The Art of Believing

The humid, Philippines air flowed through the open window as I wiped the sticky, sweat from my face.  Good thing no one else was in the room to witness my slobber on the pillow.  I could hear the earthly sounds of crickets, roosters, and tropical leaves blowing in the wind.  Barely able to lift my head, I decided to stay for another moment gaining my strength and preparing for the gut-wrenching pain soon to overwhelm my body.  Exhaustion coupled with the tropical heat had not produced the relief I needed from this deep sleep.  Instead, I was faced with the reality that I may not be able to get out of this bed.  Just like most of humanity, my bladder wasn’t privy to the news of my back pain.  It was functioning just fine.  

Perhaps if I rolled out of the bed and used those fancy military maneuvers I saw on TV as a child, I could make it to the bathroom that was less than four feet from me.  Clinching the bed frame with all my strength, I pulled myself closer to the edge of the bed.  In a moment of relief, I thought to myself, using my wonder woman accent, “I can do this!  I will not let my bladder win this battle!”  Quickly, I started to arise in a sitting position, only to discover my wonder woman skills had failed me.  The excruciating pain took over my lower back and landed me on the wooden floor.  

How did this happen?  I’m young.  I haven’t participated in any risky behaviors lately, that I could remember.  I just woke up one morning with this pain that increasing began to take over my body moment by moment, day by day for the past two weeks.  I couldn’t bend over, sit down, or even walk.  

I crawled across the floor crying out in pain every inch of the way until my mission was accomplished.  I managed to get back to the bed when I heard a knock at the door.  "Ayo," came the voices as four ladies entered the room. Four Filipina friends greeted me with smiles and sympathetic faces.  They came to check on me and pray for me.  

Growing up in church, I had been taught that God could heal people. I remember praying for family members, friends, and other church members to receive healing. I may have remembered seeing a few people healed through prayer in my lifetime, but it was always after days, weeks, or years.

I knew that Jesus prayed for the sick all the time in His day and people were instantly healed, but that kinda stuff didn't really happen as often in today's society. Despite what I had seen in the past, I was hoping Jesus would hear my prayer on this particular day.  

After a few minutes of prayer, nothing happened.  Perhaps God didn’t heal everyone and I was going to have to depend on the healthcare system in the Philippines to help make me better. I tried to roll out of the bed, which looked and felt very much like my first attempt earlier except this time I had help. I finally made it on the floor where I stayed for a moment to catch my breath, then my friends helped me get into a chair nearby.  

Immediately I heard God say to me, "Check your legs.”  As I began to speak the words God just shared with me out loud, they were met with an echo.  At that same moment, God spoke to one of my friends and told her, "Check her legs.”  We laughed in unison and knew this was no coincidence. 

My friend knelt down on the floor to lift my legs out in front of me, which proved painful, but then we looked on in amazement. God was right; one leg was shorter than the other leg by two inches.  

So we all prayed together, again.  

It was like something you would see in a Syfy movie. Right before our eyes, my shorter leg began to move. I could feel something moving in my back like God was rearranging my muscles and ligaments. The lower back pain began to slowly go away as the shorter leg grew longer and longer until all pain was gone and my legs matched in length.  

We all looked at each other stunned and speechless.  Much like your face probably looks now. Did that just happen before our eyes or did we imagine it? Immediately, I stood up without assistance, bent completely over, and touched the ground. I could walk with no pain! I was healed, in Jesus Name. 

There was no doubt that five women walked away that day believing that God heals.

This, my friends, is where my belief in God’s healing power changed. He truly is Jehovah Rapha, God my healer. I have hundreds of stories just like this one that will astound you, encourage you, and grow your faith in a way like never before. I look forward to sharing them all with you exactly how I experienced them with God.

Healing has a name. His name is Jehovah Rapha and His heart is give healing to the nations.