The New Hand

Her name was “Mimi”, and I had just finished preaching an evangelistic message and people had come to the front for prayer. She walked with a limp and one of her hands was deformed.

I had seen her two days before as we went through the city inviting people to a three night crusade that would serve to become a new church plant in a rough part of town. Mimi had converted to Christianity a few months ago and asked us to pray for her swollen hand. She’d had a stroke that affected the left side of her body. But it was her left hand that was causing her the most discomfort. The stroke had left her hand “paralyzed” and swollen and almost useless. And so we stood in the street and prayed for her.

Mimi came to all three nights of the meetings, and each night she asked for prayer; and each night someone would pray for her like we did in the street that afternoon when we were handing out invitations.

When I was still on the platform up front during that final night,  I motioned to several on the team to go over and pray for this woman. Three of the team came over, introduced themselves to Mimi, and then proceeded to pray. Once again, compassionate hearts cried out to a holy God to intervene and have mercy and to heal Mimi.

And then it happened; I SAW her hand shrink!  I SAW Mimi bend and use her hand! And she did too and let out a shout!  Mimi had received a healing from the Lord!  On the platform, two members of the worship team also confirmed that they too had seen Mimi’s left hand shrink and saw her hand move; it hadn’t been my imagination!

Jesus, when He was on the earth, had laid hands on and healed people; the Bible is filled with those stories.

Jesus said; “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

“And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. ² So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. ³ And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” ⁴ Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. ⁵ And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.” Mark 3:1-5

I have had the privilege of seeing many medically documented miracles in my life as a Christian, each one just as astounding as the other. When Mimi received her healing, it was further proof that His words were true.