In my last postΒ I told a story of a friend of mine who stepped out and prayed for a pregnant woman.Β The woman was carrying a child who had been diagnosed by the medical world as having downs syndrome and as missing a nose β¦ the story includes how my friend took another testimony and used it as a precedent upon which to rely and ask God to do again β¦
Well, this testimony, is the testimony upon which my friend relied β¦ this was the first testimony that was told at a church service, which relates to miracle healings β¦ not of just one baby, and not just one healing, but a healing of twins and a number of healings β¦
The first section of the testimony retold here is the testimony that was released at church.Β The second section is the more β¦
I received permission to retell the first testimony β¦ with the more β¦ because when you choose to step out and into who you are with God β¦ the story never ends just there, with the prayer and healing, so often it is just the beginning of a journey for you and for the one you pray for β¦ as you will no doubt see as you read β¦
The first part of the testimony retold in our church service a few weeks ago was this:
After having a shocking run of complications last year, my friend fell pregnant in December with twins and was very excited. One day soon after she fell pregnant, we bumped into each other and I felt strongly to ask her if it was ok for me to pray for her for a great pregnancy. She agreed, but since she is not a Christian, was a little cool about it.
Last month, I bumped into her again and she looked absolutely shocking. She told me that she had just come back from her doctors’ and was being encouraged to terminate the pregnancy due to one of the babies being profoundly disabled and both babies appearing to have severe heart defects. She was in a shocking place and very conflicted, as you can imagine. She told me that some Christian family members had said to her that her babies were damaged due to her ‘sinful’ lifestyle and that she needed to repent. Obviously she was angry and confused and very sad.
I just sat with her and cried with her, one: because I didn’t know what to say or do, and two: because I recognised that her situation was horrible and an impossibly hard one to find herself in. I asked her again if she minded if I prayed and whether she would mind if I got some of my friends to pray for her and her family. She said yes and I prayed explaining that God was crying with us and that He felt her pain and just wanted to hold her during this tough time. I told her that He was a God of miracles and that He cared for her and her babies dearly.
The next day, I got some of the young adults in our YA connect group to agree to fast and pray with me, as well as some friends of mine. Within 6 days, she rang me to say that the nuchal fold measurement which was showing severe Downs Syndrome in numerous previous tests had now REDUCED from a 6.8 reading to a 3.5 reading, which was approaching a normal reading. She said that neither her nor her doctor could understand this change at this stage of the pregnancy, but that it was a great sign and that instead of terminating, the doctor had suggested she wait another 3 weeks for further tests and decide after that. She begged me to keep praying (how cool!)
Well, yesterday was the end of the 3 weeks and I got a very excited phone call from the doctorβs office. Both babies are looking fine, the nuchal fold reading is normal, the blood tests are normal, there is no fluid in the brain or stomach of either baby, and the heart defects appear to be totally gone!
In her words: “Miracles Definitely Happen!”
As a nurse and healthcare professional, it was so much easier for me to go to a place of ‘realistic expectation’ and just be resigned to this situation, but I’m learning to go to a place of expecting that my Papa God has a better idea and REALLY WANTS to make an awful situation into a brilliant encounter with His love.
I’m overwhelmed at how amazing He is – this ‘crossing the chicken line thing’ is definitely the place we are meant to live from! Yay Papa!
My friend then went to write the further instalment to the story β¦
Since then there was a report that the smaller baby had a blood supply problem and was not growing, so we prayed for that and the next time the blood issue was gone too.
The next test revealed that one twin had shorter legs and this was a concern again with respect to possible Downes, so we prayed again for the baby’s legs to grow and the following scan showed no signs of short legs anymore.
Mum is healthy, babies are healthy and now past the 24 weeks viable delivery stage.
She has also had a 3D scan done and both babies have beautiful, normal healthy faces with no signs of anything untoward. It’s nearly like we were able to pray and tick all her concerns off the list. I’ve learnt that so often we get discouraged by small set-backs, but we can stand against those too and claim victory at every stage!
