A Telemarketer's Miracle

The phone rang. Melinda answered it with the same encouraging voice she always tired to use. When she realized the caller was a telemarketer, her heart began to get a little impatient. Melinda kept answering all the lady’s questions with “No, I don’t think so.” and hoping she would be finished soon. When Melinda happened to mention Jesus during an answer, suddenly the atmosphere of the call totally changed.

Tina (as I will call her) began telling Melinda about a recent experience she had had. Tina’s doctor wanted to do a breast biopsy but Tina was afraid. Finally, Tina gave in and went to have the procedure done.

As the procedure got underway, the doctor and nurse both suddenly exclaimed with unbelief, “There is no bleeding! There is nothing there. I don’t understand.”

Then, Tina saw a man entered the room. He had on a long white robe and shoulder-length hair. She didn’t recognize him and wondered why he was there so she questioned the doctor.  

“Who is that man standing there?” Tina questioned.

The doctor looked up and gave Tina a funny expression as he replied, “There is nobody standing here.” 

The man spoke, “You have been made whole.” Afterwards he left the room. Tina still did not recognize the man.

After the procedure, Tina searched the hallway but the man was nowhere to be found. However, when Tina arrived home, she discovered the man’s identity. The man’s picture was hanging on her wall. The picture was of Jesus.

For two weeks after the biopsy, the doctor’s nurse called Tina to see if she was having any problems at all. Tina kept reassuring the nurse each time that she was fine. The doctor asked if she would come back and get an x-ray to make sure everything was ok? She wasn’t sure so she said she would let them know when she decided.

Melinda responded to Tina’s miraculous story by encouraging her to continue to believe that Jesus had healed her and not allow the enemy to steal it from her. She no longing had the breast problem. Tina was healed and made whole!

Tina confided in Melinda that she was a Christian, but she had not had a lot of supernatural experiences. She was wondering why this experience had happened to her. She wasn’t expecting anything. Melinda reassured her again that she didn’t have to know a lot about the supernatural to receive something supernatural. God healed her because he wanted to show her His love, His tenderness, His mercy and His grace. It was His gracious gift in her in a time of need.

Melinda continued further by telling Tina that the miracle was not only a witness to her of His nearness during the bad times she was experiencing with her family but it was also a testimony she could proclaim to others. With that thought, Tina got real excited about all the possibilities ahead.

When Melinda and Tina finished their conversation, Tina said, “I feel so full and I am just so thankful. I know now, this was a divine encounter.”

I don’t know about you but I would have never thought a telemarketer’s phone call could become a divine encounter. However, all things are possible with God so we need to be willing to meet the need God places before for us through the power of the Spirit. God’s divine appointments can come anywhere, anytime, and with anything. Keep yourself ready and willing!

The Second IV Bottle

The prayer request from our church PrayerNet:

·      One of our church elders, William, has been sent to the hospital. Pray for healing and we will get back to you, as more news is available.

·      William is in intensive care and in critical condition. The doctors do not know what the problem is. Please continue to pray for healing, comfort for the family, and wisdom for the doctors to figure out the cause. God is still in control.

·      WOW! After 4 days of facing life and death in the ICU, William is now at home doing great. The doctors were able to identify the problem and get him the proper treatment. The family wants to thank everyone for their prayers during this critical time. May God be praised for the victory!

William got out of the hospital on a Tuesday and the next Sunday, he came before the congregation. He wanted to testify how God had saved him from death, to publicly praise Jesus for his healing power, and to thank everyone for their prayers. It was amazing to see how someone just days before on the brink of death could now display such vigor and life. He is now a walking testimony of what God can do through His praying people.

While I was listening to William give his testimony, the Lord gave me a vision of an IV machine. I knew the bottle hanging on a hook above contained the fluids the doctors had ordered. But then, a second bottle appeared beside the first. I thought the bottles were the same until the second bottle turned around. I saw that the word PRAYERS went down the front. As I watched, I saw the fluid levels of the prayer bottle fluctuate but never diminish. Then the Lord spoke to my heart,

“It was the prayers of My people on William’s behalf that kept the second bottle sufficiently full of My healing power. It was the second bottle that made the difference in his recovery.”

