Verse-a-day 17 February 2012
CURRENT SERIES: NEW BEGINNINGS
DAY 30: A NEW START. . . BY ASKING GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED
By Benescke Janse van Rensburg
[BACKGROUND: Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me their testimonies. You can continue to do it at
Reader 1, Anton: “It was about a year ago when I started to experience pain in my right ear. Ever since, I visited about seven different doctors. Every time the prescribed ointment or pills brought short relief, before the pain returned. Being a radio DJ, I have to wear earphones daily, which made matters worse.
In desperation, I decided this past Sunday to ask the minister and elders to pray for me. Although they anointed me and prayed for me, I felt no difference. Two of the men however said to me they felt led to tell me to start thanking God for my healing – even though I had not experienced it yet. The pain worsened and on Tuesday I returned to the ear specialist.
This time the doctor took his time to examine my ear. With his microscope, he could look as far as my eardrum and to his amazement; this is where he discovered a piece of cotton which must have fallen from an ear bud at an earlier stage. It was at the core of the inflammation and pain. The doctor removed it and about half an hour later, I could already feel the pain was getting better.
Although several doctors previously looked into my ear, it was as if the Holy Spirit this time led the doctor to discover the core of the problem. Prayer truly works. All glory goes to God!”
Reader 2, Johan: “I am a paramedic in Mozambique. Some time ago, I received a phone call one evening from a 60-year-old man who reported pain in his chest and said that he struggled to breathe. As he arrived at the clinic, I did every test possible to determine the cause. No abnormalities were found. The pain worsened and I knew I had to act to prevent long-term damage to his heart.
A severe storm broke and made an emergency medical flight to South Africa impossible. While the man’s symptoms worsened, I desperately prayed to God to perform a miracle. I knew the man could die if these symptoms continued.
God heard my prayer, as the man’s pain suddenly disappeared in the next two hours and he could sleep peacefully. The next morning, I got a place for the man on board a flight to a specialist (another miracle). In that situation, I experienced God’s ability to help and perform a miracle. All we need to do is ask!”
Reader 3, Annalie: “A few years ago, myself and a colleague were passengers on board a small 4-seater plane flying from the Rand Central Airport to Harding. As we passed Vereeniging, we heard a loud bang and the plane started losing altitude. The pilot said he would rather attempt an emergency landing than fly over the Drakensberg mountains.
Realizing that we were descending at an alarming rate, I cried out to God and asked Him to help us land safely. The pilot spotted a green field and decided to land there. Just when we were about to touch down, it suddenly felt as if someone lifted the plane and cause us to land a few meters further.
We got out of the plane to access the damage, we realized that we missed large rocks by meters. Our next surprise: the “green field” we thought were safe to land on, actually was very rocky. If we landed where the pilot initially planned to touch down, we might have crashed! That day, we all realized that God protected us. He picked us up and helped us to land safely!”
Anton, John and Annalie are right. God desires to help us - all we need do is ask him for help. Listen to the words in Matthew 7:7: “Ask and it will be given to you. . .” In James 4:2b it says: “You do not have because you do not ask God.” And in Mark 11:24 we read: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
What bothers you today? Why don’t you speak to God about it? God bless.
Father God, thank you for listening to my prayers. Please help me with (name your obstacle) and lead me to act with wisdom. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
- See pictures of readers on the STORIES VAN HOOP page on the social network, Fbook.
** BOOK LAUNCH OF WYSHEID, OORDENKINGS UIT SPREUKE by Benescke Janse van Rensburg: Saturday, 25 February 2012, Bellville. For more information, contact Karin at 021 949 7419 or
** Benescke Janse van Rensburg is a motivational speaker, freelance journalist and author of the books, Ontdek God in die stories van mense and also Wysheid, oordenkings uit Spreuke.