Healing.
I’ve always heard stories of people being healed.
I’ve read about it in the Bible.
I’ve prayed for healing many times.
I’ve seen the amazing evidence of it.
But I’d never seen it for myself.
I have asked God for a very, very long time to use me in this way. I wanted to see it. I wanted the Holy Spirit to lead me to someone and show me His power in that way.
At training camp I prayed for healing for someone, nothing.
Month 2 (February) in Botswana I prayed over a blind man named Fred. Nothing.
Month 6 in Thailand I prayed for healing over a team mate. Nothing.
Also in Thailand, a short term missionary couple that we served with pulled me aside on our last night there. God told them to give me the gifts that He has given them. They placed their hands on my head, hands and feet and prayed over me. He’s extremely experienced in healing ministry and she’s anointed in so many things. It was one of my favorite moments of the race. I was READY!
So after that awesome moment, I prayed over someone. And you guessed it, nothing.
Month 7 in Malaysia I prayed over a homeless man with diabetes and a super swollen leg and nothing.
I prayed over a friend who hurt her ankle. Nothing.
There were a lot of other times that I prayed and nothing. Not saying that God didn’t hear my prayers, it just wasn’t the moment for them to be healed. I got frustrated though. Really frustrated. Other people were seeing the healing. What was wrong with me?
So in my frustration I sat down and had a serious talk with Jesus. I asked why? I just spilled my guts.
He revealed to me that my faithfulness to Him and growing in perseverance was more important than me needing so see or be part of a healing or anything else.
Slice of humble pie. Haha
So yeah, God showed me that all the times I saw nothing and kept going, He was growing my faithfulness.
Then month 8 in Nicaragua I went on a prayer walk. We walked by a woman and her daughters and asked if we could pray for them. The mother eagerly said yes. We asked if she needed healing from anything. She said her legs and her knees were hurting really bad. We prayed as a group. Then a squad mate, Lauren, told me that she felt that I needed to put my hands on her knees and pray. So I got on my knees on that Nicaraguan dirt, put my hands on her knees and prayed.
She was healed.
I clapped. Like I gave God an applause. I was flying. Thank you! Thank you! Was all I could think. God you are so good! She was so thankful too! We hugged goodbye and kept walking.
Then we had some quiet time under a tree on a bench by the church. My blind friend from Botswana came back to mind. So I said Lord, would you please heal him too. Please give me a certain peace in my heart that you will heal him. And God said, I’ll heal Fred too.
Whaaat. Yes Lord!!
Thank you!
I haven’t made contact with him yet, but I have no doubt that Fred will be able to see the gorgeous Botswana sunsets really soon!
Faithfulness > Gifts
It’s from an overflow of intimacy with Him. Everything is.
