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Does Jesus still perform miracles today? The answer
is Yes! He can and He will! It was when I lay in a New York Hospital
in a coma and was not expected to survive, that He came to me and
restored my life. It was this experience that radically changed
my reality.
My
wife, Fabina, and I, with our two small children, had just arrived
in the United States from the Middle East. Having been born into
a nominal Christian family in Pakistan and also living in Saudi
Arabia, for 10 years I had experienced my share of overt and covert
persecution. For this reason my wife and I longed to move to the
United States, a country that provided religious freedom.
Although
my background was in electronics, I opened a small convenience store
in Brooklyn, New York, and was just getting on my feet when disaster
struck. On May 1, 1995 a young man entered the store to “look
around” and I asked him if I could help him find anything.
I was abruptly greeted with an iron pipe to my head, and I landed
on the floor bleeding to death and unconscious. Once I was found,
I was transported to a local hospital where I lay in a coma for
22 days with a severe brain injury. The doctors only gave me a 50%
chance of survival.
As
I lay in that coma, Jesus appeared to me in a vision and simply
asked me one question: “Where
do you want to live?” My only response
was to be with my mother, who lives in Pakistan. He then pointed
His finger at me and told me that I must be “born
again” if I would like to see my mother again.
Before I had a chance to ask about this unusual term of being “born
again”, He disappeared, and I slowly came out of the coma
to the excited shouts of “He’s
alive!” by the doctors and nurses.
Ten
days later I was transported to a rehabilitation center for further
evaluation. I was told that the right side of my brain was severely
damaged and the left side of my body would be permanently paralyzed.
The doctors also told me that I had lost my short-term memory, motion
control, and planning abilities. In short, I was a “vegetable”.
My
doctor then sent me to the Traumatic
Brain Injury Unit
for a 90-day treatment and therapy program to see if there
was any chance of improvement in my condition. If not, I was to
be sent to a Long Term Disability
Unit. This only discouraged me more, since at this
point, I couldn’t even move or sit in a wheel chair.
One
day while being treated at the Traumatic
Brain Injury Unit, a Christian Pastor visited me.
He told me about acknowledging my shame (sin) before dying, though
he said that confession alone was of no use. He said that the realization
of my guilt had to be accompanied by a desire to be changed, and
to follow Jesus as the person in charge of my life. Jesus was the
only One who could truly pay the price for this change to happen.
As I prayed for this inward change, I felt an electric current pass
through my body and I started to proclaim in confidence that I was
not going to die, but live and walk again by the newly discovered
favor of God. This was when I knew the real meaning of being “born
again”, allowing Jesus to change my life from the inside out.
Before
the 90 days were over, much to the disbelief of the doctors, and
with courage from God, I had progressed from my wheel chair, to
my first step, to walking! From there, God started restoring my
strength, and I became stronger both physically and spiritually.
The doctors couldn’t believe the miraculous recovery of my
memory and simply called it “incredible”. When they
asked how I recovered so quickly, I could joyously testify that
Jesus, the true Healer, had touched me. As a result of these miraculous
recovery steps, my wife, Fabina, also accepted Jesus’ invitation
to become born again, and my heart was filled with joy in spite
of impending surgery.
My
neurosurgeon told me I was going to have cranial surgery, which
involved inserting a plastic plate underneath the skin to replace
my damaged right skull bone. Again, doctors warned me that there
was only a 50% chance of full recovery. Despite this diagnosis,
I had confidence in my heart, and trusted Jesus for 100% recovery.
During this time, I constantly cried to God in prayer, seeing myself
walking, running, driving, and getting back to my normal activities.
These prayers and visions lasted a whole year. Thanks be to God,
the surgery was a success!
During
this year and a half of difficulties and trauma, we lost everything
we had, including our business investment. However, despite these
devastating circumstances, and being physically weak, emotionally
down, and financially broke, God gave me renewed courage, hope and
enthusiasm to make a new start in life. As a result, we moved to
California with some relatives and I started training myself in
a new career. But once I arrived, it wasn’t as easy as I had
wanted.
I
arrived in California, after being renewed almost daily at a church
in New York. But I was starving for fellowship in our new location,
and fell into a deep depression, diagnosed with post-traumatic
stress disorder. The doctors in California acknowledged
my miraculous healing, yet they indicated that my learning abilities
were impaired. However, I believed that this was due to a lack of
encouragement through relationships with other Christians; God had
already healed me of any and all traumatic disorders. Soon, I found
a church, where I built strong relationships, and my faith was renewed.
I again started to trust God for our future, and would constantly
proclaim that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens
me!”.
With
renewed strength and courage, I started to train for a new career.
I attended school and graduated with honors, much to the amazement
of my doctors. Upon completion, God opened new doors for me through
which I was able to re-establish my life.
Today
I am blessed beyond belief! I have dedicated my life to my Lord
Jesus Christ, who strengthens and guides me in every situation I
encounter. I honor God for all these miracles He has done for me.
I am now a living example of His miraculous power that He demonstrated
by restoring my life.
In
closing I want to ask, do you need a miracle in your life? It may
be something life-threatening, like my situation, or simpler circumstances
that you need help with. Whatever your condition, you need to open
your heart to Jesus. He will forgive your sins and change your hopeless
situation into a hope-filled plan, as you earnestly seek Him and
invite Him into your life.
As
a starting place, let the sample prayer below become the prayer
of your heart, as you seek Him to be Born Again:
Father,
in the Name of Jesus, I thank You for the gift of salvation through
Your Son, Jesus Christ. I repent of all my sins and ask You to forgive
me. I confess Jesus as the Lord of my life. I believe He died on
the cross and was raised from the dead that I might receive His
life…now and forever.
Jesus,
thank You for saving me and giving me eternal life. I invite You
into my heart, and I ask you to change me on the inside. Help me,
through the power of the Holy Spirit, to live life in a way that
would honor You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
If
you prayed this prayer with your heart, please let
us know. If you have a need and want Jesus to
do a miracle for you, send us a prayer
request so we can pray for you.
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