Testimonies of Healings

The following testimonies were compiled and edited by Mike Luea, a coordinator in the Work of Christ Community, for the encouragement and edification of those who read them, and want to similarly experience the personal love of Jesus. To add to these, clarify or otherwise comment on these testimonies, you may contact the Work of Christ Community by calling (517) 336-8530.

From March and April 2007

1. An athletic wife and mother shared the following: “I had surgery on my legs on March 9^th; the doctor thought that after a week or so, I should be back to running. My legs were still very sore several weeks later and when I tried to run, my knee buckled several times and every step hurt. Fr. Rea prayed that by the Resurrection, my legs would be back to normal. That week (Holy Week) my legs were very painful, sometimes with shooting pains during our long services. However, the day after Pascha, I was able to run without pain. They are still not 100%, but what I was really praying for was granted-today (Thursday following Pascha) I ran for 45 minutes with no pain at all. Praise God!”
    

2. A mother who stood in proxy for her teenage daughter at a Fr. Rea led Healing Prayer meeting in March 2005 wrote the following: “After (our daughter) started working at Panera’s last fall she began suffering knee pain. What her doctor prescribed included supplements and celebrex. But (our daughter) lost motivation to continue regularly taking the pills. Mainly, she just lived with the pain. At the March 13, 2005 meeting there was a Word of Knowledge that God wanted to heal knees. I stood in for our daughter since she wasn’t there.  I asked (our daughter) a few weeks later how her knees were. She said they were completely pain-free. Praise God!”
    

3. A young wife and mother of 5 children was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and given 1-2 years to live without chemo. And with chemo the doctor said the cancer could not be cured, but she would have an additional year of life. At the urging of her sister, and a cousin who belongs to the Work of Christ Community arrangements were made for the young mother to drive from another major city to the home where Fr. Rea was staying in the Lansing area. There she was prayed over for healing in March 2007. In May her sister wrote in part: “Over the past few months we have seen Annette’s immune system go from totally exhausted and non functional in terms of fighting cancer, to being able to break up and shrink her tumor considerably. Yes that’s right! Her body is naturally fighting the cancer and we are hoping that in the next two months it will be totally gone!!! Annette had lots of people praying for her. She was on several prayer chains, had been prayed over by several people including a priest from New Zealand (Fr. Rea) who has the gift of healing. (I know personally that he has this gift, because when he anointed me all of my excruciating back pain went away instantly!)” And an update in July from her sister stated similarly, “...Yesterday we got the results back from Annette’s PET scan and there is absolutely no sign of cancer in her body! Thank you Jesus! We had hoped this would be the outcome, since her last scan 2 months ago showed that her tumor that was growing on her lung had dislodged itself and was breaking down into smaller segments. ...I think of the day back in March (I think it was March) when the priest from New Zealand that had the gift of healing prayed over her.” Annette also in this period of her life had changed her diet, initiated an exercise program and reduced other stressors in her life as part of her healing.
    

4. A young wife brought her husband, mother, and mother’s friend to one of the 2007 prayer meetings. After prayers by Fr. Rea and then in a small group the friend of the mother, an older woman who suffers from MS exclaimed “I have feelings in my legs!!” The young wife who brought her mother further wrote, “This lady has not had any pain since that day related to her MS and is feeling a lot better!”
    

5. A young married couple writes that in 2005 Fr. Rea prayed over their son who had a blocked tear duct since birth. “We were about to take him to the doctors and the chances were he would have to have surgery to take care of the problem. We had him prayed over by Fr. Rea and within days the problem had cleared up and it hasn’t bothered him since.”
    

