I am a 25-year-old professional fighter living in Colorado, USA. I’m writing in to share a recent experience of God’s healing and favor.
I grew up learning the grace message from my father who heard the message of grace while he was serving time in prison. Coincidentally, my father also owned a carpet-laying company called New Creation.
Growing up in a low income family with my father as an ex-convict, I have witnessed the power and glory of the Lord throughout my life. Things that should never have been possible for my family, God made a way, and my life is a testimony to the loving kindness and grace of our Lord. I am far from perfect and probably make more mistakes than your average Joe, but thankfully, it’s not my righteousness but Jesus’ that makes me righteous.
As I mentioned I wanted to share my testimony of a recent healing I experienced that I am so grateful for. This isn’t the first time I’ve witnessed God do such a thing in my life but this time was special to me. It also confirms that the holy Communion teaching Pastor Joseph Prince preaches is from the Lord.
In August, I was preparing for a fight scheduled in October when during one intense sparring session, I was kicked hard in the calf. I didn’t know at the time that my fibula was broken but the pain was pretty intense.
For the first 2 weeks of the injury I could barely walk. I thought that I had just seriously strained a muscle or ligament so I never went to get the injury checked out. In fact, by the third week of the injury, I was back to training, though not at 100 percent capacity. I was intent on competing and even though my leg wasn’t fully healed, I was determined to step into the cage.
However, because of some complications, the fight I was scheduled for was moved back by a month and a half. This was truly God’s favor. Not only did it give me more opportunity to heal but the event ended up getting a better contract with a different broadcaster that would help further my career more than the original one would have. Also, since, the fight was pushed back, it meant I would also be able to see my favorite pastor, Joseph Prince, live in a worship service in New York City in October.
When I attended service, I had a seriously annoying pain in my back on the right side that reached all the way into my neck. Being a fighter, I always seem to have injuries and pain that I’ve learned to deal and train with until they hopefully go away. But during the service Pastor Prince started calling out certain areas that the Holy Spirit was leading him to address. He looked out into the audience and called out exactly that painful spot in my back. He said that the Lord wanted that person to roll the shoulder a particular way and it would be healed.
Initially, I didn’t really think anything of it because I figured the pain I had was another injury that I had to work through. But because it was the exact spot where the pain I was feeling was located, I felt that maybe the Lord was talking to me. Right as I rolled my shoulder I felt a pop in my back that literally pushed me forward…and the pain was immediately gone! When I went home to train again, I was feeling very confident about my body being able to perform.
That is, until I was kicked in the same spot as before and I felt like I had to completely start over in the healing process. The pain was severe again, and again I could barely walk. I started to doubt that the fight had been moved specifically for me and that all the good things that had happened were all part of God’s plan for me.
During this time I was watching a lot of the messages on Josephprince.org and for what seemed like a week straight, the ministry continued to play the message of the power of the holy Communion. I took this as a sign from the Lord and started partaking of the Communion each day, sometimes multiple times a day. It seemed to get better but not enough to where I was confident in competing.
The pain was still there as the fight approached, and was severe enough for me to get an X-ray on my fibula. Sure enough the images showed a break, not just a little one, but a full-on snapped bone. Everyone in my corner was telling me I should pull out of the fight and that it wasn’t worth risking my record to fight this time. A part of me agreed but another part of me believed that the Lord makes all things work out in our favor to those that trust in him.
I continued taking Communion for about a week and asked the Lord to make it glaringly obvious if it was in his will to allow me to compete. The next day I had a follow up appointment with the orthopedist. I limped into his office where he had images of all the previous X-rays on my fibula. He looked me dead in the eyes and said, “You are healed. You’re fine.”
I was a little shocked because the pain was still there, the previous images had showed a break, and I could barely walk without a limp. He informed me that the bone itself was healed and there had been “a lot” of healing. He told me that the reason it was still hurting was that I had a hematoma and still some damage around the affected area but that I was cleared to compete. I had asked the Lord to make it obvious and he did. The fight was nearly here, the pain wasn’t gone yet but I knew the Lord would make all things work out in my favor.
I continued to take the Communion until the day of the fight. By the time it came, my leg felt the best it had felt in 2 months. It was just like God’s timing too—right on time. During the fight, I was kicked in the leg 3 times and while it doesn’t feel good to get kicked in the leg it didn’t hurt any worse than it should have.
I know now why God had moved the fight for me and why all of these things happened the way they did. I ended up winning in the first round via submission and the fight opened up a lot of opportunities for my career just like I knew it would. God is true to His Word and makes all things work in our favor (Rom. 8:28).
I believe also that He has set aside the holy Communion for His people. I believe that while it didn’t happen overnight, the reason my leg healed as strong as it did was Pastor Prince’s teaching us to discern Jesus’ broken body in the holy Communion.
God says He will use the weak things of this world to confound the mighty. It’s confounding how just a cracker and grape juice can manifest healing through the finished work of Christ. How He can take a broken family and a broken kid and demonstrate His might and glory like He has in my life.
I have seen God do these types of works time and time again but this particular time was special to me and my journey. I believe the Lord wants me to share my story so that others can know He would do the same for them.
Mandon from Colorado, United States