MY HEALING TESTIMONY

(They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12: 11)

God will forever be in the healing business. -Dr. Wisdom

Years ago, I had a major crisis with my health. It is amazing how one moment we can look so healthy and full of life and within the twinkling of an eye all that can change. All it takes is a sudden malfunction of the body or a bad test result from the doctor. That was what happened to me during my final year in high school. What I thought was a common cold turned out to be something that kept me bedridden in the hospital for five long months. Several medical doctors were on hand to help me get well but all to no avail. I was truly on my way to the grave. I lost so much weight during this period that it was hard to imagine what I once looked like. The fear of death was constantly over me. My situation was very bleak and scary. How are demons associated with sickness? Before I was admitted to the hospital, I remember a strange occurrence one night. As I slept, I noticed a creature was trying to choke me. I fought hard to keep this creature away for about five minutes. I can recall sitting on my bed in the dorm, tired and confused from fighting a force I could not see. After several such encounters, I heard a voice as clear and loud as if it were right next to me. The voice called my name twice. Then it spoke to me, saying that if I wanted to be firm in life, I should stay away from liquor and cigarettes and I should avoid unholy practices. I knew this was the voice of God calling me to holiness and to walk the path of righteousness. It was not too long after this encounter that I became so sick and almost died. The cause of the illness was unknown. All the doctors could say was that it was a high fever. I was under siege by crippling sickness and disease and hope was almost gone. Months of being unable to move had taken its toll on my fragile body. In the midst of this gloom, the good Lord sent a helper. My day of healing came when an elderly man from my birthplace called Papa Okoyanor came to my rescue. In my helpless and powerless state, this believer and worshipper of God saw what the medical doctors could not see. He understood that my problem had spiritual undertones. He also realized that in order to overcome the devil, certain spiritual weapons would have to be unleashed. Spiritual problems must be attacked spiritually. You cannot overcome spiritual problems with carnal weapons. Scripture declares: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10: 4). The devil is a stubborn rascal and the only language he understands is the language of faith. Strong faith in the name of Jesus can work wonders and miracles by destroying the works of the devil. For the first time in my life, I was privileged to experience great faith in action. This man of faith was sent by God. He approached me with faith and courage and displayed a high sense of humility and patience. I can still remember the authority in his voice. The healing process was simple and straightforward. After anointing me with oil, he commanded the sickness to depart, declaring that there was no more accommodation for the spirit of infirmity. According to him, after all those months of illegal occupation, it was time for the evil spirit to depart. This was the turning point for me. After the first week of prayer, I was able to sit up for the first time in months. By the second week, I was able to stand. By the third week, I was able to walk with a cane. By the fourth week, I was able to walk without aid. And now, I can say that I have been in perfect health for more than thirty years with no sickness, nothing whatsoever. After five long months of crippling illness, I was more than ready for a fresh and miraculous start. This was Scripture in action––God affirming that He is still in the healing business. I never cease to meditate on how the application of God’s Word by a layman brought healing to my body and saved me from death. The true picture of what transpired and led to my healing can be seen well documented in the book of James. “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” (James 5: 14, 15 NIV). This was a turning point in my faith and in my belief in God’s ability to heal through ordinary people and in whatever way He chooses. Thank God for doctors and nurses who were able to keep me alive for five months but were not able to bring about a cure, even though they tried their best. I believe God allowed this to happen in order to rekindle my faith in His healing power and position me to take His healing power to millions of sick people around the world. Since my miraculous healing, I have had nothing more serious than the common cold, which I normally treat with over the counter medication or just by having adequate rest and drinking lots of water and doubling on my vitamin C. On this backdrop, I would like to reiterate that God still heals today whether through prayer or medicine. God is still the ultimate healer. And His healing virtue has been made available to people everywhere.

(Culled from my book: The Greatest Physician).