My True Story of Being Healed by Prayer (Part 1)



I have a soft spot in my heart for stories about people who have been healed, not by medicine but by God himself. That’s because I believe in those stories, having known people who have been miraculously healed, having prayed for it with my own lips, having experienced it myself, firsthand.

I know many people scoff at the idea of miracles these days, especially miracles that happen to one person, when another person lies ill and their prayers go unfulfilled. Truth be told, I don’t consider myself “worthy” of having been healed because my situation pales in comparison to those others out there who are facing life-and-death illnesses. But it is for that very reason that mine is not only a story of being healed but also a story of grace and mercy. Isn’t that—to display grace and mercy—what the Bible, what Jesus’ ministry, was all about in the first place? I’m here to tell you that truth is alive and well today.

This is a post I’ve been meaning to write ever since I first started this blog, but a post that I never quite seemed to have the words for, until now…

I remember noticing it my sophomore year in college, when my scalp started itching a lot. I found myself literally scratching my head over the matter, always reaching
up to the nape of my neck to scratch at the lingering itch. This went on for days, for months, for years.

At some point, I realized that it wasn’t really normal, this incessant itching. It was causing my hair to noticeably fall out, not a good fashion statement for someone already saddled with fine, thin hair. I read magazine articles about how to make your hair thicker and healthier, so I bought some vitamins. I tried different shampoos, even medicated ones to keep my hair from falling out. Nothing really helped.

I finally went to the doctor and then the dermatologist who diagnosed me with psoriasis, a disease that affects the skin (in my case, my scalp). Put more scientifically, it’s “an immune-mediated disease that appears on the skin … when the immune system sends out fault signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells.” (You can read more here, if you’re interested.)

The dermatologist prescribed me with some ointments I could use that would alleviate the itching but not cure the condition. My hair was still falling out, and I still had to fight the urge to scratch the itch that was always burning at the back of my head.

It was around this time that I started going to a prayer group that met at my church. It was a place where people believed that prayer worked and the fruits of that faith were seen week after week. (You can read more about my experience attending that prayer group here, or about some of the answered prayers that happened there, here.)

One week, we got together and instead of breaking into individual prayer groups, we all wrote our prayer requests down on a scrap of paper and dropped them into a cardboard box. Everyone gathered around the box, prayed over it, and then the scraps were destroyed without ever having been read by another pair of eyes. On my scrap of paper, I wrote that I wanted my psoriasis healed, I wanted my hair to stop falling out.

The next day, I took a shower and as I washed my hair, I looked down at my hands and didn’t see the usual clump of hair laced around my fingertips. Honestly, I was shocked to think that the prayer had worked so quickly. So I waited another week, just to be sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me.

They weren’t.

To be continued... Tomorrow I'll share Part 2 of my story about how God has healed me of my psoriasis through the courage of a single prayer.  

"Confess your sins and pray for one another, and you will be healed. 
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."  
(James 5:16)

Related Posts
Amy's Testimony: Beyond the Physical Healing
The encouraging testimonies of answered prayers

15 comments:

  1. Carmen,

    Thank you so much for sharing this! I too love reading and hearing about people being healed by prayer. I have seen it in my life and in the lives of others, but it is always encouraging to see the God at work.

    In fact, your story makes me think of a person in my family who is in bad need of healing and I'd like to ask you and whoever is reading this comment and is willing to please help me pray for her: She's in a tough spot financially and doesn't have insurance at the moment. I love her and would be very upset if anything bad happened to her.

    I know that her aliment is in God's hands, but I still have to fight the "worrying" feeling. I feel like she's at a place where she's become so discouraged that she doesn't care what happens anymore, which makes me feel awful because this could prevent her from ever having children or worse; there's a small chance it could kill her.

    However, I continue to have hope, that is renewed by other stories of hope like yours and pray that God will bring her healing and ease her pain.

    Sorry, about the length of that...but this really struck a cord with me. Again, thank you for being such an encouragement to me.

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  2. Thanks for sharing this, Carmen. Honestly, sometimes I struggle with really believing that healing can and does happen, even in the things we think are small. Nothing is too small for God and having faith in our prayers makes all the difference.

    Jackie, your friend will be in my prayers.

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  3. Testimony of God's healing taking place today is powerful and a message that we don't hear enough of! Thank you for sharing! Over the past year, people at my church have been experiencing a lot of physical and emotional healing. I was skeptical at first, but it's hard to deny the power of Christ when you see it first hand! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your story tomorrow!

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  4. Thanks for sharing this Carmen! Love that you're spreading truth. I was healed in college from a shoulder injury when I put my request before God and a very special prayer group as well. Can't wait to hear the second part of the story.

    Praying for your friend Jackie!

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  5. Thank you, Urban Wife and Alysa. I appreciate it <3

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  6. Jackie, thank you so much for your comment and for your willingness to ask for prayer for your friend. The Bible says that when we pray for one another, we WILL be healed! So absolutely, I'll join you in praying for her! That is the beautiful thing about the Body. We can intercede for one another and not even know what we're interceding for, and yet GOD does know! Let us cling to hope that God is so good!

    Urban Wife, that's so true. It can be mind-boggling sometimes to wrap our heads around miracles and healings, but that's the beautiful thing about the Lord: He loves to do the impossible!

    Andrea, that's so awesome to hear about all the healing going on at your church! I wish that were the case at more churches. For the very reason that you stated: when it does, you can't deny that the power of Christ is alive and well!

    Alysa, ah! That's so cool to hear about all these healings! Thank you for sharing your testimony as well :)

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  7. What a heart touching story. I too, have witnessed a miracle through prayer. My son was struck with lightning while at football practice and survived. The doctors all said it was out of their hands. He has made a total recovery. Praise GOD

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  8. Very encouraging I have had psoriasis for about 12 years on my legs, arms, head and random spots on my body. It can feel hopless at times when many prayers have gone up for the disease and I still have it. I know He hears me and His time is perfect. Thanks for your testimony I needed it.

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  9. Pray for me that God will heal my body of all impurities and illnesses pray that I am in good health and that God cleanse me of all my sins

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  10. Hi Carmen, I too have been in solid prayer using novena's, rosary and miracle prayers. As a Catholic I am only too aware of the ability to pray and mean what you say.

    I have had scaring, open sores and boils since January 2013, and here we are in June 2013, with my condition confined as yours was, to my scalp. I panic and then I pray and I live in the hope that I will wake up with no itching and no sores.
    I would encourage anyone on this blog to say an intention for each other, whatever your religion, and then I think God will answer those intentions with the healing we all need in this life. Love and Light to you all

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  11. Please pray with me for my severe itching and hair loss problems that have been going on for years. I really need a healing. Please help.

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  12. Please pray with me for my severe itching and hair loss problems that have been going on for years. I really need a healing. Please help.

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  13. Please pray with me for my severe itching and hair loss problems that have been going on for years. I really need a healing. Please help.

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  14. Please pray with me for my acne and facial hair on my face that it heals and goes away. Its been bothering for years and i wanna live having confidence. Please help.

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