Our final morning in Amsterdam and, packing done, it was time for coffee and breakfast!
Crossing a hotel corridor on the way to our room, I came upon a cleaner pushing her trolley of supplies. Greeting her, I asked how her day was going. “Oh, fine thank you” she said, smiling. I felt I should continue the enquiry! “How about health wise – any aches or pains today?” “Well, this wrist here isn’t too good. Been having pain in that for a while now.. Often flares up”. Checking her name – Diana – I asked whether she would let me pray for her wrist pain to go? Diana was delighted by this! She is a believer and was getting excited that God might have sent someone specially to help her.
My prayer was short, commanding the release of the pain and full restoration of the wrist with no further flare ups. “Oh, I can feel the fire in there!” Diana exclaimed, as she flexed her wrist to check it out – her pain had all gone! She smiled widely as she thanked God for this spontaneous corridor healing! I told Diana that, if she had any colleagues who would like prayer too, I would be in my room and happy to pray for them. “Oh, I will ask my supervisor to come! She needs prayer for bad back pain.”
Back in my room, I had barely set my coffee down or peeled my banana when a knock came at the door! It was Diana with her supervisor, Iris, a softly spoken lady of Middle Eastern background. Iris smiled shyly as Diana said how difficult the pain was for was for Iris. Iris thought her back pain was from repetitive strain, especially from climbing stairs, possibly mis-stepping on them and hurting her back. The pain radiated down her hip and leg, so a nerve was possibly trapped.
I explained to Iris what I would be doing. She seemed to have some quiet faith herself though had never experienced the supernatural power of Jesus at work! Iris sat on the bed and I began to command healing to her back, hip and leg. Diana was praying and praising in the background. It felt like impromptu church!! As Iris spoke of warmth in her back, Diana thanked God out loud for his Holy fire! The healing came in stages, each time with more release and less pain, until, at last, Iris was free!
It was beautiful to see Iris realise that Jesus wanted her well and was able to heal her, right in the middle of her working day! Iris has an amazing friend in Diana, who risked asking her supervisor to be prayed for by a random stranger in a hotel room!! Bless those two daughters to be fiery carriers of your Glory in all their places of influence, Lord Jesus!!
On my final return to our room before checkout, I exited the lift with a young American couple on vacation. Along the corridor, they told me of the European countries they had visited. Their last stop would be the UK, and they were keen to hear my recommendations – especially for castles!! Asking what had brought me to Amsterdam, I explained about praying for people in the city, for healing and encouragement. At this point, we had stopped in the corridor at the exact spot where I had prayed for Diana’s wrist.
The couple, Brian and Marianne, divulged that they too are believers but had only recently had their faith revived through some miracles. Brian asked whether I would pray for them. We formed a little circle and I prayed for them individually, listening to Holy Spirit for each one and declaring what I heard over them. Brian was crying. Marianne was gently smiling and nodding. The prayer lasted a few moments and at the end, Brian croaked “I can barely speak because of the fire inside me while you were praying. You have spoken things that have marked our last few years that only God could have shown you. Thank you for giving us fresh hope for the future. We wondered what God really had for us on this vacation. Now we know.”
And as I left the “corridor of fire” I marvelled at God’s perfect placing and timing. I had two minutes to spare before checkout and the taxi arriving to take me to the airport. Glory!