Then the Lord reminded me of a verse in the Bible.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man 

availeth much.

James 5:16

Why do effectual fervent prayers for others succeed?

Our continual earnest prayers will be successful in the outside world because of the spiritual work God is accomplishing on the inside of our hearts. He is stretching and broadening our abilities to believe no matter what the circumstances look like. As we speak forth our petitions and trust in His word, we will see His power remaining strong and accomplishing what the Word was sent out to do. In the end, our fervent prayers will keep the spiritual IV full of healing power until health is restored.

Are you praying for the health of someone you know? If so, consider the second IV bottle. Even if the fruits of those prayers have not manifested yet, know that God is still at work. Know your continual prayers of faith are powerful and God’s Word does not come back void.

So shall my word be that go forth out of my mouth: 

it shall not return unto me void, 

but it shall accomplish 

that which I please,

 and it shall prosper in the thing where I sent it.

 Isaiah 55:11

God Answers Our Little Things Too

Lord…you answered three prayers within 24 hours. 

The prayers were not even real needs but only desires of my heart. 

You make me feel so loved Lord

Thanks!

The first prayer was for some ‘inexpensive k-cups’ for my Keurig coffee maker. It is one of the few items I splurge on. As I talked to the Lord it, I offered to put it away, if he thought it to costly. That was all I said before I left the kitchen to work.

The second prayer was for a sewing machine cabinet. I had gotten a used machine online and wanted a cabinet instead of my kitchen table. I sent up a heart desire to help me find one as I continued putting my quilt together.

The third prayer formed as I looked in my closest at my winter clothes. Everything seemed to be black, brown or navy. Lord, I don’t need any clothes, but if you could help me find some that are bright and cheery, I would appreciate it. And Lord, if they could be of good quality that would be great too. I closed the closet doors and didn’t give it another thought.

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A couple of weekends after the last prayer request was made, I got a call from a friend who needed me to help her.

“And by the way,” she said, “I have a large box of Keurig cups that we are going to throw away. Do you want them? You are the only one I know that has one of those machines.”

“YESSSSSSSS! I can be up there by tomorrow evening.” I replied with shock and joy.

When I arrived at her home, my friend showed me the size of the box and my eyes got as large as saucers. There must have been 250-300 k-cups in a variety of flavors. We both were going to be blessed that weekend.

The next day we had time to visit a local thrift shop. I didn’t see anything I wanted until I got to the back part of the store. It was there I realized the Lord wanted to answer another prayer. I found one bright and cherry shirt after another. They fit me perfectly and were from companies known for their quality clothing.

Then, as I came out of the dressing room and headed towards the checkout counter, my eye caught on a small cabinet. As I lifted the top, I discovered it was a Kenmore sewing machine cabinet. It was a perfect match!

“How much is this cabinet?” I asked still looking it over.

“How about ten dollars?” the clerk replied.
   

“Perfect! I'll take it!” I said with excitement and joy.

It was then that I was reminded that all three of my latest prayers had been answered. I came out of the store with several new shirts, two wool jackets and the sewing machine table for $80. If you add in the k-cups as well, I hit the jackpot.

Some may say that “I” did a great job that weekend but I know better. For me, believing God for everything is ‘a way of thinking’ I choose to develop. If I learn to trust Him in the little things, then trusting Him for the bigger things becomes much easier. I want to experience God ordering my steps regularly and showing me where to find His hidden answers continually.

We all need to be encouraged with stories of how God is giving others a helping hand. Do you have a recent story you could relay to someone God may want to bring across your path? If not, use this opportunity to trust God for something and then watch how He seizes the chance to show you His love and direction in a new way.

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Today, as I was planning to write this piece, I had another prayer answered. I found my lost car keys. I had been using my only spare set for over three months because a new one was a hundred and fifty dollars. I truly wanted God to show me where they were instead of resigning to getting a new set. I found them while putting away a clean shirt in a basket of clothes under my bed. The funny thing is, I had searched that basket before twice and saw nothing. It is funny how God’s timing of the find is always perfect.