6. A couple in the Work of Christ recently wrote about their niece for whom they had asked prayers at meetings in 2003 and 2005. “My niece was experiencing on-going difficulties with infertility, unable to successfully conceive or carry a child. During Fr. Rea’s first visit (2003) she was prayed for in proxy, and soon after she successfully conceived and carried her baby to full term, delivering him in about 9 ½ to 10 months after she was prayed for. At the time of Fr. Rea’s second visit (2005) the same niece was again hoping to conceive and bear her second child. Again she was prayed for by proxy and about 10-11 months later she safely delivered her second child. Evan and Erin are happy and healthy and their parents are grateful and full of joy at God’s goodness.”
    

7. A man in his early 60’s whose hobbies include lots of gardening and fruit tree work was at a healing meeting when a Word of Knowledge was given stating that the Lord was healing elbows that night. And the healing would be related to the fact that the name “Jean” would be important to that person receiving the healing. “Jean” was the name of this man’s sister. As he writes, “I claimed that healing because I had been having elbow pain from weight lifting. Within 2 days all pain during weight lifting had disappeared.”
    

8. Another man in his early 60’s asked for prayers for his on-going arthritis. Shortly after being prayed with he states that he is “80% healed”. It also included that he was encouraged by members who prayed over him to make some dietary changes which he did.
    

9. An elderly lady who broke her hip and had emergency partial hip replacement was prayed for at one of the healing meetings. Later she was prayed for again. Her friend writes: “Her doctors are amazed at the healing progress she is experiencing”.
    

10. A wife had arthritis for 3-4 years and it prohibited her from joining her husband in riding their motorcycle together to Christian and secular rallies. Fr. Rea prayed with her in 2003 and she received a healing in one hip. She was able to join her husband again in their Ministry to Secular Bikers. But the arthritis returned plus muscle tensions in the other hip and she had to stop riding for the past 1 ½ years. Her husband asked her to join him in being prayed with in March 2007 so he’d have his “riding buddy” back again. She writes after receiving prayers: “Praise God! I’ll be riding this season!”
     

11. A middle aged physician wrote: “I injured my left shoulder at the gym in March 2006. Although I had been rehabbing it since then I continued to have pain with activity. (At a prayer meeting) there was given a Word of Knowledge about people with shoulder pain (but) it didn’t really fit my description. I got prayers anyway and I am pain free now. I continue to pray that I will get full strength in it.”
     

12. A young mother of two toddlers and wife wrote, “I got prayed with at the Gathering to be able to pray every day.—It worked, thank you.”
     

13. A young mother of an infant wrote: “Our daughter was not gaining the 6 oz. per week she was supposed to. In fact she had not grown 6 oz. per week since birth. After Fr. Rea prayed with her she put on 24 oz. in 8 days.”
     

14. A middle aged wife and mother wrote that she asked for prayers because she was having difficulties in having prayer times on a regular basis. She further wrote: “After being prayed over (on the Sunday) I have had consistent, DAILY prayer times and Scripture time. This is the first period of time in my life for over 25 yrs. (!) that I have been faithful to the covenant commitment. I plan on sharing after I have kept this up for a more months. P.T.L.!”
     

15. A young woman wrote:”I just wanted to tell you that a few weeks ago, at one of the healing meetings (two ladies) prayed over me for many concerns. One young woman had a word about praying for my knee, and I’m delighted to report the knee stopped hurting as it had been continually for many months prior. I’m virtually pain-free....In fact, enough function has returned that I’m able now to exercise by walking some each day. Really, it wasn’t first thing on my list of requests but it’s such a joy to know God loves me enough to give me the gifts He knows I need at the time.”
     

