Miraculous Healing Today

Some people deny God’s miraculous healing in the modern era.  They claim this healing ended at the close of the New Testament Church.  Yet I know miraculous healing still happens, because God healed me miraculously twice in less than two years.

Some pastors say the healings ended, because they were only needed to confirm the power of the Holy Spirit in early New Testament churches.  They point out Paul’s “thorn in the side,” (2Cor12:7-10) and Epaphroditus’s terrible sickness that nearly killed him, where he was not healed miraculously (Phil.2:25-30).  Furthermore, Paul told Timothy he needed to take some wine to ease his stomach troubles (1Tim.5:23).  These three men were not miraculously healed, and at that time, the early churches were well established, and the power of the Holy Spirit had been confirmed. 

Missionaries say these supernatural healings do occur, although most occur when the Gospel is first introduced, and the Power of the Holy Spirit has not yet been proven.

Baby Christians may experience miraculous healing, or at the least, seeing many prayers answered quickly.  As they mature in their faith, they have to wait longer to see answered prayers.  God allows them to experience more hardships (at times even lingering illnesses).

Seasoned Christians no longer demand instantly answered prayers. God knows mature Christians can endure patiently what might crush a baby Christian.  But what about a mature Christian who suffered many years of mocking and scorn?  Could God show extra kindness to such a woman?  I know he can, because he did this for me.

Someone I know and love dearly is not walking with the Lord (likely never surrendered the heart to Jesus).  To conceal this adult’s identity, we’ll say this is “Joan Doan” (not the real name of this person who is older than me).  I forgive this person, but my heart is heavy for Joan’s lack of salvation and for her cruelty to me. 

In his kindness, God answered not one, but two of my prayers for healing. I realize God knew I had suffered under Joan’s constant verbal attacks and name calling, because I internalized this behavior and searched my heart for hidden sin, mistakenly wondering if I caused Joan’s wrath.  Logically I knew Joan had a history of broken relationships, due to her anger and verbal attacks upon others.  But I was not being logical in my self-recrimination.  God never revealed any “hidden sin” to me.  Instead God answered my prayer for healing (the 2^nd healing which I’ll share later), and I want to share the history behind both of the healings, including the most recent healing (which occurred this December 2022).

I grew up in a church which taught the miraculous acts of the Holy Spirit (including supernatural healings) had ended.   I was told to not pray for miraculous healing.  I could pray for the doctors to help people get better, but not for a miracle.  But I had begun to listen to the radio sermons of Pastor Ray Bentley (of Maranatha Chapel).  He believed in supernatural healings, and they were occurring at his church.  So in January 2021, I began to pray for healing of my sleep.

I always needed more sleep than most people, but I used my time frugally and was fine with 9 hours per night (even in college when I worked to pay my own college expenses).  Now I found I needed 10 hours of sleep after  I moved to California (after 18 strenuous  months of arranging and participating in a speaking tour of over 100 churches in multiple states—all without a cell phone or even AAA insurance—just my little car).  I asked the doctor if he should test me for Epstein Barr Virus. He said we should assume I had it, because 100% of the patients he tested had it.  He reassured me I would heal, and eventually I would go back to my regular amount of sleep.  But the weeks turned into years, which turned into decades.  I did not watch TV (still don’t), and avoided time stealers. I learned many ways to save enormous time (ate, dressed, and lived simply to save time).  

But Ray Bentley’s sermons spurred me to pray about this sleep issue.  Even if I had a virus, I believed God could heal me.  From January 2021, I prayed for weeks.   But one day, in May 2021 I realized something. I had been consistently getting up at 6am (9 hours of sleep with no alarm clock to awaken me).  I had been healed! It has been over 1 ½ years, and I still only need 9 hours (which is still way more than most people, so I still watch zero TV, movies or videos, and limit leisure activities).   The extra hour of wake time enabled me to launch this website, and I pray bless many gals.  I was in a great place at the time I prayed for this healing. I was joyful, and strong.  God healed me, because he knew I would use the extra daily hour for his glory and for the well being of my family.  I have done my best to be a good steward of this wonderful gift.

