo shoots of tan girls in bikinis, was genuinely and irrevocably moved. YEAH Jesus!!!!!

And THEN, a few hours later, I hear, “Can I tell you something? Swear you won’t freak out?” I think he’s going to tell me something bad or potentially insulting, so I brace myself, but what came out was: “My right eye, the bad one that had the cataract starting to form….I can see out of it. It’s not perfect, but I can read road signs and billboards. It’s so clear that it has to be both eyes working together. I haven’t seen like this in a long time.” Me: “Do you think it’s from being in the Prayer Room?” Him: “Yeah. I mean I wouldn’t be surprised. It can’t be anything else.”

This from a guy who last night had vision so blurred he thought his contact was ripped. Come ON!!!!

I have no words other than it is AMAZING how Jesus loves us!!!

God bless!

~Rebekah A