Praying Medic's Blog, page 125
February 26, 2014
Saved by Angels — Bruce Van Natta
Pinned under a massive logging truck, Bruce was certain he would die until the miraculous happened.
February 23, 2014
Traveling in the Spirit – 3 Testimonies
These testimonies were shared by my friend Nickole Lindsay on her Facebook timeline. She gave me permission to re-post them here.
A coworker have been out of work due to an illness for about three months and although I was not praying for him I was asleep one night and the Lord took me to his place. I’ve never been to his home, never knew where he lived, didn’t even know what city he lived in, but I saw the sidewalk, the building he lived in…what is living room looked like… how the whole house was designed…. how to get to his bathroom and bedroom, I saw the whole thing.
I went up the stairs made a left into his bedroom and I saw him laying there sick, sweating & in a lot of pain and I laid my hand on his forehead and said “be healed”.
I woke that morning & went to work and the same gentleman came into work around noon. He came to my desk and in a general conversation when I asked him about his house, the bookcase, the fireplace, I described his bedroom to him and asked if he was wearing the same clothes that I described to him last night while he was in bed.
He responded ‘yes’ and said “how did you know what my house looks like?”
How did you know what I was wearing?”
How did you know that I had pain and I was sweating? ”
I told him I believe that God took me to his place to lay hands on him so that he will recover. Hence the reason why he showed up at work the next day. His mouth dropped, and then he said are you some kind of psychic?
I responded “no, it’s just that God loves you so much he couldn’t see you suffer any longer and wanted you to be whole.”
Tears started to well in his eyes he didn’t say anything else and then walked away. The Lord has only traveled me a couple of times….whatever He wants to do is fine with me. Jesus be glorified.
Testimony #2
I was on the phone with a friend from NY (about 5 months ago) and we were talking about prophetic dreams, interpretation of dreams, words of knowledge and the like. He began telling me a story about his dad and how they haven’t got along for years because of doctrinal beliefs (which tears my heart to pieces). In the middle of his sentence, I said “wait-hold on a sec”.
There was a sensation coming from within me and all thru me and out of me. It was tingling or felt like static electricity from the inside out. The hairs on my arm and neck were standing up and I had goosebumps everywhere. (For us ladies of a “certain age”, it was like the beginning of a hot flash- lol). The room went silent. Instantly I was in another state.
I was in front of this tall, high-risen, beige apartment building. It had a single-double glass door, and it had an archway above it with a maroon canvassed cover. On either side of the archway, there were two metal, black painted, or perhaps iron lanterns with dimmed yellow lights inside of them. I remember seeing was daytime, and the next thing I remember I did, I did not use the double glass door but merely walked through it?!?!
I New that I walk through the door, and did not open it, because immediately I was in front of the elevators. They were chrome in color and the buttons were bright red when you selected a floor to go to. I remember pushing floor 11, which was the third floor from the top, however yet again I did not ride the elevator. I simply appeared in this long hallway, in which I saw the carpet, the walls, each apartment number on the doors, the window etc.
For identity reasons, and I don’t have permission to share the person’s name, but I arrived in front of his apartment. I did not knock on the door, nor did I turn the handle to get in. I simply went “through” the door. As you entered in through the door to your right was a coat rack and a dead end wall. To your left was the kitchen, then the living room , go back down the hall and the dining room and then a bathroom then the master bed room.
I noticed when walking down the hallway that there was a naked wall. It was brick- not painted, but it had an antique painting that had a lot of different colors – abstract art – in appearance and the primary color was yellow.
So I saw every room in the house, and sought in great detail and I remember I was leaving his apartment and stop by the kitchen to look at his dishes for some reason and I noticed there was a stainless steel frying pan on the stove. I tried to touch it for some reason and wound up moving it. But it was like the touch of it or the noise of the pan scooting “broke” the travel immediately and I was back at my place.
So all this time I was looking what seemed to be only a matter of seconds, my friend was saying “hello! Are you there?” I never answered the question, but I began telling him about this building that I just went through and the apartment that I just walked through……he cut me off in mid sentence and said “hold on a sec – I hear something in my kitchen” put the phone down and when he came back he said “that was weird, I have my Frying pan on the back Eye of the stove, but somehow it moved to the front? When I’m done cooking I always move my pants to the back of the stove so I don’t make a mess.. That’s odd ” ….
