Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
I began this year’s 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting on 1 July 2013 with a plan to pray each morning before I start work and to fast from breakfast. I told the Lord that I want a new hunger and thirst for Him, and also visions and dreams (inspired from Pastor Daniel Khong’s message “Following a New Dream” on 30 June 2013).
The service on 7 July 2013 was a Holy Communion. As I knelt before the Lord with the elements in my hand, asking the Lord to consecrate me, I saw a vision of a heart being slashed repeatedly by a sword. Strangely, there was no pain but I felt a sense of peace.
Pastor Poh Wee Long preached a message that day entitled “Touching Where It Hurts” based on Mark 1:21-34. At the end of his message, he gave a call for the congregation to go forward for healing. Though I felt prompted to go and ask for the healing of my son, Daniel, who is suffering from autism, I hesitated as I had gone forward before. So instead I told the Lord to give me a confirmation by getting Pastor Wee Long to specifically call for the “healing of autism”. However, Pastor Wee Long went on to say that “it doesn’t matter if it’s your 99th time…” So I grabbed my husband, Dennis’ hand and went forward.
At that time, there were already many people at the front, with many more coming from the back. As I was wondering who would pray for us, a lady whom I did not know came over and asked what we wanted to be prayed for, and I told her that we wanted healing for Daniel’s autism. She nodded and started to pray; every word she uttered was so applicable, it was as if she knew what we had been going through. As we were thinking silently, “How does she know so much?” as though answering our unspoken question, she declared, “God, please heal Daniel, just as you’ve healed our son Samuel!” I was blown away and the tears just flowed. The lady, whose name is Hsiu Chin, continued to pray over us, releasing words of hope and comfort. I remember being especially encouraged when she assured us that God has considered us worthy to bring up this special child.
Whilst Hsiu Chin was still praying, a man joined us and placed his hands on our shoulders. Though none of us had spoke to him to explain my request for the healing of Daniel, he released words, which were once again specific to what we were going through. I was totally awed by God!
We later came to know the man is Hsiu Chin’s husband, Chin Kwang, who was an ex-colleague of Dennis in the 1990s. Dennis remembered him well because they shared the same dialect name. On Monday, 8 July 2013, Dennis thought of calling Chin Kwang but later decided against it because he did not want to make them feel obligated. But at around 8.00pm later that night, Chin Kwang messaged Dennis to ask if they could visit us at 9.30pm. God is just so amazing!
Hsiu Chin and Chin Kwang came over and we had a good time of fellowship. Chin Kwang shared that after he had completed his duty at Sunday’s service, he went to the back of the auditorium, as usual, to wait for service to end. But that Sunday, he felt God prompting him to join Hsiu Chin, who was still praying for us in front. So he came and stood nearby, but God told him to come close and release words to us. He obeyed, and released the words, which meant the world to us.
They also shared all that God had done for Samuel – after healing him completely of autism, Samuel went on to score 2A*s and 2As in his PSLE and is now in the Integrated Programme at Hwa Chong Institution. He plays the piano and is a member of his school’s Chinese Orchestra. He is also taking a 3rd language.
Before Samuel, we had never met anyone with a child healed of autism, as doctors will tell you that there is no known cure today. But meeting and hearing from our brother and sister-in-Christ who had overcomed autism was totally beyond our imagination. It had to be God’s divine appointment because Hsiu Chin and Chin Kwang attend Saturday night’s service, while Dennis and I attend Sunday morning’s service, which made it was almost impossible for us to meet, but God made it possible. And it came just at the time when we were at a plateau in terms of Daniel’s situation and were wondering “What’s next?”
Through this, we were renewed in our mind and spirit. A new hope has birthed! This encounter also gave me the courage to continue believing in the word the Lord had given me during the LoveJapan trip back in July 2011 from Daniel 1:4a “young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace.” Not forgetting that the personal word I received from the Lord for the year 2013 is “Believe”.
Our journey has definitely not ended and we are looking forward and trusting the Lord to do all that He has promised, and all that He has in store for Daniel and for our family!
Bee Ling
13 July 2013