Radiant Vibes has been desperate to see and be a part of supernatural workings of the Holy Spirit. We wanted to witness and be part of miraculous healings, the casting out of demons, people experiencing the full power of the Holy Spirit. The prayers that we prayed in Malawi did bring physical healing to a handful of people; these experiences whetted our appetites for more outpourings of God’s power. Stories from others on our squad about demonstrations of God’s power through miracles and healings filled our hearts and minds with expectations for more experiences of our own. The eagerness in our hearts to see miracles bubbled up and spilled out in our everyday conversations.
A day of ministry in Zambia became the answer to our prayers and yearnings, but not in the way we expected or planned.
Our team walked around a local clinic and prayed for the patients that we saw. We hoped for and expected miraculous healings with the patients, but no visible miracles took place. We struck up a conversation with a couple of men who were waiting outside of the clinic; one of the men accepted Jesus as his Savior. Barnabas, our translator, led us to a group of women who were sitting in the shade of a large tree in front of the clinic. These women were waiting–waiting for their turn to be seen by a doctor, waiting for family members who were being seen by the doctor, waiting for good news, waiting for hope, waiting for a miracle.
We approached the crowd and shared the Gospel with them. As my teammates preached, I thought, “Ministry is almost over. When we are finished here in a few minutes, we will head back home and have lunch. Lunch sounds good–I am hungry.” The preaching soon turned to a time of prayer. We asked each woman how we could pray for them or their families. The team prayed out loud, together, for the requests that had been made.
One thing that I’ve learned so far on the World Race is that the Lord does not only move during “scheduled” ministry time. He is not confined to bringing His Kingdom to Earth between certain timeframes that men establish. His power extends across each and every limitation that we try to place upon it. God does not look at His watch and say, “Hmm. Radiant Vibes’ scheduled ministry time is over. I guess that I cannot work in their lives right now. It is time for me to relax.” God is desperate beyond any human description for His Kingdom to to come to Earth, for people to see His power and love and return to Him. John Piper once said, “In all of redemptive history, from beginning to ending, God has this one ultimate goal: that his name be glorified. The aim of God in all that he does is most ultimately the praise of his glory.” God was seeking the praise of His glory that day at a clinic in Zambia. He set us up with the perfect scenario to praise Him and His glory. We were hungry for more of His power to be displayed. The people around us were hungry for a better situation than they were in; they were hungry for and in need of His healing.
The people we were praying for started as a group of about eight, but as our prayers went on, the crowd grew. On that ordinary in Zambia, God answered our prayers and showed up with His power. The miracles that we dreamed of happened at our fingertips, right before our eyes.
This day, because of prayer, we saw a woman who could not hear out of one ear become able to hear out of both ears. After we prayed, she plugged her “good” ear with her finger. Sheer relief and joy covered her face as she clearly heard Barnabas snap his fingers near what used to be her “bad” ear.
This day, because of prayer, we saw a man who needed two people to support him as he walked stand up on his own and walk away without any help.
This day, because of prayer, we saw the Spirit of the Lord move in a woman with back and joint pain, setting her free from her oppression.
This day, because of prayer, we saw lives changed forever. We saw elation and amazement on the faces of those who we prayed for. Praise rose to the glory of God through smiles, tears, songs, cheers, and hugs. Our souls were satisfied as with the richest of foods. The hunger I had felt earlier for lunch was displaced as my soul was filled with contentment, joy, and gratitude.
Modern-day healings have gotten a bad rap from some believers. Some people in the Church today think that supernatural moves of the Lord are not genuine. Some people in the Church think that the Lord does not heal today, even though Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
We were not the ones to heal any of these people. None of us possess mystical healing powers. The Lord healed these people, for the glory of His Name. We were just the vessels that He used–us, regular people–people who have breath in our lungs, people who have dreams and hopes, people who are trying to figure out what it means to truly live a life for God.
It was not because we are missionaries that these people were healed.
It was not because we are on the World Race that these people were healed.
It was not because we are “super Christians” that these people were healed.
These people were healed because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
These people were healed because the healing power of Jesus hasn’t ceased since Bible times.
These people were healed because our Heavenly Father is a good, good Father, and we simply asked for and fought for their healing power in prayer.
When we left the clinic, a second person had chosen to accept Christ, prayers of faith had been prayed on behalf of people and situations not directly in front of us, and we shared the Word of the Lord with another group of people. The Kingdom of God came to earth this day in Zambia. Faith displaced doubt, healing displaced sickness, and praise replaced sadness. Ministry does not always go as planned or scheduled, but when God intervenes, why would we ever want to stay on schedule?
“And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.” James 5:15
