Testimonies

To submit a testimony of how God has answered prayer to be posted here on our site as an encouragement to others, please email Karen-Dickinson@highlandbc.org. Below are some of the most recent submissions, but you can find more by following the links in the sidebar to the left.

Partially Healed, Totally Thankful

A lady at work was complaining about how much her shoulder and hand were hurting. She'd been in a car wreck some time before, and she's had this pain since. She welcomed prayer for her healing. At first she reported the pain was about five percent better. As we talked and then prayed again, she said the pain was ten percent better, enough to where was very happy and had a big smile on her face. I had hoped to see all of the pain leave, but she had the right attitude - she was happy and focused on being so very thankful for what God had done for her, not focused on what hadn't happened yet.

Jesus did that!

Walker Put Away

One evening, a lady named June (not her real name) came in to my work area, which is a computer lab for college students. She was moving very slowly, leaning heavily on her walker. I struck up a conversation with her as the lab was closing.

June had a career in nursing, but was back in school to learn skills for a "sit-down" job". As a new nurse in the late 1990s, June was seriously injured in an accident at her hospital job. Over the ensuing years, she had become increasingly debilitated from the effects of those injuries and eventually had to quit nursing. She endured a couple of surgeries to her back and neck to repair bulging disks and damaged vertebrae and help restore movement, but she was left in great and constant pain.

Moreover, June said that when she was ten, she broke her left leg after which her left leg was a little shorter than her right one. With the skeletal asymmetry, she limped a little, increasing the wear and tear on her joints and adding to her pain and overall debilitation. She also said she had not been able to move her left foot much nor has she had any feeling in it since she had broken her leg about twenty-five years before. She called her left foot "my dead foot."

I asked June if anyone had ever prayed for her. She said yes and said she always welcomed more.

With that permission, I asked her to sit down in a chair and lift up her feet so we could see how much shorter the left leg was. It was hard for me to tell; plus, she couldn't move her foot to any degree for me to compare leg length at the heels. She gave me permission to lay hands on her ankle, which I did, but immediately I sensed the Holy Spirit prompting me to take my hands off, move back a little and see what might happen as I prayed.

So I started commanding June's short leg to grow out, and as I did, she asked, "Are you touching my leg?" I said, "No I'm not". June, who had her eyes closed, said, "Are you sure?" "Yes." "You're not touching my leg? It feels like you are." "No ma'am, I'm not touching your leg."

After maybe 45 seconds, June opened her eyes and said, "My leg is tingling, and I can feel my foot!" Then she started moving her foot around and wiggling her toes. It looked normal to me, how June was moving it, but she was flabbergasted - "You don't understand - I haven't been able to move my foot like that since I was a kid. And it feels all tingly in my leg and feet! I've had no feeling in my foot for years. It's my dead foot but I can feel it all tingly now!"

I had June stand up and check things out. She kept reporting she could feel her foot, and that she also felt like her "equilibrium" had shifted (she meant to say "center of gravity") because she felt like things in her back had "moved around" or shifted somehow. Indeed, she was standing straighter than before, and though I forgot to ask about her pain level, she seemed relieved of a lot of pain, in that she wasn't guarding her movements and moving slowly in the way I'd seen her do over the previous two hours.

Because June had a large, heavy book bag, the hour was late and her car was parked in a dark service area, I carried June's bag and walked her out to her car.

As she walked, she kept saying, "I can feel my calf muscle now!" Remarkably, she was walking as fast as I was at a normal pace, even with her walker. "Do you usually walk that fast?" "No! Never!"

When we got to her car, she had this goofy smile on her face and I said, "You're trying not to bust out laughing, aren't you!" "Yes! This smiling is hurting my face and trying not to laugh!" I told her, "Don't fight it because your healing will continue even while you are laughing."

The funny thing? June has never been to this computer lab in the evening. But that day, she had two doctor appointments and missed her day lab time. June had driven fifteen of the twenty miles to her house when, as she said, "I decided I'd better turn around and go back to the lab and get my work done." She's glad she did because the Lord met her there that night!

I never saw or heard from June again. Two months later, I was sharing this story with two other students in the lab one evening, but I didn't mention June's name. They immediately knew who it was and asked, "Is that June?" I admitted yes, it was June. They replied, "Oh! We couldn't figure out why June suddenly stopped using her walker!"

Jesus did that!

Big Mac and a Big New Life

One hot August afternoon, my son and I stopped at McDonalds on North Valley Mills at Wooded Acres. Arriving just ahead of us were three people in their early 20s - two women and a man. The man had on a large neck brace and looked like he'd been in a cat fight.

They stayed in to eat their hamburgers and fries, so we stayed too. After we finished our ice cream, we stopped by their table and sympathetically observed to the man that he must be in some pain. Peter (not his real name) shared that he had been in a roll-over crash two days before. He wasn't wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle. He said he "got really lucky".

They invited me to sit with them. Peter and his two friends wondered why he didn't die, considered it a miracle that he didn't die, and wondered why God spared his life. I offered to talk about why he didn't die, but first I asked Peter permission to pray for healing, as he was in a lot of pain. I prayed three times, but for whatever reason, there was no pain relief whatsoever.

