About Me. Pray and Walk Away.

Who am I?

This lady gave me a Pray and Walk Away. bracelet. Who is she? I know that many people do not know who I am and some think that they know who I am and truly do not know who I am. I have not told many people about who I am basically to protect myself. Many people are so judgmental and not everyone who says that they are your friend is. Recently someone questioned me about having a blog about prayer. This person sees me but doesn’t know me. So this is it.

I am Tonya Johnson McKinney. First, I am a child of God, a joint heir with Christ, a believer, an intercessor, a praise and worshipper, and a servant of the Most High God! This is truly who I am. My occupation was an accountant until God called me to be a teacher in Detroit Public Schools after I committed myself to Christ on Palm Sunday, 1994. Boy I didn’t know what I was getting into but it was the best decision that I ever made, truly! God has been training me since I was saved and more intensely from 2000-2008. During the time period of 2000-2008, God called me to my true training foundational ground at Word of Faith International Church pastored by Bishop Keith A Butler. During this time I was young and had intense training for 8 years. I started going to 6am prayer in the church not online for 8 years literally. Sometimes I had to go during snow storms and the schools were closed. I learned how to be an intercessor. I attended Bible school not only at WOF but at other churches. I had training on praise and worship by Apostle Julie Jackson Ward and Ron Kenoly. I took many classes and went to many conferences around the nation and world. I sat under a couple of Pastors while I went to church at Word of Faith. Why? I was on the fast track. I didn’t know but God was using this 8 years to teach me as much as I could learn from different pastors, evangelists, and teachers around the nation.  I served at my church in the bookstore, as an usher, intercessory morning prayer, and the choir! I went on mission trips all over the world including Costa Rica with World Evangelist Tim Storey, Ghana with the late Bishop Helen London, Prayer Mountain in South Korea, Morris Cerullo conference in Amsterdam, Prayer Mountain in Branson, MO, and prayer conferences around the nation and world. Once I sang in Benny Hinn’s choir in Detroit. I truly was chasing God to learn more about him in every aspect. I learned how to be a better intercessor and my walk with God strengthened.  I truly thought that God was going to continue to have me do international missions but I did not expect my next move. There is a saying that if you want God to laugh then tell him what you are going to do! My Pastor, sister and friend ordained me as an evangelist in April 2006. Another person that taught me was Evangelist Morris Cerullo and I learned that I am a prayer evangelist.

In 2007, my husband, who is now my ex-husband, said let’s move to Vegas, Las Vegas!!!! What, this can  not be from God!!! Well after much prayer and fasting and requests for signs which I received at least 7, I moved to Vegas, kicking and screaming. I had to give up my good job, take a $20,000 pay cut, leave my new house with new furniture! I was not happy but God!  If you don’t know, Las Vegas is a desert, for real! I felt like God just tossed me in the desert and left me there. Thank God that there are always rams in the bush. I found other believers and churches. I prayed and I prayed. I had to pray and fast. I was in the desert and it was very hard for me to adapt at first. I always considered myself like a fish because I love the water and I love to swim. My mother called me a fish because I never wanted to get out of the pool when I was growing up. This desert has been a proving ground. Are you going to sink or swim? Did you do all that training for 8 years to just die in the desert or are you going to do something?  I stayed in Vegas and God has blessed me exceedingly abundantly above all that I can ask or think.

I joined the choir in 2014 which was truly a blessing. In addition to prayer and fasting, praise is a weapon. Prayer, fasting, and praising God has got me through the many storms that I have been through! Only prayer, not only my prayers but prayers from others got me through the dark times. I will tell more testimonies later. I could have died many times. I could have taken my life. Others tried to take my life. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all! If I had not prayed and fasted, my life would have been gone! Just a highlight, in the last 10 years, I battled with my mother dying from cancer and going through a divorce at the same time, horrible, 2 murders and my grandmother dying all within 100 days– that almost killed me, battles with depression, and other battles with health, relationships, job related issues to name a few. Did I mention that I have work with teenagers in public schools for the last 30 years? If that won’t get you to pray, I don’t know what will?!!! lol

So I have a little experience and I know that God is not done with me yet. I know people are struggling. I found out one of my customers committed suicide and I would have never known that anything was wrong. People are hiding their hurts. All that I want to do is pray for you and help you to strengthen your prayer life. Tell you that prayer does work! Encourage you! Trust God! He will fight your battles! Don’t give up! We need you! God needs you! You CAN pray and walk away!