Adrian Collins, pastor at St. Joseph Island Free Methodist Church, recently shared this story on the FMCiC pastor email list. A member of the congregation, Debbie LaRocque, was healed during a Sunday morning service. Adrian explained, “We’ve had other times where people have been healed, but it has been when the person comes up for anointing prayer then reports back at a later date about their healing. This healing was an instant, right in the service and everyone witnessed what God did.”
Debbie has written out her testimony and given permission to share it.
Do You Believe in Miracles?
I feel like I should be shouting this from the mountain tops! So how do you really do that – shout from the mountain tops? God only knows where He will take it from here. I pray that as I share this it will be an encouragement to someone else out there that may be struggling in pain.
I live with chronic back pain and have for 29 ½ years. So rarely does any pain more consume me than the pain in my back. Last Sunday evening my upper arm/shoulder started hurting and the pain bought tears to my eyes. By Tuesday afternoon I was at the chiropractor to determine what might be wrong and if he could help or if I had to go to my family doctor or specialist. His diagnosis was that my arm was out of place or dislocated at the shoulder. He did ultrasound therapy, acupuncture, cold therapy, tens therapy and manipulation. He said I should see a significant improvement.
The pain did not improve. In fact it seemed to get worse especially in the evenings and through the night. Wednesday night the church prayer group prayed for me. As I sat there in that meeting my shoulder was in a tremendous amount of pain. Thursday night it was my worst night yet. Friday it was back to the chiropractor, he again did the full range of treatment mentioned above. He also told me to push through the pain, continue the exercises and ice it.
All week the song that kept running through my mind when I was struggling with the pain was “I Shall Not Be Moved.” I wondered if this arm/shoulder pain was an attack of the enemy as I had just accepted nomination to be church delegate (something the Lord had prepared me to accept). My God is bigger that any pain, illness or disease! Glory Hallelujah I shall not be moved! In His love abiding I shall not be moved!
This brings me to Sunday morning. I didn’t sleep well because of the pain but was up early and did my required exercises. At church that morning, Pastor Adrian who was to be prayed for because he was experiencing some severe back pain himself, also invited me up to be prayed for. So I went forward to be prayed for and anointed with oil. He had asked another congregant to pray and anoint us. Pastor Adrian was prayed for first, then myself. As I was prayed for and anointed I believed God could heal me, but I also knew that I have gone forward a few times several years earlier to be anointed and prayed over for my back pain and for whatever reason I was not healed. During the prayer I felt a warm constant pressure on my shoulder. A number of people had laid their hands on Pastor Adrian and myself. But it wasn’t a pressure from people pushing down, it is hard to explain this warm pressure. Immediately following the prayer I felt God tell me… go ahead and raise your arm see if it is real. I resisted. Again I heard/felt the same thing. Slowly and reluctantly, because I do not like to draw attention to myself and it was in the middle of the Sunday morning service, I lifted my arm up… all the way up. My arm/shoulder was a little stiff but it wasn’t sore at all. The excruciating pain was gone. The thankful tears came. There were no words as I sat there, but tears and praise to God. I raised that arm
high above my head during every song throughout the rest of the service praising God for the healing. I didn’t care what people thought. I was rejoicing and I knew the power of what God has just done. God is good. I am claiming God’s healing power. Once again, God did a miracle in my life and this time my church family was witness to this miracle. I pray each one there that day, realizes it for the miracle that it really is!!!
On Morning I headed to the chiropractor because I already had the appointment and I planned to share with him my miracle. So I did share with him that I was healed by a miracle in the Sunday morning service. He checked everything out and said that my arm is totally back in place. I have full range of motion and no pain. The slight stiffness is from not having used my arm in a week. He asked me some interesting questions like what church I went to was it a “fundamentalist” church (whatever that means in his mind). I told him I go to the St. Joseph Island Free Methodist Church, a bible believing church of about 100 people. Next he asked what our pastor was like. I told him that our pastor was a nice down to earth kinda guy who preached God’s word.
My arm is healed. God did it! So shouting from the mountain tops, YES I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES… THANK YOU LORD!!! Do you believe? Put your trust in God and see what miracles He will do in your life.
Healed by His Grace,
Debbie LaRocque
