she spent all she had on doctors . . .

by Roger
Co-Director, Family Support Center

Juana* came in to the Family Support Center today. She wanted to talk about how her attorney said she'd have to find her own doctor and pay out of pocket if she wanted treatment for her pain. The chiropractor who had previously treated her had written a report that he couldn't do any more for her.

It reminded me of the Biblical account of the woman with the blood flow, who spent all she had on doctors and they weren't able to do anything for her. So she goes to Jesus, touches him, and gets healed!

We talked for a while about her immigration situation, but all the while I was getting the sense that I should ask Juana permission to pray for her lower back pain, caused by a car accident. She agreed to prayer, but me being in the Family Support Center alone (and she a woman), I decided to employ her three kids—Mario, Maria, and Mimi. I asked the kids to place their hands, one on top of the other, on their mom's lower back. Then I placed my hand on theirs, and began to pray.

I decided to just exercise my authority in Christ over the pain, binding it, and ordering it to leave in the name of Jesus. After speaking encouragement over Juana as I felt the Holy Spirit leading, I asked how she was feeling. She said the pain was leaving, so we kept ordering it to completely go in the name of Jesus.

Now she said she felt all better, and also intense heat, as if she'd just applied Ben-Gay ointment to her back! I told her that the heat could be a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit, so I asked for more of the Spirit and more of the presence in Jesus' name.

We thanked the Lord for her healing, and I felt I should lead Juana in a prayer of receiving her healing as a free gift. Then I felt I should ask the Lord to seal the healing. Afterwards, Juana kept mentioning the heat—the intense heat, like Ben-Gay ointment!

Lord, I give you praise!

*names have been changed

no alternative but to trust God

by Dave

Last October I got an e-mail about healing prayer on an upcoming Friday at this place I had never been to--called Tierra Nueva. I had recently gone through the chaos and dark pain of a divorce. It felt like my life was over. I received generous love from old and new friends and helpful counseling, but there was deeper healing needed that I was only partially aware of.

I waffled back and forth that week--feeling like I ought to go, but preferring to watch a World Series game with a friend. Then early Friday evening I sat down, still undecided, and read an interview with Stanley Hauerwas. The interviewer asks: "A lot of us seem to prefer living in anxiety to trusting God. How can we practice trusting God?"

Hauerwas answered, "What I try to do is put myself in positions where I don't have any alternative but to trust God."

Whoa. I set down the magazine, got in my car and drove down I-5 feeling drawn, called, magnetized to Tierra Nueva. I remember Chris playing guitar that night. We sang the song "more love, more power.” The Spirit cut deep into my core in the middle of singing. And I realized how much I had been holding back, holding onto. Tears came.

Later Tina prayed for me with compassionate boldness, moving me toward blessing my ex-wife and starting down the road of releasing her. And Tina prayed for God's presence and deep healing of my ragged wounds. I felt alive again. Resurrected.

Now that I have been going to Tierra Nueva more and more, I have discovered that they, as a way of life, take the plunge into risky trust and put themselves in places where they have no alternative but to trust God. And you know what? God shows up! That's attractive to me. That's real life. I want more and more. And I know there is much more yet to come! Thank you, Jesus.