Tribute to Beni Johnson
This week a spiritual mother in my life went home. Her name is Beni Johnson. She, and her husband Bill Johnson are the apostolic leaders of Bethel Church (in Redding, California), and its associated ministries. Beni crossed through the pearly gates into our true Home this week after a courageous fight with cancer. Her suffering in these recent months held a global movement of people on their knees. Beni’s Home-going is the champion’s march of a true lover of God in every season.
I never met Beni in person, but as is the case with many key influencers in my life, I hold the imprints of her mentorship through her resources. Specifically, her work and leadership in prayer ministry fed and guided my own journey into prayer ministry. She is a mother of a global movement of intercessors who force joy to the forefront of their prayer lives, and believe that the greatest assignment we could ever embrace as that if sitting with the King in heavenly places. Beni heralded that our key purpose in prayer is to agree with the brilliance and beauty of whatever God is already doing, and learn how to have eyes to see it. I am among those who follow her defined prayer culture, and I honor Beni for her pioneering work in intercession.
Beni was the overseer of Prayer Ministry at Bethel Church, and the direct mentor of Dawna DeSilva who launched the Sozo Inner Healing prayer movement. Only God knows how much of Bethel's historic influence can be traced back to its intercessors. I've studied Beni’s work on prayer ministry for many years, and sought out her manuals on training prayer ministers. I remember sitting on the carpet in my bedroom years ago when I first got her book, The Happy Intercessor. I could hardly contain my excitement in learning that this thing, “intercession,” that I long felt called to embrace as an identity could shed its heavy armor and become an experience in flight.
ConnectUp, the prayer ministry that Mitch and I now lead full time, holds the imprints of Beni Johnson’s teaching on prayer and intercession. More importantly, I hold the imprints of her life and ministry in my own daily time with God. I respect Beni’s spiritual leadership more than words can express, and grieve the feeling this week of this pillar of spiritual motherhood in my life passing out of our tangible world. I will miss her. I grieve that I will not get to read her next book, meet her in person, or lean on her ongoing perseverance as we continue to pioneer in prayer ministry leadership.
This week, we are left in the wake of a beautiful life whose passion for prayer and health have shaped believers into healthier people around the world. We are left with a sense of awe of what God can accomplish through one surrendered life, and in that a weighted responsibility to somehow hold dearly and run forward the work she gave her life to birth. We must pray that God raises up more spiritual mothers who know the secret place as well as their own backyard, and from that place make history with God.
As I write this today, I am watching the sun illuminate the morning on the horizon. I am thinking about the reality of eternity as the darkness is pierced. I am grieving the loss of Beni’s life on earth, praying for her family who are left to grieve, and wondering if perhaps she will find herself today in a conversation with my daughter, Ruby Joy, who went home years ago. I wish that I could be part of that conversation. I am missing them both today.
God, thank you for the life of Beni Johnson. We ask you to raise up an army of spiritual mothers in the earth who can carry forward her work and legacy.
