Saving Souls

It’s a Miracle!

Filed in Richard Roberts | 27 March, 2009

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.

— Revelation 12:11NKJV

God put my life back together

All around me, my life seemed to be falling apart. I fell in my walk with the Lord, a personal relationship that had meant so much to me was cut off, and then I lost my job. Finally, I sank into a deep depression.

I didn’t know where to turn for help, until I remem­bered the Abundant Life Prayer Group. I called for prayer and also mailed in a prayer request for God’s restoration—spiritually, emotionally, and relationally.

I’m forgiven, the depression is gone, I’ve got a new job, and I can see His hand at work in the relationship I had lost. God is still in the miracle-working business!

–Gary from Alabama

Our grandson can hear!

Our precious grandson came into the world unable to hear in one ear. The audiologist said he’d always need a hearing aid—test after test confirmed the diagnosis.

I began calling the Abundant Life Prayer Group to agree with me in prayer, and I requested a prayer cloth.* Each night his mother laid him down to sleep with the prayer cloth beneath his head as a point of contact. For 10 months, I called the prayer line and believed my grandson would be healed.

God has rewarded our faithful prayers. My grandson’s last hearing test showed no hearing loss! The doctor said he is completely healed!

–Sylvia from Virginia

Leukemia healed through a little boy’s faith

My son Billy was 13 years old and suffering with leu­kemia—an almost certain death sentence in the 1950s. One day he was watching Oral Roberts on the TV and saw him praying for children with polio. He said to me, “Mother, if you’ll write to Oral Roberts and let him pray for me, I believe the Lord will heal me.” So, I wrote that letter and sent it with all the faith of that one little boy. I received a letter back from Oral saying he was praying and believing for my son’s healing. I took Billy back to the doctor to confirm what the Lord was doing. When the doctor checked him out, he said he couldn’t find the leukemia anymore! He didn’t know what happened, but my boy was fine. I told him what had happened—God had healed him. My son is now in his 60s and serving God with all his heart.

–Ann from Georgia

Prayer broke the chains of pain

For several years, I’d suffered with back pain. I felt chained to my home because of the pain. I was watching The Hour of Healing one night when I heard Richard praying for people with back prob­lems. As he prayed, I stood in front of the TV and raised my hands. Suddenly, I felt a jerk in my back. All of the pain suddenly melted away, and I’ve had no more back problems since that day!

–Jackie from Arkansas

Our teenager no longer needs insulin

When my 15-year-old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, he was immediately put on four insulin shots a day to try to control his blood sugar! I called my family, my church, and the Abundant Life Prayer Group to pray for his healing.

Over the next four months, my son and I often called the prayer line for prayer and encouragement. We monitored his blood sugar closely and soon began to see improvement…so much so that we returned to the doctor to confirm his healing.

The doctor couldn’t believe what we told him. Af­ter running more tests, he determined my son only had a few remaining antibodies in his system—then took him off all the insulin shots!

–Janice from North Carolina

My liver is back to normal

Constant pain on my right side sent me to the doc­tor in search of an explanation. After the exam, he told me I had an enlarged liver. My blood work showed that Hepatitis C was the culprit.

I called the Abundant Life Prayer Group, and while I waited for prayer, I listened to the recording of Richard reading Scriptures. I was so encouraged that I set my faith in agreement with him and then the Prayer Partner. Immediately, I felt the pain leave my side!

I returned to the doctor for another exam and ultrasound. Both came back negative, but he de­cided to do a biopsy to be sure. I called the prayer line once again, believing for a good report. Once more God answered my prayer, and all my tests came out clear. I praise God for His wonderful healing!

–Sylvia from Florida

Richard Roberts Ministry, changing lives

Filed in Richard Roberts | 18 March, 2009

Have You Seen Him? by Keith Wheeler
Sometimes I think as Christians, we can “clean up” the Scriptures so much that we can fail to truly see Jesus in them. We can so spiritualize the Bible that many times, we can’t really see Jesus alive and at work in our everyday lives. Yet, I believe seeing Jesus is the key to finding hope in times of darkness.

Do you remember the story of Bartimaeus? Mark 10:46 niv reads, Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging.

Picture this

What do you imagine when you read that verse? Think about it for a moment. I imagine what everyday life must have been like for Bartimaeus. And since I’ve carried a wooden cross from Bethlehem up to Jerusalem and then down into Jericho and on up to Nazareth, I have a sense of what that region is like.

When I read about Bartimaeus, I hear camels and dogs. I hear children playing, people begging, and a large crowd. I imagine that someone is selling pomegranates and kumquats on the corner. I see, hear, and smell life.

In my mind, I imagine it’s a hot day. I feel the sweat trickling down. I feel the dust blowing up in my face. The sights, the smells, and the sounds of life are going on all around Bartimaeus as Jesus approaches him.

Mark 10:47–48 NIV tells us, When he [Bartimaeus] heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” That just means Bartimaeus got louder.

When Jesus heard Bartimaeus, He stopped and said, “Call him.” Wow! Our cries for God’s mercy can stop Jesus right where He is.

Verse 49 says, So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” The same people who had told him to be quiet now said, “Cheer up. Jesus is calling you.”

So Bartimaeus threw his cloak aside, jumped to his feet, and came to Jesus. And Jesus said, “What do you want me to do for you?”

The Light Dawns

Now, think about this man Bartimaeus. He has never seen a rainbow or a rose. He’s never seen a sunrise or a sunset. His world has been one of darkness. He knows his wife’s face by touch, but he’s never seen it. He knows his children too—knows every line on their faces—but he’s never seen them either. He’s never, ever seen anything but a world of darkness.

Naturally this man answers Jesus excitedly, “Rabbi, I want to see!”

Verse 52 tells us that Jesus said, “Go…your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

What was the first thing that Bartimaeus saw? It wasn’t a rainbow, a sunset, his wife, or his kids. He didn’t see the guy selling pomegranates on the corner. He saw Jesus! He looked on Jesus’ face and into His wonderful eyes. Can you even imagine what that must have been like?

We’ve all been blind

For so many years of my life, I was Bartimaeus. Oh, I was a good Christian. I read my Bible, prayed, and was baptized many times. I’ve never smoked and never been drunk. I was good, yet my life was still in darkness because I’d never really seen Jesus.

So I cried out like Bartimaeus, “Jesus, I want to see.” And when I truly saw Jesus for the first time, it changed my life.

So many of us have been like Bartimaeus. Some of us have been blinded by looking at the wrong things. Some of us have been blinded because someone has hurt or offended us. Many of us have simply chosen not to see.

But that can change in a moment, just as it did for Bartimaeus and for me. Today, if you want to see Jesus, you can! That’s my prayer for you—that you will cry out to Him with all your heart: “Jesus, I want to see You!”

If you’d like to know Jesus and His love in your life, if you’d like to truly see Him today, pray this simple prayer with me: Lord Jesus, I want to see You. I want to know You. I repent of my sins, and I ask You to come into my heart. Fill me with Your love, and show me how to share Your love with others. Thank You, Lord. Amen.