THE HEALING VOICE

Elton March

Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed. -1 Peter 2:24 KJV

God listens when we pray, an admonition to claim His promises and praise Him more.

Since I was born, I had never been hospitalised. I have always been healthy and happy. My walk with Jesus had been on and off, but I tried to stay on track.

In April 2021, soon after my graduation, I was working in a certain company in Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi. Everything was going well until November that year, when I started having strange upper back pain, which later led to left leg pain, numbness and weakness. The situation got worse in January 2022, to the point that both legs were affected and couldn’t move properly. Hospitals failed to diagnose the problem. I moved to Blantyre, the commercial capital city of Malawi, where my family lived.

We were praying and fasting that God would reveal the cause of my illness to the doctors. Fast forward to February 2022, an MRI scanning at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital revealed that I had disc herniation in the lumbar region, causing the compression of the spinal cord, hence the weakness in the lower limbs. Surgery weas scheduled in early March to treat the problem. We prayed for a successful surgery and the neurosurgeons at the hospital did their best. It was an open surgery of disc laminectomy done with an opening of about 15cm.

We hoped for the best, nevertheless, one month after the surgery, the situation got worse. I lost all strength in both of my legs; I had persistent back pain and was nailed to the wheelchair. We were praying and fasting often with family and friends, “Why me Lord? Why have you forsaken me? What evil have I done that You can’t forgive?” I was throwing all sorts of questions in my prayers.

When I went for a check-up in April 2022, I explained everything I was going through to the doctors, and they advised me to do another MRI scan. The results shocked me: they said the first procedure was totally unsuccessful, as if nothing was done. Another operation was needed. Looking at how scary the procedure was and how much pain I was still going through after the first procedure, I couldn’t believe the news. I was distressed and depressed for the first time in my life. I began a life of prayer and fasting. 21 days, 7 days, 10 days, 3 days of fasting etc. I was still in a wheelchair, without an answer from God.

In August 2022, I moved to Norway to pursue my master’s degree. I was still in a wheelchair, but I had hope and faith that God would heal me, because He had spoken to me several times through dreams that I would walk again. I trusted Him completely. My mom objected to the idea of moving to Norway for studies in my condition, but I insisted. I attended the first church service in August 2022 at Syvendedags Adventistkirken still on wheelchair. One day as I was reading 1 Peter 2:24, I noticed the verse was talking about what God had already done for me, not what He was going to do in the future. The scripture says “by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). I therefore changed my prayer focus, and started praising Jesus for healing me. I started praising Him for making me walk again, yet I was still in a wheelchair.

I remember one day, in my room (Misjonsmarka 7), still worrying and thinking about my condition, a still voice came to me: “Elton, rise up and walk”. I brushed off that, because I hadn’t been walking since January, so how could I suddenly walk again out of blue? The same voice came again the second time. When I heard it for the third time, I obeyed, rose up and made three baby steps, then I broke down in tears, praising Jesus for healing me, That was my first time walking again. Since then, I have been improving in health, moving from wheelchair to crutched, to finally walking alone. (Funny fact, my mom insisted of keeping my first wooden crutches which my friend James Kaskas made for me, which of course I didn’t use, She says it is a memory of the battles I had fought in my youth)

The second surgery that was suggested to me was never done, no medical personnel ever intervened for me to start walking again after my first surgery. It was the Great Physician Jesus Christ who did the second operation that made me walk again. He spoke to me directly (though I failed to recognise His voice) in a still voice to rise and walk, and that was my healing voice.
I want therefore to encourage you to keep in waiting on God. He knows your situation, He hears your prayers, and He is working on them. Just praise Him more, claim His promises in obedience. Surely, He will do more than what He did to me. Hallelujah!

Do you mind if I pray with you?
Dear God, thank you for healing me. Thank you, Jesus, for teaching me the power of praise and worship, instead of complaining. Today I pray for you dear reader, whatever the situation you are struggling with, I pray you ill learn to hold onto Christ and to trust His promises. For God`s promises are indeed amen. This is my prayer, in Jesus’ Mighty name. Amen