We often speak of miracles as if they are unreachable. We look to missionaries or preachers who we might consider “special” in order to perform healing. Maybe you think miraculous healing can only happen in the Bible. Perhaps you have accepted Christ, but are afraid to ask God for a miraculous healing for yourself or for someone else.
I want to introduce you to two of my squamates who have been miraculously healed during our time at the YWAM base here in Chirique Panama.
Ali
When Ali was 13 years old she was in a golf cart accident where the driver drove them off a 15 foot bridge. She hit the back of her head and from then on was not able to smell. In high school, Ali said that her best friend would try to describe smells to her all the time. Over the next 9 years Ali, “missed the smell of rain and the smell of food,” but at the same time, “it was nice to miss other smells!” Brent, one of the full time leaders and teachers with YWAM at our base in Chirique prayed over her after worship one night. Before they prayed, he had her try to smell a frankincense oil, and after the prayer, Brent had her smell it again. The second time Ali was able to smell it! She says “it was a testament to how God cares about the little things and wants to bless us.” I also believe it is a testament to his power. Ali said that she is able to smell “babies, rain, plantains, food, burning wood, and a million other things.” Our squad loves to introduce new smells to Ali as we travel the globe!
Jessie
Around junior year of high school, Jessie explained she “started to have weird reactions to random foods, and I couldn’t figure out why.” She finally saw an allergist who explained that she was allergic to a number of fruits, vegetables, and soy which caused a lot of problems. Over the next few years, the allergies kept accumulating and some were worse than others. In the middle of college Jessie said, “there were just random weeks where I threw up every time I ate” and, after going to the doctor, they said “I was allergic to nuts, selfish, gluten, and I was pretty much lactose intolerant as well.” Rice, chicken, peppers, salad, eggs, and oatmeal were the most common things she ate- some of the only things she could eat with no reaction. The greatest issue was that once she was allergic to one food, she was allergic to most of its substitutes as well!
One night at the YWAM base after eating three bites of a meal with soy, Jessie was really sick for two whole days. A few days later, Jessie’s wrist was hurting and Brent asked her if he could pray for it. The rest of her team joined in, and Katie, our squad leader, suggested that while we were praying for her wrist, we should also pray for her allergies. The next day, Jessie’s wrist was still a little sore, but Katie insisted she felt the Lord had healed her allergies and encouraged Jessie to try some new foods.. Jessie explains that “I knew that God could heal and that he does heal and that he healed Ali, but I didn’t necessarily think that could be me.” Hesitantly, she started with apples and gluten because they have more mild side affects than some other foods. After a donut and an apple- Jessie had no reactions! However, soy was her most severe allergy. She decided to take the leap of faith and ate pasta that was soaked in soy sauce- the same meal that made Jessie terribly sick after eating only three bites the week before. And…. Jessie was completely fine! Since then, she has been trying and retrying all types of new foods! Her new favorites are “peanut butter, apples, and gluten!” Jessie explains that she was “trying to understand why [she] was so quick to believe that he wouldn’t heal me.” Since her healing, she has been focusing on the fact God has “incredible purpose in everything that he does.”
God is reality. He is the ultimate creator. He is the author of the story of life. What he speaks comes into existence and becomes real. This is one of the first things we learn about our God. In Genesis 1:3, “God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light.” I think its easy to underestimate or take that power for granted. The rest of Genesis 1 is filled with examples of where God speaks, and the things of this earth are brought forth into existence including water, dry land, vegetation, wild animals, and humans. Later, God speaks to Abraham (Genesis 17:19) and says that he and his wife will bear a son even at an old age that was nearly looked at as impossible. Sure enough, Abraham and Sarah were presented a son. Jesus, part of the trinity and therefore hold the same divine power as his father. There are accounts (not in the Bible but a number of other ancient documents such as the Infancy Gospel of Thomas) where Jesus as a child claps at the birds and tells them to “go” and they instantly leave. It even says “he commanded them by his word alone” and all the people were amazed. I think this story does a very explicit job of highlighting the power of God and his relationship to reality because even as a child who demonstrates simple childhood curiosity, and a simultaneous inherent wisdom, what ever he speaks becomes truth. His words speak life. There is lots of evidence in this throughout the gospels as Jesus speaks healing into leopers (Matthew 8), casts out demons (Mark9 and Matthew 8), and speaks life into the dead such as Lazarus (John 11). Jesus curses a fig tree and it immediately withers up (Matthew 21), he speaks to the winds and calms the storms (Mark 4 and Matthew 8). Sometimes, the Lord wants to heal us even in ways that we didn’t think were ever possible.
Personally, I find this to be a crazy realization. However, its even crazier to consider that SAME power is instilled in us in the name of Jesus. Throughout Act we see the disciples do a number of miraculous healings in the same fashion Christ did- with their words and their faith. Jesus even tells his disciples that, “anyone who believes in me will do the same wrks I have done, and even greater works” (John 14:12). We as followers of Christ are able to be used as vessels to speak healing and life into each other just as Jesus did. How cool is that?
Note: We recognize that not everything we ask for, even in the name of Jesus, is part of God’s divine plan. John 13:7 tells us that We do not understand everything God is doing right now in our lives and in the world. However, it can be hard to find his goodness and blessings if we don’t seek them!
