MIRACLE! MIRACLE! MIRACLE! JESUS HEALS!
There is a scripture that, of late, I have found I cannot get away from. I’ve memorized it and repeatedly claim it and pray it for Christians. Especially, I am claiming it for Christians who need physical healing in some way. It is Romans 8:11; and it is listed at the bottom of this post. There is a promise in it, that the Holy Spirit will give life to our MORTAL bodies.
In terms of praying for His life to be made manifest in our mortal bodies, it is not just for physical healing; but context that the supernatural presence of God be revealed through Christians. This can come in many ways and is meant to demonstrate the God of Heaven still lives on earth, through the temples He fills, the mortal bodies of believers. This scripture catches my interest for miracles because it parallels the miraculous resurrection of the bones coming to life in Ezekiel 37 which I’ve also been praying of late. Both challenge me in how I am to pray for what my eyes cannot see, only the Spirit knows and only God can.
Praying for physical healing can be intimidating. I would say I feel this way not just when I pray for Christians who need healing, but for anyone who is physically sick. I especially feel intimidated when praying for someone with a life threatening illness. If I am alone and praying for that person, it is easier to be bold, but if I am praying in front of them and their loved ones, I’ve seen my prayers become more cautious, less sure. I know many feel this way. How to pray for the sick?
This bothers me because I do not want to dishonor God or “stifle” the witness of the Spirit, so I’ve been asking God how to approach praying for people with severe or terminal illness in particular. He’s answered; responding with “hints” of outcome, giving me some words and leaving impressions in my heart of what the outcome will be. They’ve come true! There have been 2 circumstances within the last month where these impressions coming true have greatly infused my faith! God has healed those people! One was a spiritual healing; indicating someone with terminal cancer would make it through a surgery and become a believer. They did! The other a believer with terminal cancer, that she would be healed! She was!
This guidance in how to pray for the sick intrigues me very much. I hope it will stir curiosity and longing in you too, because I truly believe God is up to something in these times. We should always be looking for what the Spirit of the Lord is up to, LONGING to celebrate and participate in His power made manifest on earth! Sadly though, too many are luke-warm, not longing and rejoicing. It is possible to completely miss out. Not tuning in to what the Spirit is doing means missing a great amount of joy and celebration. It’s a flat-line Christianity that is depressing and doesn’t draw the lost. As a hypothetical, if you were to share a miracle with me and I just say, “Oh well God does heal” and I do not rejoice, you would be right to wonder about the lack of my joyful response. My joyless response might be indicating a flat-line worship of my heart. We must rejoice in Him, there are so many reasons to do so! Where is Christian joy?
May you test your heart as you read the rest of the blog which is testimony of a miracle. It is an account of one the aforementioned situations. I note her experience, the power of many Christian’s praying, more specifically how God challenged me to pray, and what He put on my heart to proclaim and what to do…
One of my strategic monthly partners has a family member who was diagnosed with a central nervous system lymphoma. She was treated successfully once from February 2016 to July 2016 through an aggressive chemotherapy treatment. An MRI done post treatment in July came back clear! Many rejoiced! However, in September, one of the tumors had returned and was aggressive in growth, larger than before. She was told there was no hope of a cure by doctors here and doctors in a cancer center in Boston, so they chose to go out of country for an alternative option. This alternative option was an extreme treatment with severe warnings of side effects, one being possible death. But God was with her in that choice, giving her and her husband peace on it, so funds were raised and they were set to leave this Monday, October 31st. But the trip has been canceled; because she has been miraculously healed by Christ! GOOSEBUMPS????!
Before leaving, this past Monday October 24th, she went to get an updated MRI to take with her to the alternative treatment center. On Tuesday she got a stunned and dumbfounded email response from her doctor who reviewed that MRI. “The MRI is better– it is actually completely better and I don’t see any evidence of enhancement now. I am going to discuss this with radiology to see if they can explain this. Have you been on anything since the last MRI? Do you have time to discuss this by phone?” By phone, he told her there is no evidence of cancer in her body and to cancel her trip and planned treatment! He offered to write a doctor’s letter to the airlines for a refund, but then commented that “he didn’t know how he would word it”! On Wednesday of this week, he further discussed her MRI with radiologists and they also conclude that “all enhancements have gone away and they have no explanation”!