So I responded “hey does your apartment look like this? Does your kitchen look like this, do you have a yellow abstract painting, do you have a stainless steel frying pan? He said the painting is from my dad, it’s an heirloom, yes, that’s my building and my kitchen…how did you know my pans were stainless steel?”…….
Here’s the weird part. I touch the pan, and instantly I was back at my house. I didn’t tell him in entirety about me touching the pan….but he heard it, after I left….when I began to tell him about it….he hears some rustling in the kitchen and finds that his pan has been moved.? ….seems like there was a time lapse…..isnt that weird?? Anyways I was so tired after each experience like this!!
#3 - TRAVELING WITH GOD
One of my sons was “dating” a young girl (let’s call her Sarah – not her real name) & the 2 of them wanted to hang out at the mall together. After speaking with “Sarah’s” grandmother – agreed to meet @ a local shopping strip mall. We agreed that we should meet each other and that I would pick up “Sarah” from there and take them to the mall & I would meet her grandmother back at the shopping strip mall by 7pm that night to drop her off.
After a great time at the mall, (from what I was told) I picked them up, and on the way back to meet her grandmother….an “awareness” (that’s the best way to explain it….like that feeling you get with an “ah ha!” Moment occurs) …..came over me.
I pulled into the parking lot of the strip mall and as the kids chatted away in the backseat of the car…there was silence all around me…. And then….I was in an apartment???
I was standing in the threshold of the doorway and checking out the livin room off to the right, the kitchen was down the hallway in the midsection of the apartment and to the left if me appeared to be 2 bedrooms. One had an arched entry way and I saw “Sarah’s grandmother sitting in her favorite lazy boy chair. It was brown and a little worn, but somehow I knew this was her favorite chair??
So I walked over to that room where she was and she lifted up her head as if she was going to greet me and she looked thru me….saying ” hello? Who’s there!?” I began to say to “Ella” ” I have Sarah downstairs….& instantly I was back in the parking lot with the kids still chatting away.
I broke up the conversation with …”Sarah… Does your grandma have a brown sitting chair?” Then I went on and described other things that I saw in the apartment. Sarah was shocked, because we’ve never been inside her grandmas apt. I turned to face the steering wheel and then Papa began to download some things about “Ella”. When she pulled up in the parking lot….I realized God did all that just so she would know He’s watching over her. I was able to prophesy to her with WOK’s and words of encouragement.
(I found it pretty wacky-awesome that she could sense someone was there although she couldn’t see them)
You see, “Ella’s” prayer that morning (as she told me) was that she felt all alone and she felt like God had forgotten about her. Needless to say…God made Himself known in her heart that night and she knew…God was really with her the whole time. GLORY HALLELUJAH!!
& Shalom everyone!! HAPPY TRAVELS!!!
(Sorry for the typos!)
February 20, 2014
The Secret Your Favorite Author Won’t Tell You
As you read the final page of your latest e-book, your mind begins to race with questions:
“I wonder if the author wrote any other books like this one?”
“I wonder if any of them are on sale?”
As you finish the book, another question is asked. But this one is different. It’s a message asking if you want to leave a review of the book you just read.
You consider it for a moment, but you begin to think about all the things you want to get done today and decide maybe you’ll do it later. You go on about your day, and of course, later never comes. You never find the time to leave a review. Now don’t feel bad. You’re not alone. Most people don’t leave reviews of the books they read. Reviewing books isn’t something most of us enjoy.
I’m going to share something with you that your favorite author desperately wants you to know, but they’ll never tell you. Your positive review means a lot more to them than you will ever know and it has nothing to do with their ego or their status as an author. If you ask the average author what one thing they would change if they could — most would say they wish they could get people to review their books more often. The reason why they can’t tell you is because they’re afraid of being seen as needy, ungrateful, or insecure. It’s considered bad form for an author to publicly ask for reviews.
For the last month, nearly every dream I’ve had from God has been about publicizing my new book. I’ve never been much of a salesman or promoter, so I had to take a crash course to learn how to promote a book. The Holy Spirit has given me some great strategies, but one thing I never realized is how important book reviews are. While there are other retailers of books, Amazon is by far the world’s largest book seller, so I’d like to use them to illustrate a few key points.