16. At the Sunday prayer meeting a young woman, not part of the Work of Christ Community, asked if she could share her healing from a previous visit by Fr. Rea. She did verbally and provided the following written account. “I want to share my experience of healing during Fr. John’s visit in September 2005. I went to the Work of Christ Community (Prayers for Healing meetings) 3 times when Fr. John was here, but had no intention of being prayed over for a specific concern. I sat by a fellow church parishioner who urged me, asking me “You are going to get prayed over, aren’t you?” Reluctantly, I got in line and knew what God wanted to heal me from (the) most, “Disordered eating”. I didn’t “fall” into the category of anorexia or bulimia. However, I was always on some kind of diet pill, had a rather rigid exercise routine, and self-esteem was very low. Before 2005 I gradually improved in coming closer to claiming victory over this enslavement, but was still having “relapses” of my addiction 2 to 3 times per month for 3 years. I felt indescribable discouragement over not being completely free. When I got prayed over by Fr. John in 2005, I felt this deep, enveloping peace and love that defied words, which followed me back to the prayer team. As the power and presence of the Spirit permeated me, tears of hope flowed down my cheeks....It is with much enthusiasm and deep gratitude to God for sending His Holy Spirit among us, especially the outpouring of His Holy Spirit in this gathering (2007) that I tell you I have never had a relapse again....Thanks be to God that I have freedom, and I can now leave the guilt and shame behind me.”
     

17. The owners of an auto repair business came to one of the healing meetings with the owner’s wife having a burden she could not work though. After being prayed with by Fr. Rea she and her husband went to one of the prayer teams for follow up and asked advice from the young couple what should they do to have this worry or burden lifted? The husband of the prayer team only had one thought come to mind, “Keep praying!” which he offered to the owner’s wife. The owner’s wife later confirmed that was the exact words she needed and as a result of ongoing prayer she no longer is anxious or burdened.
     

18. A mother who heard about the healing meetings from her husband, came for the first time to ask prayers for one of her daughters who lives on the East Coast and has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease. The daughter elected to do chemo therapy and radiation therapy. But her mother insisted on going to the Fr. Rea Prayers for Healing meeting with the hope of a miracle. The mother stood in proxy for the daughter. She also was given a handkerchief blessed by Fr. Ray to send to her daughter. Results are (1) the mother experienced a tremendous relief personally after being prayed with, and (2) after all the treatments and her mother asking for prayers, and the daughter daily holding the blessed handkerchief in her hand, she is free of cancer! Praise God!

From 2005 and 2006

1.      A former GM employee brought his 60 yr. old former supervisor to the Prayer Service in September 2005.  Fr. Rea and the couple who brought him prayed for the supervisor’s extreme migraine headaches. The man had been experiencing these headaches at the rate of 3-6 per week. Some would last for 13 weeks in length before subsiding. Since being prayed with in September 2005 the former boss has only experienced one and it lasted only 15 minutes. 

2.      A father and mother brought their 35 yr. old daughter to the Prayer Session to be prayed with to have a child.  The young woman had been married for 10 years without conceiving and even adoption proceedings were unfruitful.  After Fr. Rea prayed with the young woman, he had a word of knowledge that she would have a child in her home by the end of the Christmas season.  The results were that an adoption agency called at Christmas time and said a baby had become available. The child was delivered to the new parent’s home on the last day of the 2005 Christmas season. 

3.      A visiting college student from Honduras prayed in proxy for her father who had a large tumor on his back for several months. Afterwards, the student contacted her dad and he said the tumor had miraculously disappeared that same week. 

4.      A mother asked for prayers in proxy for her married daughter who had two miscarriages in the past year and was unable to carry an unborn child for more than 12 weeks.  After praying over the mother Fr. Rea gave a blessed handkerchief also to be sent to the young woman.  The daughter who lives in another state informed the mother later that she conceived another child the week after Fr. Rea prayed in proxy.  A healthy baby boy was born in June 2006. 

5.      Another lady, of the Muslim faith, came because her sister, also a practicing Muslim, and a family practice doctor who works in the same office with a Christian doctor in the community, strongly suggested she go.  For 10 years the Muslim couple had not been able to conceive or bear children. Based on the recommendation of the Christian doctor, the couple was willing to accept the invitation to “come and see” what this healing service was about. The couple conceived shortly after and the lady had her first baby in 2006.  She named her new baby “Faith”.   

