MEET MELISSA
MY STORY
I’m a friendly and fiery Puerto Rican wife and mom who loves Jesus and passionately lives life abiding in Him. I treasure my quiet time, but charge out of that sacred space with big stories and big hugs! My passion lies in reviving hearts through prayer and the prophetic, and seeing these ignited ones transform the world around them. Tiny but mighty, you’ll soon find out this little lady carries a lioness’ roar!
At the age of six, I was awakened to the power of prayer and the beauty of relationship with Jesus. My dad faced a life-threatening illness, and my family did all they knew to do—pray to statues of saints long gone. But in my little heart God birthed the big idea that my secret prayers whispered directly to Him could save my dad! I began daily conversations with Jesus and not only was my dad healed, he joyfully gave his life to the Lord!
My hungry little heart did not want to be left behind, so I’d secretly sit in on my dad’s private prayer times and had him tote me around when he’d gather with others at church to pray. These experiences in God’s presence led me to fall in love with the Lord at a very tender age, and I longed to live fully for Jesus. I grew up in the church as a minister’s kid who’d sing, preach, pray, teach, and fill just about any need. Before long, this servant-hearted, fast-talking, justice-seeker came to believe that a life as an attorney would be the right path for me.
Fast forward to my early twenties during my ambitious pursuit of a legal career. My family and I began to experience great hardship, drawing me into a more passionate pursuit of Jesus. My food and drink became hours of studying God’s Word, late nights soaking in His presence, sacrificial trips to revival hot spots, and devouring books and videos on life in Christ. Holy Spirit helped me discover my identity and worth, teaching me to live from love and victory, not for it; free of striving and in surrender to Him.
The entire trajectory of my life shifted when He spoke to me one day while I worshiped: “Lay down law school. I’ve called you to legislate through prayer.” Lacking a full understanding of what this meant, but realizing it was an invitation from the heart of this good Father and Friend I’d come to know, I gave Him my heartfelt “yes!”.
Following the Lord’s leading, my husband, Anthony, and I left all that was comfortable and familiar to prepare for the call of God upon our lives. The move from New York City to our Dallas-based Bible School very quickly opened the door to years of ministry and mentorship under some of the greatest generals of intercession and prophetic ministry to this generation. I am grateful to have worked alongside and gleaned from their powerful platform ministry as well as their private lives of integrity. And I seek to continually draw on and add to the mantles and anointings received.
To add to this great adventure, my husband and I were blessed with a precious son, Caleb Josiah. His entry into this side of heaven turned our world upside down! Caleb was born with heart defects requiring multiple surgeries and medical interventions throughout his childhood. Experiencing many forms of healing and breakthrough, we are privileged to gaze upon a miracle every day! And along the way, we’ve been learning—beyond head knowledge—how to strengthen ourselves in the Lord, engage the power of prayer, and prophetically decree words of life and healing to dead or defective things.
By sharing my experiences, and all God’s taught me about His heart and His ways, I hope to inspire the world to look to Jesus and find hope and purpose in Him. Today, you’ll find me serving, writing, and speaking for various audiences, while in continual conversation with the King.
MELISSA’S MOST POPULAR SPEAKING TOPICS
HOLY SPIRIT: OUR HELPER IN PRAYER
PROPHETIC INTERCESSION
ABIDING AND ADVANCING
A WOMAN'S TRUE CALLING
GODLY GOVERNANCE
HEARING AND BECOMING GOD’S VOICE
OUR REFORMATION MANDATE
THE POWER OF HOPE
LATEST ARTICLES
SEPTEMBER: THE PACE OF CHANGE INTENSIFIES
As this year of great change enters its last third, the pace of it will begin to intensify. Many are finally starting to feel a sense of clarity again like the storm has passed and the clouds are finally breaking to reveal blue sky. Those six changes (read “A time for change” blog for a refresher) will quickly go from little or no movement, to fast forward in September.
The changes you thought would never come will begin to drop in your lap quickly. The opportunities, offers, relationships, and moves that are needed for your new will begin to show themselves in rapid succession. Here are a few things you need to do this month to handle the increased pace of change with great wisdom:
Define Your Circle: Write in stone not only who is in your core relational group, but also how you are investing in them and what is needed from them in the new. Discern “familiarity breeds contempt” within your relationships to know which ones to do the work of readjusting in and which ones just need to be left behind. Grieve the pain or relational shifts and celebrate vigorously the ones that have proved their worth and value. Defined relationships will be the basis for changes to stay and flourish.
Be Open to the “Out of the Norm”: Many of the opportunities that’ll come your way as part of this time of change will be out of your normal. They’ll be different than what you’re used to, uncomfortable even. You have to stay open to the differences and not allow your dogmas and traditions to get in the way of the God-ordained changes that come with different skin. Opportunities will come from people you have not heard from in quite a long time, and some may even be individuals you haven’t wanted to hear from, but be open to at least listen and discern what’s behind what they are offering.
Hear Different: He will speak loudly in September, but it’ll come on a different wavelength. You’ll need to posture yourself differently because you won’t hear what He’s saying how you usually do. Be willing to recalibrate your preferred method of hearing God. This change is pivotal because it involves a deepening of relationship with your Good Shepherd and how you hear and obey Him. Don’t lean on your understanding of how He speaks to you. Don’t be too familiar with His voice so that you miss it coming differently.
Find a Sabbathed Pace: If you don’t know how to live in Sabbath, now is the time to figure it out. Rapid, God-ordained change is not meant to overwhelm you, it’s meant to fit into the lifestyle of sabbath that you should already have. Learn to live a rhythm of rest and His changes in your life will propel you further, faster.
The pace of September will be rapid, but your heart must be postered in a “be still and know” place to fully embrace and move into the rapid changes that will come your way.
IGNITING HOPE, HEALING AND SPIRITUAL HUNGER