Best-selling author of over 10 million books
Best-selling author of The Power of a Praying, series (more than 11 million copies sold worldwide); including, The Power of a Praying Church (Harvest House, 2009)
Four workout videos
Taught exercise & nutrition for eight years
Performer on top TV shows
Married to Grammy-winning husband, Michael, more than 35 years
3 grown children
Guest
Stormie Omartian: Mighty in Prayer
By Heather Salon and Terri Simmons
The 700 Club
CBN.com
– THE POWER OF A PRAYING CHURCH
Stormie Omartian has been a prayer warrior for many years, and she encourages others to boldly enter into close fellowship with other believers to effect change in your world and in the larger world around you. She believes that when you are willing to link your heart with others before the throne of grace, you touch lives and needs with the power of your Father in heaven.
“I know the power of praying together,” she said. “I feel like a lot of people don’t understand the power of praying together, with other people or more.”
Stormie has been a part of numerous prayer meetings at her church, and has seen amazing things happen in response to prayer.
“And you know what? It’s mind boggling,” she said. “The more we see of what’s happening in the world today, the more we have to be praying. We have to be able to intercede and turn things around. We need to get together as the body of Christ. We don’t all have to be in the same room. I can be praying here, you can be praying there, in other countries, but we’re all praying together because we’re all in one accord; we’re all agreeing on who we’re praying to and what we’re praying about.”
Stormie and her longtime pastor, Jack Hayford co-wrote The Power of a Praying Church: Experiencing God Move As We Pray Together. She says that praying together will reveal life-changing benefits and world-changing effects. According to Stormie, praying with others will strengthen your personal prayer time with God, bring joy between you and your prayer partner and change your life by becoming part of a dynamic prayer group.
Stormie has also found that praise is the purest form of prayer and that worship is the best way to be closer to God.
“Worship is trusting that God is all the things we worship Him for, that He is there, and it’s always about Him,” she said. “It also welcomes God's presence, keeps you focused on Him and who He is, and allows God to move in one's life in a deeper way. When we worship God our hearts open like a funnel so God can pour into us.”
Stormie says that people usually look at praise as a last resort, but it should be a lifestyle. It should be all about Him because He is the greatest blessing. One of the main keys to making worship a lifestyle is changing our attitude and mindset towards it. People need to realize personally how good He is in their lives and need to worship Him for who He is. She also says people need to know that God loves them, because many don't know this.
We need to praise God in the midst of doubt. Stormie believes that the hidden power of praising God will reveal how close we’ve come to the Father. It is also the means by which God transforms our lives and enables us to do His will and glorify Him. And, it is the means by which God pours Himself into our lives. She also gives 15 reasons why to praise God now. A few of the key ones are: He loves us, He has forgiven us, He is a good God, He is with us, and He has purpose for our lives.
OVERCOMING LIFE'S OBSTACLES
Stormie Omartian's personal journey has led her to a wonderful relationship and keen insights on God. As a child, she grew up poor and often went to bed hungry; she and her family led isolated lives. They only went to church on holidays and special occasions, so there was no real spiritual grounding at home. Her mother had a mental illness and she severely abused Stormie physically and emotionally. Her mother would deal with Stormie either by locking her in a closet for hours at a time or not being aware she was there – there would be extremes of physical abuse or total abandonment. Stormie would never know why these things were being done to her.
Because of this treatment, Stormie grew up with deep feelings of rejection, fear, depression, loneliness, and hopelessness. Her father was a gentle, passive man and truly loved Stormie's mother despite her mental illness. As a result, the illness and the abusive behavior weren’t dealt with, because he thought one day she would "snap out of it." Needless to say, Stormie’s mother's mental condition wasn't treated, and it worsened.
During early years, Stormie thought of herself as ugly and unlikable, and she tried to commit suicide in junior high school. In high school, she compensated for her personal insecurities by being active in school activities and getting good grades. She went to UCLA and studied music. She began to work in Hollywood on several TV variety shows, like The Dean Martin Show, The Glen Campbell, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. She was also a backup singer for Glen Campbell, Cher, Ray Charles, and Neil Diamond.
Though her career seemed to be going well, Stormie still dealt with emotional turmoil. She tried to cope with her emotional pain by using a lot of drugs and alcohol. She tried to fill her spiritual void by exploring Eastern religions, but found that the pathway to false gods was distant and cold. Stormie also tried to fill her relational void by having relationships with different men: some resulted in abortions.
At age 28, Stormie’s career as a singer, dancer and actress were coming to a halt. A first marriage failed and all the outlets she used to cope with her pain were no longer working. She even contemplated suicide again. Stormie knew her life needed a change. At this time, Stormie's friend, Terry, shared Jesus with her. Though Terry spoke of Jesus before, this time Stormie accepted the message – not because of what Terry said, but because of the love and concern she portrayed to Stormie. Soon after, Stormie met Jack Hayford, the pastor of The Church on the Way. After talking to Terry and Pastor Hayford, Stormie wanted the love she saw in them and accepted Jesus as her personal savior. She started attending The Church on the Way and felt the love of God immediately. One of the first things she learned at the church was the importance of worship and praise. She was taught how and why to worship God, that God loves people, and that people can love Him back through praise and worship. Immediately, Stormie saw her life change for the better.
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