This was written years ago but have been being reminded of this and it seems some can be encouraged in hearing this right now.
Vision of Ulcers (early to mid 2003)
During a time of worship and intercession I was praying and all of a sudden I saw a picture of our bodies with ulcers inside of them. These were extremely painful looking ulcers; deep and hidden in the body. As I prayed I asked God what it was. I felt Him say that these represented deep rooted, painful sins, iniquities, hurts, resentments, bitterness, unforgiveness that we have hidden so far down inside. I saw that as He was explaining this, the ulcers began to come to the surface and as the sunlight hit them they began to dry up. Likewise, when those painful sins stay in the darkness they grow and grow and in the same way a small canker sore in the mouth can cause such great pain, and it’s not until it dries up that it is not painful. But when we lick it or keep agitating it, it gets bigger, deeper and more ulcerated. Then I was reminded of this verse:
James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
The Lord does what He says He will do. He has spoken that to follow Him there is a price to pay, but the reward is greater.
Then I was warned to be careful of opinions, the Lord was going to start bringing up those sins in our lives that have held us captive and it wasn’t going to be pretty. It was going to be painful and humbling. As this process is going on each other’s weaknesses will be apparent. We ask God to purge us and this is what He was doing. Our opinions don’t matter, what the Lord says does. He warned to be careful about judging during this time. That was later confirmed through another sister at the following gathering and I had yet to share about the ulcers.
In this time you may be experiencing brokenness, rocky relationships, feeling in a “slump”. God is revealing to us those things and it’s His timing for us to repent, confess and be healed. His reward is great, but He disciplines the ones He loves.
Hebrews 12:3-11
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
James 1:2-5
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
The Lord is not done with us, and is only doing what He said He was going to do. Be encouraged that He is faithful and as we pray that He teaches us His ways, He will.
