I feel I must share this story within the framework of Paul’s great word image in 2 Corinthians 4 v 7: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” 

A few days ago, I found myself sitting in a dentist’s chair for two full hours of invasive treatment. Not fun. Back home again, the anaesthetic was wearing off. This clay jar was tired and fragile!

A message came in on my phone from the wife of a couple I have come to know. They faithfully pastor a church in their local part of India where poverty and persecution cause significant challenges.  “Please pray for my husband.” The message requested.   He had been suffering severe pain in his shoulder for several days and was unable to sleep. Good medical care is really hard to come by in their situation.

Thinking that the time difference between us would mean they would be busy with family things in their evening, I reasoned it might be best to wait and call them the following day.  I would feel better then too. But no! They were both free and eager to have a video call with me right then and there.  Apart from me not feeling my best, there was no reason not to call!

Putting the coming ministry time into Father’s hands in a very brief prayer and declaring that Jesus had said we would lay hands on the sick and they would recover, I called and the video connected.

Checking first with the husband to find out what had happened to his shoulder, he said he didn’t know where the pain had come from.  He had recently been suffering from a virus, but that’s all he could think of. On a pain scale of 0 – 10, his pain in that moment was 9.5 out of 10! and he could barely move his arm.  I could see the pain on his face.

I explained that I would pray briefly but did not want him to pray with me, instead to relax and absorb the prayer.  I would also be asking him to check out his arm as we went along and he was to be completely honest with me, not saying it was better if it wasn’t.  “The healing may come in degrees” I explained -and we would pray for as long as it took.  He understood and agreed.

I encouraged his wife to lay her hand gently on his shoulder and I, thousands of miles away in a different, room, continent, culture and time zone, commanded healing to his shoulder and total removal of all pain and its root cause. Sudden unexplained pain in someone can be the work of a spirit of affliction, so I commanded that spirit to leave completely through the mighty name of Jesus! and full range of motion to be restored. The whole prayer took one minute, two at the very most.

When I asked if he had felt any sensation during the prayer, he said “Yes I could feel something happening but, even more than that, “……and before I knew it, he started to lift his arm up higher and higher, raising it above shoulder level until it was fully raised up over his head!  Then he did it again and again!  “Oh, I couldn’t have done that before!!” – he exclaimed!

The next thing I knew, he was cycling his arm around in a big circle like a windmill, again and again and again.  He moved his arm in and out and side to side with complete freedom and no pain.  Not even a tiny bit of pain!  9.5 to 0 pain in less than two minutes!!!!

“Now I can play cricket again!!” he said, beaming with joy in between ‘Hallejujahs” from the three of us!  It was amazing, and the sight of his overjoyed face is one I hope I never, ever forget. 

The following day, I messaged to check how things were.  He had slept wonderfully and that morning had helped his wife to carry water and do other physical tasks with no problem.  Praise you Jesus!

My clay jar was weak and, honestly, not terribly willing.  But God’s surpassing power did just that – it surpassed all my personal weaknesses and limitations to bring healing freedom to someone in need via a brief video call thousands of miles away. 

All the glory belongs to you. Jesus!  Holy Spirit, keep prompting us and helping us to step over those limiting lines that exist merely in our own thoughts and imaginations. We want your Kingdom power is be released on the earth through us, however fragile our clay jars may be!