When Your Family Thinks You’re Too Zealous for Jesus
Robert arrived at the church early and saw that his wife’s pink Cadillac was the only car in the parking lot. She had found a seat for them right up front. Robert ridiculed Joann and was critical of the revival service, but he later testified that the praise and worship began to melt his heart.
He did not respond to the altar call, but when Kilpatrick asked all the couples to come forward for prayer, Robert turned to Joann and said sarcastically, “I suppose you think we need to go up there.”
Kilpatrick prayed for him, and he felt a thousand pounds of nastiness come off his shoulders. He even added, “Bless her, Lord,” when Kilpatrick prayed for Joann.
As Robert headed for the exit door, evangelist Steve Hill put his hand on his shoulder. Robert immediately flew back 5-1/2 feet and was slammed against a wall. He sank to the floor, where he lay in a heap under the power of God for about two hours. During that time he was delivered from drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.
On their way home to Georgia, the couple stopped at the beach, and Robert suddenly dropped to his knees and began to repent. He cried all the way back to Georgia. For three days and nights he continued to weep and repent before God. He also approached his family–including his mother-in-law–and asked each one for forgiveness.
Within a short time, the Lowells moved to Pensacola. Now Robert travels with Awake America, serving as an armor-bearer for Steve Hill and working in the crusades. Joann is deeply committed to intercession, and they regularly minister together in churches.
GOD, CHANGE ME! Robert’s radical transformation is only one example of how God sets our loved ones on fire in response to our prayers. But it can serve as a model and an encouragement to all of us who are believing Him for a similar transformation in members of our own families.
One important point to note is that the transformation did not come about as quickly as it might have seemed from the account. Joann had been praying for Robert for many years. And in the process, God changed her.
In fact, she believes her own repentance was the key to the healing of her marriage and family. She says she became desperate for truth when the Lord told her to stop focusing on her circumstances and family and start focusing on Him. “It was as though the Lord took my face and said, ‘Look at Me!’ God was trying to do something in me. I had to take my focus off changing my husband and allow God to deal with the sin and areas of compromise in my own life.”
Joann says she sees many people whose loved ones are unsaved, controlling or fearful of a new move of God. She tells them three things:
**Pursue holiness and say “no” to compromise in your own walk.
**Realize that you are not responsible for your loved ones; God is. Become radical for Him and trust Him to work in them.
**Be the godly woman you are called to be, but don’t preach; your love and acceptance are all your family needs from you. Bless them and pray for them. Be your husband’s friend, not his counselor.
In general, she says, “There is no easy road. Repentance and…prayer are key.” So is persistence. If you want to see your loved ones in revival, “never give up or stop praying, but rest in the Lord, knowing that He has a plan.”
Renee DeLoriea is a freelance writer based in Gulf Breeze, Fla.
