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On April 9 & 10, our sanctuary was filled with women from all over Austin and surrounding areas for the Intimate Issues Conference. When a woman signed up for this conference, she did so for a variety of reasons--it met a need, curiosity, a friend encouraged her or perhaps a husband suggested she come. What women didn't know when they signed up for this conference is what God wants to do in each of His precious women!
We believe the effects of this conference in women's lives will last a lifetime! And I might add, a group of men who were praying throughout this conference were transformed as well as they prayed for the women. Take a moment and read these powerful testimonies:
- One young woman was seeking direction for what the physical boundaries should be in a dating relationship. God spoke to her during the forgiveness time, and she was challenged to have healthy boundaries with her boyfriend so that in years to come, she is not sobbing because of past hurts and mistakes.
- From a man who prayed: We felt honored and blessed to pray together for the women this weekend. It was awesome, heart-warming, and heart-rending to pray and hear the prayers of other men for the hurts and hearts of women. I often felt inadequate for the task. At times, several of us had tears in our eyes and even broke down as we prayed. We prayed earnestly over each and every request.
- From a woman who served at and attended the conference: This weekend was an experience of a lifetime! I feel that I was a part of God's healing in many women's lives and marriages, including my own. I left this weekend feeling that God had finished his process in me of forgiving my husband for the pain he had caused in our marriage from his addictions. The Intimate Issues Conference has truly paved the way for new beginnings.
- From a man who prayed: The opportunity to pray over the numerous prayer requests during the Intimate Issues Conference was a unique and life-changing event. On Friday evening and then during the day Saturday, many mature men wrestled to carry difficult things before God that He might deliver, strengthen, and comfort those who had suffered unspeakable evil and abuse. The spiritual battle, the emotional intensity, and the physical implications of these requests caused many men to weep, unable to read or pray until strength had returned. It was a literal example of Romans 8 and the need for the Holy Spirit "to intercede for us with groanings too deep for words..."
- From a woman who attended: I can't even begin to find the words of how the old guilt and shame have been forgiven and how I have been washed clean at the feet of Jesus. "It is Finished" doesn't just refer to the old covenant anymore, but to all that has been removed. I am truly a new creation, transformed by grace.
- From a man who prayed: We came together Friday night and went before the Lord in confession and repentance, in order to make sure there was nothing hindering our prayers and to make sure our prayers would come before the Father. Each man could have prayed silently, but each man prayed out loud before each other to confess and repent of ANY sin in our lives. Then, as different men showed up to participate, we would ask them to go before the Lord and confess any sin in their lives that would hinder them praying. Each man went before the Lord to publicly confess and repent. It was Holy Ground in that room and you could feel the spiritual power. Then, as the requests came in, each request was lifted up to the Father and prayed over out loud. We started as a group reading each one and praying over it, then the number of requests became so great that we had to break into groups to be able to lift up each one specifically. It was as if each request spoke to us, and we could feel the pain in so many of them. A number of times we found ourselves weeping and praying over the requests. It was one of the most powerful spiritual experiences of my life. I KNOW GOD will honor those requests. We could tell where you were in your conference by the kind of requests we were receiving, so we tracked with you all weekend.
- From a woman who attended: The conference was amazing and I am so glad that I went. It was very powerful to hear the team had been praying for those to attend who God wanted there for 18 months. And that was just the first 15 minutes of the conference!! I found myself sobbing unexpectedly throughout the weekend--it truly caught me off-guard. I felt God's presence there and I continue to try to wrap my mind around all I learned and experienced from the weekend.
Won't you thank God with me for all He did in the lives of these women and men? We are so grateful God came with power and strength! He loves His bride. Yes, He does.
With gratitude,
Nancy Barton
Women's Minister
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Intimate Issues Conference
