Testimony

10 years of Pain !

On one of my ministry trips to Belfast,N. Ireland I was conducting a healing service in a Presbyterian church.  As I was speaking I noticed a young man of about 35 sitting in one of the front rows. He had a cane lying beside him and I could tell by his countenance he was in a great deal of discomfort.  During the time of prayer when our teams were praying for people I walked over to him and struck up a conversation. We talked for awhile and he introduced me to his wife and children. After a bit he began to tell me that he used to work in construction but had fallen at work and severely injured his back.  The injuries were so severe that he had lost his job, as he could no longer work, that he was in excruciating pain all the time and that there was nothing further the doctors could do for him. I asked him how long he had been this way and he replied, ten years!  I could tell from this short conversation this man was desperate for a touch from God.

I placed my hand on his back and began to pray.  After a bit I asked what he was feeling and he replied, a little warmth down there where your hand is. I began to pray some more and as I was praying the Lord said to me, "he needs to forgive someone."  I stopped praying and said, "is there someone you need to forgive?" He said, yes, dropped his head and started crying.  I said, can you forgive them? He said, I can, and I replied, then you need to do that.  He prayed and after a short time I asked if had forgiven them.  He said yes and so I began to pray again for his back.  After a short time I asked him what he was feeling. He looked up at me with this incredulous look on his face and said, I think the pain is gone!  I asked him to stand up and he reached out, grabbed ahold of the railing in front of us and pulled himself up. 

Suddenly, he bolted out of the pew, down the aisle and ran out of the church! Just as suddenly he came running back in yelling, "It's gone, It's gone!"  He ran up to me, picked me up off the ground and started dancing around in the front of the church laughing! Obviously God had powerfully touched and healed this man. The fascinating part to me was this healing did not happen until he had forgiven whomever he was angry with. Not only did God heal his back but he healed his spirit and his emotions.