As I led the elders of the church to Michele’s room, just days after the stroke, I felt like I was going to war. In reality, I was! I was going to war against Satan and his demons.

I called a time of prayer while Michele was a patient in the Neuro Critical Care Unit. She was barely responsive; her eyes were still swollen shut from the brain injury.

I organized the meeting with the Charge Nurse; they weren’t supposed to let more than two people in to see her at a time. I was given explicit instructions in orde

r to keep Michele’s brain from further damage. She was undergoing something called “storming.” That’s when her heartrate would spike, which could elevate her body temperature. Thus, resulting in more damage to her brain.

I was told that if her heartrate rose above a certain level, we all had to leave. I prayed about that before we went there – just prior to the meeting, she was storming.

I waited in the lobby for the elders to arrive, as well as the senior pastor. There was concern earlier in the day that some wouldn’t be able to attend. But that night, ALL of them were there. I was told having them all gather is rare with everyone’s schedules.

I led all the men to Michele’s room, passing the nurses, praying all the way! Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the full armor of God, so you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” Prayer was and still is my armor.

We arrived in Michele’s room and gathered around her bed. I kept a close eye on the heartrate monitor. We started to pray. The staff saw us and heard us, I’m sure. The constant beeping of the monitor was nerve wracking. I was nervous about her heartrate. But during the entire time we were there, it did not rise at all. I believe the Lord brought peace to Michele during that time so His warriors can go to battle.

The story of Joseph doesn’t end the way we would think it would in the Bible. He was thrown into a pit and left for dead. But his 11 eleven brothers sold him into slavery instead. As a slave in Egypt, Joseph found favor in the Lord. He was appointed as captain of the guard. When he was thrown into prison for something he didn’t do, he was put in charge of the prisoners.

The Lord had a plan for Joseph. But that plan meant Joseph would have to endure suffering. The Lord brought Joseph to Egypt in order that Joseph would save His people. The famine was great in all of Canaan, where Joseph’s brothers and Jacob (his father) was. Jacob (Israel) sent his brothers to Egypt to get food, not knowing that Joseph was the one whom would give them the food.

When the sons of Israel found out about Joseph, his response astounds me: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about the present result, to preserve many people alive,” Genesis 50:20.

I don’t know why this happened to Michele. But I know, that He allowed this to happen for good. There have already been people touched by our story. I am humbled to see just how the Lord will use us in His timing, in His story.