God has been stirring in me for a while. There’s a lot I want to share; it requires a lot of boldness, which I know I have, but this feels like a lot even for me.
A couple months ago, a friend of ours told us of a man who has a healing ministry who was going to be in the United States this year.
“He’s coming in July,” Bert said, “and I want us all to go and take Reagan.”
Rob and I looked at each other and immediately said “We’re in!” practically in unison.
So preparations were made, a posse was put together to take our daughter to a man who is known to have a gift of healing.
Pause.
I’m terrified to put this on the blog for lots of different reasons.
What if God doesn’t show up?
What if God doesn’t heal her in the way we want her to be healed?
What if we come home disappointed?
What if nothing changes?
What will people think?
I can’t care about what people think…and maybe that’s the thing that’s driving the rest of the list, other than fear and worry. Worry that I don’t have enough faith or belief.
Mark 19:14-29 has been on my mind. There’s a boy’s father asking Jesus to help his son who is possessed and has been robbed of his speech. The boy’s father is literally at his whits end and asks Jesus to have pity on them and heal his boy, “if you can, Jesus,” he says.
IF? Jesus repeats it back to him as if his question was as ridiculous as asking if LeBron James can jump high…of course LeBron can jump and of course, Jesus can heal.
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
EVERYTHING is possible.
1. Walking – a prayer that has been prayed over and over, it has been answered.
2. Eating – a prayer that we’ve prayed and continue to pray. Her appetite for food has never been bigger!
3. Getting off the g-tube for feedings – the feeding pump has been put away in another room and not taken out for almost a month. She drinks all her formula. Some days it’s more of a struggle than others, but she accomplishes it and has been doing it for weeks.
4. Potty trained – I still can’t believe I can write that.
Each time Reagan would do something new, we would praise God in wonder and amazement because it would be another thing the Dr.’s were so wrong about. But, is it too bold to say, we want more Jesus…?
Should we be satisfied with what’s been restored? Or should we keep pressing in, asking for more, asking for 100% wholeness.
In Mary Healy’s book, Healing: Bringing the Gift of God’s Mercy to the World, she says: “Nowhere do the Gospels record that he instructed a person simply to bear the suffering assigned to them. In no case does he indicate that a person is asking for too much and should be content with a partial healing or no healing.”
Healy goes on to say that when “reading the Gospels one gets the strong impression that Jesus was not only willing but eager to heal.” The scope of his healings were unlimited.
“So the news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him ALL who were sick, those suffering with various diseases and pains, those under the power of demons, and epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.” – Matthew 4:24
“When evening came, they brought to Him many who were under the power of demons; and He cast out the evil spirits with a word, and restored to health all who were sick [exhibiting His authority as Messiah]” – Matthew 8:16 & Mark 1:32. (Mark 1:32 states a steady stream were brought to Jesus and he healed them all.)
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”- Matthew 9:35
“And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.” – Matthew 14:35-36
“At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.” – Luke 4:40
“and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.” – Luke 6:19
Back to my above list of fear and worry. When I look at what God has done, I know that God shows up. I know that Jesus heals. I know that God doesn’t disappoint. And I know that anyone Jesus has an encounter with is forever changed. I point back to what God has done, to know that he’s faithful in everything he does.
Ever since we made the decision to take Reagan to this man with a healing ministry, I’ve felt exactly like the parents in the Bible who brought their children and pleaded with Jesus to make them whole.
What lengths will a Father go to heal his children? Not just Reagan’s Father, but our Heavenly Father?
I think of Jairus’ story in the Bible; he was a well known and respected leader in the synagogue. His daughter was dying and he pleaded with Jesus to come to his house to heal her. As Jesus began to make his way, another woman who was afflicted with a bleeding issue for 12 years, touched the fringe of Jesus’ garment and was healed. In the commotion of that, Jairus’ receives word that his daughter is dead and his friends tell him not to bother the Teacher anymore.
“Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” – Mark 5:36
Jesus is like, let’s roll Jairus…we’re going to your little girl.
“he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old)” – Read the whole story here
For weeks, I’ve been thinking of all these stories. And then doubt would creep in and I’d think, “Yeah, but that was Jesus walking on earth, when people could touch his garment and be healed.”
This morning, while I was getting gas in my car the Lord spoke to me and said,
“Does the Lord’s well run dry, Anne-Marie?”
No. It doesn’t, Lord. Your well is never dry, your hand is never far from those who love you. And we are bringing Reagan in faith, and asking everyone reading this to pray for a 100% healing. The thing about faith, is in order to have it, you have to act upon it. We are going, as an act of faith. And further, this is the same Lord who imparted his power to us as followers of Jesus, who gave humans the power to heal, through the Holy Spirit and our faith in Jesus.
Here’s what I am dreaming of…I’m dreaming of Reagan being healed and saying, “You told me God would help me talk, Mommy and he did!” I’m dreaming of Reagan telling people herself, with her own words, how she was healed.
Every night we pray for Reagan to be able to talk. I ask her, “who well help you talk, baby?” and she points to her heart and says, “God” because she knows that’s where God lives, right inside her sweet little heart. She has that child like faith that God values so much and wants us all to have. What if her faith moves Jesus to heal her in an instant? Fully and completely, not just talking, which is what Rob and I want so much, but everything. There’s so many things that were taken from her…we list the big things, but everything is big when it’s been taken away and given back slowly. Wholeness. We want wholeness.
There are five of us going on this trip bringing Reagan as an act of faith and hoping for a miracle. I feel like the paralytic man’s friends who heard Jesus was in town and four of his friends carried him, for miles probably, so he could be healed. They get to the house Jesus is at and wouldn’t you know, everyone else in town heard he was there too and it was standing room only, you couldn’t even get to the door. So these friends, tore the roof off and lowered this paralytic man right in the middle, right where Jesus was preaching…laid this man at his feet. Jesus was moved by the faith of this man’s friends and healed him.
“But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” For the full account, read Mark 2:1-12 here.
I want Reagan’s tongue to be untied like this guy…
Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. – Mark 7:31-35
I know all of these stories are of Jesus healing, so for those who are uncomfortable with other people’s gifts of healing, there are multiple stories in the Bible of the disciples healing people but there’s one story in particular I want to point you to.
Peter and John healed a man who was lame since birth. He’s begging at the church courts, asking for money. Peter basically says, dude, I’m broke, but I’ll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus, walk.
Acts 4:22 said that man was over 40 years old. FORTY! Surely his entire body was atrophied and his feet were likely deformed.
Peter helps this man up: “Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
Don’t you think Jesus passed this man on multiple occasions? Why didn’t Jesus himself heal this man? Because Jesus loves to involve those who follow him in building the kingdom of God, and Jesus also imparted the power and gift of healing to his disciples and followers. It’s faith in Jesus that these miracles occur. It wasn’t Peter’s power the lame man was healed. Just like it’s not this man’s power with a healing ministry who we’re going to, but Jesus’ power in him; and I think it’s very important to mention that this man gives all credit and glory to Jesus alone. It’s through our faith in Jesus that Reagan is able to be healed.
You know who else had a healing ministry? Peter. The rock Jesus built his church on. Plain and simple, this is the power of the Gospel, and I need to remember that when we take Reagan for healing.
“As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” – Acts 5:15-16
Please join us in praying for a complete healing and restoration of Reagan this July. Pray that Jesus takes command over the things afflicting Reagan and heals her completely. Our requests are not too much for God and his well is never dry.
