“Jesus Christ,

the same Yesterday, Today and Forever”

NOTE:

I wrote the following letter to my aunt-in-law who has been sick, afflicted by Lupus. She has been in deep pain but has always been faithful to God.  I felt led to write her this letter of edification which was also forwarded to a number of believers.  Many have expressed the blessing, encouragement and inspiration they’ve had upon reading it.  It is herein presented for your edification especially if you are one who may be in a similar situation of praying for healing from God.

May God bless you.

  Shalom dearly beloved in Christ,

“Shalom” means “Peace”.  It may seem awkward for me to greet you with “shalom” when you are in deep pain physically and emotionally.  But its not awkward for His word tells us that “The LORD will give strength unto His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11)  This peace is not a passive happiness that so often we have when something good or hilarious happens and quickly evaporates when we are faced with trouble.  The peace of the Lord goes and digs deeper into a man’s soul and its presence or continuity isn’t dependant on physical circumstances.  Man today spends almost all of his time and resources towards labor and studies to get a hold of peace.  But even after one has climbed the tall ladder of success he or she will still feel a void in his life.

I was one time approached by a heavyset fat person with very good health but living in a very terrible condition financially.  The house she was living in could hardly be called a house much less a home.  The person said to me, “Please pray with me, I need money; if only I can have money, I will be happy”.  Well, I told her to kneel down in prayer.  As I began to pray, thereupon an ugly cry of a demonic spirit was manifested in her and she kept grimacing.

On another occasion a car was sent to pick me to go and pray for someone in a very critical condition.  Upon reaching the home of the sick man, my attention was distracted by the big mansion.  It had fantastic display and expensive assets.  Outside the yard were all sort of beautiful and luxurious cars.  I entered through the sitting room and saw a number of relatives, elderly and young, all in a sad mood.  It was a sad picture altogether.  I proceeded through the corridor to the bedroom of the man.  This man was the owner of the home.  I could not believe my eyes: he was nothing but a living skeleton, which was all I saw.  The man was so sick that he had to be carried and helped in everything.  My heart was so burdened.  These words come to my heart when I think of that moment; “For what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath labored under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 2:22-23)

The two occasions I have narrated tells me that its not money nor good health alone that we need for peace.  God’s Holy Spirit living in us is the greatest security we can have.  And the basic necessities in life are not food, shelter and clothing but faith in God! (Read Luke 12:22-31.)

My beloved mom, hear me:  Your condition doesn’t mean that God hasn’t heard you or that you are far from Him.  It’s not always the case that when we pray for healing it will manifest.  Be it known unto you that God permits everything for a purpose!  Some things God permits are quite painful but it is only the time that can tell what purpose He had and what great joy we will have when we receive our reward when we would be strong up to the end.  Remember Paul! Paul prayed three times earnestly to God asking God to heal him of his chronic sickness which he described as a “thorn in the flesh”.  If you have a Bible with you please read with me 2 Corinthians 12.  In this chapter Paul narrates (by hiding his identity) how God used him to an extent of one time lifting him up into a heavenly dimension.  Can you imagine how great this man of God was?  [No, he wasn’t like a lot of these made-up men of God that we see on TV and hear on Radio playing hocus-pocus.  When you look at them they look like Hollywood movie stars instead of shining forth the humble and glowing light of the Word of old times!  We have a lot of bogus preachers who have managed to psychologically and hysterically sway large audiences in the so-called healing or miracle crusades.  I believe in the power of God because I have had encounters of its real healings and miracles and it has forever changed my life, but I also believe that there is a lot of fake healings and miracles.  You can see it every day on TV.  Some of these preachers you know them.  They are renowned and known worldwide.  They try to preach divine healing but do not live by God’s Holy Word.  But the Lord called me to preach His word.  On 3^rd September 2006 I was caught up in a night vision in which a cloud came shinning over me; it was shining and glistening.  (I have limited words to explain every detail).  A voice spoke out of the cloud and said “My servant, preach the Word…”  That’s what I stand for and preach – His Word!  Nothing else.]