So what happened in between September’s terminal diagnosis and October’s clear MRI? She has said there were no new adjustments on her diet side, her gluten free/sugar free diet continued, and an inconsistent attempt at a cancer diet began. But on her spirit treatment side, many laid hands on her and prayed for her. She explained this to her doctor. She gave God the credit and “suggested he reconsider his (dis)belief in God”. She asks that we pray for him, that “he is shaken”.
Regarding how I prayed for her… on my own I am no one special and was merely one of the many who prayed for her. But in my own, His Spirit is in me and those who believe.
In her first diagnosis, I noticed God caused me to grieve when I prayed for her, a grieving I did not understand but felt convinced it was totally about His love being poured out through the life of the Spirit in me. Although, upon her most recent terminal diagnosis with no hope of recovery, I noticed the grieving in prayer was gone and it puzzled me at first. I’ve come to believe the grieving was gone because hope was now being seeded. He was putting 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 on my heart as context on how to frame my prayers for her…
verses 8-11 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
The way I interpreted this and prayed it was that like Paul, she was under great pressure, beyond her ability to endure, despairing of life itself. That like Paul, she had received a sentence of death. But that this has happened that she might not rely on herself, but on God, who raises the dead. Like Paul being delivered from deadly peril once, she also was delivered once during her first chemo treatment. And as Paul boldly proclaimed he would be delivered again, that she would also be delivered again. That all who were praying would set our hope that Christ would continue to deliver her, pressing in with our prayers. In this way, the outcome would be that many will give thanks for the gracious favor granted in answer to the prayers for her healing.
I prayed this privately and then gathered with many at her house early October. People laid hands on her and prayed for her. A word of “sing” kept coming to my spirit as I listened and waited for a turn to pray. Over and over in my spirit I kept hearing “sing”. God has taught me repeatedly that singing is a weapon of warfare. Song is a powerful and mighty gift we as Christians should use with joy and passion in order to defeat and overcome all that is not of God, see an awesome account in 2 Chronicles 20:15-29. And note reference to supernatural weapons indicated in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4.
God whispering to my heart that I was to speak that word of “sing” in front of the group was a test. It was a test because I saw fear and some trauma in people’s faces, most especially a few of her close loved ones. I saw and sensed anxiety and doubt, all normal considering the intensity of the situation. But I took courage with heart racing and spoke it anyways, “God is putting on my heart to sing, sing, sing, SING! That we should rejoice!” Then I proclaimed the scripture he was putting on my heart in the way I had been praying it privately. I proclaimed 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 publicly.
I did it out of obedience despite real trepidation. I did not want to deny what the Spirit had been speaking. He deserves this glory and testimony post healing and it would be much less believable if I had not honored him publicly. I was not the only one challenged to encourage her to believe. A couple of others spoke in the same way, one woman giving her a testimony of her own healing from terminal cancer. One pastor told of his brother being healed from Stage 4 throat cancer and exhorted her to believe. Another wise man asked all the children to gather around, lay hands on her and pray. It was a wonderful prayer gathering. But it didn’t resolve anything at that point, because family members were still fearful and doubtful.
This precious woman has said as she tells people of her healing that she doubted God would heal her. Normal response. God knows we are willing; but weak. He knows our faith has points of where it ends. This is why scripture says, He finishes our faith. We are responsible to keep our eyes on Him, and He is faithful to finish and perfect our faith, Hebrews 12:2. Where our faith ends, He steps in. Do not beat yourself up if you have doubt, merely confess it and keep looking at Him. Press in though, press in for more of Him, sing and find a place of rest in His presence. He will divinely assist. His supernatural power will give life to your mortal body!
As Christians, we are blessed to be vessels of His Holy power, friends of the GREAT and AWESOME King of ALL. Through prayer and worship and confession of His Name, we are allowed to participate in the supernatural power of His Spirit. He resurrects the dead and he still performs wonders. May we greatly anticipate! May we tune to His voice! May we test and then believe in Holy whispers. May we look to Him, the author and finisher of our faith!
If you want to participate in a time of pressing in and a time of rest in His presence, please come this Wednesday. November 2nd at 7pm to Webster Recreation, room 304 for the 3rd Worship-Prayer session. I format each session a bit differently. Last time I set up private prayer screens for greater sense of freedom and less distraction in time with God. This time we will have a group intercession time and as well as time of private prayer time. I encourage you to come. You can miss out on what God is doing in our times if you aren’t paying attention. Choose to know Him better, to be blessed by the wonderful ways He wants to rise up in you, giving life to your mortal body through His Holy Spirit!
Romans 8:11- 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
