It is written in Psalms chapter 37: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” This next story features me, (Pat Sue).This story also took place at Lakewood.  One day I was riding in the car with Pastor Minner and we were talking about Lakewood. I said to Pastor Minner: “Every pianist dreams of performing at Carnegie Hall just once in their life, well, this is my Carnegie Hall! Pastor Minner of course agreed with me. A few days later, Pastor Minner was taking a ride with Pastor Osteen who asked: “How is L.A.P.?” So Pastor Minner, gave him an update on the kids. Then Pastor Minner remembered our conversation, and told Pastor Osteen: “Pat thinks of Lakewood church as his Carnegie Hall.” So that following Sunday morning, Pastor Osteen calls me to the pulpit. So I immediately said to Pastor Minner: “I swear I didn’t do it!” But he smiled and said: “I know, I know, just go on up.” So I did. Pastor Osteen told over 5,000 people that I thought of Lakewood Church as my Carnegie Hall and that I was right to do so. He said: “This is your Carnegie Hall, and you are welcome to play here anytime.” Then he said: “Pat, Phil Driscoll is my favorite trumpet player, but you are my favorite pianist!!!”

It is written in Psalms chapter 37: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” This next story features me, (Pat Sue).This story also took place at Lakewood.  One day I was riding in the car with Pastor Minner and we were talking about Lakewood. I said to Pastor Minner: “Every pianist dreams of performing at Carnegie Hall just once in their life, well, this is my Carnegie Hall! Pastor Minner of course agreed with me. A few days later, Pastor Minner was taking a ride with Pastor Osteen who asked: “How is L.A.P.?” So Pastor Minner, gave him an update on the kids. Then Pastor Minner remembered our conversation, and told Pastor Osteen: “Pat thinks of Lakewood church as his Carnegie Hall.” So that following Sunday morning, Pastor Osteen calls me to the pulpit. So I immediately said to Pastor Minner: “I swear I didn’t do it!” But he smiled and said: “I know, I know, just go on up.” So I did. Pastor Osteen told over 5,000 people that I thought of Lakewood Church as my Carnegie Hall and that I was right to do so. He said: “This is your Carnegie Hall, and you are welcome to play here anytime.” Then he said: “Pat, Phil Driscoll is my favorite trumpet player, but you are my favorite pianist!!!”

It is written in Matthew chapter 10: “Go and announce to them that the kingdom of heaven is near… Don’t take any money with you. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with an extra coat and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.” That is why it is written in Matthew chapter 6: “So don’t worry about everyday life; food, drink, or clothes. My heavenly father already knows all my needs, and he will give me all I need from day to day, if I live for him, and make the kingdom of God my primary concern.” It is written in Psalms chapter 34: “Those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.” It is written in Psalms chapter 37: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” In the kingdom, the Holy Spirit watches over the path of the godly. In the kingdom, the Holy Spirit has made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping, and He makes my way perfect!

At the end of our two year ’faith’ tour, we found ourselves in Houston, Texas. At that time, you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing a gigantic billboard which read: “Come To The Oasis Of Love” Lakewood Church, with John Osteen’s picture right below the caption! So Pastor Minner contacted five of his friends about helping L.A.P. get into Lakewood. Here was the response: Unless Pastor Osteen knows you, he does not allow unknown groups on his pulpit! Send us a tape. Try again next year. It was now the Wednesday after Hurricane Agatha had hit East Texas that L.A.P. spent the last of our money on hotel rooms at the Days Inn. Pastor Minner went into his room to pray for a little while. Afterwards, he came out and played with L.A.P. for a while. No one was aware how urgent our situation was. That evening, Pastor Minner gathered the group together and told us to get dressed. So we asked him: “Prentice, where are we going?” He replied Lakewood. We said: “Oh Prentice, it ain’t gonna work. Remember what they said: send a tape. Try again next year.” Pastor Minner was feeling the pressure of the moment which led to him firing back: “I said get your asses on the bus! We’re going, and we’re going to sing!! Not exactly the ideal way to give a prophecy, but the Holy Spirit instructed Pastor Minner to go to Lakewood that night, so we did! Lakewood Church in 1989 was like an arena rather than like a church. L.A.P. walked in with mouths wide open. Pastor Minner gave our pamphlet to one of the ushers and asked him to take it to the Pastor. To our amazement, that’s exactly what he did. Pastor Osteen rose up and went to the podium with our pamphlet in his hand. Before he preaches his sermon, he announces that they have a ministry from Las Vegas, Nevada called Love All People. He asks Pastor Minner to come to the front and the group to go to the youth section. He then proceeds to preach on faith. At the end of the sermon, he asked Pastor Minner to give the benediction. So Pastor Minner goes up to the pulpit. Pastor Osteen asks him to tell the church about L.A.P., so he did. Then Pastor Osteen asks Pastor Minner to bring the group down front, so that they could thrush their hands towards them and pray for them. So we did. As we were making our way to the front, Pastor Osteen’s wife Dodie, yells out: “Let them sing!” So Pastor Osteen asks Pastor Minner: “Would ya’ all like to sing?” Pastor Minner, who by now, was all choked up, and fighting back tears, replied: “yes, we would.” We sang “Hallelujah, Salvation, and Glory.” Before we finished, the whole church, which was 4,000 in attendance that night, was standing and raising their hands. Pastor Osteen was standing off to the side with his hands folded just taking it all in. After we finished, Pastor Osteen asked Pastor Minner: “Where ya’ all staying at?” Pastor Minner replied: “After tonight, we don’t know.” We just paid our bill at Days Inn, and after tonight, we don’t know where we’re staying. Pastor Osteen said that’s good. To which L.A.P. turned and looked at each other as if to say, what?!! Then Pastor Osteen said: “Tomorrow morning, ya’ all pack up and move out of Days Inn, and then come on back over here.” Because for as long as ya’ all are in Houston, Lakewood campus will be your new home! The whole church broke into thunderous applause! Let me remind you this was our first time there. We were late. Pastor Osteen didn’t know us from Adam. Then, when we all finally stopped crying, this is what we saw: the church was forming lines down to the pulpit where people were leaving money on the platform. Then Pastor Osteen said: “Okay, we’re gonna take up a love offering for them.” Then Pastor Osteen asked Pastor Minner: “Where are ya’ all ministering Sunday night?” Pastor Minner said nowhere. Then Pastor Osteen said good, ya’all gonna come back here Sunday night and minister to us here.

