Since March I’ve had a pinched nerve in my lower back that over time had been causing me an increasing amount of pain. While we were in Indiana for the month, there was a chiropractor in town that we rode our bikes to for a few treatments. The chiropractor was good and I felt some relief, but the pain kept coming back within a few days. During this time, I dreamed one night about Psalm 66. I don’t dream often and I never have such clarity and specificity in my dreams, so I believe God was prompting me through my dream to read Psalm 66. (More on that later.)
At the end of the month, we left Indiana and headed to a Healing Summit run by Pastor Tim Sheets at The Oasis Church in Middletown, Ohio. This event consisted of 6 prophets and apostles. (These are people who hear God’s voice and direction clearly). During the service, they directed everyone who needed healing to come forward for prayer.
There were hundreds of people there and the line for prayer was long. As we waited, they announced several testimonies of immediate healing, which encouraged my faith. When it came to my turn for prayer, I had full belief that I would be healed. Prophet Clay Nash stood in front of me, laid his hand on my head, and said, “Read Psalm 91 every day.”
That was it? No word from God? No healing? Just “read Psalm 91”? Truly I was a bit let down, but I respected Clay Nash’s words because of who he is with the Lord and his reputation of hearing God clearly. So Cherie and I went back to our seats. When I sat down, what came to me quickly was 2 Kings 5.
This is the story of a military commander, named Naaman, who had leprosy. His servant spoke of Elisha the prophet being in town, and he urged his commander to go to him for healing. Reluctantly, Naaman went to see Elisha. Elisha never even came out to greet the commander. Instead, he sent his servant to Naaman with a message to wash in the Jordan River seven times for his healing. Naaman was furious! He was a man of high status and he wasn’t even greeted by Elisha. And now he was being told to wash in a very dirty river, not once but seven times!
In his pride, he refused. But after much coaxing from his servants, Naaman finally dropped his pride, humbled himself, and “dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy” (2 Kings 5:14).
I believe through this story, God was telling me to be obedient to what the prophet spoke. I have been reading Psalm 91 every day since June 27.
Then on July 7, I was in tremendous pain, so Cherie took me to an emergency room. (We were now in Michigan.) When the nurse was done taking my vitals, I asked to pray for her. She quickly said yes. When God was done speaking to her, I stopped praying and she was overwhelmed with the words. She immediately hugged and kissed me from the peace she received.
At this point we were sent back to the waiting room, where Cherie felt prompted to pray for a young man with several mental health-related issues. A short time later, a different nurse took me back so she could draw some blood. In conversation, she said she had the same pain as myself. I was impressed to pray for her, which she gladly received.
My point is this: Obedience. Out of obedience to my dream and the words spoken to me at the summit, I am still reading Psalms 66 and 91 daily. Out of obedience we prayed for two nurses and one young man, all who needed a touch from God.
God rewards obedience. Sometimes what God tells us to do is difficult to wrap our heads around, but when we humble oursevles and obey, God rewards us with grace and favor. Naaman was not happy with Elisha’s words, but finally he was obedient and received his reward. I now have none of the pain that I had suffered with since March. So is this a formula for healing: repeated obedience = guaranteed healing? I’m not saying that. We can’t put God in a box. He does things the way He sees fit and all His ways are good. What I am saying is God rewards obedience because obedience is an outward expression our our love for and trust in Him.
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If you love Me, keep my commands.
John 14:15
This is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24
Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.
Luke 11:28
… your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:4b, 6b, 18b
