onething '09 pt. 1

I have a lot to tell.

So over the Christmas break, I went to onething '09 conference at IHOP-Kansas City. Michael Pardun and I arrived the night before the conference started. We peeked in the prayer room and could immediately feel a powerful sense of God's presence. We dropped our stuff off at the house we were staying at and then went back. We spent an hour there and God prepared me for the conference by breaking down the barrier of insecurity over my heart. Over the conference the power of God was so strong in that gathering, in those people. Everybody prayed for everybody, and there was such an easy sense of community; everyone was there because they wanted God. It's going to be really hard to organize what happened in me when into a timeline though, so here's some stories.
The first session of the conference began and once I could somewhat wrap my head around what was going on, I dove into the worship. Misty Edwards led, proclaiming, "I'm in love with God and He's in love with me. This is who I am and this is who I'll be and that settles it." Mike Bickle probably taught something and then we went into 'ministry time.' 'Ministry time' is when we ask the Holy Spirit to come and do something and then He does something. I was up near the front and people laid their hands on me and prayed. I was shaking to much to remain standing so I laid down to drink in what God was doing. One of the people that came by to pray for me (they came and went) started prophesying over me, saying that I'm a man of clean hands and pure heart, my Father loves His son and that I would see the Lord. The last part was a bit vague, and I puzzled over it a little bit. That evening they had an awakening service, which is basically the same as a ministry time. I went down three more times under prayer (some of them quite a bit less gradual than the first) and I was told that I would heal the sick and cast out demons. Although the atmosphere was so new, I felt so much at home there.
The next day we slept in and watched the first message via webcast and then took the shuttle in. I found out there was a healing room, so I went to check it out because I wanted my eyes healed. I had been praying for it the day before as well because others were getting healed of things. It'd be something dramatic that I could show everyone what God had done for me. The guys prayed for my healing, but God made it clear to me that He wasn't going to give me that when I was seeking healing above Him. I was somewhat apathetic during the afternoon session due to my tiredness and my misguided search for healing.
Mark, our friend who moved from Wisconsin down to Kansas City, hung out with us and the three of us swapped stories of what God was doing/had been doing in us. After finishing our conversation and our Lunchables, Mark wanted to pray for us, so we went (of course) to the prayer room. With a hand on each of our shoulders, he asked the Holy Spirit to come as he prayed individually for each of us. When he finished, we simply waited there for the Spirit. I started to twitch again. He started whispering "Fire" and before long I was on the floor again. They both prayed for me (once dragging me out of the walkway) as God worked deep in me. God spoke of the priority of my relationship with Him; I'm not bound to the expectations of others. He reaffirmed and clarified the word a stranger had for me the day before: You will see me when I return. Wow. Mike Bickle has said multiple times that he believes people in that room would live to see Jesus when He returns, and if that's what He's talking about, wow. As they were still praying for me, Michael leaned in and prophesied over me! He said my lips would be set afire to speak truth and wisdom and the Gospel. The Fire of the Holy Spirit would come out from my mouth. After a while, I told Mark and Mike they could go on as I just sat and soaked in God's presence.
When I finally got upstairs, there was a musical celebration going on with "Jesus, Let Me See Your Eyes" (Cory Asbury.) I finally found my friends when the jumping settled down. I found myself free to really start praying for others around me. It's incredible to see everyone agreeing in prayer for each other and God's power flourishing in that atmosphere. I felt unusual warmth on my hands as I prayed for my friend Gabe, releasing even more of God's work. The boldness and confidence came from having my only obligation be God, and fear of others opinions just didn't make sense anymore. Perfect love casts out all fear. I found even after I left, I would shake or have some sort of tic just about everytime I laughed, felt joyful, or simply felt God's Spirit doing something.
I'm going to have to end there. I'll have the rest later.