It was now Saturday night. We had already moved onto Lakewood campus. Pastor Minner had been asked to visit the ministry “Mercy and Grace,” with a couple of members of L.A.P. with him. So they went. They gave words of encouragement, and met some of the members of “Mercy and Grace.” There was one woman there in dire need of a financial blessing! The Holy Spirit instructed Pastor Minner: “I have blessed you, now you are to bless her. Because she needs it far more than you do! Take that $200.00 in travelers checks and give it to her. If you give, I’ll bless you one hundred times that much.” With that assurance, Pastor Minner gave the woman the $200.00. It was now Sunday night, and L.A.P. presented our full ministry concert that night at Lakewood. But there was something very special about that night. As we were singing, people began to acknowledge that they were being healed while we were singing. This was a first for L.A.P. At the end of our concert, Pastor Osteen said something I had never heard before: “ L.A.P. is here by Divine Appointment.” At the end of the night they received a ’love offering’ for us using buckets which was their way considering the size of Lakewood. Pastor Osteen told us he would see us Tuesday because the church office closed on Mondays. One of our more curious members asked him why. Pastor Osteen replied: “Because we count the money on Mondays.” It is now Tuesday morning and we are all gathered in one of the meeting rooms with Pastor Osteen and his wife, who are both smiling from ear to ear! Pastor Osteen said: “It is my honor to present you with the largest check this church has ever given to a group before. This check is in the amount of $22,000.00.Needless to say we had a party to celebrate. Because Pastor Minner obeyed the Holy Spirit and gave that lady the $200.00, we received 100 times that much plus more! When Pastor Minner obeyed his instructions and trusted him alone to bring it to pass, he did!!

It is written in Matthew chapter 10: “Go and announce to them that the kingdom of heaven is near… Don’t take any money with you. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with an extra coat and sandals or even a walking stick…” In the kingdom, the Holy Spirit shows the proper path to those who go astray, when they obey your instruction, and trust you alone to bring it to pass!

L.A.P. was now in Atlanta, Georgia, where we had been for over 2 weeks. We were leaving for Nashville, Tennessee, which was the next stop of our

‘Faith’ tour. Pastor Minner got a call from John who told him we needed $5,000.00 to save our homes. Pastor Minner told us the situation, and instructed us to get down on our knees and pray right there on the bus! So we did! A short while later, Pastor Minner told the bus driver to turn the bus around. Then Rick and Charles asked why. Pastor Minner replied: The Holy Spirit said we were going the wrong direction. The $5,000.00 is waiting for us in Atlanta. One of our members remarked: Prentice, that pond has already been fished from. Let’s move on to Nashville. But we obeyed Pastor Minner’s instructions from the Holy Spirit and went back to Atlanta. Pastor made some calls to some Pastors in the area and by Sunday, we had 2 churches scheduled. By the time we finished both church services, we had over $750.00. A little old lady said: “Ya’ all should come to my church“. Well, we rolled our eyes in disappointment, But Pastor Minner said: “We ain’t got nothing better to do.” So we all packed into the bus and followed the little old lady to her church, already in session. She introduced us to the church and asked them to let us sing a song or two.  They did, so we sang and told two testimonies. As they were taking up the offering, one of our girls leaned over to Pastor and said with five fingers raised: “Where’s the five thousand dollars?” Then, as the Pastor called for benediction, a voice called out from the audience: “Rev. Jones, Rev. Jones, I forgot my checkbook at home, but if this group will wait for me, I’m going to write them a check for $5,000.00!!! When Pastor Minner obeyed the Holy Spirit’s instructions and trusted him alone to bring it to pass, he did!!!

