I officially met Steven yesterday, but he has been on my mind for a while now. At the beginning of the month, when God first called me to stay behind and intercede, I felt as if there was something more. That for whatever reason, God was calling me to stay, that He had a particular reason for me doing so. Not knowing what that reason was, I walked in obedience and said, “OK, God.”
Everyday, I go up to the balcony of the St. John’s Guest House in Bugolobi (a suburb of Kampala) where we were staying, to intercede. I noticed him last week. Everyday, he comes out on the balcony where he sits for hours. One day I noticed he was having trouble walking. Then I noticed that they prop his legs up with a chair and pillows. God began drawing my heart to him, drawing me to pray for him. As the days passed, I began to look for him, and found myself disappointed on the days when he did not come out to the balcony to sit.
Yesterday, when he came out, immediately God started tugging on my heart to minister to him. “Bev, go pray for him.” I found myself debating in my mind whether this was something I was REALLY supposed to do. In my journal, I wrote, “I feel like I should lay hands on him and pray for healing, but I feel as if that is a little awkward.” “YOU can’t do anything, but I can.” Here I was, hearing the Lord telling me to go and pray for this man, and I found myself fearing what might happen. Fearing going up to a random stranger and asking, “Can I pray for you?”. Fearing what I would say, “What if I sound stupid?”. “Perfect love casts out fear. I am love, love comes from ME, and I am in YOU. So why are you afraid?” Oddly enough, I feared a lot of things, but one thing I was certain of: If God was truly calling me over there to pray healing over him, I TRULY believed in my heart that He had the power to do so. Then, I wrote in my journal, “God what is your intent? i don’t think it coincidence that I’m here interceding everyday, and everyday this man comes and sits on the balcony.” Then, I was reminded of Acts 3-Peter and John are walking into the temple, and there is a crippled man that sits at the gates everyday and begs for money. He asks Peter and John for money, upon which Peter replies, “silver or gold I do not have, but in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Later, we read, “Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God.”
“Enough dilly dallying”, I thought to myself. I’m gonna go pray for this man. No turning back. I sent up one last prayer to heaven and made my way over to him.
After introducing myself, I asked Steven, “I have noticed that something is wrong with your legs. Do you care to tell me what is wrong?” He began to tell me that a while ago, he came down with an illness, and it ended up damaging his spinal cord. He told me that he has intense burning pain that goes down both legs. Coming from Northern Uganda, Steven had to travel to Kampala to get an MRI-the only one in the country. It ended up that Steven had surgery on his spinal cord back in December and he still hasn’t healed completely. He is staying here in Kampala, until he is well enough to travel home. Upon hearing his story, I asked him if he was a believer. “Do you know Jesus Christ?” “Jesus Christ? Oh yes! I am saved and believe in Jesus Christ!”, he says with enthusiasm. His brother Jacob, who was sitting next to him, chimed in and said, “Yes, I am too saved!” Then, I asked Steven, “Can I read you a story?” “Oh please do.”, he replied. I asked him if he had heard of Peter in the book of Acts, and then began reading to him out of Acts 3. After reading him the story of the crippled man at the temple gates getting healed, I asked Steven, “Do you believe that Jesus Christ has the power to heal your legs?” “Oh yes! 100% I believe Jesus can heal me.” “Can I pray for you?” I asked. He eagerly accepted my offer. I went and grabbed squadmate Elizabeth, who had also felt led to stay back and intercede to pray with me.
So we both laid hands on Steven’s legs and began to pray. After we were done, Steven expressed his gratitude to us. “I will never forget you.”, he said. “God is going to heal my legs, I am sure of it. And he brought you here today to pray for me.” After talking with him for a little while, we parted ways. Later, his sister and a few others came to join him, and I heard them talking about how good God was and how there was so much power in prayer. They were praising God and giving thanks for what he had done.
God has blessed me with a new friend. I enjoy talking with Steven, and look forward to what little time I have left to share with him, encourage him, and pray for him. This morning, I saw Steven, and he said to me, “can you and your friends pray for me again later? i am still having some burning in my legs, but I believe that with much prayer, I will be healed.” Please keep praying for Steven, that God would completely heal his legs and restore him to full health like that of a young man, so that he can return home.
more to come…….
