This is an amazing story and hopefully will encourage you as much as it has us.

Many times we pray for people and never hear back “the rest of the story”.  That does not mean that nothing happened  …  just that we did not hear.  I was at a hardware store in a part of town we rarely frequent and a woman came up with an exuberant “Hi Ted” and started to talk to me.  She must have seen the “who are you?” look on my face so she stopped and said “Oh, I’m sorry, you would not be able to recognize me.  You prayed for me four years ago for a severe weight problem.  During the prayer you said that it would not be a miracle but rather a process over time and that the Holy Spirit would guide me each step and that I would be healed of the problem.  Also, that God was going to heal my heart as a part of the process.  God did indeed heal my heart and I lost 250 pounds.  Thank you.”  The fruit and product of our prayer efforts will ripple through generations to come even if we never hear back.  It is nice to hear, though.  (By the way, if you are struggling with a weight issue please do not be discouraged by this report.  God will guide you as well, He loves you just as much as this lady.  In Jesus you are healed, keep pushing in.)

Nicer still is to have a story where it is a second generation result that is heard. 

A woman who had experienced healing herself from a number of issues, including seeing her bone density go from a woman of 70 to a woman of 30 (she is in her 50’s) over a few months of prayer, came up all excited at church this past Sunday.  She just got back from a mission trip to Rwanda with a Mars Hill missions team and she was bursting with news of what God had done.

The lead in to her story is that once she had experienced healing she would often send people to the “W” or to us for prayer on a regular basis.  At a conference a while back the Holy Spirit told her that she did not need to send people anywhere since she could pray in the same authority.  This realization came prior to her leaving for Africa.

While in Africa she went with two other team members to a TB Sanatorium.  She told the other ladies “I will be praying a little different if you don’t mind”.  They were taken to a woman with severe TB, out cold, her appearance was near death and breathing poorly.  They laid hands on her and the newly bold prayer minister prayed as directed by the Holy Spirit.  They returned three days later and the woman’s room was empty.  They went out into the hall and the woman just about ran them over with her huge energy.  She had been completely healed and was now praying for other people (since she was still quarantined for another six months even though healed).  Bless God He is good.

They also saw a baby come out of a stupor and begin crying and fussing (good things when listless and ill).  Also a man in a coma went home two days after the group prayed for him at a different hospital.

This lady was lit up with excitement that God indeed would move in response to her prayers and she did not need to send people someplace else for prayer.

Take a moment and thank God that these signs follow those of us who believe  …  we lay hands on the sick and they recover.  Lord, teach us today more deeply what it means to be united with You.

We thank God also for these additional reports …

REPORTS:

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  • A woman was prayed for by her son and she now “feels better than she has in years”.  Thank you Father for teaching Your children how to pray.

  • A man who had arthritis came to the “W” for prayer last year and reported last week that all his arthritic pain had gone away. God, You are gracious.

  • A woman with pain in her hip was pain free before the night was over at the “W”.

  • A young woman came for prayer to be healed of a smoking addiction.  She came back one week later to report that she was not smoking anymore.  Father, you break the yokes of bondage to bless Your children.

  • A woman who asked for prayer for cataracts reported that her cataracts have diminished but in the mean time her vision returned to 20/20.  You grace us with lavish gifts Father, thank you.

  • A member of the WT was having deep knee pain.  She came to a conference and was prayed for by a ministry team of WT members and other people.  As she was being prayed for the gentleman who was holding her knee in prayer (who himself was healed not two minutes earlier of back and leg pain) felt her knee move inside.  When the prayer was over she started to bend her knee and there was a pop and all the pain left.  We bless you Healing Lord.

  • A woman at the same conference had a problem with her esophagus for the past ten years with persistent coughing and other symptoms.  She was prayed for but noticed that she had not coughed since coming into the building.  Sometimes just the atmosphere of belief and God’s presence is enough for healing.  Thank you Lord.

  • Our two young friends from GVSU (a cheerleader and a former GVSU track athlete) reported first that the cheerleading camp was great and because her knees were healed she was able to handle the 14 hour days that the camp demanded.  The other young lady went to Africa on the mission’s trip but blew out her knee playing soccer in a village that was two hours drive back in the bush.  Her first thought was “boy I wish I could make it to the ‘W’ tonight for prayer”.  Her later thought was “I have authority in the name of Jesus so knee be healed in the morning when I get up”.  When she got up in the AM her knee was healed and she was able to finish the trip without incident.  Healing is through the name of Jesus not our authority. Thank you God for letting us participate in Your work.

  • An intercessor that is a part of the WT had a deep heart pain (emotional) healed during the swarm a couple of weeks ago.  Father you care for every part of our lives.

  • A young boy was became sick (throwing up and feeling very ill) at the “W”.  The leader spoke to the virus, bacteria or infection and cursed it and commanded that it leave and he was well and playing on the floor within two minutes.  Thank You Father for caring for the needs of children at the “W”.

  • A man was working in a machine shop and got a metal shaving splinter in his eye ball.  Doctors could not remove it surgically and he was in severe pain and concerned about what to do and about possibly losing his eye.  A group of intercessors began to pray and commanded that the sliver come out.  It came out on its own over the course of the next few hours.  We have authority in the name of Jesus, Lord teach us how to walk in it.

If you read last month’s Update you may remember the story wrapped around this word from the Lord regarding a discouraging situation in a person’s church;

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   “You do not have a right to not have hope.  If I can heal a family that has no reasonable chance of being restored I can certainly heal this church.  You need to place your hope in Me.”

A prayer leader at a local CRC church who is a part of the Wider Wrestling Team read this and called to say that it met a deep need for her the day she read it.  She had become so discouraged by the leadership in her church and their lack of interest in prayer that she was considering leaving and had had a number of conversations with other discouraged people in the days leading up to reading this note.  It spoke to her heart that God had called her to the church, that He was still at work and she was to trust Him.  Thank you Father that we overcome the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

Here are some additional things to be aware of as WT members;

OPPORTUNITIES:

·       The fall schedule begins next week @ Mars so please pray for the staff and workers to rise up in the power of the Holy Spirit as they do the work at Mars Hill.

·       Margie Brenner sent out a call to anyone interested in joining prayer teams to support the various ministries at Mars Hill.  If you are interested in this please call Margie at the church 249-3337.

·       We have asked for additional people for the WT over the past few months  ….  Names anyone?  We are down to one person in the prayer room in a couple of slots, please make this a matter of prayer and consideration.

·       Please pray for the staff, leaders and volunteers at Mars Hill as there are many transitions in process. Change can be disruptive.

·       Please continue to pray for Ted and Claudia and the OMWB as they speak and minister;

o       Two PrayerFire events coming up this fall;

§       October 13^th @ Beechwood Reformed in Holland, MI

§       November 3^rd In Jenison, MI

You are appreciated and prayed for often.  

Ted and Claudia Kallman

Wrestling Coaches

The beginning is the most important part of the work.

Plato, The Republic. Book II. 377B

Lord, help us begin with You.