A woman from Congo-Brazzaville was plagued by severe migraines. On the day she attended one of our public meetings, a rain storm suddenly rolled in. While most of the crowd fled for cover, this woman pushed closer to the platform, refusing to leave.

My husband, who was speaking at the time, made the decision to continue solely because of her. After the meeting this woman couldn’t wait to talk to us. She said, ”With each rain drop that fell tonight the pain lessened in my head. I was desperate! I could not go on living this way any longer. When the rain came down it was like a cool, healing balm from heaven. The pain, fear and depression all vanished. I was going to take my life tonight if the pain did not leave!”

Though plagued by a chronic condition, this woman instantly found new life! What did she do? She brought her problem to Jesus. She was determined to get her healing. Like the woman in scripture with the chronic blood disease, she said to herself she was going to get what she needed! Jesus said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Scripture: Matt 11:28 (NIV)

The scriptures tell us of a woman who was stigmatized by a chronic illness for 12 years. Spending all of her money seeking medical solutions, she only grew worse.

Evidently she heard about Jesus’ miracles and made a bold decision—despite public opinion. She repeated to herself, If I only touch His garment, I will get well. Though crowded on all sides, Jesus knew someone had touched Him expecting to be healed. Turning immediately to the woman, He said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.”

This woman faced significant stress in life. She had spent all of her money, was ostracized by the public, and was critically ill. Yet, her thoughts led her toward healing! Her thinking gave her the strength to break out of her normal routine and find what she needed!  She determined to press through the negative obstacles and reach out to Jesus for her miracle. I want you to know that you can do the same today!

Scripture: Matthew 9:20-22 (paraphrased)

Let’s continue looking at two more ideas to cultivate your environment for a creative miracle:

#3 Cultivate your faith! Faith often defies logic and requires that we trust like a child. Faith is not foolish or arrogant, nor does it tempt God. Faith believes that God is not a man that He should lie. Therefore, faith takes God at His word.

The Holy Scriptures say that without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.

#4 Cultivate an awareness of Christ’s presence. Multitudes of people live in environments where they lack work, proper health care and money. In this environment the creative compassion of Christ shines!

Jesus was not just an ordinary man with healing power, He was God in human flesh. He was our model for life! He showed us how we can do the works that He does. Just like the little lad, bring what you have to Jesus and let HIM multiply it! 

Scripture:  Hebrews 11:6

Discovery is a powerful word that opens up vast opportunity. Children have no limits on their curiosity or willingness to try out new things. In fact, their openness is so great that it could cause personal injury or peril. As we grow older, we seem to lose the ‘YES’ in life – words like routine, institution, insurance, protection, and safety become commonplace in our vocabulary.

I remember moving to Russia and finding a society that was based on the word “NO.” How could it be that this dynamic, creative society was cloaked in such negative expectation? Yet, for many of us today, regardless of our society, we allow the phrases “No, you can’t,” “No, you shouldn’t,” “No, that’s not right,” “No, it’s not possible,” to control our destinies!

Let’s realize today that Christ takes the parentheses off of life. He puts a plus on our future because He says, All things are possible, only believe!

Scriptures: Luke 8:50, Mark 10:27 (paraphrased)

I remember receiving a wonderful testimony from a young man whose wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Three hospitals had confirmed this diagnosis.

When he told me the report I remember thinking—this is our partner! Jesus died for this family! This report does not have a right to stand in the face of God’s report—which is, by His stripes we are healed!

I remember saying to this young man, “We are not going to allow this! Ultimately, you have the final authority over this sickness and disease. God loves you too much for your wife to suffer this way and not be able to take care of your wonderful children!”

Our prayer was simple. I led him in confession of Jesus as Savior and Healer. In great humility he submitted his family and this situation to the promises of God.

I understand that today, these same three hospitals cannot find the existence of the MS! It is a MIRACLE! Only God can do these marvelous things—and only when we submit to His Word—His truth!  Dare to believe! GOD IS GOOD!

Scripture: Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24

Time has a way of dimming our expectation and lowering our forecast of good things in the future. God designed prayer to include the expectation of an answer. Jesus often mentions that our Father’s desire is to do good to His children.

In times of delay Jesus mentions to ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. It’s never too late!

When Jairus’ daughter died while Jesus was delayed, Jairus was told by Jesus to “only believe,” his daughter will live. Death may be final, but nothing is too late when Jesus is with you!

Jesus needed the faith of Jairus to work with. He knew the bad report would paralyze Jairus as it would us. Grief and sorrow would soon replace faith unless Jesus addressed it. Getting hold of our feelings is important! I believe Jesus was saying to Jairus: “Just stay open to your miracle. Do not shut down. I am bigger than any bad report!”