As a nurse and healthcare professional, this has totally blown my mind. I used to think that there were simply certain “medical truths” that couldn’t be refuted or altered. I have since learnt that the ONLY TRUTH is God’s truth.
Keep sharing testimony β¦ because GOD IS CERTAINLY ONLY GOOD!
Do you have a story of Godβs goodness that you can share?
Will you step out into your destiny with God and release Him to a world that needs His love so desperately?
This first testimony was available at our church because one girl decided to βcross the chicken lineβ for herself and allow God to be God β¦ she reached out at the risk of being rejected, looking foolish, looking like a religious freak β¦and offered to pray β¦ and as a result two little babies are healthy to go β¦ and a testimony was then available for another person of courage to take and use in stepping over the chicken line and offer to pray, also at the risk of ridicule and rejection β¦ and another baby was healed and born whole and healthy β¦
Who is waiting for you to βcross the chicken lineβ and to be all you were created to be?
Together, with God we have the power to change the face of this country β¦ to change the face of the world β¦ if we will just dare to stand up and be who we are called to be β¦ if we will only offer Him to the world β¦ as we go β¦ we will impact an entire generation for His Glory and the world will be a vastly better place because β¦
God IS Good!
Post script: the βchicken lineβ is a phrase coined by Kevin Dedmon that describes the act of stepping out into a place of risk by offering Godβs love, in whatever form that may take, to others around us β¦
I believe the βchicken lineβ is different for us all β¦ but we are all called to cross over into that place, because in that place is where we experience risk which is faith in action (see Kevin DedmonΒ and Chad Dedmonβs book entitled the Risk factor: Crossing the chicken line into your supernatural destiny (2011 Destiny Image Publishers).
For some fun check out our church website and find the You tube videosΒ of people at our church stepping over their chicken line β¦
Give it a go β¦ its fun and God really does turn up because β¦ well you know β¦ God is Good! J
I want you to know that I am still reading and enjoying that book. Thank you!
That is fantastic! I am so pleased for you. Do you ever get out LA way – we are heading over for a wedding and thought if you were anywhere nearby (I know Florida is not nearby) we could have a cup of coffee π …
I have never been the LA way. However, when are you coming?
I will hold on to these dates just in case… π
Well … You never know π … But then maybe you and your brood will come to Australia and take the Aussie flavour of revival home … You will always be welcome!
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What book are you referring to? Just curious.
The book: Kevin Dedmon and Chad Dedmon’s: The Risk Factor: Crossing the Chicken Line into Your Supernatural Destiny. After Chad Dedmon visited our church and went away with the youth the fire of revival exploded on our young people … Yay God π
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I see. I will have to look it up.
I think we all have stories of God’s goodness, if we pay attention to what He is doing each day. There are many opportunities. I still think the phrase “chicken line” is really funny, but I do understand what it means. I think I need to look at another one of those videos.
Hi Derek. Our church is having a “cross the chicken” line day on Saturday which I will be attending and where people can “cross” with support. It should be fun. Apparently the idea is catching on in other Australian churches and others are joining us “cross the chicken line” showing the videos and crossing over into their God given authority and destiny … It is funny and fun – Australians have a fun sense of humour … Very dry and we laugh at ourselves a lot too … Although it was one of your fellow Americans (Kevin Dedmon) that started the phrase and it has been picked up and caught on here …
Well, American born or not, it still makes me laugh. Although, it does depend on where he is from. If he is from the west coast, then he might as well be from another country. π
By the way – we do all have stories of His goodness … I would live to hear about them more especially here in Australia where we are dealing with something called the “tall poppy syndrome” … I really believe and are passionate about people writing down Gods deeds and goodness as a heritage for families. Israel forgot and so drifted away from God into idolatry … Food for thought π
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That is food for thought. Israel very quickly forgot and the culture is trending that way, isn’t it?
In fact the culture here is to focus upon the negative awful stuff happening around us … thus glorifying the works of the devil … rather than celebrating the goodness around us and thus celebrating God …