This is a testimony provided by my Friend and Brother-in-Christ, Glenn Leonard – Another First Hand Believer in a God of Miracles

“He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.” Psalm 40:2 

July 13, 2018 @ 9:30pm Glenn Leonard was walking with his dad in the park. It was a pitch-black night. As they walked he switched sides so his Dad could be steadier on the pavement. Five steps later the ground opened and swallowed up Glenn.

He had fallen into an open manhole. Glenn found himself stuck with his legs folded and pinned underneath him, groggy from his head slamming against the concrete wall of the manhole. The fall created severe damage to his neck, ankles and back. Glenn was taken to the hospital where he refused painkillers not wanting to risk addiction and trusting that God was going to heal him. He hobbled out of the hospital bent over in pain, walking on twisted and swollen ankles.

Glenn is not unfamiliar with trusting in God’s healing power. Several years earlier he had a hernia that he was being told should be dealt with by surgery. He declined surgery trusting that God would heal him. His daughter prayed for him and the hernia disappeared.

About fifteen years earlier, Glenn found himself doubled over with severe pain from a bout of diverticulitis. He was hospitalized and before surgery faithful buddies from church (Dan, Norm and Carl) gathered around him and prayed for God’s healing. The staff then took Glenn to be scanned to determine how much of his intestine would have to be removed. The doctor came back and looked over the results from the scan. While scratching his head, the doctor simply said, “Your fine. Go Home.”

Now, six months after his fall, this past February 12^th, still hobbled and hunched over, Glenn flew out to the Bay Area to be with his daughter who was attending a training program at Bethel Church. They do church a little different out there but Glenn went with an open mind. He sat in on some classes and attended programs witnessing God move in amazing ways in people’s lives. Then on Saturday he was totally blessed as a dad to hear his daughter preach on “purity”.

From there he joined a group of people as they prepared to enter a prayer process for healing. The people first gathered in a prayer room with high energy worship. They were then organized into groups. Glenn’s group waited their turn to enter into the “Healing Room”.

When Glenn’s group was called in he was feeling overwhelmed by the anticipation and excitement. Once in the room Glenn felt a bit slighted as the prayer team members seemed to go right around him to pray for others. He quietly prayed by himself. Eventually, a team of 3 came to pray for him asking what his prayer needs were. He explained his injuries and they prayed.

As they prayed, Glenn was distracted by the buzz of the all the other voices praying and the people declaring their healing around him. He sensed his spirit being strangely blocked. The team prayed for about 10 minutes and while it was nice he acknowledged that he didn’t feel any different. Glenn decided that healing was not “meant to be” for him that day. But then, without Glenn sharing anything about how he had been injured, one of the guys spoke up, “Glenn, I see you walking on a sidewalk and down in a hole. I see God lifting you up and out of that hole with angels surrounding you.” Glenn’s world suddenly went quiet.

Now, it was just him and God. As one of the team behind him prayed over his ankles he began to feel heat in his ankles, then radiating up to his legs and into his back. It was God’s healing touch and he cried out, “Thank you, Jesus!” as tears poured down his cheeks. The team asked, “Brother, how do you feel?” Glenn blurted out, “I am healed!”

Glenn freely strode out of the room now straightened up with no pain in his back or his ankles. In fact, the constant swelling in his ankles had completely dissappeared.

Once again, Glenn felt himself falling – but this time into the waiting arms of his daughter. They embraced and rejoiced together. In the outer hall where staff was working he declared God’s gracious healing and the people cried and cheered.

Outside the building, Glenn’s daughter took a video of a stunned Glenn joyfully doing a jig unto the Lord. Here’s a picture from the video.

Can you believe that this stuff actually happens? That the power of God can instantaneously heal? If you don’t, just ask one who has been brought up out of a horrible pit, who has been washed clean of miry clay, and who has had his feet (Hebrew for feet: Regel can include ankles) set upon a solid rock, knowing who it is that guides his nimble steps.

Just ask Glenn.

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In this season where we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the horrible pit, let’s raise our expectation of God’s resurrection power in our lives.

In Psalm 40:2 NKJ quoted above David uses “also” indicating God has done a great thing but, like Glenn, this was just one of many miracles God has done for him. Now, Glenn goes on to declare as David does in the next verse 40:3, “He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.”

God does everything for a purpose. Glenn is now determined to discover and act on His purpose. How and why and when God heals? I know that faith is a critical component but other than that – I don’t know. What Glenn knows and what I’m pretty certain of is that God desires to do it more often than many of us expect Him to. Why does he desire to do it? Because – “Many will see it and fear (stand in awe), And will trust in the Lord.“

Let’s do as Glenn does to raise our expectation level up a notch and see God respond.