"It's like standing in a shower of the Father's love!"
The most powerful step in my healing was The Father's Blessing; so we offer it towards the end of the retreat. A little girl's daddy is the first man she will love, the first man to tell her she's pretty, the first man she will kiss and sets the standard for every other man in her life. Because so many women never received their father's blesssing; we ask 'fathers' to allow the Holy Spirit to heal that wound through them. We ask the men to be led by the Holy Spirit as they pray, hold them in a big 'daddy hug' and then say - "What you did not receive from your earthly father, recieve now from the Holy Spirit!"
Pastor Clay Padgett
The hosting pastor or leader will be asked to choose "Fathers" to be available at approximately 1:30 the day of the retreat. It is suggested the men join the ladies for lunch, where LaVonne will explain their duties and answer any questions.
Qualifications:
1. A natural father 2. Mature in the faith 3. Have a father's heart - loving and nurturing by nature
The number of 'Father's' chosen should be sufficient for the number of registered ladies (approximately 1 father for every 5 women)
Pastor Dwayne Wilkerson
"Giving the Father's Blessing is one of the most powerful things I've ever done in ministry! It messed me up!" Pastor Dwayne Wilkerson
A Testimony of the Power of The Father's Blessing
If you share this story, I ask that you share it anonymously. I would prefer you did not even identify the retreat location.
As this lady approached me, the Holy Spirit consumed me. The closer she got, the greater the anointing of God. My body became so very weak and I felt such an overflowing love of God in me, that before she could stop in front of me, I just sank to the floor on one knee. As she stopped in front of me, I felt heaviness on my right shoulder, as if God was personally, but lovingly, pressing on my right shoulder. My right knee was still up. The left knee is the one I had on the ground. I knew, without any doubt, the Holy Spirit was guiding me to a position of having both knees on the floor. As I went into a kneeling position, I took her hand in both of my hands and held it upon the side of my face and I wept. . . Uncontrollably at first. Than I began to say, “I am sorry.” I repeated this over and over. After several seconds, I moved my right knee off the floor again, to rise, but again felt the Lord pressing me back to a position of both knees on the floor. . . In all honesty, God would not permit me to stand. I had no desire to be disobedient, but if I had, the weight on my shoulder was so great at this point; there was no way I could stand up under my own power. I continued to weep, but not as heavily, and I found myself saying over and over again: “I am so very, very sorry.” I honestly do not know how long this lasted. It may have been 40 seconds or five minutes. I honestly do not know. I lost all sense of time. . . I also lost all awareness of where I was. That too did not matter. All that existed during this time was me, her, and God.For the third time, I raised my right knee to stand, but this time was different: I stood up so easily and smoothly (not like my usual older over-weight guy lift off), and I went from kneeling to holding this Lady so tightly, that I don’t even know how I got there. As I hugged her, I continued to tell her I was very, very sorry. . . Then these words just flowed right out of me in a very soft voice: I am so very, very sorry I hurt you. I am sorry for the physical and mental. Then I just cried and held her. As we held each other and cried together, I could honestly feel relief, life, and happiness coming back into my body. I knew she did too.Although I said these things, I knew absolutely nothing about what her father had done. God did not share the details. God revealed nothing more to me. I also had no desire, nor do I have now, any desire to think about, or to know the details, but I do have a burden to pray for her. God gave me a heart to understand this was not about me. This was about her.There was a point I transferred from being her earthly father to permitting God to speak through me as her heavenly father. . . Only God could do this. I went from apologizing to saying that her Father did not understand what he was doing, but he did love her. I also added: as you forgive him, I am bringing release and new beginnings into your life. I love you. You are precious, so very, very precious to me. At this point, I gave the father’s blessings, saying I speak your father’s blessings over you, not as your earthly father, but as your heavenly father.Last, but far from least, I knew I was being led to encourage her, and I did. I spent time telling her God had blessed her with a gift, and he would bring this gifting forth through out this wonderful process of renewing and restoration. She was going to be happy. She was also going to be a difference maker for Christ. She was going to “share & care” for others and God was going to lead people into her path for this purpose. She is a wonderfully beautiful and precious lady and God is going to shine through her.One last note: This lady confirmed to my wife that this retreat was a great blessing to her, but she did not understand how the gentleman (her husband) knew the things he had said during the father’s blessings.