The next miracle came after I had suffered for about 5 years with a ganglion cyst that entangled nerves on the back of my left hand.  The cyst inflamed nerves and caused fiery pain, leaving my hand un-usable, due to the pain spasms where I could not fully open my hand or close it in a fist.  The pain would eventually dull so I could use the hand again (after a day or so).  I had to be careful to never bump the hand on the cyst, or grasp any object too tightly, because that could set off the painful spasms (and limit my ability to use the hand).  The pain increased, and I finally called the doctor and eventually also saw the specialist.  Since the specialist would not have afternoon appointments until December, I waited 2 months for the follow up appointment to have the cyst drained (aspirated). 

Daniel Bentley (Ray’s faithful son, after Ray’s death) continued to pray for his congregation’s healing. I decided I should pray about the cyst.  When I saw the doctor she was shocked.  She could not find the cyst. She asked if I had bumped it (perhaps causing it to leak and drain), but I had not. I told her I had prayed for God to heal it and he did!

The cyst’s healing came when I harshly searched my heart for hidden sin. My friends reminded me how much I love the Lord and submit to him.  I am not rebellious and adore the Lord.  My friends spoke by the power of the Holy Spirit, genuinely seeing my life and faith.  There never was any new, horrible, hidden sin (only the same, visible sins I have always struggled with.) I was just taking on the false accusations of an angry person (“Joan Doan,”) who, in her bitterness, blames the world for her anger.  I even know other people she has hurt terribly by blaming her problems on them.  Yet I had let myself get beaten down by her words (she is someone who has to be in my life, long story of being related). 

In his grace, the Lord chose to heal me and show his amazing mercy—so rare in our world.  God keeps loving us, even when we are mistaken, and in my case also very hurt and thus confused.  God redirects us back to him.  In my case, he did so with great grace. God could have allowed the painful procedure (so many nerves in that location would have inflamed with the aspiration). But God did not do that. When I was so discouraged so that even my wise friends could not convince me of the truth, God swooped in and showed me great mercy with my hand.

I must add that God still does not heal everyone who asks, and the unhealed are not wrong, nor do they have weak faith.  Job suffered terribly for a long time until God intervened, otherwise Job would have died. God wanted Job alive to do more works for God’s glory.  Timothy was never miraculously healed of his stomach illness, but he did not die of that ailment.  Everyone in the New Testament eventually died, and God did not “miraculously” heal those who died or rapture them the way he did with Enoch and Elijah in the Old Testament.  I am not “fully healed.”  I still have very, very loose connective tissue (which limits some activity, forces me to wear special shoes, due to my toe bones separating, etc.), and I still have low thyroid functioning, and recently some blood tests showed my endocrine system has some other issues (the issues will not kill me, but they put more limits on my life).

God often wants to walk along side us in our pain and illnesses.  We must never criticize ourselves or others who suffer and are not healed.  Like Job, some of these people may never learn why they suffer, but they can still be righteous.  Even if those people could do way more work if they were healed, God still may not heal them.  Sometimes his grace shines more brightly in those who are still weak.

In both of my healings, God had a plan.  He could use my healing for his glory and to help others.   I suffered decades with the first (sleep/virus) problem.  I suffered for 5 years with the second.  So I cannot promise healing comes quickly. Only God knows what he will do in your life or your friend’s life.  But I am convinced God does still heal miraculously, and it is not a sin to pray for healing for yourself or your loved ones.

I am no better than anyone else, even though God chose to heal me miraculously.  So please keep praying for yourself and loved ones.  Please also be patient with God and understand he may not choose the healing (or he may use a doctor to help with the healing).  Please keep trusting God anyway, because he truly cares for you.

I will never fully understand God’s good plan for my life, but I know he walks with me. He has made himself known in so many ways, and most of all, he keeps loving me, now that he has redeemed me through the blood and forgiveness of Jesus.  I ask for wisdom (James 1: 19-20) and for the Holy Spirit’s indwelling (Luke11:13) and I receive both.  I’ll share more about these gifts in another post as well as more details about suffering under undeserved blame (as I suffered).

Thanks for joining us in this post. I pray we have encouraged you and blessed you.