Peter was a little disappointed, so I talked a little about God's love for him anyway, and that He is good, better than the best father in the whole wide world. As I was talking, I felt led to illustrate God's intimate love for each of them, and the Lord started giving me prophetic words for each of them...

For Peter, the Lord said, "You love as a father loves. You've got a daddy's heart as big as Texas. Even though you missed out on fatherhood done right, you still deeply care about the welfare of children and far more than anyone of your friends do, you want to help kids and encourage them. Though you have no children of your own yet, you really do love kids and you are destined to have a profound positive impact on youth." Peter's reaction was, "How did you know that?" (I didn't, but God did, and He revealed it to a stranger to show Peter how much Peter was loved.)

For Teri (not her real name), "The Father says you are a dancer and that He longs to have great joy over you dancing for Him as a worshiper! He absolutely delights in you and cherishes you as His special creation as you dance." Holding back tears, Teri told me was a former club dancer who was trying to lead a new life.

For Janine (not her real name), "God is saying that you are a whole lot smarter than you believe yourself to be. There's a real smart brain in there. It doesn't matter what kind of student you were in high school; the Lord is going to have you come alive to the love of learning, especially by reading." That resonated deeply with Janine - she used to enjoy reading, but wasn't enjoying anything of a life that developed her gifts or interests.

After Peter, Teri and Janine heard these words of God's personal love for them, they had to fight off the tears. Now they believed me when I told them the Father has good plans for them, to bless them and enjoy them as a son, as daughters, and then to share with them the joy of bringing others to His love as well.

As they heard what the Lord thought about them, it was like seeing 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 and Romans 2:4 in action - "But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”" and "...that the kindness of God leads to repentance."

What convicted Peter, Teri and Janine wasn't having their sins pointed out; they already knew they were broken. It was the kindness of the Lord. Who doesn't want a king like Jesus? Who doesn't want a Father like our God?

So by the end of my time with them, all three prayed to give their life to the Lord. Their hearts now new and full, with smiles all around, there was not a dry eye in the booth.

Peter, Teri and Janine had come in to McDonalds to get relief from the heat and a little nourishment; they walked out as new creations in Christ with a big new life. Why? Because they had a real encounter with the one true God who knows them and loves them and has a great life for them.

Jesus did that!

Instant Sore Throat Healings

A friend and I were having breakfast at a popular breakfast shop in downtown Waco. The waitress had just brought us our food and asked if there was anything more she could get us. As I learned to do years ago from Mark Wible, I said to our waitress, "Yes, there is one thing; as we give thanks for our food, is there anything we can pray for you about?"

The waitress paused a moment, and said, "Well, I have a painful sore throat. It hurts a lot."

Quite uncharacteristic for me, I felt a sudden boldness come on. I pointed at her throat and declared, "In Jesus' Name, I command that sore throat to be well and the pain to leave - right now." That was it.

Before I had time to second-guess myself ("What have I done? What if nothing happens?!!"), the waitress's eyes got real big and she said, "Oh my gosh - it's gone - the pain is totally gone!"

I made it clear to her that Jesus did that for her and He loves her; I've got nothing in me, I just happened to be sitting at her table.

Her throat was still clear and pain-free by the time we left the restaurant.

Revelation 19:10 says in part that "... the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy." In other words, the stories of God's divine interventions, the testimonies, are in essence a prophetic declaration that the Father wants to do it again!" And that's just what happened...

Two months later, I was at work one evening at the community college when a college lecturer stopped by my desk to chat a little on her out the door. Her voice sounded rough so I asked her about it. "Oh, I have a terrible sore throat. It really hurts."

I asked, "May I tell you a fun story?" She said yes, so I shared about the waitress being healed. Then I offered, "May I pray for you?" She eagerly consented.

Just like before, I again felt a sudden boldness come on. I pointed at her throat and declared, "In Jesus' Name, I command that sore throat to be well and the pain to leave - right now." Then I waited...

The Lord ambushed her! First she looked down and to her right. Then she looked down and to her left. Then with a look of surprise and shock, eyes wide open, she looked straight at me - "I don't believe this! My throat doesn't hurt! All the pain just left!"

When I saw her again the following week, she said that was the instant her throat completely stopped hurting, and she'd been fine ever since.

Jesus did that!

Headache Healings

Last fall, my son and I stopped for a snack in the Wendy's by Baylor. It so happened that the manager was the one to take our order. When we finished our order, he asked if there was anything else we needed. As I learned to do years ago from Mark Wible, I said to him, "Yes, there is one thing; as we give thanks for our food, is there anything we can pray for you about?"

The manager looked at me a moment, then said, "Yes, I have a terrible headache right now." I said, "Let me pray for that right now - " And I did, voicing a one-sentence prayer in Jesus Name, that the headache go away. I asked him if he noticed any change at all - five percent, ten percent, anything. "Be honest!" He said, "No, no difference." I said that often relief comes gradually, so let's wait and see.

A few minutes later our food was ready, and the same manager was at the counter to give us our tray. "Any change?" "No." "Let's pray again." This time, he gave me his hand so that I could lay a hand on him. Still, there was no difference. His head was still throbbing. I encouraged him to keep waiting and seeing.

