Our Arab Deborahs Arising Conference in September was an amazing event with 155 Arab women participants from all over the country incl. the West Bank, and a big ministry team of 23 wonderful, local as well as international believers, who had been invited to come up alongside the Arab women to pray for them and minister to them. With Karen Davis leading the worship in Hebrew and the HOPE worship team in Arabic, there was an amazing unity in the Spirit, as we were all worshipping the Lord together. The theme of the whole conference was, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…” (Luke 1:35a), and the messages given by the different speakers at the conference were beautifully supporting one another in unity around this theme.

Rania opened the conference speaking about Mary and the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary, as he announced to her that she was chosen to become the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:35a). Even though Mary put herself in a dangerous place being pregnant and unmarried, she accepted her calling willingly and with humility, believing the Lord that nothing is impossible for Him. When we have the Holy Spirit, and we feel our own strength being drained from us through sickness etc., we must trust in the Lord and not in our own strength. Another word for “overshadowing” is “hovering.” The Holy Spirit was hovering like a dove when God created the earth. Every nation was born out of a woman’s womb, and salvation came from a woman’s womb. We are called to be carriers of the harvest within us, a harvest of salvation and a harvest of healing, and we should pray for the Lord to send more workers into the harvest field. As a symbol of the harvest, each woman received a beautiful gift which included a wheat bundle.

Elin Fakerbakke from Norway spoke about “the power of a surrendered life”, and she gave the example of Heidi Baker, who lives out the surrendered life through her ministry in Mozambique. Corrie Ten Boom said, “Let’s God’s promises shine on your problems.” God knows you, He loves you, and He wants to embrace you and restore you, and give you His love again. The prodigal son was satisfied eating from the pigs’ food, and at one point he did not feel worthy to be called a son anymore. While in the midst of trouble, he came to his senses and went back home to his father. Every day his father was looking for him, and the son, who had lost his identity as a son, returned home again. Not everything that happens to you is your fault, but we have a choice whether it will break us or make us. To choose Jesus in every part of our lives is a surrendered life. In the world to lay down one’s life is not good, but as believers it is good.

Pastor Linda Berling from Sweden continued speaking about not limiting God. We do not understand healing, if we do not understand the love of God. The apostle John was always close to the heart of Jesus, and even Peter had to ask John sometimes what Jesus was saying. Sometimes the pain we are carrying within is so deep that God has to place us on the operation table and put us to sleep. He wants us to stay in a certain position in order to heal something deep inside us. He will need to operate us to heal us, so that we can bring healing to others. Linda shared how her father had cursed her when she left university to become a street evangelist, but later when he got very sick close to death, she prayed for him, and he got 15 years more to live. Likewise, we will see Muslim people being touched by miracles, which is a key to harvest among Muslims, Linda said.

During the conference, we also heard the powerful testimony of Cameran Yarai, a Muslim background believer born in Iran. He shared of how he as a young man in Iran had had several visions of Jesus, and how he finally decided to give his life to Jesus as a 33-year-old in America. He also shared something important the Lord had said to him: “I call everybody my friend, but not everybody calls me his friend!” Even when Jesus does not live in our hearts, we live in His heart. If you want a Muslim to invite Jesus into his heart, invite the Muslim to your heart first!

Finally, Heidi Baker spoke about “casting out all the thorns.” When we do not love our brothers and sisters in the Body of Messiah then we are “eating our family.” We are called to honor, respect and love one another. We need to be present with the Lord and the people around us. God can do anything through anyone. No branch can bear fruit by itself (John 15). God told Heidi that He can do nothing without the Body of Messiah. We cannot walk in somebody else’s anointing, even though we might want to. We are all originals and need to walk in our own anointing, being the person, we are called to be. Only originals have value, whereas copies are worthless. God does not want to hear your “but,” only your “yes.” Even people who do not have a name given by people have a name by God. They are valuable, and He is asking you to stop for “the one.” Jesus is our personal savior. When you have a calling from God, and you are called to spend time with Him in the secret place, then throw out the schedule…!

During the whole conference, the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully, with many women receiving prayer, a healing touch from God, and prophetic words of encouragement. There were times when everybody in the room was dancing together filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and it just went on and on, as nobody wanted to leave God’s presence, so we did indeed have to “throw out the schedule.”

We praise the Lord for blessing this conference in such an awesome way! May the Lord continue the good work He began in each of the Arab women during this conference and bring it to fulfilment according to His will (Phil. 1:6).