• ESPAÑOL: Revisado por especialistas, estudio médico revela que Dios sana, incluso si usted no cree en la sanidad divina

A study published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, reports on the miraculous healing of a 16-year-old Christian boy. Even the title, Case Report of gastroparesis healing: 16 years of a chronic syndrome resolved after proximal intercessory prayer, reveals the key role that prayer played in this Divine healing.

It is interesting to note, that though his Christian parents believed Jesus healed people in the Bible, they did not believe God still healed today.

So what happened?

Within a couple of weeks of his birth, the unnamed boy was diagnosed with gastroparesis. This is a condition where food is not properly moved out of the stomach and through the intestinal tract and as a results stays inside the stomach for an extended period.

This can result in a number of symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and bloating, lack of appetite because your stomach feels full after eating little food, and malnutrition.

There is no known cure and medicine can only help alleviate the symptoms.

After being diagnosed as an infant, doctors performed a number of procedures to lessen the complications that included  inserting two feeding tubes in his stomach.

As he got older, the boy just accepted his condition would be part of his life and made the most of it participating in sports and school activities.

However on November 6, 2011, his parents took the boy to a Pentecostal church featuring a man that the report described as a “healing evangelist.”  The evangelist first testified of his own divine healing as a result of his intestines being cut when a truck fell on him and then prayed for others to be healed. At that point, the boy reported that a strange thing happened:

“During the prayer, I felt an electric shock that started from my right shoulder traveling down through my stomach. That was the moment that I knew I had been touched by the Holy Spirit. Since I have been healed of my illness, I have had more energy than ever before, and have thoroughly enjoyed the new adventure of a trying all different types of foods.”

The boy’s doctor was shocked by the change, stating that the healing is “difficult to explain” and the feeding tubes were eventually removed.

The case study noted:

“The complete resolution of severe gastroparesis symptoms (i.e. dependence on feeding tubes) is not known to spontaneously occur.”

They added:

“A noteworthy observation is that studies showing positive effect of prayer have typically involved intercessors who either professed … being born again Christians (with a commitment to daily devotional prayer and active fellowship with their local church) or faith in healing”

The boy, now 23, is pursuing a career in medicine.

I find this account very interesting because the boy’s description of electrical charge started in his shoulder and moving down to his stomach, reminded me of my encounter with the Holy Spirit, but with a slightly different twist.

I was saved in a small, Jesus-people charismatic church that was part of a large denomination that basically didn’t believe in the gift of Tongues is for today. I ended up going to the denomination’s seminary and embraced their views on the Holy Spirit gifts, particularly tongues.

It was a bit awkward as I continued to attend the small church, as I began to despise those who were manifesting these gifts during services.

But at one prayer meeting, some people prayed that I would be filled with the Holy Spirit. It was a dramatic time and I was instantaneously filled with the Holy Spirit and overwhelmed with feelings of joy.

But then I felt a burning sensation that started in my stomach and began moving up my throat.  Note it was burning that didn’t hurt. Instinctively, I felt that this was the Gift of Tongues and because of my negative opinion toward the gift, I literally pushed the burning sensation back down.

It happened a couple more times and then it stopped. Nevertheless, the incredible joy that I felt because of this experience stayed with me for several days.

A few days later, I was manning a Christian table at our local university, when I saw a friend from the church walking down the hallway. I was completely distracted and suddenly this burning sensation started in my stomach and raced up my throat, and I was speaking in tongues before I could stop it.

I fell God clearly say to me “Now you are numbered among them.” I was now among those that I had despised.

Sources:

• Case Report of gastroparesis healing: 16 years of a chronic syndrome resolved after proximal intercessory prayer: Science Direct
• Spontaneous healing after prayer in Jesus’ name featured in peer-reviewed medical journal: Christian Post
• New Scientific case study reveals role of prayer in patient’s miraculous healing: Faith Wire