My son and I found a seat, ate our meal, and about fifteen minutes later, got up to leave. I went back to the counter to see how the manager was doing. This time, he was busy at the drive-through window. I got his attention and I asked, "How's the headache?"

He gave me a big thumbs-up, and with a big smile on his face, he said, "It's all gone!"

I stopped by a week later, and he told me that after the headache left that day, he hasn't had a headache since - unusual for him!

Revelation 19:10 says in part that "... the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy." In other words, the stories of God's divine interventions, the testimonies, are in essence a prophetic declaration that the Father wants to do it again!" And that's just what happened...

A week after this took place, I was talking with a small group of high school students. One of them was holding her head and mentioned that she had a bad headache. So I shared this story about the manager at Wendy's, expecting that the Lord would "do it again" and that this student would want me to pray for her headache to leave as well.

Instead, as soon as I finished telling the story, I "knew" that this student's headache had instantly vanished. So I looked at her and said, "That headache just left, didn't it." She was stunned almost speechless, and nodded yes.

Just hearing the story of another person's healing allowed her faith to open a moment in which the Father could touch her too. And He did!

I spoke with this student a week or so later; the headache never returned (unusual for her).

Jesus did that!

Encouragement for a Store Clerk

A few years ago, I was waiting in line at an Autozone auto parts store in Bellmead. As I was standing there, it popped into my mind that the Lord wanted me to ask the clerk if there was anything I could pray about for her. I didn't want to say anything to her; one, because the impression seemed so iffy, and two, the clerk was quite vocally in a big-time sour mood.

When my turn came, I quietly presented my item for purchase, handed her my card, and was about done with the transaction before I said anything - I figured if she bit my head off, at least I had my car part and could wish her a good day and get out the door.

So as I handed the clerk my signed receipt, I looked at her and apologetically said, "Ahhh, this may sound a little awkward, but I'm a Christian, and standing in line here, I felt like the Lord wanted me to ask you, is there anything I can pray for you about?"

She looked at me like a deer in the headlights - stunned, silent, motionless. For a moment, I thought she was storing up to blast me. Suddenly, her countenance completely melted and she said, "Yes, but I can't do it here. My boss will fire me."

Between the two of us, we came up with a "cover" - to go out to my van in front of the store, open the hood and look meaningfully at the engine. Auto parts clerks often do that with customers, and that would give a little time for her to quickly tell me her story and for me to pray.

Her situation was dire: Her husband was out of work, her marriage was under a lot of stress, her two teenage children were getting into in all sorts of trouble, the family was about to lose their house to foreclosure, and her boss at this workplace didn't like her and her job was on the line. At her wits' end, she told me she came to work that day crying out to God for a word of hope. So my asking about praying for her was a direct answer to her need.

Through the prayer spoken over her, the Father poured encouragement and hope into her. In that moment, nothing outward changed, but the Father gave her hope for her marriage, hope for her children, hope for her house, and hope for her job, her finances and her overall future.

To add to her encouragement, I told her my story of that morning - "I have never been to this Autozone before, but this morning I felt a strange leading to come to this one. I drove by at least six other auto parts stores to get here, including two other Autozones. Doesn't that give you great hope, that the Lord knows your situation, hears your cries, and truly does care for you?"

It did give her hope. She thanked me and went back in the store, her burden lifted.

Jesus did that!

New Ear Drums

One very hot August afternoon in 2008, my eleven-year-old son and I were outside working on our van in the 104-degree Texas heat. Our new next-door neighbor, Mindy, came over to talk a little.

Mindy had been sick for some time with ear infections, so much so that whatever was wrong with her had destroyed her eardrums. It so happened that she was scheduled to travel to Dallas the following week for a difficult and painful surgery to temporarily remove her outer ears and re-create both of her eardrums. She was dreading having to go through that.

When I offered that my son and I would be happy to pray for her, Mindy agreed. I asked if we could put a hand on her shoulder, and we did that, too.

As is usually the case when I pray for healing, I "felt" nothing out of the ordinary — no "release of power," no tingling, no heat (plenty of that already), no sound of harps, nothing. Same with my son – just a simple prayer of faith. We asked Mindy if she was aware of any sensation or change; she said no, but she was touched that we had prayed for her.

After a little small talk, Mindy went back to her house and we continued working on our van.

Four or five days later, Mindy came over to see us. I was puzzled to see her, and with no bandages on her head. So I asked her, "How'd the surgery go?"

With tears welling up in her eyes and a big smile on her face, Mindy said, "I didn't have to have surgery after all—when the doctors checked me, they found I already had two new eardrums!"

Jesus did that!

Tooth and Ear Pain Stopped

As I walked in a Waco-area Christian bookstore, one of the clerks was preparing to leave work early to go see her doctor. She felt miserable, holding her head because of a severe tooth ache and ear infection. She said an infection above her upper right molar had spread to the inner ear on the same side.

I asked if she would let me pray for her, and she consented. Within seconds, all the pain in her ear and tooth were gone.

Jesus did that!