The Experiment :)

So.... I'm taking a real step of faith in posting this. I'm hoping the guys from the loony farm, armed with straight jackets, don't hit my door soon. Today, I tried an experiment and I'd like to share what is happening. I think it will encourage you.

Yesterday, I woke up with the start of a cold. The variety I get involves pounding pain in my sinuses, lots of crud down the hatch which, of course, creates a sore throat. (Sorry to be so graphic but I want you to understand what I experienced.) After praying for healing, it went away quite a bit so I carried on with my plans for the day, which included hosting a book club meeting up at church.

Yesterday, by 1:30, I was so bone-tired and achy, I took some pills and went to bed for a couple of hours. I didn't do anything last night; even passed up a ladies' get-together which included a rich dessert and wine!  Watched TV, took more pills, and went to bed.

(By the way, I downloaded the PBS app and watched "The Bletchley Circle" and "The Midwife" shows. They are spellbinding! Finding these shows is not necessarily a good thing! I need to watch more TV like a hole in the head!)

Anyway, I got up this morning and could barely walk. My pills wore off and my head was exploding. No air. My body was a bag of inflammation. I just about reached for pills, but didn't...

I am a fan of Janice Seney, a modern-day prophet. She lays out how easy it is to have faith and always encourages her listeners to 'experiment' with God's gifts. Since I have the day mostly free, I thought I'd try an 'experiment.'

And this is where you are going to think I'm loony:  I put my hands on my face and seriously prayed for a whole minute! I kept saying the name of Jesus over and over. About 15 minutes later, I did it again. Not really anything happened... 15 minutes later, did it again. And again. About an hour down the road, I thought my face might actually stay in place, instead of exploding off; I was getting a bit better! Yay!

More prayer... More "Jesus, Jesus"...

11:30:
I'm thrilled to report that now, about four hours later, my symptoms are 95% gone! I took a shower and set my hair on my nifty 30-year-old hot rollers (does anyone use these anymore?) and put on something besides sweats.

I definitely felt a nudge to share what I experienced.

I'm serious! This is happening! I feel much much better!

Will this healing last all day? I don't know, but I'll keep you posted.

You can bet your bottom dollar that I'm going to stay in prayer and be extremely thankful all day long. Keep in mind that I still have a 5% nag of symptoms which would normally hang on days four, five and six if my cold would progress in a normal fashion. But I'm going to 'lean in' for 100% healing, no pills, just prayer.

To clarify, I don't believe pills and doctors are bad or wrong. I'm a fan of medicine and use it as needed.   We do all the routine physicals and everything. My dear husband is a dentist and we have so many friends that are in medicine - they truly do God's work each and every day. I believe that.

I just tried something different today.

I'll be interested to see how I feel at 5:00.

So there you go!

I'm not super religious or holy or a pastor or anything. I'm a regular person that experimented with prayer instead of reaching for the pill bottle today.

You can do this, too. Try it. Start small. I'm sure God wants to bless you, too. The bible is full of verses that talk about Jesus being our Healer. He loves you and wants you to know Him and experience His power.

I seek ways to experience Jesus. By placing my hands on my face and calling upon His Name, I wasn't conjuring up some nifty trick. I was asking the power of His Name to permeate my situation. I was calling upon His nature and love. I was seeking compassion and relief. Our God is good ALL THE Time. He's on our side. He delights in us.

This is one of my favorite songs right now. It talks about the great Name of Jesus. Enjoy!

                    Your Great Name by Krissy Nordhoff

5:00 pm:
So... How did I do today?  Quite well!  Raked deadness out of the gardens and repotted some plants. I took a couple of 30 minute breaks and continued to pray the entire day. Tonight, we're going out for a sandwich and a movie.

Since this was day two of a cold, and I didn't spend the day moaning on the couch, I'd say it was a very good day.

And believe me, if Jesus would allow me to experience Him, you can, too. I encourage you to experiment.

I learned something:  It's easier to rely on pills than to trust in the Lord, but that's a topic for another day.

Did I ever get to the 100% mark?  Nope. But I got pretty close and a good night's sleep will do me wonders. His mercies are new every morning!  Thank You, Jesus!