I write this post with a bit of caution...not because I don't want to share what God has done for me, but more because I want to write this in a way that gives all of the glory to my LORD. It's true, He healed me; but His purpose in doing so is not to make me happy [though it does!] but to glorify Himself.
For the past 3 months I have felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to push the envelope with my view of God and what He can do. I began growing tired of reading the stories in Scripture about God parting the seas and coming down in fire---and, at best, only experiencing little Holy Spirit "shivers" myself. In the last two months I have been setting aside time to fast and pray for a number of things. In the middle of my fast I felt led to pray for God to heal my food allergies and my mom suggested the same to me during the same time. Now, this was 2 months ago. [For those of you who don't know, I once came down with mononucleosis in high school and have had strong food allergies ever since to: wheat, gluten, milk, eggs, rice, citrus fruits, most nuts, and soy to name a few. So, it's been a major thorn in my side for awhile]. Most days I would pray and ask God to heal me, thinking that He COULD but probably wouldn't. I didn't feel Him answering my prayers. I asked Him, "When will I know you've healed me, LORD?" I never truly heard an answer, but in conversation a few believers told me that in their experiences, God's healing generally came with a sensation of heat. Well, let's say I never got hot.
Then, this Sunday [Dec. 5th...a day I will now never forget] I woke up and participated in a congregational fast. The entire church joined together that morning and, unbeknownst to me [the sermons are all in Spanish...and I'm still getting the hang of things], early in the service began to pray for health and healing of the congregation as a whole. I began praying for a few individuals mentioned specifically, when I quickly began to feel intense heat in my stomach. The heat grew to dull warmth and spread through my arms and legs, but it stayed warmest around my middle. I couldn't believe what I was feeling! In my heart I was crying out, "This is it, isn't it God! You are healing me today?!" All I had was a picture in my mind of me going back to Carlos' house, taking a cookie out of the cupboard, proclaiming the work the LORD had done in me that morning, and to eat the cookie in front of the whole family! I gladly ate my first cookie in about 3 years when I got home.
I feel through this that God is also trying to teach me that there is nothing I can do to earn this gift, or have it taken away. I do, however, feel that it is much like the disciple who walked out on the water to follow Jesus, who began to sink in the water when he took his eyes off his Savior. Because of this, I know that for the rest of my life when I sit down to eat not only will I thank God and remember His miracle, but I must also eat in faith and not doubt this healing. And WOE IS ME if I fail to tell others around me about what He has done! So far I have enjoyed: peanuts, almonds, chocolate, cookies, rice, a hot dog bun, cheese, and eggs. I don't know if macaroni and cheese has ever been eaten for the glory of God, but it was yesterday!
God is good all the time. I am healed.
For the past 3 months I have felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to push the envelope with my view of God and what He can do. I began growing tired of reading the stories in Scripture about God parting the seas and coming down in fire---and, at best, only experiencing little Holy Spirit "shivers" myself. In the last two months I have been setting aside time to fast and pray for a number of things. In the middle of my fast I felt led to pray for God to heal my food allergies and my mom suggested the same to me during the same time. Now, this was 2 months ago. [For those of you who don't know, I once came down with mononucleosis in high school and have had strong food allergies ever since to: wheat, gluten, milk, eggs, rice, citrus fruits, most nuts, and soy to name a few. So, it's been a major thorn in my side for awhile]. Most days I would pray and ask God to heal me, thinking that He COULD but probably wouldn't. I didn't feel Him answering my prayers. I asked Him, "When will I know you've healed me, LORD?" I never truly heard an answer, but in conversation a few believers told me that in their experiences, God's healing generally came with a sensation of heat. Well, let's say I never got hot.
Then, this Sunday [Dec. 5th...a day I will now never forget] I woke up and participated in a congregational fast. The entire church joined together that morning and, unbeknownst to me [the sermons are all in Spanish...and I'm still getting the hang of things], early in the service began to pray for health and healing of the congregation as a whole. I began praying for a few individuals mentioned specifically, when I quickly began to feel intense heat in my stomach. The heat grew to dull warmth and spread through my arms and legs, but it stayed warmest around my middle. I couldn't believe what I was feeling! In my heart I was crying out, "This is it, isn't it God! You are healing me today?!" All I had was a picture in my mind of me going back to Carlos' house, taking a cookie out of the cupboard, proclaiming the work the LORD had done in me that morning, and to eat the cookie in front of the whole family! I gladly ate my first cookie in about 3 years when I got home.
I feel through this that God is also trying to teach me that there is nothing I can do to earn this gift, or have it taken away. I do, however, feel that it is much like the disciple who walked out on the water to follow Jesus, who began to sink in the water when he took his eyes off his Savior. Because of this, I know that for the rest of my life when I sit down to eat not only will I thank God and remember His miracle, but I must also eat in faith and not doubt this healing. And WOE IS ME if I fail to tell others around me about what He has done! So far I have enjoyed: peanuts, almonds, chocolate, cookies, rice, a hot dog bun, cheese, and eggs. I don't know if macaroni and cheese has ever been eaten for the glory of God, but it was yesterday!
God is good all the time. I am healed.
No comments:
Post a Comment