The Lord Lifts Us 
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV)
One afternoon, after a Sunday worship service, an elder of the church invited a pastor and a church-planting field worker to pray for her older brother, who had been suffering from diabetes for quite a long time. He had already undergone many operations due to wounds that never healed and had been experiencing depression because of his sickness. There was also a large lump in his left cheek, and he was scheduled for another procedure the next morning.
The two who were invited to pray knew this was the perfect time for this man to hear the good news about the Lord. On the way to the house, the field worker prayed, “Lord, I haven’t encountered instant healing before my eyes. Today, if it is your will, please allow me to witness healing. Your will be done Father.”
Upon arrival at the man’s place, the pain and sadness due to sickness were evident in his face. He had difficulty speaking because of the growing mass in his left cheek. His toes were affected by unhealed wounds. The sick man also had difficulty walking, but he was most affected emotionally. According to him, many people had tried abusing his kindness and some even tried to deceive him. He had helped many people before, but it seemed that nobody remembered to return the favor to him now that he was sick. While he was talking, he couldn’t help but cry. The men from the church gave him their time and listened to him as he expressed his sorrows and stories. Before praying for him, the pastor shared the word of God from Matthew 11:28. By the grace of God, the sick man accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
During the pastor’s prayer, the field worker felt as though something inside of him was telling him to lay hands on the diabetic man. He knew it was the presence of God, so he did not hesitate to go behind the man and touch his shoulders as the prayer went on. While praying, he felt God moving in their midst. All of them started to declare healing over the sick man in the power of Jesus’ Name, and the field worker knew in his heart that God was doing something!
After the prayer, it suddenly rained. The visitors were not able to go home immediately, and waiting for the rain to stop was a good opportunity to continue in conversation. While the man was speaking, the field worker could not take his eyes off of his cheek. He noticed that the lump was slowly shrinking. Praise the Lord! He even noticed that the swelling of the man’s lips decreased, allowing him to speak more comfortably. And they could see the smile on his face while he was talking. Glory to God!
One of the women there checked and confirmed that indeed the lump had become smaller, and in a moment, everyone else noticed it, too. The man’s sibling uttered, “Oh! The lump got smaller! I think you would not need an operation anymore. Hopefully antibiotic would be enough.” Praise the Lord!
Those present thought that would be the only unforgettable experience of the day. But as they went back to their church, heading toward the house of the healed man’s sister, the dog, which was normally the best-behaved dog in the street, was angrily and strangely barking at them, running outside the house and chasing them. They realized that this was an act of the enemy, who could not accept that another soul had been saved by the Lord. They rebuked the enemy, and the dog became angrier and wanted to bite. But God protected them, and as they arrived in front of the church, they again rebuked the enemy.
From the church, they needed to get home, about a 35-minute ride via motorcycle. This is a remote area, and it was still raining during their travel back home, so they had to go slowly on the motorcycle. While on the road, still feeling the presence of the Lord, they chose to worship and sing praises to Him. Suddenly, a snake tried to attack them! It was close to biting one of their legs. Instead of panicking and being afraid, the presence of the Lord remained in them and calmed them. They had a good laugh because they realized the enemy had been defeated. Jesus is alive! Our God is alive! God had demonstrated His power once again!
They dropped by a pastor’s house. He prayed for them, and at last they were able to reach home safely, full of the Lord’s presence and joy. Since then, they have been greatly changed. God showered them with confidence in Him. To God be all the glory and praise. To His powerful name alone! Amen!
