Fasting Day 5

Today: READ Acts 3

Acts 3
Healing of a Lame Man
1 Now Peter and John were going up together to the temple complex at the hour of prayer at three in the afternoon.[a] 2 And a man who was lame from birth was carried there and placed every day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so he could beg from those entering the temple complex. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple complex, he asked for help. 4 Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us.” 5 So he turned to them,[b] expecting to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” 7 Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. 8 So he jumped up, stood, and started to walk, and he entered the temple complex with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple complex. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him. 
[a] Acts 3:1 Lit at the ninth hour
[a] Acts 3:5 Or he paid attention to them

Praying for Healing

Immediately- after being healed, we see this man jumping for joy and praising God! That is what all miracles like this are intended to do! Bring praise to our Creator! Peter and John go on to say that it was not them who healed this man “by their own power or godliness,” but by FAITH IN THE NAME OF JESUS! 



Today, as you are fasting, praying, and reading, I want you to think about your testimony. I want you to think on what God is done in your life and give Him praise! Take the time to write out a short testimony. This is important to have developed. It gives you increased confidence when you speak, and it is very likely at one point or another, especially in Mexico, you will be called to share your testimony.

1 Peter 3:15-16: Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame. 

There are many kinds of testimony; your testimony can be of when you were first saved. It could be a testimony of your journey with God, such as what you have seen Him do in your life, or through you on something like a Mission Trip. You could even have your testimony be one that talks of a hard time you have been through. Maybe your testimony is just something that God puts on your heart of a specific thing that really made the gospel “click” in your own heart. Whatever you do, let your testimony be one that glorifies God!

There are several methods to getting this down on paper; Maybe just start with two words: Before Jesus I was ____________, now I am ___________. Then expand it. You can write out a 150 word testimony. This helps you be clear, and concise, but it takes work. Every word is meaningful.  There is power in your words when we work alongside the Spirit. I have written out many testimonies, ranging from my relationship struggles that were caused by my parents divorce, to God’s guiding hand in leading me exactly where I am today, even when I was not giving Him my whole heart. I could talk for hours with what I have seen God do on the two Mission Trips I have been on. Today, I just wanted to share the testimony that I found myself giving the most last year.

We definitely worked hard in El Salvador when I went in 2012. We were carrying around 100lb bags of rice and beans all over the place, distributing to the poor and hurting people, and by Sunday night, my back was killing me. I had a ruptured disk when I was 16 years old. I had a portion of it surgically removed and it was better for the most part, but this sort of labor really wore on me. My back would swell. My leg would go numb. I remember in the pain praising God for the strength and ability to do this sort of work in the first place, even if it did result in a little discomfort.

It was the last night of our trip, and we were headed to a small church service. It was a church service I was definitely not prepared for. I remember we sung Revelation Song in English and Spanish and just worshiped the Lord saying HOLY HOLY HOLY or SANTO SANTO SANTO. It felt like the song went on forever in the best way. After worship was finished, we went into a time of prayer, and the Pastor came up to the front and the Spirit had given him knowledge of a need of someone in the audience. The pastor said “God is telling me that He wants to heal someone with back pain.” Of course I just stood there in my seat assuming he was talking to someone else. We had seen so many healings over the past week, and I was excited to see what God was going to do next. Then the pastor got more specific- “Someone with pain in the lumbar region.” Ok- now that is a little weird... At this point my wife is nudging me to go forward, but I still just stood there, after all, God would have healed me 8 years prior if it was meant to be right? Then he said “I am getting specifically it is a ruptured disc in the 3rd vertebrae...” No more denying it- with my wife shoving me I went to the front and was surrounded by a group of men and women I didn't even know and they began to pray over me in the Spirit. After praying, I didn't really feel any different, but the Pastor asked on the microphone, is there anything you can do that you couldn't do before- so I tried to touch my toes, which hasn't happened since I was 16, and I reached so far to the ground I was able to touch my wrists to the floor- I could do nothing else but fall to my knees and praise our Father for His love!

God has taught me a lot from that- I would have rather been healed at 16- but God’s timing is not our own- and He healed me now for a reason. It has been nearly two years and I am so glad to be able to share that experience with you and just give all the glory to God! Last year in sharing this story with the people of Mexico, God did receive all the glory! I would finish my story, and they would call people forward to come and have us pray over them for healing. One particular woman really stands out for me. She came up to me and a few others and wanted us to pray over her. She had not been able to pick up her young daughter due to severe pain in her shoulder and back. Much like my story, our group just prayed over her, for God to move, for His Spirit to work and repair the damage. And much like my story, we asked her when we were through, “is there anything you can do that you couldn't before?” She turned and looked for her daughter, and ran to pick her up, and returned with tears in her eyes, because the pain had gone away! Glory a Dios! God did the work, but He used my story to draw her to Him!

The 2013 Nuevo Laredo Group
10 from Colorado, the rest stationed in Nuevo Laredo- 6 of us are going back this year!

 I am so pumped to see what He is going to do with this team of 16 from Faith Bible Chapel Carr St, in Arvada, CO! He is going to change lives, forgive sins, heal the sick, break down the strongholds of the devil, restore life and do countless things that I can only begin to daydream about! Formulate your testimony, and know that your words go out with the Power of the Spirit behind them!