In the town of Barbalha in Brazil’s idolatrous northeastern state of Ceara, The Elijah Challenge was taught over four morning sessions at Christian Community Church of Cariri in July 2016. After the first three morning sessions following lunch, the believers broke up into small teams to fan out within the vicinity of the church to carry out Jesus’ command to the Seventy-two disciples in Luke 10:9:
“Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘the kingdom of God has come near to you.'”
They went door to door over the three afternoons obeying Jesus’ command and visited approximately 300 homes. Equipped with the Lord’s power and authority over disease and demons and trained how to apply it effectively as Jesus intended, they witnessed many people, most of whom were idol-worshippers, miraculously healed in their homes by the Lord—as evidence of the truth of the gospel. As a result twenty people in their homes gave up their idol worship and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Woman miraculously healed of severe cancer
On the evening on the second day, we taught from James 5:14-16, where “confess your trespasses to one another” is a requirement for believers to be healed of sickness. When we confess our trespasses to one another, we open the way for others whom we may have wronged to forgive us from their heart. Then God will forgive them, and after that they can be healed by “the prayer of faith.”
After the teaching and just before praying over the sick as taught by James, believers were given an opportunity to be reconciled to one another by asking forgiveness from one another. At that time the wife of our host pastor stood up and made her way back to a woman in the congregation who suffered from very painful cancer which had started in a private area of her body and had spread into her intestines. The constant 24/7 pain kept her up at night, and was so severe she could barely sit much less touch the areas of her body where the cancer had embedded itself.
The pastor’s wife approached the woman, and asked her for forgiveness regarding a past wrong. This woman, suffering from intensely painful cancer, then forgave the pastor’s wife in the name of Jesus.
After that the pastor’s wife along with other sisters laid hands on the woman with power and authority just as Jesus taught his disciples in Luke 9:1. The excruciating pain in her body subsided and disappeared. That night pain-free she was able to enjoy a good night’s sleep for the first time in a long time. And she could no longer feel or find the cancer in her body. The pain was completely gone.
Other people who had been prayed over for healing that evening according to the James 5 teaching were also healed and testified publicly from the stage.
The next day she shared her extraordinary testimony at the very end of the evening service. Earlier in the meeting other people with infirmities had also been healed as our trained believers laid hands on them with power and authority in fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4-5.
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his wounds we are healed.”
When our host Pastor Fernando asked who wanted to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, the precious souls below responded and stepped up to the front accompanied by trained believers.