When a reader searches Amazon for a book, they tend to use the Amazon search bar, which makes suggestions based on their search terms and what books rank highest in the categories they’re searching. The chances of a book being recommended to them are mostly determined by the book’s rank in a searchable category. There are 2 major ways that Amazon ranks books on any given subject:
1) Sales
2) Reviews
Amazon has many ways to list books, but they all boil down to either a sales-based listing or a review-based listing. If two competing books have similar sales, and are equal in other respects but one has significantly more positive reviews, the one with more positive reviews will be recommended more often by virtue of its higher average rating.
When an author runs a promotion on their book, it’s a good idea to recruit help from a website that promotes books that are on sale. (I used one such website during my last promotion.) Many of these websites have a minimum number of positive reviews that are required before they’ll consider publicizing a book. If an author can’t get the required reviews – they can’t publicize their book. And if they can’t publicize their book – how are they ever going to get more reviews?
It’s probably the undecided buyer who receives the most benefit from reviews by other readers.When a potential buyer is considering a book, the more favorable reviews a book has – the more information they have to base their decision on and the more likely they are to make a purchase. Very few undecided buyers will purchase a book that lacks positive reviews.
Most authors realize the importance of positive reviews even if their readers do not. And because they can’t always rely on their readers to leave reviews willingly, they’ve found creative (sometimes illegal) ways in which to obtain them. There are now a number of Facebook groups authors can join where they can trade reviews of their books with other authors. There are many websites available where authors can purchase positive reviews for a fee. While some of these practices are against Amazon policy, desperate authors are still using them. That’s how important positive reviews have become. I think it’s a shame that authors feel they must resort to such measures.
When you leave a positive review for a book that you enjoyed, you’re not just giving the author a pat on the back or stroking their ego. You’re making a significant contribution to their success as an author and if they write for a living – you’re helping them pay their bills. Authors rely heavily on positive reviews. Leaving a positive review for a book you liked is equivalent to leaving a tip for a waitress. Every positive review makes a huge difference.
After you’ve downloaded a free or discounted book or after you’ve read a paperback that has impacted you in a positive way – please return the favor and go to Amazon, (or Goodreads or B&N) and leave a well-written, honest review of their book. Then tell your friends about it. Some authors spend years writing a single book. I think it’s reasonable for them to ask us to take a few minutes to write a review and let them know their time was well-spent.
I’m not posting this message in order to guilt anyone into leaving a review of my book. Many people have already left positive reviews and I am very grateful for that. I’m writing this because it occurred to me that I’ve publicized a lot of free book downloads over the years, but I haven’t given the authors of those books the reviews they deserve. So I plan to leave reviews of the books I’ve read. Please consider doing the same.
Thanks in advance.
February 17, 2014
Southern Medical Journal Publishes Study on Healing Prayer
Many people do not believe in the validity of divine healing because they have never seen miracles objectively verified through standard research methods. I’m happy to report that there has been much more research done in the last decade using standard clinical research methods. This link will take you to a study on the effects of healing prayer on blind and deaf patients in Mozambique. The study was first published in the Southern Medical Journal. If you know anyone who might benefit from this information, please share it with them.
February 14, 2014
February 10, 2014
Kindle Deal – Divine Healing Made Simple
My book Divine Healing Made Simple is on sale this week for Kindle users in most locations.
In the US you can download it on Kindle for 99 cents for the next two days. Click this link to get your copy in the US.
It’s on sale in the UK for £0.99. Click this link to purchase it in the UK.
We have temporarily lowered the price in all other locations to allow as many people as possible to take advantage of the discount. If your country does not have a Kindle distributor – you may be purchasing it from the US site at a higher price. We’re sorry, but the discount from the US site is only valid in the US. Please check for the current price in your location.
You don’t need a Kindle device to read Kindle books. If you want to read them on an i-Pad, i-Phone, Android phone, PC or Mac computer – go to this link to download the program or app for your device and you can enjoy cheap Kindle books, too.
I’ve received many testimonies from people who have tried the things I suggested in the book and guess what?
They worked.
