"Father, please continue to bring into my life opportunities to ‘only believe.’” (Mark 5:36)

It was Easter Sunday, and while on my prayer walk that morning, I sensed the Father say that He would heal people if they raised their hands at church. It was a significant risk to say this, but I shared that, and He moved powerfully. I also sensed that I wasn't only to preach on the power of the resurrection but that Jesus wanted to come and be power. You can see this portion of the message here.

During that Sunday, my friend Omar (one of the fathers from my kids’ school) was visiting, and while I was preaching, he and his wife Maria believed God could heal their friend Haydee. The next day Omar asked, "James would you pray for our friend Haydee who's very sick?” He said, "during your message, my wife and I both felt that God could heal her." My immediate desire is to respond, "yes, of course!” But I'm learning I need to ask in prayer AND model for others the value of wanting to ask the only friend and person who heals. Jesus may have someone else in mind that he wants to heal, or He may not be healing at that moment. So I said, " I'd love to, but let me ask the Father tomorrow in the forest and see if He wants me to do it.”

The following day I woke up and asked Jesus, "do you want to go together?” Then I hear faintly in my mind, "Command cancer to dissipate and dissolve—to flee in my name. Repeat that command over and over, have her sing, and have Omar pray in tongues.” That afternoon, I thought I'd better test this, so I told Omar, "I'm in. Let's go pray for her, but I have one question: Do you speak in tongues?" He said, "once." I laughed and said, "Okay, that's good enough. Let’s go!” 

FIRST VISIT 

When we showed up the first time, Haydee was very grateful. She was very sweet and had received much prayer to be at peace with her cancer. After we listened to her story, I felt we should read some stories in the Gospels of Jesus healing the sick. After, I shared with her the recent healing testimonies of Kim, Tony and Jasper. The look in her eyes was so beautiful; she had amazement, hope, and wonder. Then I said to her, "Haydee, I think it's right and good that you have friends and pastors who will pray powerful prayers of God using this illness, and they are correct. But I want to be the person in your life—if you’d let me—who wants to curse cancer in Jesus’ name and will pray for healing and not add anything else. I can't promise He will heal you, but I know I'm supposed to believe.” She began to weep. That meant something. Then I heard the word "yoga instructor," so I asked her if that meant anything to her. She began to cry and said, "I was an instructor, and I was turning to yoga for my peace.” She said, “I know what to do and began praying and asking Jesus to be the only source of it.” His Spirit was so sweetly healing and releasing. Then we prayed what I told her I heard on my walk with Jesus. 

She was lying on the floor while her sister was holding her feet and praying, and I said, “Okay, Haydee, you start singing whatever comes to your mind and heart, and we'll start praying.” I began cursing cancer, and Omar prayed in the Spirit. It was beautiful. She starts singing quietly in Spanish. Then after about two minutes of me repeating the command for cancer to dissolve and dissipate, I felt a faint word from the Spirit leading me to stop …but Haydee kept singing. She was in such deep peace, so happy, in His presence. She kept singing. About 10 minutes passed of us watching her sing and marvelling at the presence of God. She then thanked us, and we knew Jesus had more in mind. 

 SECOND VISIT

 A few days later, I received a text that Haydee was rushed to the Hospital for intense pain, but even worse, the doctors told her she only had days to live at this point. She was so broken and winded that when I asked to come over and pray, she said, “sure, but I don't think anything will happen.” I said, “that's okay; you're so important to the Father; I just sense He wants to encourage your faith.” That afternoon, we shared many stories of unanswered expectations in the Bible that came with disappointment and loss. We read through the story of Lazarus and the delay, the pain, and the ways of Jesus. I knew that believing in Him pleased the Father, and my heart was to share with her that her faith in ‘believing’ glorifies God. 

I remember sharing with her, “even if you die knowing you believed He would heal, you will see Him trusting He is healing God (Ana is confused). I remember reading this quote from Kathryn Kuhlman a few weeks later: "I knew that if I lived and died and never saw a single healing miracle like the apostles experienced in the Book of Acts, it would not change God's Word," Kathryn said. "God said it. He made provision for it in our redemption at Calvary. And whether I ever saw it with my earthly eyes did not change the fact that it was.” What I didn't know was that Haydee had, in her time of pain, applied for Canada's medical assistance in dying.

THIRD VISIT 

The third visit was the most powerful moment I have ever had in my life of praying for the miraculous. And you can watch it here:

These were her texts the days following 

THE DAY SHE PASSED

I was praying all night, knowing that she may go ahead with MAID from the government. I was pleading with God, texting friends and reaching out to her. She didn't text back, and that afternoon, while I was washing dishes, I heard the Father say, "she's with me now dancing." When I heard it, I pretended I didn't listen. I didn't want it to be true. So many emotions were rushing in. Some towards the Lord, why?, Did you not heal here in that room? Why didn't she reach out? I thought you wanted to show me you heal cancer? I didn't hear Him say anything, and at that moment, I just said to Him, 

"Father, I will still pray for the next person with cancer. I release my right to know the mystery. And I am so thankful she knew how real and alive you were."

 She could go home with a confident assurance she was yours. I just kept thanking Him in the mystery. I kept thanking Him for seeing what I saw, even if I didn't get to see her healed.