One of the more common problems with being bed
confined is the prevalence of decubitus ulcers – more commonly known as “bed
sores”. Just a short time spent in the same position puts pressure on tissues
of the body. The pressure reduces blood flow. Reduced blood flow
impedes the exchange of oxygen, nutrients and removal of waste products.
All these conditions will, if not reversed, result in the death
of body tissue. The death of tissue leads to open sores in the skin, which
become infected and painful. People who can’t change body positions on their
own are susceptible to these skin ulcers Many of the patients we see have them.
Today we transported one such patient to clinic for wound care. The
office was busy. Workers hurried from room to room, moving
patients around, but one woman named Kate, wasn’t moving so fast. An immobilizer
on her leg made her a little slower than the rest.
Our patient wouldn’t be seen immediately, so we parked the
gurney in the hall and as Kate passed by, I asked why she wore the immobilizer.
She seemed glad to have a reason to take a break and filled
me in on the details. Several weeks earlier, Kate stepped off a curb and tore
the supporting structures in her ankle including her Achilles tendon which
detached from the heel. I asked if she had surgery. Her doctor wanted her to
try the immobilizer for a few weeks before they considered surgery.
I asked if
she wanted to be healed. She asked what I had in mind. I told her about a few
people that had been healed and she said she’d like to give it a try. I told
her that I catch up with her while our patient was being seen by the doctor.
When the time arrived, we rolled our patient into an exam
room, gave them a quick report and left them to do their thing. That gave me 20
minutes to get Kate’s foot healed.
I went to the receptionist desk, where Kate worked and told
her I was ready. We walked to the staff break room to avoid drawing attention.
Sometimes a crowd is appropriate for the miraculous, but in the work place, I
try to respect people’s wishes for privacy.
We sat down and I explained what I do. I asked about her
pain and range of motion then shared a few testimonies, including the people
who’d recently been healed of a torn Achilles tendon.
I placed my hand on the immobilizer near her ankle and told
her she’d probably feel either heat or tingling. I commanded spirits to heave,
asked the Holy Spirit to bring His presence to touch her and commanded pain and
inflammation to leave. I spoke to the ligaments, tendons, bones, nerves and
blood vessels to be healed. I asked what she felt.
“You know it’s funny you mentioned tingling, because as soon
as you started speaking I felt tingling on the side of my foot by your hand.”
I commanded the Achilles tendon to reattach to the heel and
asked what she felt.
“Now the tingling is up in my calf, which is where the
tendon is torn.”
I asked if she had any pain. She replied that it was all
gone. I told her I was confident that she was completely healed and she could
probably take the immobilizer off and walk without pain. She was reluctant to
take it off, but she seemed to agree that she didn’t need it any more.
I told her the pain might come back and explained that God
really did heal her, but the enemy might try to convince her she wasn’t healed.
“Healing is a battle. Sometimes you need to push back
against the enemy. You saw what I did to get you healed, so if the pain comes
back, command it to leave in the name of Jesus, like I did. Then continue to
believe you’re healed.”
Kate let me take a picture of her leg and I gave her info on
how to find me here. I encouraged her to keep in touch and let me know how she
felt in a few days.
I was thinking today how easy it is to find people to pray
with. I haven’t received a word of knowledge in months. But there are people
all around us who need a healing touch or an encouraging word from God.
Anyone can do this stuff, you know. It’s not just for a few
people.
It’s for everyone.
Even you.