6.      Two other young married women, who had not been able to conceive since being married for several years, came to be prayed with in September 2005.  Afterwards, both coincidently found Christian medical doctors who helped them find the right chemical supplement that increased their fertility. Both conceived shortly afterward and have birthed healthy boys in 2006.  

7.      A 49 yr. old Christian man attended the healing services discouraged about being overweight virtually his whole life, and now on medication for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other physical problems.  He attended all the healing sessions, even being on prayer teams to pray with guests after Fr. Rae said his brief prayer over each individual. He went up for prayers at the end of the last session. For a few months afterward, nothing much happened.  He redoubled his efforts to lose weight, but the results were pretty much as they had always been - he worked really hard, for minimal results - he lost a few pounds, but it really wasn't sustainable. Finally, he was convinced that things needed to change - what he was doing obviously wasn't working - but he had no idea how to change them. Then coincidently, his mother came to visit his family just after Christmas, and she was reading a magazine article taken from a book called 'The Fat-Resistance Diet'.  This led to his family buying the book and following this approach. The results were immediate and stunning - by the end of two weeks, he’d lost 18 pounds.  By the end of a month, 30 pounds.  Two months, 45 pounds. In his own words he says: “And now, seven months later, I'm 80 pounds lighter than I was in January 2005. I can credit the Fat-Resistance Diet for showing me the way to do what I never knew how to do before, and I can credit my wife and my mother for bringing the diet into my life.  But it all begins with the Lord Jesus, who heard my prayer, even a prayer uttered without any particular faith, and He had mercy on me.  Amen!” 

8.      A manager at a local packaging plant came to the healing meetings because a younger fellow employee had invited him and a number of other employees to “check out a meeting for prayers of healing”.  The supervisor was a competitive but compulsive physical exercise addict. He knew he had a problem but couldn’t bring himself to stop the compulsion and bring exercise back into a normal part of his lifestyle. He had asked for prayers for years from various Christian groups to be free of this addiction. After receiving prayers at the September 2005 healing meeting he knew the compulsion left him. Fr. Rea had a word of knowledge for the man, “Your addiction is now gone.”  These particular words healed something in the man and now he has been free to do exercise or not, but not neglect the rest of his life. The healing increased his Faith that Jesus loved him. 

9.      A postal delivery worker came to a 2006 healing meeting because a young mother on her route befriended her over the years and invited her to come. The postal worker has a set of 7 yr. old twins. One has Down Syndrome. She wrote a thank you note recently to give an update on the progress of her child since bringing him and asking for prayers for his development. She said in her Dec. 2006 note: “In the last couple of months his speech has just exploded! More words-more complete sentences-more complex sentences & thoughts. He’s healthy happy & doing well. (And very handsome). He is reading pre-K-K. And with some help some early 1^st grade books.

From 2003 and 2004

We believe that the Lord wants to heal His children and with some regularity we will devote a community gathering to praying for healing. After "healing" gatherings in  September 2003 and February 2004 the following reports of healing were received.

1. The wife of a Catholic doctor was healed of Reynaud’s Disease. Her circulation returned to normal in her hands and feet after attending one of the healing meetings. She had suffered from Reynaud’s Disease for a number of years. She also experienced relief from carpal tunnel symptoms. Another request was to be free from claustrophobia, especially in elevators. Prayers were answered for that too!

2. An adult sister stood in for and prayed for her younger brother who fights additions. Three weeks later in speaking with him on the phone, she was able to help him pray as he gave his life to the Lord.

3. A granddaughter brought her 88 yr. old Presbyterian grandmother and requested prayers for the grandmother’s anxiety over her husband’s long-suffering and death and resultant fear of the same for herself. She had a wonderful time at the healing service, and experienced both God’s love directly and from the Catholics and Protestants who prayed with her. The grandmother slipped into unconsciousness a week later and died within two weeks with no apparent physical suffering. The grandmother had never been to an ecumenical healing service and remarked, “This is the way it should be! (Protestants and Catholics praying together).”

