In September 2013, as I was preparing to send in the manuscript of my book, The Heart and Soul of God, I heard a voice say to me, “If you publish the book, you will be sorry for how I will make you suffer.”
It wasn’t an audible voice, but it was very loud and clear. The moment I heard it, fear entered my heart, and my mind immediately began to think of bad things that could happen. But, before the fear had a chance to take hold, I said aloud: “I will not give in to fear. I believe what I have written. God is in control of my life, and, no matter what you try to do to me, He will work it together for good.” When I declared that, the fear left, and I sent in my manuscript.
In November, the very same week my book was published, I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Around the same time, my wife, Nancy, began feeling pain in her back. After several visits to doctors and chiropractors, shots for pain, trips to the emergency room and multiple tests, Nancy was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of bone cancer. We were both told that we had incurable, but treatable, diseases.
Nancy was the first to need treatment, but the Lord gave her two promises from His Word. The first was from Job 2:5, where Satan told God that, if He touched Job’s bones and flesh, Job would surely curse Him. Since Nancy’s cancer was in her bones, she felt that this was a spiritual attack and would only bring glory to God.
The second promise came from Psalm 91:16: “With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation” (NKJV). As Nancy began her treatments, she laid claim to these two promises.
After radiation and eight months of chemo, Nancy was declared cancer-free. About a year passed, and then my leukemia activated—it was my turn for chemo. The doctor said I would need four to six months of treatments, but, after only three months, he stopped the chemo, saying there was no sign of leukemia.
One of the things that Nancy and I did was to make a verbal healing confession every day, along with speaking a list of healing scriptures. But, of all of the verses I repeated, the one that stood out above the rest was Matthew 10:8: “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” It was as if I had received a new commission to pray for the sick—it wasn’t that I didn’t already, but this seemed to come with a greater commitment.
Since that time, I have felt a greater burden and responsibility to pray for the sick. It doesn’t matter if it comes in the form of a personal request, a response to an altar call or a plea for prayer on Facebook—I feel that it is my responsibility to pray. But, that calling isn’t just for me. As Spirit-filled leaders, we all have a commission to pray for the sick. After all, if we’re Foursquare leaders, it’s part of our DNA.
Prayer Points
- Contend for a release of the healing gifts throughout the body of Christ.
- Believe for a fresh anointing to pray for the sick with miraculous results.
- Ask the Lord to stretch out His hand to heal, that signs and wonders will be done in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:30).
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