Mr Fidelis and Mrs Salome Chifamba started a prayer group at Port Pirie, Australia, two or three years ago. From time to time, they have been holding healing services after Mass at the Catholic Cathedral and they have passed on this testimony for posting on the blog.
Hi I’m Evi, and I thank you for coming today.
I’d just like to share with you a little of my faith journey and my personal experience of healing prayer.
On October 8 2006 the first healing prayer service was held right here.
I had been a regular 10am mass goer, so I didn’t need to go out of my way to attend. I’d been invited by a close friend and I went more out of curiosity and to keep my friend happy. To say I was a sceptic was an understatement. I considered myself too practical – scientific even- to believe that anything would happen as a result of people praying over me. If I was wrong – bonus!
So what did I bring for prayer – well nothing much, I thought. After all I was doing quite OK, thanks. I went to mass, was even a reader!
There were just one or two things that were a bit of a problem in my life– but God wouldn’t be interested in these little things – would he?
I was pretty stressed out, tired, always rushing never enough time for anything but the essentials and usually running late. I found it hard to get going most mornings, and usually had to have a few drinks at night to “unwind”. Didn’t sleep that well – after all I had a lot on my mind - my work and all that. Oh and then there was the weight – well that was just middle age, over work and no time or energy to do something about it – probably the junk food too, but I’d get around to fixing that. Should mention the asthma - mostly seasonal but gradually spreading from spring through the rest of the year and needing more time off, more treatment. (At its worst 25 mg prednisolone, 2 puffers, the nebuliser and occasional antibiotics). The smoking contributed but that was a habit I’d get around to changing.
I wouldn’t even mention my blood pressure except that I’d spent a bit of time in the Emergency Department at work when it was way too high – but that was probably because of the asthma playing up, and the stress. (Actually I’d been scared to go home that day because I live alone and I was afraid I’d have a stroke or something.)
Oh there was also this skin cancer thingy on my hairline that the hairdresser had been hassling me to get looked at but I hadn’t had time.
I also took along the notion that my life was my problem and my business. I had to go it alone. As a single parent I’d come to believe that I had to rely on my own resources for everything – no one could or would help - not family, not friends. After all you shouldn’t owe people, and who could be relied on? What about God? – Well, God is only interested in the big things like peace in the Middle East.
My notion of God was that He was far off, and He loved us as a group in a sort of philosophical way. Salvation came with baptism, and I was baptised. The rest was up to me.
So, as I came to the prayer team that day – I didn’t have any thing much that God would be interested in.
Then I sat down, and out of my mouth came so many things that I hadn’t even thought about – my Dad and my brother mostly and what they needed.
Suddenly good old logical me was so overwhelmed by emotion. I can’t even tell you what emotion, but it involved a lot of tears and sobs. Nobody was more surprised than me!
As the team began to pray I heard someone ask the Lord to “lift these burdens” from me.
I don’t have words to describe what happened after that except that, like St Thomas in the upper room, I knew that Jesus is alive, knows me personally, loves me personally, no matter what, and had somehow been waiting for me to ask Him to help. The only prayer I could manage was the shortest one I’d ever said - “My Lord and My God”.
That encounter has changed everything and that’s no exaggeration.
I have discovered that the promises in God’s word are true and apply to me, to you, to anyone who comes to Him.
1 Peter 2: 24 “by His wounds you have been healed.”
I don’t have asthma at all, any season; I am over 30 kg lighter; my blood pressure is well under control and that skin cancer, by the time I got around to seeing the specialist it had vanished!
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, do not be afraid.”
My stress levels are much less – no more drinks after work and I eat food that’s healthy.
Proverbs 3:9,10. “Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops. Then your barns will be filled to overflowing”.
No more rushing about and still being late for everything, – I sleep well, rise early and spend the first and the best of my day in prayer and reading His Word - just because I want and need to spend that time with Him.
Matthew 28:20 “And surely I am with you always even unto the end of the age”.
But best and most amazing of all I don’t have that feeling it’s all down to me, and all about me. I am not alone, my Father in heaven loves, hears me, comforts me; my saviour forgives me, strengthens me, changes me, the Holy Spirit teaches me, guides me, nudges me to do what is right, points my attention to Jesus, and what pleases Him.
I joined the Praise and Worship Group that day – after telling my friend that sort of thing just wasn’t for me – I’m much too practical and scientific? I discovered the joy of praising God, the wonder of reading his word and the encouragement of sharing faith with others. Since then I have attended Life in the Spirit, and Alpha and I will tell anyone who will listen and those who won’t about the grace and love of our Lord. He knows me and I really want to know Him.
I am only just beginning to understand grace - I have been given peace, joy, healing, forgiveness and so much more – salvation and eternal life. The sacraments of the church have come to mean so much more. I am sorry to say that in the past I have taken for granted the gift of the Eucharist and I positively avoided reconciliation. I now experience these sacraments as the greatest of gifts to us. He offers the same to all of us, we just don’t always realise that it’s a personal gift from Him to each one of us.
A wise young man of faith told me that when Jesus moves in He doesn’t just shift the furniture around he tears down the house and sets about building Himself a mansion. I know this is true – I’ve been a counsellor, I know about behaviour modification and I am not this good at it! What I have experienced is His personal transformation. So I guess that this sign around my neck means “Under Construction” and hopefully it will be a long project - the rest of my life.
Oh and although I’ve been talking about my experience, this is not my story. It is a story of our God, His love, His grace, His amazing, unmerited favour.
The gospel of John says it best (3:16) “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.”
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