Since my surrender to relentless grace, my natural charisma has only increased to be an all consuming passion for the cause of Christ.
My journey to the cross began its crescendo my junior year of high school. After an eight month process of seeking God I realized the only reasonable things to do was to give myself fully to truth. That night my heart sang to the Lord confessing, "All of me and it's for you." I jumped into the ocean of mercy, and was filled with the Spirit. I no longer lived, but Christ lived in me. The life I were to live was to be by faith in the Son of God who gave His life for me (Galatians 2:20). God spoke to me that night calling me to live a life for Him alone and to be a missionary. The Spirit equipped me to intercede, all the while praising His worthy name. I read the bible and came to conclusions about the necessity of grace that stimulated fasting, self-denial, and continual praise of the Lamb who was slain. Prayer became my joy (Psalms 16:11). There was nothing I desired more than to come before the throne of God in adoration and cry out for His Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10).
During my senior year of high school, a friend and I started a prayer meeting before our youth group and I started a bible study at my public high school. These meetings confirmed my love of prayer, learning, and leading others in intercession. This desire provoked me to applying to study at Moody Bible Institute.
A year later I was at Moody Bible Institute, meeting in the Crowel Prayer Chapel with a group of five strangers crying out to God for revival in the city of Chicago. The Gathering was created from this meeting. We began meeting every Sunday praying for hours at a time as this group became a prayer community. I never wanted to leave the meetings; all I wanted to do was to pray. During this time, I viewed prayer as simply an aspect of my devotional life, rather than as a ministry. Half-way through the second semester of my freshman year, while praying by myself for Moody I had a vision of our Torrey Gray Auditorium filled with people who were praying and crying out for God in repentance and longing. The vision switched from the crowd to the stage. On the stage were a few of my friends who had been leading worship for the Gathering, and I was singing. For those of you who don't know me: I don't sing. This startled me, and the vision left. I jokingly pushed it away. I began to tell my friends about the vision, except for the part about my singing. However, within the span of a week three different people came up to me saying that while they had been praying for me, God spoke to them saying that I needed to sing. Realizing I couldn't hide from the need to sing, so I started seeking out lessons. For some odd reason, the three voice teachers I contacted did not reply to my requests. After much frustration and prayer, God spoke to me declaring He was to teach me to sing, that He alone may get the glory.
Six months after this calling, I found myself in Athens, Greece for a three month study abroad trip. When the professors asked for worship leaders to get involved for our weekly chapel, I knew I needed to step out. I volunteered, expecting to sing back up, yet the next week I was singing in front of a group for the first time, by myself. I continued to lead during our chapel services, and began playing guitar along with singing. I became more and more comfortable. As I found my way back to Chicago, I began to attend different prayer meetings around the city of Chicago, often going to six a week. Intercession burned on my heart as I desired to see hearts changed to the reality of His glory. Attending these meetings, I found myself in a last minute position of leading. I would sing, pray, and play guitar. This was all I wanted to do. Any idea of the future was surrendered to the idea of asking moment by moment each day how the Spirit was leading me. There was a point where I confessed, "Lord I am willing to give myself up to the prayer movement."
Through this declaration I devoted more and more time to learning to play the guitar and ukulele. While I did improve through the course of a few months, the instruments never seemed to feel just right. The piano had always intrigued me. I took lessons for one year at the age of 7, but since then had forgotten everything. One day during my winter break I went to my church early and found an empty room to read my bible in. As I walked into the room, I noticed the piano. I prayed a simple prayer asking God, "Lord, I really want to play piano. If you want me to learn, will you teach me?" I sat down struck a few keys, and began to play chords. In a matter of 15 minutes, I learned to play a song. Soon, I could pull up chords for any song and play. Two days later, I led a worship time on the piano. Sitting down at the piano and singing through the Word was all I wanted to do during that break, just like the musicians appointed by King David.
A week later (December 2013) I made my way down to the International House of Prayer (IHOPKC) OneThing 2013 conference. The first day I felt the need to commit my time at the conference to seeking His face. By seeking Him, I realized who I was. I was introduced to many terms by IHOP. Mike Bickle spoke saying, "Worship is agreement with who He is, and intercession is agreement with what He said." That was when I heard the term, Intercessory Missionary for the first time. This missionary is one who prays as their full-time job, in the prayer room, engaged in dwelling in the house of the Lord. (Read more at: http://www.ihopkc.org/about/) They strive for the greatest calling to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind. An altar call was then given for those who feel called to labor in beseeching the Lord of the Harvest by prayer. I stood up, as if I had no control of my actions. As I sat down I realized that I had been marked by God since my conversion to partake in Intercessory missions. As I realized this, doubt plagued my mind. I prayed to God during a worship time saying, "Lord, you taught me how to sing, but I don't know how to write songs. If this is what you want me to do I need you to confirm it." Promptly after the session was done, a man came up to me saying, "You’re creative. You need to write songs," then left. Tears streamed down my face as I realized God's faithfulness in His calling. The next day I woke up with the calling heavy on my heart. I went to one of the optional sessions that explained the IHOP University courses. As I sat in the room before it started I read about the Prophetic Worship Program, knowing that was what I had to do. I began to pray in woe, saying God I want to do this, but I barely know how to play piano. Just then one of the ushers came up to me, asking what program I was interested in applying for. As I explained she said, "Did you know Misty Edwards started only being able to play 3 chords on the piano?" This directly addressed my fear, knowing God is faithful to provide wisdom and teaching. By the last day of the conference I knew Intercessory Missions was my calling, much like the prophetess Anna (Luke 2:36-38). I became frustrated thinking about going back to work next semester. (I nanny 25 hours a week to pay for the expenses of being at Moody). All I wanted to do was to walk into my calling and pray instead of working, yet I knew I had to work to pay for the over 800 dollar room and board bill that comes monthly. I prayed, "God, I want to be an intercessory missionary at Moody." God then answered, "You know over eighty people that go to prayer meetings who would be willing to give you $10 a month to support you in this mission." In that exact moment, I decided to walk in faith, and I quit my job as a nanny.
Now I walk in faith, trusting that God will provide in a way that He alone will receive the glory. "Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass (1 Thessalonians 4:24)." I plan to spend the 25 hours that I would have been working in prayer, dividing the time between attending other prayer meeting in Chicago (Northwestern, Loyola, Chicago Tabernacle, and Chicago House of Prayer), prayer ministry, Moody's Gathering Ministry, and having an open prayer room in which students on campus can come pray, do homework, and commune together.
I ask for you to engage in a life of prayer with me (Acts 2:42-47). Praying "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)" If you would like to financially support me in this mission, I have a link to paypal on the right (email: marinarosa94@yahoo.com), you may call Moody at (312-329-2020) with a direct donation to my student account, or may give directly to me if you are in the Chicago area. I am looking for monthly supporters, who will walk with me in the presence of the Lord. Please pray about how you are called to be involved.
1 Timothy 4:11-16 is my focus in this upcoming season. Verse 12 reads, "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself and example of those who believe."
God has been comforting me saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last (Revelation 1:17)."
Blessings to you,
Marina
Blessings to you,
Marina
