Anne Graham Lotz finds 'triumph in ... the darkest places'

By Billy Hallowell (Pureflix), Pureflix.com Saturday, January 25, 2020

Anne Graham Lotz in an interview with WRAL News on September 10, 2018. | (Screenshot: WRAL News)

Anne Graham Lotz has faced a difficult journey over the past few years. After losing her husband in 2015 and then her father — the famed evangelist Billy Graham — in 2018, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

It was a harrowing journey filled with painful treatments that left Lotz, author of the new book, Jesus In Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion, with spiritual and physical challenges — and life-altering lessons.

"I have experienced triumph in some of the darkest places," she recently told "The Pure Flix Podcast." "And I know it's because of the Holy Spirit."

Listen to Lotz share her cancer journey and her incredible faith:

Lotz, who recently completed cancer treatments, recounted learning about her diagnosis and how she initially struggled to tell her family.

The Bible teacher, who has inspired millions, suddenly found herself face-to-face with a battle that held the power to deeply challenge her faith, but she persisted.

"It was my next assignment so to speak, but I didn't know how to tell my family," she said. "I felt like God had this in His hands too — that it was part of His purpose for me."

Lotz found a way to tell her family what was going on and started treatments. Along the way, she said it was her faith in God, Jesus — and the Holy Spirit that sustained her.

"Every day God blessed me," she said, noting that she profoundly struggled with chemo treatments. "I felt lifted and carried through this whole experience. I sense the presence of the Lord."

And she has a message for anyone else who might not have a close relationship with God.

"Don't wait until you have a crisis to establish [a] relationship with God," she said, urging people to "come to the cross by faith." "When a crisis happens, there's no time for that."

As for her own journey, Lotz said she believes she's been healed by God, but no matter what happens in the future, her faith rests in Him.

"I'm not afraid to die," she said.

Lotz also spoke about her book, Jesus in Me, and the power of the Holy Spirit — something that might not be overtly discussed in some churches and Christian circles.

"The Holy Spirit is Jesus invisible — He's present in us," she said. "When we put our faith in Jesus ... He comes in in the person of the Holy Spirit [and is] ... Jesus living inside of me in spirit form."

This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider. Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows. You can get a free trial here.

Billy Hallowell, author of "The Armageddon Code," has contributed to TheBlaze, the Washington Post, Human Events, the Daily Caller, Mediaite, and the Huffington Post, among other news sites. Through journalism, media, public speaking appearances, and the blogosphere, Hallowell has worked as a journalist and commentator for more than a decade.