Sometimes healing is manifested on the spot, but sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes people are healed over time. Why is that? Not sure. However, I do know that it does happen. Such a story happened in Trinidad with a girl who had cancer.
One day, while in Penal, we fully dedicated doing a Vacation Bible School for the children of the area. Sherrese, who is pictured in the image, was among some of these children. As her story came to the ear of Cindy, she motioned at me to come over to her. I heard the story myself and was asked to pray over this little child. I gladly prayed over her, asking for life to go into her body. I prayed and declared that she would live and that she would not be overcome by the cancer.
Such a prayer had so much more effects than I could have imagined. Her father was not a Christian at the time of my praying over her nor were her parents married, but it would soon change. I heard good reports on Sherrese a day or two later and was glad to hear so. She had tests done at a hospital to find out if she had cancer in her other kidney – since the other one was taken out previously. The results came back negative which was fantastic news. It was after the good report that something great happened. The first of great things, at least.
We were doing crusades in Penal after the first day there of doing the VBS and there was a huge, strong man in the back. Over the course of a few minutes, I saw this man with his daughter who I could tell was Sherrese. Knowing their background and story, I was glad they were here at the crusade. The message was given at the crusade and an altar call was given. The next thing I know, that man from the back, Sherrese’s father, was up in the front with Sherrese. The next thing I know, Bobbi Bragg, a team member of our Trinidad trip, was motioning me to come over since they had come up to Bobbi for prayer. I prayed over Sherrese again, but more about her future this time, prophesying that she would do great things and live a life in God. Then Sherrese’s father said to Bobbi, “I can see what is going on in my daughter and I want whatever she has”. He was up there to receive salvation all because of the awesome things God was doing in their child! Bobbi led him in prayer and he received Jesus. I watched as he went back with Sherrese and as the worship continued during the altar call, I could see him with his daughter just so happy to have receive something as big as it was. Later on, Bobbi had told me that as she prayed with the man, she could feel him tensing up. Something was going on in his heart. God was entering in.
Now after a few weeks upon getting back to the United States from Trinidad, I received an email from Cindy, as follows:
I got to talk to them about Sherrese, and I am pleased to report that she is home from the hospital. Pastor said while she was undergoing chemo she was between life and death. He went to the hospital to pray for her and “LIFE CAME INTO HER”. She is doing well and going about the business of being of normal 3-year old. Most importantly, her family has seen the hand of God move and they are now actively being discipled and the parents are fixing to get married!
To sum it all up, the child is getting better and will only continue to do so, the parents are now born-again believers, and they are currently getting married! God couldn’t be more awesome.
So now not only can we understand that God can do things that you aren’t even praying about (see my story about the lame man’s legs and his suicide), but we can see that He can do even more than what you are praying for. God tends to over-exceed our expectations when we step out boldly for His glory. When I pray for someone now, I dream and ask God for even bigger than what is expected.