Healing on the Streets (HOTS) – July and August 2015 update

A testimony following July HOTS
A gentleman (who has also been on the team) came to be prayed for at the July HOTS for the pain in his leg and also the difficulty he had been having breathing. He’d spent all day sitting in front of a fan during the hot weather. The following Monday morning, he sent this message:
“I’ve been praising God this morning my leg is still pain free and my breathing is good. This is the best my breathing has been since 4pm the 5th of June 1998.That’s 17 years 1 month 15 hours and 39 minutes. Jesus loves me so much. I just can’t hold back the tears any longer”.
Another testimony following July HOTS
Several months ago, a student visited HOTS on Edgbaston Street. On that occasion he revealed that he was unable to attend lectures because he could not sit down for long due to burning sensations on the underside of his legs. His left shoulder was also in pain. Hospital tests had not detected anything so he’d come to us for prayer. He was also worried about his progress on the course.
The student also mentioned that he was worried about the possibility of a curse linked to a witchdoctor several generations back. A team member led the student in a prayer to liberate him from any curse which led him also to make a commitment to Christ.
In June, the student returned to HOTS and it was an occasion for giving thanks as he had no more pain in his shoulder. Also the burning sensation under his legs had been reduced. The student was concerned about an assessment he was required to do for his course. We prayed for continued release from the symptoms and for favour with his tutor.
When the student returned in July, we discovered that he had not told his tutor about his condition but that his tutor had backed him fully anyway and that he was now able to attend most of his lectures.
In August we gathered as usual for prayer before going out on Edgbaston St. During the prayers one of the team members shared with us how he thought someone would come to the chairs saying they were feeling hurt and abandoned. Now it is not uncommon or even difficult to come across someone feeling hurt and abandoned especially somewhere like the Bull Ring market place. However, we felt this was a specific word from God for a specific person. So we said that when that person came for prayer saying they were feeling abandoned and hurt we would know that was the person God appointed for that time. It was almost like the story about Jesus surrounded by a multitude of people being touched by many. A woman desperate for Jesus’ healing touched him. Jesus immediately asked: ‘who touched me’. Everyone was touching Jesus as it was pretty crowded but one person was seeking his healing. Jesus knew it was a different touch. (Luke 8:43-47). So we too knew that many were probably feeling hurt and abandoned but we believed one person was going to come seeking healing and we would know who that person was.
So we went out to pray for passers-by. For the first 2 hours we did not have many people coming to the chairs. In fact, the only thing that came was the rain. It rained so hard we had to take the chairs under the cover.
After half hour or so of heavy rain a lady dripping wet and with some difficulty in walking approached us and said: ‘I’ve come to you today because I need a miracle.’ We gave her a chair to sit down under the cover and we prayed for her. She was seeking God for her healing. After we prayed for her she got up and said: ‘I know now I can go and visit my sister. I can now travel to Norwich.’
As this lady left the rain stopped – almost like a mark of another miracle. The sky was blue and it felt like a new day. We put the chairs out again and prayed that God would bring people to sit on them. He did. We were back on business.
At four o’clock we started putting the chairs away. When we were about to put the last one away a lady came to be prayed for. She sat down and said she needed prayer to find a job. Then she added: ‘I was training to be a teacher but I failed my teaching practice. I feel hurt and abandoned’. Immediately we knew this was the person that would come to seek Jesus’ healing. This was the person that touched Jesus from amongst the crowd as it were and Jesus recognised the touch. We spend some time praying with her and she left with hope knowing she could to start again.
As we put the last chair away these words of Jesus resounded in our minds: ‘Someone touched me. I know that power has gone out from me’ (Luke 8:46)
Blessings
Revd Elsie Blair-Chappell