It is written in Matthew chapter 6: “My heavenly father already knows all my needs, and he will give me all I need from day to day if I live for him, and make the kingdom of God my primary concern.” L.A.P. was in dire need of working transportation! Our airport shuttle bus no longer functioned and we were on the road. It was Sunday morning, so we called a few friends to take us to a church, for an engagement. When we arrived at this small church, we soon discovered that there were more of us than there was of them.

We were in Alta Dena, California, therefore our expectations weren’t too high. So we performed in both, the Sunday morning and Sunday evening services. Then they invited us back for Thanksgiving. Prentice would have liked to have gone to a larger church for a larger offering, but the Holy Spirit told Pastor Minner to accept, and so we did! In front of this tiny church, parked in the parking lot, was a huge red, white, and blue bus. Some of our more curious members went inside for a look and said: “Look, it even has a bathroom.” Pastor Minner casually said: “Just praise God for it, it’s already ours.” L.A.P. sang two songs and gave a couple of testimonies before the Pastor rose up to speak. “Sir, I don’t even know your name, but the Lord has laid it on my heart to give you the keys to that bus in the parking lot.” This bus carried L.A.P. all across the country for over 2 years! When Pastor obeyed the Holy Spirit’s instructions, and trusted Him alone to bring it to pass, He did!

It is written in Isaiah chapter 55: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts…” It is also written in Isaiah chapter 64: “For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him. But, it is written in Jeremiah chapter 29: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” And, it is written in Psalms chapter 32: “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” In the kingdom, all the Lord’s promises prove true. The new testament equivalent is Matthew chapter 11: “All the teachings of the scriptures looked forward to this present time.” So, “Go and announce to them that the kingdom of heaven is near… Don’t take any money with you. Don’t carry a travelers bag with an extra coat and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.” Matthew chapter 10.

Rev. Cleveland invited us to the G.M.W.A. National Convention which was held in Miami, that year. Once again, the Holy Spirit told Pastor Minner to go. When Pastor Minner told his Board of Directors that L.A.P. was going to Miami with as little money as we had, the board was flabbergasted. Two members actually quit saying: “We can’t work with a fool like you!!” But Pastor Minner was obedient!!! So we left Vegas and headed for Miami. Everything was fine until we came to Birmingham, Alabama. This was where L.A.P. started complaining: “Rev., we’re hungry!” After filling up the bus, we had only $100.00 left. Pastor Minner then said, you better start praying! So we got down on our knees, in the bus, and prayed. When we got up, we saw a sign in the distance. It read: Po’ Folks. That’s us! 40 of us piled off the bus and into the restaurant. After Pastor Minner explained our situation to the manager, they offered us one piece of chicken, two vegetables, and a glass of iced tea. We then asked if we could sing our grace. The manager reluctantly agreed. Then, at the table, we held hands and sang; “Thank You Lord,” as was our custom. As a result, people began coming over to our table to ask what we were all about. After we explained our ministry and the purpose of our trip, some customers went to the manager and said: “We want to hear these kids sing.” And so we did right there in Po’ Folks. Then the people brought money to our table, and the manager brought out plates of chicken, and vegetables and threw in rolls and dessert. Then he tore up the bill and said: It’s on the house! We were now in Miami for the G.M.W.A. National Convention. We were once again broke. That night, when we got up to sing, Rev. Cleveland stood up and addressed the convention. He said that tonight, he was breaking the 14 year tradition of never receiving an offering for a group. He then received an offering for us of over $1,900.00. This paid our hotel bill, and for all our meals in Miami! As we set out to return home, we found that we had just $8.00 left. So John Lerner treated us to ice cream. Prentice would finish the story this way. John, who was still having doubts about our finances, said: “We need to stop and sing somewhere to get some money!” And that’s exactly what we did. We stopped at a church, which I believe was a ’Walk-in’. During our performance, the church took up an offering for us. Rick Lane, our lead singer, said to Prentice: “I know it’s a thousand.” The preacher announced that the offering was $700.00. “Wait a minute,” a member said as they were coming forward. Here’s another $300.00. John fell to his knees and wept, saying: “I have seen God at work on this trip. I have seen the glory of the Lord.” This was another life changing experience! Wisdom is shown to be right by what results from it. Matthew chapter 11.      