Paul was a great man of God with such abundant revelations and God used him to heal many people (Acts 19:11-12).  But let us see what he wrote concerning his request for his healing: “Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: For my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Very few people may speak to you the way I am speaking but nevertheless hear me: GOD IS WITH YOU!  We have prayed and prayed, and I trust he has heard us and we now leave everything in His hands.  He can still heal you, and even if He does not, then He has a purpose for that and you will have your special reward, for “all things work together for good to them that love God.” (Romans 8:28)

Mom, one thing I know and have told Norah is that you love God.  You have been faithful to Him.  God sees all what you do and He will reward you accordingly.  If we are sick and we pray about it and nothing happens, it is like the case with Paul, let us always keep in mind that either God will do it in has own time or He has permitted it FOR A PURPOSE.  Can you imagine that a great prophet of God like Elisha who recorded some of the greatest miracles in the Bible died of a fatal sickness? (Read 2 kings 13:14.)  The point is: even greatly beloved people of God do get sick. Even the Lord Jesus Christ could only heal if God permitted it; He could only heal when the power of God was present to heal (Luke 5:17).  This is true because I have seen it many times.  One time two women who were very sick were brought home so that I could pray for them.  I did not know them and they were not religious.  One had suffered a bad shock and her face was disfigured about her mouth and cheek on her left side.  The other one had a badly eaten up throat and had great difficulties in eating.  I was then with two or three brothers in the room.  I told them “let’s pray and see if the Lord will grant us His healing mercies”.  I told the two women to kneel down, we began to praise and worship the Lord as we waited for His presence to come down and see, if by His grace, He would heal the patients.  Suddenly, while we worshipped, both ladies screamed as they felt something like an electric current going through them. At that same instance both of them fell to the ground.  When they stood up they were puzzled as to what was happening to them.  They got up to find that they were healed. 

What did that?  God’s presence!  His power spontaneously came down and brought deliverance and the Name of the Lord was glorified.  Now one thing I have come to notice is that this does not always happen when I pray for people.  It only happens when the Lord permits it.  I pray sincerely for a time that God will let His healing mercies come on you.  I believe ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!  I pray for you and will always pray for you.  I trust God loves you and cares for you.  Be strengthened in the Lord always.  One thing I don’t give up on is prayer because I have prayed for certain requests for years and God only clearly answered them at a time when I was almost losing hope.  That is what makes me keep on believing that God is able to heal you.

TESTIMONY OF MY MOTHER’S HEALING

My mother was at one time always sick. For years, she used to have a deep excruciating pain from her leg through the uterus to her back.  At that time, she was not a believer and mom and dad were always uncomfortable with me being churchy.  They felt that it would disturb my education.  But God one day spoke to me by a prophecy: “Don’t worry about the unbelief of your parents. One day I will perform a miracle and they shall believe.”  Well, that looked so impossible because everyone in the family was against my spiritual life.  (But I thank God, because now, most of my relatives ― brothers, sisters, aunties, grandfathers and mothers now fear the God I worship! Blessed be the name of the LORD!).

Many times my mother would faint.  At one time she almost died of her complex chronic condition.  It was at night when she suddenly fell and was breathless.  My aunties, sisters and brothers were gathered and some had already started shedding tears.  I was awakened out of sleep and was told to pray for her.  Surprisingly I was not emotionally moved by what had taken place.  (I am naturally and emotionally burdened whenever I see someone very sick).  I gave a very short prayer as I laid my hand on her.  Her eyes popped open and she rose up and went to sleep.  But her problem continued until one day her doctor gave her a document to sign for an abdominal operation involving the uterus.  Surprisingly, before she could go to the hospital she came to my bedroom saying, “Pray for me and anoint me with your oil.”  Remember that I said she was not a believer and was always uncomfortable with me being churchy?  (Those days I used to be very uncomfortable spending time with my family at home because of the unbelief they had.  I spent all the time alone to myself and most of the time in prayer and fasting in Chamba Valley hills.  I had lost a lot of weight from the fasts.)  I went to a box where I kept a bottle in which I had pure olive oil.  I used it to pray for the sick as instructed in the scriptures (James 5:14-16).  I still remember very well the words I prayed as I took my hand and laid it on her.  I prayed a very short prayer saying, “Lord let no doctor’s knife touch her. Let this be a testimony. Amen”.  I did not feel any strange feeling in my body but that simple prayer did a miracle.  At the hospital, one of the doctors said, “Let’s examine her again”.  Surprisingly after re-examining her, the doctors said, “No, she won’t need an operation”.

That was ten years ago and to this day, she is perfectly well and a strong believer.  That miracle made her accept the God who was working in my life.  She got baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and has been a great help in my ministry financially.

Sorry for this lengthy letter. I just felt led to take time and share this message from my heart.

Remain blessed! Always praying for you,

Andrew Phiri.

Beloved may the Lord be with you as you pray for whatever need you may have. If you have a need and would like to share your prayer request, we can pray over it with you. Remember, “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

Bro.Andrew C Phiri
[E-mail: acphiri2003@yahoo.com ● PO Box 37919, Lusaka, Zambia.]