The Phillip Experiment – Mt Vernon Dunamis
Friday afternoon during the Mt. Vernon Evangelism Dunamis, we had a lab time or a live practicum, based on the Phillip and Ethiopian Eunuch story.
We gathered as a group, prayed, and then dismissed to visit various places in Mount Vernon as we felt led or guessed at a leading.
The goal was to have a spiritual conversation with whomever the Lord pointed out to you (a la “Go stand next to THAT chariot”). If such a conversation was to be had, it was to help the people you felt led to speak with make another step forward in their spiritual journey. You might get to
- plant a seed
- water a seed
- harvest a seed
It was perfectly fine if one didn’t feel a particular leading to go somewhere. It could be simply free time, or remain at the church praying for those who did go out.
Where our little group traveled
During the prayer time I had a vision of a young woman, smoking a cigarette, reading a book, sitting on a chair at the loading dock in a particular commercial center / strip mall.
The person driving also felt a leading to visit the local community college.
First, we visited the college campus and encountered the pastor for the Chi Alpha student ministry. We prayed with him, the ministry’s worship team, and for his effectiveness as a campus pastor. Three out of town pastors on the college campus, blessing a young student pastor.
Then we left and we visited the commercial shopping center where behold, I found the woman, smoking a cigarette, reading a book, sitting on a chair, as pictured.
I described my vision and my reason for interrupting. We told her we believed that God had sent us there to pray just for her. We offered to pray for her and she allowed us to. If she had said no, I would have respected that boundary.
We felt led to pray about God’s provision in her life and to remind her that God hears her prayer. Whatever will come of that, who knows.
Other stories
Many other groups returned with stories of the people they met, prayed with and for, and some had stories where nothing happened, which is fine during a clinical lab time like this.
Some had deeply meaningful conversations, other simply experienced small talk. Some encounters occurred on Indian Reservations, in Wal-Mart, or at the local gas station or thrift store.
The idea is to see the people around you with the Father’s eyes. (See the video Waiting on the World to Change).
To look for those people that God would underline to you.
The idea is not to force a conversation, but to watch it unfold, naturally, as you trust the sovereignty of God to lead you to the right person while you are on your way.
Let me ask you this?
Have you tried an experiment like this? Have you simply taken the time to pray and spend the afternoon looking for whom God might send across your path? Tell us your stories in the comments below.