4. A troubled non-Christian young woman came as a guest. She had lived a life of tragedy and abuse and was looking to connect with God. She experienced some type of positive step in faith evidenced by a rush of tears she exhibited after prayer. She died accidentally one week after coming to be prayed with.

5. A Catholic man came because his wife nagged him to come. He had lost his wallet with their $300 vacation money and he was willing to ask for prayers to find it. Fr. Rea had a word of knowledge that he would within 24 hrs. Within that time frame the facility he lost it at had now found it, turned in with the $300 intact. He was excited to see God was interested in him!

6. A young woman was prayed for healing of migraine headaches. She had experienced them for three years, as many as 3-4 per month. She was healed and has had no headaches since that time.

7. A middle-aged man who has had trouble with regulating his eating habits and has high blood pressure was prayed with to lower the pressure and gain control over his eating habits. A year later he has lost 20+ pounds and is dedicated to a new lifestyle of caring for his body. His blood pressure has stabilized.

8. A young mother came as a guest to ask for prayers for depression. The depression was triggered by the loss of a child during pregnancy almost a year before. After prayers, in the next week she was relieved of depression, stopped her self-confinement, and joyfully interacted with her other children and husband.

9. At the September 2003 healing meetings, the presenter, Fr. Rea, a Catholic priest from New Zeeland, often had a charismatic gift of knowledge, whereby he would indicate that the Lord wanted to heal specific types of illness or disease. Others also had similar words of knowledge or a sense from the Lord about specific details that would encourage people to accept the healing offered. People could respond silently in their seat, or come up for prayer in response. The following are a sample of confirmed words of knowledge:

a. A high school girl heard that the Lord wanted to cure a person who had an extreme allergic reaction to citrus fruit, strawberries being included in this group. Fr. Rea had said a person named “Chuck” would be an important person to the teen and her family. So she took this word personally and went up and told Fr. Rea that she had a citrus allergy and wanted prayers. Fr. Rea asked her about the significance of “Chuck”. Chuck, it turned out, is the name of the teen’s father. Afterwards, her mother wanted the teenager to eat a piece of strawberry toast, but she refused saying, “If I go down, I’m not going to waste it on a piece of strawberry toast!” A week later the teenager decided to test her healing and had some real strawberries, and after one bite, vigorously downed the rest. She has had no reoccurrence of an allergic reaction in subsequent eating of citrus fruit.

b. A police officer heard that God wanted to heal people with sinus, allergy and blocked nasal passages. Fr. Rea said that someone significant in somebody’s life had the name “Buster”. Buster is the officer’s dog’s name and also his wife's nickname for him. The officer reports decreased snoring and more importantly, an increase in faith that God knows him personally, even the smallest details of his life. God personally touched the officer in a way he needed and in a way that hadn’t happened in years.

c. A high school girl heard the word that God wanted to heal the headaches of someone who experienced them regularly and as being two times the size of a quarter in the middle of her forehead. Since then those types of headaches have ceased completely for her.

d. A CPA accountant walked into one of the meetings just as another man had a word of knowledge, a sense that God wanted to heal someone wearing glasses, wearing a plaid shirt, having a gray beard and suffering from an arm problem. The description completely fit the accountant at that time. He had a persistent elbow infection that had not responded to antibiotics for weeks, and there had been no response to hormones either. His doctor was frustrated. The accountant had just walked into the meeting belatedly, through a side door that would have been out of sight of the person who had the word of knowledge. Rather than being able to go up for prayers for healing, the accountant asked Jesus to heal him in his seat. Within 3 days all symptoms of the elbow infection had gone away and have not returned.

e. An nurse heard a word that God wanted to restore relationships. She asked for prayers at the meeting in September 2003 for her estranged brother who has not spoken to their mother since June 1977 and to the sister since the spring of 2000. In December 2003 the brother sent an e-mail to his sister wanting to make contact with her and her husband. The sister continues to pray for his complete reconciliation with the mother too.

