When I think of having active faith, I think of my older sister. She is amazing. If God said it, then she believes it. Jerry was new in the Lord, and she read in her bible that he would supply every need that she had if she would just believe it. Well, she believed it. As a result, my younger sister who had contracted Spinal Meningitis when she was six months old, had a mouth full of rotting teeth because of the medicines that she had to take. We couldn’t afford dental care, and certainly not for baby teeth, but that didn’t stop Jerry from believing and standing on the promises of God. Barbara Gail was four years old. During prayer, the Lord told Jerry to go to her Mama’s house because he was going to heal Barbara Gail. Jerry didn’t even think about the empty gas tank she had or her lack of money to buy gas or even the remote possibility that she was just in the flesh and that God didn’t really tell her to do that: No. Jerry simply took God at his word, got into her car, and put a note card over the gas gauge so she wouldn’t hinder the Lord’s work with doubt, started the engine and told the Lord that she trusted him and to just get her to Mama’s house.

When she arrived at the house, Mama was cooking breakfast. Jerry came in with Holy boldness and told Mama that God was going to heal Barbara Gail, today, and that’s when the praise and prayer commenced. She anointed her with oil, and prayed a simple prayer, “In the Name of Jesus, be healed.” The power of God came into that kitchen. When things settled down a bit, Mama looked at the spatula that she still had in her hand with the egg on it. They laughed and laughed and sat down to eat.

Meanwhile, I was back at my house. I had been seeking the Holy Ghost, but it seemed that every time that I got close, someone would shout in my ear, and tell me that’s it, or hold on, or just let it go, or so many other things that I was really getting confused about what I was supposed to do. So on that day, I was praying by my bedside, and I told the Lord that I know that the Holy Ghost is a gift, and that if the gift is for me, and if you are real, then you can fill me right here and right now, so I raised my hands and God filled me with the Holy Ghost. A light came into that room. There was not anyone else with me so I wasn’t distracted. When I came to myself, I was ready to go tell Mama what the Lord had done.

When I arrived at Mama’s, they told me that God had healed Barbara Gail. We were laughing and talking and eating sandwiches, and Barbara Gail kept trying to get Mama’s attention. When Mama asked Barbara what was the matter, she said that she couldn’t eat. Mama asked her why? She said ’cause Mama, I can’t chew it. I don’t have any teeth.

We looked in her mouth, and there was nothing there but smooth gums. He left the bottom of the teeth because that would help the ones that would be pushing through. We could see the white in her gums of her uncut teeth. My God is real and he is a miracle working God if you can believe.

It is that simple. Believe. Two miracles happened in Goldsboro, North Carolina that day; one, me being filled with the Holy Ghost, and another, a child being healed. I wonder what could happen if we simply believe God and take him at his word?

Jerry lives a life of faith because she trusts God, and so do I.

Look in this week’s Lattereign for more on why Active Faith is Pleasing to God.