The book has done much better than I expected. Sales have been brisk, and the reviews have all been positive. I owe a huge thank you to all my friends and readers for helping spread the news about the book. We haven’t spent more than $15 on advertising and the book has been selling extremely well. Thanks for your support.
If you’d like to do me a huge favor, let your friends know about the sale so they can pick up a copy. Post a link or send it to anyone who might want to know about it.
If you’ve read the book, and you have time to leave a review on Amazon, I would be very grateful. I’ll explain in a future message why reviews are so important to authors.
~ till then, happy reading
February 5, 2014
Healing in Health Care
This is an excerpt from the book Divine Healing Made Simple.
I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to see many people healed in the setting of emergency medicine. I think healing and medicine make a wonderful partnership, though not everyone agrees. There are many issues that need to be considered if you want to use divine healing in your medical practice. In this message, we’ll discuss the most common problems and look at some solutions.
Before I began operating in divine healing, one of the things that bothered me about claims of healing miracles, was the apparent lack of credible testimonies from medical experts. The few stories I’d heard were reported in such a way that made their verification impossible. Symptoms were poorly described, no diagnosis or mention of medical treatments was given and little was provided in the way of diagnostic testing afterward to verify the claims of healing. I found these stories hard to take seriously.
Since then I’ve learned that a lot of clinical research has been done on healing prayer and much of it suggests that the power of prayer can be observed and predicted through clinical trials.
In 1988, Randolph Byrd shocked the world with the results of a study he had conducted five years earlier on the effects of prayer on cardiac patients. Byrd studied 393 patients admitted to a coronary care unit in a San Francisco hospital. The patients were “statistically inseparable,” meaning their conditions and symptoms were all similar.
Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups – those who received intercessory prayer and those who didn’t. Neither the doctor nor the patients knew who was in which group. Byrd gave the first name, diagnosis and condition of patients in the prayer group to different groups of three or four active Christians from several denominations.
These groups prayed for their patient daily throughout the patient’s stay, away from the hospital, without meeting the patient. They prayed for a timely, easy recovery and one free from complications.
When the study concluded, Byrd found that there was indeed a significant difference in the quality of recovery among patients who received prayer: The prayer group fared better on average than their fellow patients who did not receive prayer. Almost 85 % of the prayer group scored “good” on the rating system used by hospitals to rate a patient’s response to treatment. They were less likely to have a heart attack, need antibiotics or require interventions like ventilation or intubation. By contrast, only 73.1% of members of the control group scored “good.”
Research on prayer has nearly doubled in the past ten years, says David Larson, MD, MSPH, president of the National Institute for Healthcare Research, a private nonprofit agency. Even the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which refused to review a study with the word “prayer” in it four years ago, is now funding one prayer study through its Frontier Medicine Initiative.
Advances in traditional medicine will continue, but they will eventually plateau. Research in the field of divine healing is just getting started. Duke University, John Hopkins and other medical centers are building programs to study and harness the full potential of spiritual healing. The landscape of health care is rapidly changing. Here is a glimpse of what it may look like in the future:
In February of 2011, I had a dream in which I watched a new hospital being built. I walked to the construction site every day to check on the progress, taking a different route each day, trying to find the shortest one.
One day I arrived as the building was nearing completion. I walked to the street corner and began walking up a steep sidewalk next to the building. There was a handrail, so I used it to climb the long, steep slope. I met a man coming down the sidewalk. He was tall and austere in appearance. He was one of the hospital staff. As we met, he glared at me and kept walking.
There was one more element in the dream; in the beginning of the dream, I watched hospital employees standing around a bed, speaking curses that were damaging a patient. They seemed to be unaware of what they were doing. At the end of the dream, when the hospital was completed, the same group of people stood in the same room and prayed for a patient, who was healed by their prayers.
Let’s do some interpretation:
I believe the new hospital represents a new model of health care that God is “building.” My trips to the construction site reveal my involvement (and probably the involvement of people like me) in “seeing” the new model of health care as it is built. The fact that I took a different way each day, trying to find the shortest route would suggest there are longer and shorter paths to seeing the project completed. Our influence is intended to get it done in the most expedient and efficient way possible.
The steep sidewalk is a reminder that we have an “uphill battle” in helping the medical community see the value of divine healing.
The austere man is a representative of the existing medical paradigm. While they may be left “speechless” by what they witness happening, they may not react favorably.