10. A two-year old boy was brought to the healing meeting for an eye condition, involving a blocked tear duct. Two previous surgeries were unsuccessful. Since being prayed with his affected eye has never gotten crusted over nor produced mucus.

11. Her parents brought a four-year old girl to the healing meeting. She had been experiencing frequent vomiting when she coughed—at least 1-2 times per week. Since being prayed with she has never vomited again.

12. An engineer and his wife came as guests to ask for prayers for their two children who have multiple health problems. The guest reported back a week later that one child who had a loss of memory due to multiple sclerosis was significantly healed. The other child who had a serious skin rash from a chemical reaction was being restored to full health as well. The guest asked his friend who invited him to the meeting more about the Lord and now talked openly about his relationship with God.

13. A Philippine couple asked for prayers for their teenage son for his spiritual wellbeing. Shortly afterwards, he experienced a very personal conversion and has returned to church participation and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

14. A married daughter in response to a word of knowledge that “God wants to heal bones” brought her aging mother for physical healing of osteoporosis. The aging mother has fallen previously and broken bones and fractured vertebrae. The mother herself didn’t ask for a physical healing. Shortly afterwards, the aging mother fell getting onto a CATA bus, but praise God, she broke no bones, evidence of her healing. He mother feels stronger, has expectant faith God is working in her life and is no longer bent over by the osteoporosis as previously.

15. A married woman who works as a bookkeeper asked for prayers to completely heal a pattern of morning headaches lingering from a head-bleed experienced 1 ½ yrs. prior. A couple of months after being prayed with, she realized that she no longer had headaches when she awoke in the morning! This has continued to this date.

16. A nurse asked for prayers for depressions she had suffered with for most of her life. Only recently had she sought medication. After healing prayers she gradually noticed she was feeling better. She doesn’t remember feeling this consistently cheerful EVER before. She continues to take her medication, but will try a period with out medication under her doctor’s supervision late this summer and expects to see her cure from depression verified at that time.

17. A young mother asked for prayers for general aches and pains, plus a sharp pain in her right shoulder whenever she raised the arm to the side. After being prayed with the pain was less. Now it has gradually lessened to where its completely gone now.

18. A female college student asked for prayers for freedom from anxiety connected to her school life. She now experiences “complete freedom from anxiety”.

19. A married daughter asked for prayers for her aging mother who was hospitalized for an ulcer on her heel. The ulcer had been unhealed for six months. Upon release from the hospital and after being prayed for, the ulcer immediately started to heal and within a short time was completely healed.

20. A college student asked for prayers to be healed of fear, which had controlled her life. As a result of the prayer she has received a spirit of boldness and trust in God and been able to talk to people about God and his goodness.

21. A nurse asked for prayers for her depression and Attention Deficit Disorder. Since then she has experienced relief from her depression and is off her medication.

22. An international student was prayed for relief from battling anxiety. Since then she has experienced healing. Hallelujah!

23. A young lady went forward seeking emotional healing. While in line she experienced anxiety, a bout of crying and nervousness about the whole idea of prayer for healing. She persevered and when it was her time to be prayed with, she was at peace. The next evening she had an opportunity to pray with a woman with a similar need for emotional healing. But she couldn’t identity with the new woman’s pain because her own healing was so thorough. That’s when she realized she had been healed!

24. A young married woman asked for prayers for her responsibilities in life that were weighing her down. A couple of weeks later while praising and thanking the Lord, she experienced a spiritual difference, like she was “free, ten pounds lighter, with more desire to spend time with the Lord. Alleluia!”

The above testimonies were compiled by Mike Luea a Coordinator in the Work of Christ Community. We present them here for the encouragement and edification of all who read them, and want to similarly experience the personal love of Jesus.