We popped in to see my in-laws one Sunday before church and my father-in-law John slowly came to the door, hanging on to the window ledge of the porch because he was in a lot of pain with his back. He couldn’t stand up straight and was hunched forward.
My first reaction was ‘oh no, I’m going to have to pray for him. What if nothing happens – this could be embarrassing’. My over-riding aim in life is to bring God’s love and healing into people’s lives, so I have to be brave in awkward situations!
After church, we returned to his house and my wife disappeared into the garden with her mum to get out of the way! To my surprise, John gladly accepted the offer of prayer and turned round so I could put my hand on his back. After I prayed, he was surprised that my hand had felt really warm, but he didn’t feel much better. I told him that I would keep praying for him to see full healing, and that God had started a good work.
The next morning he rang me to say he had been fully healed – he was amazed and delighted that he felt better. We had a great conversation and I explained that this is one way that Jesus shows that he is alive and loves us. His faith in God has grown and he told all the family about what had happened.