Friends, never quit and you will never lose!
Scripture: Luke 8:48-50

A few years ago I was speaking in Northern Argentina and I met a young woman who wanted to be well. She said to me, “I came to this meeting tonight for healing! I know I received my miracle but I don’t want to tell anyone until I’ve returned to the doctor.”

She was just a teenager and I remember wondering what could be wrong with this beautiful young girl? A few days later she found me after I spoke, and this time she was carrying a large brown envelope and smiling from ear to ear!

She had returned to her doctor that day, and he immediately reminded her that she should give up any hope of ever being a mother.  Later, after looking at her x-rays he exclaimed, “I never would believe this if I wasn’t looking at these x-rays, because I am the one who removed your ovaries and the cyst that had exploded! You now have two normal, healthy ovaries! There is no reason why you can’t be a mother!”  He was astonished, and she was so excited because her dream was to be a momma!

She said, “Leslie, I knew God healed me last night! I just wanted proof so no one could deny what God had done for me!”

According to a statement issued by an organization composed of medical professionals who believe in divine healing, more physicians today believe that medicine alone cannot deal with some of today’s worst illnesses.

Dr. Sean Thomas George, a consultant physician from West Australia, told his amazing story at an Australian Conference on “Spirituality and Medicine.” George told the crowd that after returning with his intern from a clinic session on the south coast of Australia, he felt minor chest pains and he was “unusually hot.” Still feeling the discomfort, he decided to stop the car and call his wife, also a doctor, to let her know what was happening. She suggested that he drive straight home.

George said he felt “divinely directed” to enter a clinic, where he used an electro-cardiogram to diagnose a heart attack and to receive a few drugs they had on hand.  The pain continued to get worse, and 11 minutes later his heart completely stopped beating! Not only did he have a heart attack, but he was in cardiac arrest. For the next 60 minutes a team of doctors and nurses used more than 4,000 chest compressions and gave him 13 electrical shocks.

His heart and lungs did not respond. After one hour and 10 minutes, George was pronounced dead. Ten minutes later his wife arrived and was told to go in and say her last words.

His wife understood the seriousness of the situation, and as a believer in Jesus Christ as Her Savior, she decided to humbly ask God to intervene. She held Dr. George’s hand and prayed, “Lord Jesus, he is only 39, I am only 38 and we have a 10-year-old boy. I need a miracle.” As soon as she said this it was as though someone had breathed life into Dr. George again, and his heart began to beat again. George had come back from the dead!

Four hours later, he was flown to Royal Perth Hospital where doctors carried out an emergency procedure to clear a severely blocked artery on the right side of the heart. The attending physician thought George would not survive, and even if he did, he would be completely brain dead on a ventilator. In ICU, George had kidney and liver failure and went into a deep coma.

Against all odds, he opened his eyes three days later, was discharged after two weeks, and returned to full-time work following three months of steady recovery!

Perhaps today you find yourself in a difficult situation and you are in need of help? I want you to know that a prayer as simple as Mrs. George’s prayer could be the key to your miracle today!

It doesn’t matter where you are in life today, you can move forward because life itself declares that potential always exists. God always loves you and believes in you, so love yourself! Believe in yourself and get started!

Jesus was born in a manger, but He did not stay there. You might have been born in a poor family in a poor neighborhood, with poor neighbors and a poor education, but you do not have to stay there! There is no one limiting you. You are not a prisoner of your past, your neighborhood, your status or lack of education.

When Christ comes to live in you there is a new power in operation. You no longer live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud: A new power is in operation!

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Even though you might be starting off in an obscure place, there is a place in the sun waiting for you! They said of Jesus, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” The answer is, Yes, the Savior of the world! A good thing is coming out of your city – YOU – because you and Jesus are a dynamic duo that can’t be defeated!

Scripture: Romans 8:2 (NKJV)

For God hath not give us a spirit of FEAR; but of power, and of love and a sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7 KJV)

These are encouraging words for challenging times! Did you know that fear is a spirit? Did you know that each day you can make a decision to either yield to fear, or to the power of GOD? I am amazed how many times the phrase “fear not” or “do not fear” appears in the bible. I counted 84 specific instances where these phrases are followed immediately by a promise or reward if we do not fear!

I want to encourage you today to research these 84 bible promises for yourself until your heart is full of all the promises you need!

FEAR NOT, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee! (1Chron 28:20 KJV emphasis mine)