Finally, the group of people who cursed the patient in the beginning and prayed for their healing in the end, could reveal a present problem and the solution to it.
The problem is that many health care workers speak words to their patients that rob them of hope and cause them to agree with sickness and death. We have enormous power in our words and people hold our views in high esteem. When we tell a patient there is no hope for survival, they tend to believe it. They give up hope, even ruling out the miraculous. If we neglect to tell patients that God wants to heal them, we’ve concealed from them what is perhaps the most important fact of all.
The solution is to speak frankly about their chances of survival from a medical standpoint. If medicine has nothing to offer, tell them so and point them to the fact that God isn’t limited in the ways that we are. We need to give them hope that a miracle is always possible, even if we don’t believe it’s likely. That option should never be taken from them. If we truly want the best outcomes for our patients, I think that includes praying for them to be healed.
Divine healing and medicine may seem like strange partners. Divine healing is a matter of faith. Medicine is mostly a matter of science. Our culture has at times identified these two as being in conflict with one another. But the truth is, divine healing is an excellent complement to the practice of medicine. There are many conditions for which medicine has little to offer. The power of divine healing has virtually no limitations. While patients have a high degree of trust in the medical community, most patients also believe in a higher power.
When God challenged me to begin praying for my patients, I had some anxiety over it. I wasn’t afraid to pray silently for patients. That doesn’t take a lot of faith. It was the idea of asking a stranger if they wanted me to pray with them that terrified me. I was also afraid someone would complain to my manager.
In the last few years I’ve prayed in public for several thousand people. About half of these were on the job and half were at stores and other public places. I have prayed for very few people in church settings. That’s right – I pray for many more people outside of church than inside. Of all the patients I’ve asked, I can only remember a few who declined. Keep in mind that I did all this in the pacific-northwest where church attendance is the lowest in the US.
My observation is this: if you’re afraid that your patients don’t want you praying with them – you’re probably wrong. More people are willing to receive prayer than you might think. This is especially true when a patient believes they are seriously ill or on the verge of death.
Operating as a divine healer in health care is rewarding but it does come with challenges. I have met a few people who objected to a paramedic praying with his patients on duty. I had a discussion with a doctor who was offended when she learned that I talked to my patients about God. In her mind my actions were unethical. She believes patients are vulnerable, seeing medical workers as experts. Her fear was that I would abuse my “expert” status and push a vulnerable patient into accepting a religious point of view, without having time to fully consider it. Sadly, Christians have developed a reputation for using high-pressure tactics to convert people to Christianity. While some people may operate this way, it can be a subtle form of manipulation. Is there a reason why discussions can’t occur that allow us to share ideas about faith and God without crossing the lines of sound ethical practice?
When I ask a patient if I can pray with them, I have only two things in mind. One is to get them healed; the other is to introduce them to God in a way that is personal and memorable. I simply invite God to touch them in a way that will allow them to know He is real. And they are fully aware that’s what I’m doing. I allow them to hear me as I ask God to touch them. I don’t preach to them and I’m not in the habit of asking them to believe in Jesus as their savior.
If your motive for praying with a patient is to convert them to your religious belief, people have a right to question your motives. If on the other hand, your desire is to see your patients healed, your motives will be seen as less selfish and more consistent with the goals of sound patient care.
If medicine is about delivering the highest level of care and the best customer service possible, then divine healing should be a part of what we do, at least for those interested in the realm of faith. Yes, there are cultural obstacles to overcome. But at the time of this writing, I am aware of no legal restrictions (in the US) that prevent us from pursuing this avenue of care. Please consult a legal expert in your area to determine if there are restrictions where you live.
Weighing the Risk
Can we expect a few complaints? I suppose we should. Not long after I began praying with my patients I was called into my manager’s office. A nurse in one of the emergency departments saw me praying with a patient and filed a complaint with her manager. Her manager and mine had a talk about it. I found it a bit ironic that this happened at of all places, a Catholic hospital. I worked for one of the largest private ambulance services in the country. In asking his supervisors what he should do about the complaint, my manager discovered some surprising news. None of the managers in our company could recall ever dealing with an employee caught praying with a patient.
