My most recent experience with healing came in 2008. I was seated at my home on the floor entertaining some of my pastoral advisors. At some point, I tried to get up, and it was then that I experienced the worst pain of my life, excluding the injuries from my car accident. I could not put my foot down on the floor. I could not put any pressure on it or straighten my leg without excruciating pain. I ended up having to go to the doctor, who found neurological damage in my spine. I was given Percocet, a very powerful pain killer drug, along with a drug to reduce swelling in the nerves, and 800mg. of Ibuprofen— prescription strength. Even with all of these drugs, the pain was still terrible. I could not move my hips up from the bed one eighth of an inch without being in excruciating pain.

I went to a physical therapist for ninety days, six days a week. I could not walk without crutches, could not sit in a chair without exacerbating the problem, and was reduced to lying on a mat or lying in bed. Eventually, I was given two epidurals. The physical therapist told me that if they did not help, then I would probably have to have back surgery. I had three herniated discs and two pinched nerves, along with two forms of arthritis in my spine. The epidurals did not help.

I found out that the cause of my problems was many long international airplane trips. The name of the condition was called, “Traveler’s Back,” and the lower lumbar lordosis (curve of the spine) had been lost and the lumbar was flat instead of curved.

This condition would allow for the discs to slip easily. I was told the best thing to avoid pain was to never get on another airplane. I would moan from pain, even during sleep. I was in pain 24/7. Later I met with a neurosurgeon who explained that one of the nerves affected was the most painful nerve in the body to have pinched.

Despite my extensive medical treatment, marked improvement came only as a result of two prayers that were directly identifiable as the means that brought about relief from pain, and restoration of movement to my back. This does not mean that physical therapy was not helpful. In this, the pain levels decreased minimally, and range of motion improved slightly. However, I was unable to put weight on the foot without major pain. As a result, I became well versed in how to test for pain, particularly in the back.

Whether or not healing and the gifts of the Spirit continued was more than an academic question to me. I needed healing or would need to have surgery. I received prayer from friends who were known for strong healing gifts, but was not healed through their prayers. Instead, I was healed through two people who are not noted for healing.

While I received partial healing through the prayers of my son Josh, full healing only came several weeks later. An e-mail message from a businessman in Louisiana reported that he was granted an open vision of my back, seeing the spine and the nerves going out of the spine. He also saw Jesus tell him how to pray. He acted out everything the Lord was showing him, even though he was in a church service at the time. The next day after waking up, I discovered I was completely healed. Without knowing about Ray’s prayer, I was able to walk without crutches for the first time in ninety days, walk stairs normally, and was free from the excruciating pain I experienced when putting my left foot on the ground. I was healed miraculously, and still travel over 200 days out of the year, often on flights of fifteen hours or more!

About the Author
Dr. Randy Clark is the founder and president of Global Awakening. Among other things, he also founded the Christian Healing Certification Program.
Learn more about him here »