A couple of moths ago I was heading up the street with my 5-year-old scootering along by my side, when I saw a man walking towards us on the footpath with a plaster cast on his arm.

I felt “the prompt” and looked at him thinking about the “call to arms” that God has prophetically been releasing to the church and knew that I needed to offer to pray. (Heaven’s clarion call to arms stories one, two three)

I did and he happily replied “yes … I’m a Catholic … you can pray …”

I found out that he had broken his wrist and if it didn’t heal properly, which at the time it wasn’t, he would need surgery.  In fact he was due to have a scan that week to determine if he needed surgery.

I told him a few stories about healings, including A’s broken legs being healed by God (see links below) and I placed my hand on the cast, invited the Holy Spirit to come, while I fought feelings of doubt in my mind …

After the prayer, during which he felt some heat and then relief, we briefly chatted about churches, faith, Christianity and when it was time to move on he asked how he could let me know how he got on, so I gave him my e-mail address and wished him well, thinking to myself that I would probably not hear from him since I rarely ever got any feed back from the “random” encounters who were given my details …

Well I was wrong!

He wrote by e-mail received yesterday (24^th May 2012) the following:

Hi …., I’m the guy you met … a few weeks ago, thought I’d better get in touch, and give you an update. I was told in my first follow up visit to hospital that I may need surgery to insert a pin in my wrist. When I went in last Thursday, they advised the wrist was almost completely healed, no surgery required, and the plaster removed, hopefully the prayers you so kindly offered contributed to this quick recovery-so I thank you most sincerely, and more importantly the higher power you invoked.

He went on to say:

Many years ago when I was really struggling financially, after attending Mass, I was chatting to an older lady, who told me something quite miraculous was about to happen to me, and she gave me some Lourdes water, after I put my dole form into Centrelink, I blest my self with the water, and bought a $6.00 lotto quickpic, and won over $3000.00! I know praying for financial relief is not something so accepted, but it certainly gave me the chance to get back on my feet again.

In the same e-mail he then asked for more prayer, around another issue saying:

Now I’m confronted with another problem that would require more than a miracle to overcome … (details are left out by author)

He then completed the email with:

Thank you so much for your prayers, God bless you, D

He knew where to come back for help … the Christian who stopped and prayed for him on the street … the Christian who believed in the power of prayer for

“powerful and effective are the prayers of a righteous person” (James 5:16).

What random encounter is being set up for you today? 

Look for the arms in bandages … is He calling you to arms?

How many miracles are we walking past every day of our lives?

Will you stop for the one and let God …?

I could have walked past this one, but chose not to, and by “stopping for the one” a man tasted and saw once more in his life that …

God is Good!

Links to A’s story of healing and a family’s salvation (in three parts) see: Part 1 for the start of the story and Part 2 and Part 3 for the praise reports