In our meeting, I explained that God asked me to pray for the people I transport. I told my manager I always ask permission before praying and I always respect the wishes of those who say no. He said our company had no policy regarding prayer on the job and there were no plans to change that. My manager’s position was very reasonable. His only concern was that I avoid behavior that might generate complaints from our customers. He respected my convictions about prayer. He said I would be allowed to continue praying for patients under two conditions: first, I had to ask permission and second, I agreed to confine it to the back of the ambulance.
Most fire departments and hospitals have some type of chaplain service for their customers, including hospitals with no religious affiliation. Becoming a part of the chaplain’s service may open doors for you to pray with patients and family members, perhaps even staff. The fact that we have these services demonstrates a belief that the spiritual needs of our patients are real and that meeting those needs is a legitimate part of the service we provide.
I would like to know how an organization that advocates spiritual care in one sense, could reprimand an employee for providing it in the normal duties of their job, merely because they don’t have the title of “chaplain.” There is no reason why we should receive disciplinary action because we pray for patients who request it. And there is no reason to believe that any special training or certification is needed to provide spiritual care. Although western culture holds college degrees and ordination in high regard, there is no biblical basis for believing that they qualify us for service. Jesus used simple, uneducated people to work miracles of healing and raise the dead. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t follow that example today.
One fear we have is that of suffering discipline for praying with a patient. I had that fear and it proved to be unfounded. I’m not saying you won’t catch some flak from your supervisor – it’s certainly possible. But for citizens of the US, our constitution guarantees certain rights that we don’t surrender when we come to work.
I don’t advocate a militant or defiant attitude toward prayer in health care. Romans chapter 13 tells us to respect the authorities placed over us and that includes supervisors at work. Humility and a spirit of cooperation will go a long way. God opens doors and changes people’s hearts. I do a lot of prayer in the area of asking God to grant me favor with people as I step out in faith and pray for the sick. If God wants you to heal your patients, He’ll make the way safe, though you’ll almost certainly encounter a little opposition.
I had a dream about this situation shortly after I began praying for my patients. In the dream, I was on the run from the enemy and took refuge in a hospital. I wore scrubs and blended in with the staff. I slept in a bedroom on the top floor where the doctor’s dorms were located.
I was there for many days. Occasionally an agent of the enemy showed up at the hospital looking for me. When I saw them, I’d pull a surgical mask over my face and duck down a hallway or get on an elevator. As long as I didn’t draw attention to myself, the enemy didn’t notice me.
This was a dream of major revelation. It was God’s way of telling me that I was protected and given favor in the setting in which I worked. I could pray for my patients with confidence as long as I didn’t make a scene or draw attention to myself. I think we’re a lot safer than we believe in the realm of praying for our patients and I believe God will reveal strategies to overcome obstacles if you ask Him.
I’d encourage you to pursue God’s heart for your situation. Ask the Lord if you’re supposed to be praying for your patients. Begin looking for opportunities to test the waters. When you start praying with patients, expect to see a few miracles. But don’t be discouraged if you don’t. It was only through months of praying that I eventually saw see people healed.
The nature of our job doesn’t always allow us to follow up with patients. Some people are healed immediately, but they don’t realize it until being tested. Some are healed weeks or months later. Don’t give up. God is faithful. He will honor your obedience, in time.
The book Divine Healing Made Simple can be ordered here: http://bit.ly/DivineHealingMadeSimple
Other excerpts from the book:
The Biblical Basis for Healing
Healing Ministry Flows Through Relationships
The Kingdom of God Revealed – A Dream
I’ve Received Prayer – Why Am I Still Sick?
February 2, 2014
Fire on Your Head Podcast With Praying Medic – Part 2
This is the second part of my interview with Steve Bremner, where we discuss whether it’s wise not to take your medication while waiting for your healing, why people are not healed and other subjects from my book Divine Healing Made Simple.
If you’d like to subscribe to the Fire On Your Head Podcast, visit their directory in iTunes, Stitcher Radio, or visit FireOnYourHead.com for more subscription options.
If you’d like to subscribe using another podcatcher, please use this feed:
http://fireonyourhead.libsyn.com/rss
January 30, 2014
January 27, 2014
The Miracle Man
Joel Haler shares this testimony of how he was in a wheelchair one day, paralyzed from the waist down, and walking the next.