It is written in Isaiah chapter 55: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts…” It is also written in Isaiah chapter 64: “For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him. But, it is written in Jeremiah chapter 29: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” And, it is written in Psalms chapter 32: “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” In the kingdom, all the Lord’s promises prove true. The new testament equivalent is Matthew chapter 11: “All the teachings of the scriptures looked forward to this present time.” So, “Go and announce to them that the kingdom of heaven is near… Don’t take any money with you. Don’t carry a travelers bag with an extra coat and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.” Matthew chapter 10.

Rev. Cleveland invited us to the G.M.W.A. National Convention which was held in Miami, that year. Once again, the Holy Spirit told Pastor Minner to go. When Pastor Minner told his Board of Directors that L.A.P. was going to Miami with as little money as we had, the board was flabbergasted. Two members actually quit saying: “We can’t work with a fool like you!!” But Pastor Minner was obedient!!! So we left Vegas and headed for Miami. Everything was fine until we came to Birmingham, Alabama. This was where L.A.P. started complaining: “Rev., we’re hungry!” After filling up the bus, we had only $100.00 left. Pastor Minner then said, you better start praying! So we got down on our knees, in the bus, and prayed. When we got up, we saw a sign in the distance. It read: Po’ Folks. That’s us! 40 of us piled off the bus and into the restaurant. After Pastor Minner explained our situation to the manager, they offered us one piece of chicken, two vegetables, and a glass of iced tea. We then asked if we could sing our grace. The manager reluctantly agreed. Then, at the table, we held hands and sang; “Thank You Lord,” as was our custom. As a result, people began coming over to our table to ask what we were all about. After we explained our ministry and the purpose of our trip, some customers went to the manager and said: “We want to hear these kids sing.” And so we did right there in Po’ Folks. Then the people brought money to our table, and the manager brought out plates of chicken, and vegetables and threw in rolls and dessert. Then he tore up the bill and said: It’s on the house! We were now in Miami for the G.M.W.A. National Convention. We were once again broke. That night, when we got up to sing, Rev. Cleveland stood up and addressed the convention. He said that tonight, he was breaking the 14 year tradition of never receiving an offering for a group. He then received an offering for us of over $1,900.00. This paid our hotel bill, and for all our meals in Miami! As we set out to return home, we found that we had just $8.00 left. So John Lerner treated us to ice cream. Prentice would finish the story this way. John, who was still having doubts about our finances, said: “We need to stop and sing somewhere to get some money!” And that’s exactly what we did. We stopped at a church, which I believe was a ’Walk-in’. During our performance, the church took up an offering for us. Rick Lane, our lead singer, said to Prentice: “I know it’s a thousand.” The preacher announced that the offering was $700.00. “Wait a minute,” a member said as they were coming forward. Here’s another $300.00. John fell to his knees and wept, saying: “I have seen God at work on this trip. I have seen the glory of the Lord.” This was another life changing experience! Wisdom is shown to be right by what results from it. Matthew chapter 11.      

It is written in Psalms chapter 37: Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. This next story features me, (Pat Sue).                                                                           After meeting Rev. James Cleveland, Pastor Minner prophesied to the group that L.A.P. would sing in Rev. Cleveland’s church on Easter Sunday morning. So Rev. Minner called Rev. Cleveland’s secretary to ask if we might be allowed to sing on Easter. The secretary replied: “No, this is the busiest Sunday of the year. You can come, but the program is full.” Well, we went and Pastor Minner’s prophesy was fulfilled. Now, to my part.

 Author: Pat Sue

Rev. Cleveland invited us up to the pulpit where we sang two numbers. Afterward, we sat with the choir. A few minutes later, Rev. Cleveland returned to the pulpit and said: “I want the piano player to stand up.” Well, all of L.A.P. turned to Charles Cooper, who was our keyboardist, and said: “Stand up Charlie, he’s talking to you.”  So he stood up. But Rev. Cleveland shook his head and said, “Not you, I’m talking to the white boy.” So everybody turned and looked at me. Then I looked at Prentice and said: “Prentice, I didn’t do it, I swear!” But Pastor Minner told me to stand up, so that’s what I did. What happened next shocked both L.A.P., and the congregation. After all, this was Easter Sunday. Rev. Cleveland looked right at me and said: “Son, I’ve been with the best, and I’ve played with the best. Anytime you decide you want to get off the road with that group, and settle down, you have a place to call home, and a job! Just give me a call.”